201 ON THE RACE COURSE. 



other, which is of far more importance, is for the 

 horses to run in upon. This part of the course should 

 be straight and level ; if it deviates at all from the lat- 

 ter it should be in a gradual ascent to the winning- 

 post. The whole of the posts for marking out the 

 ground should be painted white, and must be placed 

 at such convenient distance one from the other, as to 

 admit of each being easily seen by the jockeys in the 

 running ; and to prevent them from getting too close to 

 the large posts, the better way is to bank them up from 

 a pretty wide basis, for three or four feet, as advised in 

 the Racing Calendar by the Stewards of the Jockey 

 Club ; and for any particular purpose for which a post 

 may be intended, independently of its use in marking 

 out the ground, such post should be marked accord- 

 ingly on the top part ; for example, when shorter 

 lengths than two miles are to be run. 



Supposing the course I am now arranging to run to 

 the right hand, and that there may be rather a difficult 

 turn to make in it. Instead of such a turn being made 

 by the jockeys' laying a little out of their ground suf- 

 ficiently early for the purpose of making it, as was 

 formerly the practice, and which was not only dan- 

 gerous, but has often been the cause of disputes on the 

 subject of foul riding, I would recommend the adoption 

 of the following plan, which would not only prevent 

 accidents, but every thing unpleasant which may occur 

 in running for the turn in the old way. The turn had 

 better be made by an additional number of sight posts, 

 which should be placed wide of such turn, sufficiently 



