AND THE COCK-TAII,. 27 



lowed to run his own race ; that is, if he is allow- 

 ed to run within himself until he comes within a 

 short distance of home, when he is very likely to 

 be quite as fast, or, perhaps, a little faster than the 

 thorough-bred one, and, if so, he would conse- 

 quently win the match. Now, with regard to how 

 the cock-tail, or half-bred horse is to be ridden, 

 when running in company with a certain number 

 of horses, at a country meeting, five or six per- 

 haps, that may be entered in a stake or handy- 

 cap, at five sovereigns each, with something added 

 by the stewards, and that the whole of the horses, 

 according to their breeding and running proper- 

 tiesj are very fairly weighed — the trainer of the 

 half-bred horse, in quietly talking to his jockey 

 on the day of running for the stakes just men 

 tioned, says to him, " The horse we have most to 

 be afraid of in the race is such a one," naming 

 the horse to the jockey, observing at the same 

 time, that he will be rather a busy horse in the 

 running ; — " You must, therefore, not attempt to 

 go to the head with our horse, for the shorter the 

 race is for him the better he will like it; the 

 only chance we have to win is to wait, and if we 

 are not beat before we come within the distance, 

 we are, I know, faster than the majority of them 

 for this length; and we may, perhaps, be faster 



