HANDICAPS 95 



give a 3 st. beating to a horse carrying 6 St., yet 

 both are entered to be sold for the same price 

 and supposed to be worth the same amount. Such 

 races merely serve the purpose of filling cards and pro- 

 viding opportunity for betting ; they assuredly tend 

 little to accomplish the professed object of the Turf — 

 the improvement of the thoroughbred. The principal 

 handicaps, nevertheless, have frequently an interest of 

 their own — on certain occasions, when really good 

 horses are called upon to perform very difficult tasks, 

 and succeed in accomplishing them in handsome 

 fashion, a very great and special interest. The handi- 

 cap, indeed, is of value as serving to show what good 

 horses can do ; for those that have most to carry are 

 often called upon to give more weight away to 

 moderate, useful, or even to horses of no small proved 

 capacity, than would be the case in any other variety 

 of contest. 



Horses may thus make reputations in handicaps, 

 and of late years the old distinction between the 

 weight-for-age and the handicap horse has been well- 

 nicrh obliterated ; one reason for this doubtless beingf 

 that handicaps are often worth so much that there are 

 very few owners who do not enter the best animals 

 they possess. Ormonde, St. Simon, Donovan, Isin- 

 glass, are among the rare exceptions. The Duke of 

 Westminster is a typical owner who races habitually 

 for the most distinguished prizes the turf offers ; but 

 he did not hesitate to enter his Derby winner Bend 



