RACING OFFICIALS 133 



too close an adherence to book form with no special 

 knowledge behind it. Thus, it has been previously- 

 pointed out that a horse may win by a neck and have 

 3 lbs. in hand or 3 stone ; and unless the handicapper 

 sees the race, and is a judge of riding, he is likely to 

 go far astray. Neglect of this last essential led to 

 results which induced the Jockey Club about a year 

 since (at the beginning of 1897) to make an addition 

 to the Rule of Racing which deals with handicappers, 

 to limit the work they do, and to declare that they 

 must attend the meetings for which they have adjusted 

 weights, either personally or by licensed deputy — 

 and when they are vicariously represented it can only 

 be hoped that the deputy is alert, ready to make 

 notes and careful to ensure that his principal has them 

 put before him. 



The Judge must be in his box when the horses pass 

 the post. He carefully scrutinises the approaching 

 field through his glasses, takes in generally the posi- 

 tions of the leading horses, puts down his glass when 

 the leaders are near at hand, and so notes precisely 

 how the first three at least — usually the fourth, and 

 occasionally others — pass the imaginary line between 

 his box and the winning post. He can see infinitely 

 better than any one else how the horses finish ; and 

 though there are legends of judges having made mis- 

 takes in short head verdicts, the chances are that their 

 decisions have been correct. There is reason to sup- 

 pose that once or twice a blunder has occurred, and 



