144 THE TURF 



remembers that the racehorse is full of muscle and 

 " condition," in the plenitude of health and strength, 

 it seems strange that so slight an additional burden 

 should really have any considerable effect upon him. 

 That it has such effect is, however, daily demonstrated. 

 The matter is still further complicated when one 

 observes what heavy weights some good horses carry 

 to victory on the one hand, and how frequently the 

 tables are turned by a small penalty or allowance on 

 the other. Foxhall, Plaisanterie, and La Fleche, all 

 as three-year-olds, won the Cambridgeshire with 9 St., 

 8 St. 12 lbs., and 8 st. 10 lbs., the last-named in a canter, 

 with her ears pricked ; Isonomy and Carlton won the 

 Manchester Handicap with 9 st. 12 lbs. These are 

 instances of brilliant successes under severe burdens ; 

 and to grasp the opposite side of the question a glance 

 at Turf records will show how many moderate horses 

 have been helped first past the post in the Prince of 

 Wales's Stakes at Ascot by the 7 lbs. maiden allow- 

 ance. 



During the first three years of a horse's Turf 

 career he is supposed to be constantly growing in 

 capacity, and to adjust these ever- varying differences 

 a scale of weight for age has been constructed. It 

 runs as follows : — 



Scale of Weight for Age. 



The following Scale of Weight for Age is published under the 

 sanction of the Stewards of the Jockey Club as a guide to managers 

 of race meetings, but is not intended to be imperative, especially as 



