204 THE TURF 



unlikely to fall over the rails. Gatwick is rather thin 

 and "straggly" and in the new course there is — 

 possibly by the time these pages are published it will 

 be correct to say was — a fence rendered very danger- 

 ous by the way the ground slopes on the taking-off 

 side. Manchester jumps are criticised by riders as too 

 straight up ; fences are thin and high, so that horses 

 are likely to find the point of resistance to which refer- 

 ence has been made. Windsor is confusing, because 

 of the twists ; it is hard for a rider to keep his place, 

 as he is first outside and then inside. Dunstal Park 

 is small and easy ; Hawthorn Hill too much up and 

 down hill ; Newmarket is a model of a galloping 

 course, with fair fences of good size ; riding over 

 Aldershot has been described as "mountaineering." 

 Most of the Irish courses differ from the English, 

 except Leopardstown, which was an exceedingly stiff 

 and severe edition of Sandown. It used to be danger- 

 ously big, in fact ; horses were killed and men badly 

 hurt ; but it has been modified. At Punchestown, 

 Fairyhouse, and Navan the country is to a great ex- 

 tent natural. There are banks, some of which horses 

 fly, others they double on. Walls, open brooks, and 

 doubles are included. 



