1 86 Australian Life 



The conduct of horse-racing in Australia is 

 marked by the regard paid to the convenience 

 and comfort of the race-going public. Of the 

 minor improvements introduced upon Australian 

 race-courses, such as the numbering of saddle- 

 cloths, so that spectators can, by a glance at their 

 cards, tell the name of a horse without reference 

 to the colours worn by his rider, much has been 

 written. Betting in many of the Australian 

 States takes place on the course through the 

 agency of the totalisator, or pari-mutuel, while in 

 other states, book-makers are controlled by the 

 racing clubs governing the sport. Admission 

 fees to the race -courses are strictly reasonable, 

 and it is certain that while more of the Aus- 

 tralians have a personal knowledge of racing 

 gained from attending the courses, there is much 

 less of the blind and ignorant gambling which 

 takes place in the cities of Great Britain among 

 men who never saw a race-horse extended. On 

 the other hand, it would be idle to contend for 

 one moment that the sport is as pure in itself in 

 Australia as in Great Britain. Many of the Aus- 

 tralian owners of race-horses are frankly con- 

 cerned in racing for the sake of the money they 

 hope to make at it, and incidents take place at 

 some of the minor meetings that would not for 

 one moment be tolerated by the English Jockey 

 Club. 



The climate of Australia largely accounts for 

 the skill in cricket which has now become recog- 



