1 84 KINGSCLERE 



question, the young thing would have the inesti- 

 mable advantage of sunshine and warmth to make 

 him grow the right way. With regard to another 

 point, more than once touched upon in what has 

 already been written, I think the Jockey Club ought 

 to give less encouragement than they afford at 

 present to two-year-old racing. I would permit 

 half-mile selling races up to June i, in order to 

 give owners an opportunity of getting rid of 

 speedy but otherwise nearly worthless animals. I 

 would not, on the other hand, allow any two- 

 year-old to run more than six furlongs before 

 October i. At that period the horse is obviously 

 drawing near his three-year-old form. A race 

 of a mile might not be injurious to him, but still I 

 would not advocate too much of that sort of thing. 

 As to older horses I would extend the distance of 

 all races for three-year-olds and upwards. In 

 France they do not begin racing their two-year- 

 olds until the month of August, and a large pro- 

 portion of their three-year-old races are over a 

 mile or longer distances. I find, on referring to 

 the Calendar, more old horses ; that is to say, 

 more four-year-olds and upwards are running in 

 France than we have in training in this country. 

 This proves most conclusively to my mind that 

 their system of not running two-year-olds until 

 later in the season than the English period, and 

 adopting longer courses for three-year-olds and 

 upwards, does not break their horses down as 



