228 KINGSCLERE 



ever. The idea of reinstating him should never be 

 taken into consideration. The poor clerk who has 

 embezzled his master's property pleads in extenua- 

 tion of his offence the smallness of his salary. 

 There is no excuse of that kind for a jockey 

 going wrong. He is paid so well he can afford to 

 be honest. 



' Compare his remuneration with that of a trainer. 

 The latter has no retaining fee unless he is engaged 

 as a private trainer. Even in that case the sum 

 he receives is next to nothing in comparison to that 

 paid to a jockey, who, besides the fee in question, 

 is paid riding fees and travelling expenses. More- 

 over, when you have paid the jockey his retainer, 

 which may amount to thousands a year — to a sum 

 equalling the salary of a Cabinet Minister — you 

 have by no means secured an exclusive right to 

 his services. He has the right, of which he takes 

 prompt care to avail himself, to contract with other 

 owners for second, third, and fourth claim. You can 

 seldom or never get him to ride a trial, and, as to his 

 riding a gallop, and thereby acquiring some know- 

 ledge of the horse he may be called upon to mount 

 in public, that is quite out of the question. The 

 trainer, on accepting a retaining fee, is precluded 

 from entering into another contract. Another point, 

 and one of some importance, may be mentioned. I 

 say nothing about the trainer in relation to it, but — 

 the jockey makes no bad debts. He can claim his 

 retaining fee before the commencement of the racing 

 season and obtain payment of his riding fee from 



