HORSES 19 



cepted doctrine amongst themselves. This arises 

 more especially in regard to horses running, though 

 it permeates almost everything that transpires in 

 racing. Take, for instance, a race which a horse 

 has won by a head. The idea with them prevails 

 that 2 lb. would have brought the winner and the 

 second horse together, and that, should these same 

 two animals again meet, giving the second horse 

 that advantage, his chance would be equal to the 

 other. 



There surely can be nothing more haphazard 

 than this, and nothing more fatal to the best in- 

 terests of racing. This question of the 2 lb. weight, 

 although upheld by handicap rules, and thereby 

 accepted with authoritative sanction, is ridiculous 

 on the face of it. Suppose these two horses do 

 meet on the same ground, and on the altered con- 

 ditions, and we are treated to the show of a race 

 at the finish, and, watch in hand, you have ex- 

 amined both races with the practised eye of a 

 critic. You will have found that the difference in 

 running, in ix)iut of time, amounted probably to 

 several seconds — sufficient, indeed, to have sepa- 

 rated the horses, on their merits, by some three or 

 four lengths. 



Instead of having witnessed two genuine races, 

 you will probably have seen two falsely-run races, 



