HANDICAPS. 71 



being framed on the presumption of running on the 

 level, and without regard to the necessities or the 

 requirements of gradient; and in the second, they 

 fail to apportion weight in accordance witli correct 

 running distance, surface measurement not being 

 running distance on any course not strictly a level 

 course. 



In view of the first of these propositions, it can- 

 not be contended that handicaps are framed other- 

 wise than on what I may call "paper" results, or 

 as results come out and appear in guide book form, 

 it may be months, or possibly the following year, 

 after some particular race has taken place. In other 

 words, a head or a length beating is the same for all 

 practical purposes in the matter of adjusting 

 weights, quite irrespective of the course where the 

 results in question happened to have occurred. So 

 far as the ground or course is concerned, there is ab- 

 solutely no distinction ever made. The figures 

 particular beatings remain just the same as they 

 have been for any period of time; yet new courses 

 are constantly made, and a new set of gradients 

 brought into use, to be raced upon year by year. 



What difference is made in handicapping between 

 a head or a length beating on a level course, and the 

 same results when the race has been run on a steep 

 incline? Positively none. Yet supposing the same 



