4 FLAT-RACING EXPLAINED. 



As I have said, taking the riiiiiiing form of horses 

 gauged by their performances on all kinds of 

 courses, under all sorts of conditions, a handicap 

 framed on the basis in point of distance of 7 fur- 

 longs and 166 yards must necessarily be incorrect 

 relatively in regard to merit, and quite useless in 

 the sense that each horse has been given a fair 

 chance. In handicaps even of this character we 

 occasionally see, as a matter of course, hoises per- 

 haps weighted at almost the top and the bottom 

 coming together at the finish, divided, it may be, by 

 a head or a neck. 



When this happens — and it would be strange in- 

 deed if it did not happen occasionally — we are 

 treated on all sides to a sort of rhapsody of praise 

 and exultation, and the triumph of tlie handicapper 

 is extolled to a degree almost to be sickening. Well 

 merited praise is naturally approved by everybody 

 disposed to be generous, but when one knows such 

 a result to be little less than a chance shot, with 

 jockeys riding in Avaiting at each otlier's heels, and 

 not venturing to make a race of it in many cases 

 till only the last few strides, one cannot help think- 

 ing much of the enthusiasm displayed on these 

 occasions might with advantage be just a trifle re- 

 si rained, or at any rate reserved fur something more 

 worthy of it. 



