106 FLAT-RACING EXPLAINED. 



won the race, and easily, too. Without going mi- 

 nutely into distances, the speed of the mare is so 

 great, that on the other course it would have been, 

 if one may be permitted to imagine such a thing, 

 like Best Man, viewing her passing the winning 

 post from the Bushes Hill, not being able to get 

 nearer to her than that. In any case, it proves 

 Georgic to be an animal of great merit on a flat 

 course, but not to be of much account where there 

 is a stiff gradient. 



If it were necessary, instances su<2h as I have 

 mentioned of horses running their fastest races 

 with the heaviest weight up could be given to a 

 very large extent; but there is perhaps just this to 

 be said — horses with welter-weights on their backs 

 are differently ridden, and opportunities less fre- 

 quently thrown away of getting to the winning post 

 as soon as possible when fairly on their way. 

 When this is done, there is of course better speed 

 made, though, generally speaking, the method of 

 riding in this country is not in furtherance of that 

 desirable end. 



Take, as an example, the performance of Rodo- 

 mont, a horse still in training, but one nobody 

 would be willing to regard at any time during his 

 career as a high-class race horse. In his best days 

 he won, as the book tells, several good races, as 



