108 FLAT-RACING EXPLAINED. 



gradient. He ran several times during the re- 

 mainder of the season, and afterwards won on two 

 occasions; but the speed was poor, and it was clear 

 the horse was out of his distance, was badly placed 

 in point of gradient, and altogether unsuited to the 

 task he was set to perform. 



The point, however, to be observed in Rodomont's 

 case is that which undoubtedly would be applicable 

 in the ease of a large number of horses. If it had 

 been possible to have run him half a dozen times 

 over the same ground, following the performance 

 in the Newmarket Handicap, he would not only 

 have repeated his time, probably, on each occasion, 

 but it would have been difficult to have found an 

 animal to beat him at racing weights. 



To enumerate the horses that have repeated their 

 time over the same ground within my experience, 

 regardless of the difference in weights, were I to 

 enter upon the task, would fill a volume. A notable 

 instance, in point of repeating the time, was La 

 Fleche, in the Derby and the Oaks, the two worst 

 races, perhaps, the filly ran as a three-year-old. 

 The time in both these races was exactly the same, 

 though she only ran second in the former race. 

 The ground was then very hard, and the filly 

 looked dull and out of sorts. 



La Fleche's finest performance, certainly that 



