THE RACE-HORSE. 545 



the prize is almost certainly carried away from the horses 

 which alone are entitled to run. The fraud is difficult to be 

 prevented, in consequence of the large amount of stakes of 

 this kind established at the provincial meetings, which hold 

 out a strong temptation to deception on the part of the lower 

 class of persons connected with the turf. Some years ago, a 

 horse described as half-bred, under the fictitious name of 

 Tom Paine, was hawked about the country, and won many 

 valuable stakes. On investigation, it was found that this 

 pretended Tom Paine was Tybalt, a thoroughbred horse by 

 Thunderbolt, from a mare of Lord Grosvener's, Meteora, 

 one of the best in England of her day ; and similar, though 

 less impudent, frauds have in other cases taken place. Half- 

 bred horses, too, are suited for different and more useful 

 purposes than racing, and they are, for the most part, ruined 

 by the severe training necessary to put them into a condi- 

 tion for running ; and, when a number of half-bred horses 

 contend together, it can scarcely happen that all will be put 

 upon an equal footing with respect to training, so that, in 

 this respect, a practical inequality is introduced, independent 

 of the merits of the horses. It may seem that stakes limited 

 to hunters, which have been regularly hunted for the season, 

 are more free from objection. It is to be observed, however, 

 that a hunter is destined for a particular class of services, 

 for which mere speed is not the most important requisite ; 

 and it is cruel to put a hunter, after the hard services of the 

 season, under the severe discipline necessary to fit him for 

 running. Besides, many hunters are now thoroughbred, 

 and this is a source of inequality, independent of the real 

 value of the animals as adapted to the chase. For these 

 reasons, it appears to many that this class of stakes ought 

 to receive no encouragement on the regular turf; and fur- 

 ther, that yeomanry races, farmers' races, and the like, should 

 all be proscribed. No good, with respect to the improve- 

 ment of the breed of these kinds of horses, can result from 

 this class of races. A race-horse is intended to exert the 



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