326 RACING IN CEYLON 



provided four days' racing (sometimes five, 

 If I remember rightly), but the ''days" 

 began when the sun got low (about 4 p.m.), 

 and lasted till dark. Into this time four or 

 five races were compressed. 



In those days the horses were divided 

 into "classes," and there was a complicated 

 scale of "weight for age and class" — the 

 idea being to bring together In one race, 

 say an English three - year - old, an aged 

 Waler, and a five - year - old Arab. Of 

 course, this was a failure, and, practically 

 speaking, each class raced by itself, as did 

 the Galloways and the ponies. Any horse 

 wa.s " first-class " if not otherwise entered, 

 and all second-class horses were liable to 

 be claimed at auction for 1000 rupees (then 

 nearly ^85). The principal races were the 

 Merchants' Cup (ist class), the Planters' 



