TRAINERS AND JOCKEYS 225 



is to be of any use. Good hands and the embodiment of 

 strength and stamina within a pigmy frame are of no avail 

 without the brains to utilise them advantageously, and the 

 combination of the separate characteristics that go to make 

 up the great jockey is what constitutes the rarity. A 

 hundred good racehorses appear for every jockey in the 

 first class. There are people who make a living, and a 

 good living, so far as profits go, backing horses, who would 

 not dream of making a bet until they know the jockey 

 that is riding ; and the importance of this precaution is 

 becoming more and more recognised by the rank and file 

 of race-goers, although the truth is as old as racing itself. 

 An appreciation of the American and his methods, of 

 course, has much to do with this enlightenment. Of the 

 thousands of lads that are employed in riding horses in 

 their exercise gallops, the proportion that is of any use for 

 race-riding is infinitesimally small, and of these another 

 small proportion again will not be able to do much more 

 than sit on from end to end of a race and not absolutely 

 prevent a horse from winning through sheer incapacity. 

 Even the good jockeys are to be divided into those who 

 ride races merely and those who take deeper interest in 

 the fortunes of stables, and are looked up to by trainers 

 as capable advisers. I am far from suggesting that a 

 jockey should be called upon to assist to this extent, and 

 it should be sufficient that he ride his races to order and 

 to the best advantage. But the natural bent of some men 

 is to observe, and amongst our jockeys are a few who note 

 everything that goes on around them, and are really capable 

 of forming opinions as to the chances of certain horses 

 for given races. They are not many, and their assistance is 

 really valuable. At times when more than one race meeting 

 is in progress on the same day such a jockey would be 

 occasionally in charge of the horses he is to ride at one of 

 them on behalf of the trainer. Thus a good deal of power 

 often falls into the hands of jockeys. As they commonly 

 rise from a lowly state, the development of cupidity must 

 be anticipated, and, with money to be made with greater 

 certainty by foul means than by fair, they require some 

 Q 



