FIFTH EDITION. 



THE RACEHORSE IN TRAINING, 



BY WILLIAM DAY. 



Opinions of the ' Times,' and other Daily and Sporting Papers. 



. We have diligently perused this novel work with great pleasure ; and in recording our verdict in 

 Us favour we shall give a few brief extracts from the Leading daily papers and other journals: the Fimes, 



'. and Daily /'< legraph all loudly applaud it, whilst numerous other papers deal theirpraises 

 wit U unsparing hands. 



We regret we shall not have space enough to notice more than some of the most striking points in 

 a book replete with common sense, and abounding in literary acumen, and certainly the best work 

 on a diversfled subject we ever remember to have seen. 



The Sporting Life commences its review thus :— ' We may premise our notice of this new work by 

 saying that we deem it oneof the best and most exhaustive on a subject most difficult to handle ever 

 launched on the ocean of public criticism ;' and after a lengthy review concludes its remarks with the 

 following:— 'Successes of the Woodyates Stable, and of low-priced yearlings, are most interesting 

 chapters. Experiences of trials, evils of the light-weight scale, and a host of other matters make us 

 loath to leave the volume; but space compels, and while we heartily congratulate Mr. William Day 

 on the production of a book which cannot fail to be regarded as a standard work in Turf Literature, 

 we at the same time feel sure that if merit meets its proper reward, success for " The Racehorse in 

 Training " is certain.' 



The Sinn;' iit a Tim*-* writes (on the same day as the above, being the two first reviews that appeared), 

 ' If ever there was a man in a position to speak with authority on matters appertaining to the Turf, 

 that man is William Day. This is a volume that we took up not for the purpose of reviewing, but 

 with the conviction that we should find every word of it of value, and that to read it was a duty. We 

 laid it down, satisfied that we knew more of racing than when we took it up.' Then, after devoting 

 nearly two columns to thesub.iect, itconcludes its remarks with the subjoined complimentary passage: 

 — ' ( )f the more scientific matters touched upon by the author we do not speak. In the way of incident 

 our remarks convey only a very slight notion of the wealth of this volume. We look upon the bookas 

 one of the most valuable ever contributed to Turf Literature. To those who are interested in training 

 it is instructive : and to that larger section who love the gossip of racing, it is entert lining.' We shall 

 next notice the Sp >rtsm m, the only daily of its class. After praising Mr. William Dav, it s n - 

 ' Turning, however, to the contents of the volume we find the author, as a preliminary, briefly setting 

 forth the items upon which he purposes to descant. Mr. Day, however, is happiest when, having 

 treated upon the various ailments to which horses are subject, and prescribed the most approved 

 mode of treatment, he goes on to speak of the horse's condition.' Then the reviewer appropriately 

 concludes as follows :— It has evidently been written by a deep-thinking and conscientious man. and 

 we earnestly hope that his aspirations may be realized, and that hishandsom lv b mad and altogether 

 worthy volume may effect a deal of good.' In this manner our contemporaries express their ad- 

 miration for the various portions of this work : but to our minds there is nothing more valmbie or 

 interesting in the whole book than the chapters on the morality of the turf, an 1 the treatment of the 

 horse. We look on the author here as a m Jral philosoph sr discussing ethics, and admire his fearless 

 declamation against the social evil, which is not more severe than needed ; nor can every line of it be 

 too strongly recommended to the careful consideration of those empowered to suppress it. The 

 management of the horse in health and sickness is so comprehensive and clear, that to everyone keep- 

 ing hack, carriage horse, or hunter, it is an invaluable treasure. 



Of the daily papers the Times remarks in a long and able article :— ' We can say, at least without 

 hearing counter-argument, that Mr. Day is a plausible advocate for his systems, and that he his 

 illustrated them with apposite and entertaining anecdotes, which invariably and triumphantly vindi- 

 cate their success : and it would be difficult for anybody interested in stable management to read his 

 volume carefully without getting valuable hints.' Again: 'Mr. Day has not only written a useful 

 book, but one that in its simple and straightforward style does no little credit to its literary ability.' 



From the review in the st,i ,,,l,i r,l of nearly two columns we select the following passages':—' Asone 

 reads we are surprised at the immense amount of information upon every subject connected with 

 racing which is condensed within the compass of a single volume, the whole arranged with a clearness 

 and conciseness which would do credit to the most practised writer. It is another proof of the fact 

 that the more thoroughly a man knows his subject, the more briefly he can expl iin it. Mr. Dav, with 

 his long and varied experience, is never in doubt. He is thoroughly convinced as to the best wav of 

 doing a thing, and is always able to illustrate his dictum by a few striking examples, which are worth 

 pages of argument.' 



We shall close our quotations from the daily papers with an extract from the Daihi T:-lriirai>h, which 

 says:— 'Modest in its aims, unambitious in its style, concise and free from prolixity in its langu ige, 

 written, too, in plain, unadorned, and intelligible English, the book may lay claim with justice that, 

 of its kind, it has no superior in the wide diversified field of so-called literature which owes its in- 

 spiration, or at least its origin, to horse-racing Be this, however, as it mav, no competent 



reader can deny that William Day has written one of the most fearless, searching, authoritative, and 

 interesting works that has ever appeared upon an inexhaustible subject, and we trust that he may be 

 rewarded, as he deserves, by living to see its passage through many successive editions.' 



Reviews of County Papers. 



To these many flattering extracts we may remark that the book is full of information and suggestive 

 matter ; the whole being related in a plain, though powerful, refined, and effective style, without the 

 loi[ua -it v and jargon which too often spoil otherwise readable ami useful works. We unhesitatingly 

 proclaim Mr. William Day's remarkable book one of great excellence, unique, interesting, and 

 valuable, which to appreciate thoroughly must be read. With a passage or two taken from the Pi ' ' 

 we shall concludeour notice of the book under consideration. ( >f all the weekly pap srs perhaps the 

 Fit 1 1 has the most able and complete article, and is more lavish with its praise thanany of its numerous 

 contemporaries, and we mav add with justice. ' .Many books,' it remarks, ' upon racing and spirting 

 subjects are reviewed in these columns, but it is with no ordinary pleasure that we pronounce " The 

 Racehorse in Training " to be a work of exceptional merit.' It adds : ' Few books of equal authority 



