1^8 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



you run two-year-olds without, in your opinion, 

 injuring their growth or future prospects ? " I 

 wrote : 



It would depend upon the class of animal. If small or 

 set horses, in May ; but if large or gross horses, not 

 before September. I consider May quite early enough. 

 To run them before that time would compel you to have 

 them fit to try before Christmas ; you are liable to so 

 many checks from frost during the months of January, 

 February, and March. And then, again, the ground as 

 a rule is very heavy after the breaking up of frost, and I 

 consider galloping young horses on heavy ground most 

 injurious. 



In reply to further questions, I expressed the 

 opinion that in the spring and summer months 

 an early foal had, when running as a two-year- 

 old, a great advantage over a May foal, but not 

 so much advantage in the autumn. " No," was 

 my answer to the question, " With respect to 

 three-year-old races, do you consider that an 

 early foal has a great advantage over a May 

 foal ?'^ I replied " Certainly not '* to the query, 

 ** Do you consider that a colt that has run fre- 

 quently at two and three years old is as likely to 

 improve in proportion to his age as a horse that 

 has not run often when young ? '* 



The committee, however, came to the conclu- 

 sion that the balance of evidence justified the 

 insertion of the following paragraph in their 

 report : 



