130 NOT WON YET. 



jockey's business. He thinks little about how he is 

 to manage his horse^ but he must think a great deal 

 about how he is to manage the race : that is, not how 

 he is to keep his horse in the place he wishes him to 

 be, but where that place should be for the best. 

 Many things have to be considered before he can 

 determine on this. Here the head goes to work, and 

 has been, long before the day of running. Doubtless 

 the trainer, the jockey, and the owner (if lie inter- 

 feres in the matter) know perfectly Avell the kind of 

 race that would suit their own horse best ; but they 

 will not be allowed to run the race as they like, for 

 others will make a pretty shrewd guess at the kind of 

 race our jockey would Avish for his horse, and mil 

 therefore (if they consider him dangerous) take care 

 it shall be run in a diametrically opposite way. 

 And could a man even connnand a race to be run as 

 he wishes, a good deal would have to be considered 

 when this w^as accorded to him : for possibly the very 

 kind of race that suits his horse would also suit two 

 or three others that he is afraid of ; so, all he could 

 insure even by this would be beating sixteen out of 

 twenty. This is in no way insuring winning the 

 race. He may have, and probably has considered, as 

 far as human foresight will go, how such horses as he 

 is afraid of are likely to run in the race, and has 

 made up his mind how to act under every circum- 

 stance. We will say he has done so, and feels he has 

 them beaten ; but he finds others a good deal better 

 than he thought. He has then to think again ; for 

 here is a new feature in the race : but, worse than all, 

 he may find some unthought-of devil show in front 

 full of running : he may have patience to wait, hoping 

 this new customer may shut up : but suj^pose he finds 

 he does not, he must not let this new comet run in 



