136 TRAINING IN INDIA 



those upright pasterns that are entirely unsuited to work 

 on Indian soil. 



The majority of Indian race-courses are so hard that 

 they tend to make horses which are trained on them go 

 short and " stilty." Even when the track happens to be 

 soft, the "going" is simply heavy without any elasticity, 

 so that the horse is taught to " dwell on his stride." We 

 hardly ever obtain the happy medium afforded by the light 

 springy turf in England. Good legs and feet are the first 

 considerations, and then comes the power of carrying weight 

 and being able to stay. An English horse, or Australian, 

 should be able to race under 10 st. 7 lbs. IJ miles. If a 

 sound game horse can do all this, his being a little "troubled 

 with the slows" will not prevent him from paying his 

 way. A flashy thoroughbred that could stagger home in 

 extraordinary good time over 5 furlongs with 6 st. up 

 would be out of place in India, except, perhaps, for a coti'p 

 at Calcutta. 



With the exception of Eeputation and Oberon, neither 

 of whom stood training in India, there have been no Eng- 

 lish horses imported into this country that were up to 

 good handicap form in the land of their birth. Metal, by 

 his running with Althorp at Goodwood, was a fair second- 

 rater. In India he was the best of his time when fit. 

 Blanchland, who was a roarer, was probably the fastest 5- 

 furlong horse we have seen in India. Presto, who was a 

 smart selling-plater in England, was nearly first-class in 

 India. In olden days the English mares. Morning Star 

 and Bridesmaid, were, at their own distance, unapproachable 

 by their Australian rivals, who, it must be confessed, had 

 but little pretensions to racing form. Australian horses, 



