214 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 



he did the distance, three and a half miles, in 6.40, or at the rate of Ih 

 seconds and one-third per furlong." ''Thus allowing Childers his year 

 for the extra mile in the course, and for the two pounds which he carried 

 above Kingston's weight, he, Childers, was outdone by Kingston at 

 Ascot, by one second per furlong, and likewise by West Australian, 

 at the usual allowance for his age." "Kingston, of the same age as 

 Arrow, and carrying 9 st. instead of 6 st. 2 lbs. — 100 pounds — ran two 

 and a half miles at a better rate than Arrow, in his race with Brown 

 Dick, did bis three miles, by one-tliird of a second per furlong," But 

 Arrow's was « race of three-mile heats, the second heat in 5.43 1-2. 

 Lexington, nominally four years old, carrying 103 pounds, ran four miles, 

 also at New Orleans, in 7.19 3-4. or, as nearly as maybe, 13 3-4 seconds 

 per furlong, at the rate, for four miles, of less than 1.50 per mile. 



The often quoted exploit of Eclipse, of England, was that he ran four 

 miles, carrying 168 pounds, in eight minutes. 



With these data before them, it is left for others to draw their own 

 deductions of the relative merits of West Australian, Childers, Eclipse, 

 and Lexington, at the distances they ran, varying from two and a half 

 miles to four. 



Some among us believe that Lexington and Lecomte were rbout as fast 

 and as good race-horses as have ever appeared in England. Undoubtedly 

 they could ' ' stay a distance ' ' about as well as any horse that has run 

 anywhere, having run two heats, of four miles, in 7.26, and 7.38, and 

 the third mile of the second heat in 1.47. 



It would be difficult to institute a fair comparison between the race- 

 horses of England and America, the systems of racing being so different 

 in the two countries. With the exception of the light weights, adoj^ted 

 by us for convenience, the modes and rules of our turf are nearly the 

 same as they were in England the last century. Li England, since that 

 period, the mode of racing has been essentially changed ; heavy weights, 

 even for two and three-year-olds, at short distances, rarely beyond two 

 and a half miles ; no longer races of heats ; the great events being for 

 *'baby horses," two and three-year-olds, instead of horses^ as formerly. 

 They rarely, nowadays, reach maturity in England. Priam, Touchstone, 

 Harkaway, and Rataplan, are to be regarded as exceptions to a rule. 

 Childers and Eclipse were not introduced upon the turf until five year* 

 old, an age at which the most distinguished horses rarely run in these days. 



The elastic turf and the straighter shape of the English race-courses, 

 better adapt them to speed than our circular "race-tracks," that are 

 ;vh.'iily denuded of turf. Therefore a fair comparison of English and 

 A nieri'ian race-horses cannot be made by time as the test ; one, too, that is not 

 "E^ lii 05 high esteem in England, but is frequently disregardpd. 



