426 



The general public know nothing about the " baby house " of racing. 

 The executives of race meetings gauge the prosperity of the sport by the 

 attendance, heedless or ignorant of the fact that their turnstiles record 

 the visits of people who, not having anything to say to the horses or the 

 sport, outnumber those who have by a hundred to one, and come for 

 no other purpose than betting or the outing. 



I doubt if times will ever be as good as they were with our aristocracy^ 

 gentry, or farmers. At all events they will not be for many a long year. 

 Meanwhile, we should have our racing in spite of all financial depression. 



Let, therefore, the Jockey Club and other of our great leaders 

 exercise foresight by improvising measures, and carry them out with 

 determination combined with discretion, which will preserve the sport 

 from perdition. 



In my humble opinion, all that is required is to have the expenses of 

 our breeders and owners cut down to a minimum. To effect this purpose 

 no one need be dealt with except the owners of stallions, racecourse 

 and railway companies. The price of yearlings will adjust itself. 



Trainers should not be interfered with. The fees they charge are not 

 excessive considering their skill and the responsibility of their position, 

 with the amount of attention and anxiety attendant upon a racing 

 stable. Besides, men of such high class and character as are our 

 trainers deserve to be properly remunerated for their services. As it 

 is, many of them are paid with unjustifiable irregularity by their 

 employers, and, in addition, are required to advance money to great 

 amounts for travelling expenses. 



P.S.— January, 1894. A year bas passed since I put together the fore- 

 going. A year all round far more disastrous to trade and agriculture 

 than any of the preceding five, hence probably the very worst that 

 has ever been chronicled in cur nation's history. 



As regards racing : In March occurred the death of Mr. George 

 Alexander Baird (Mr. Abington), whose loss to the Turf is estimated 

 at from £80,000 to £100,000 a year. We now see by the papers that the 

 Duchess of Montrose is going to give up racing, and there are rumours 

 of other great patrons doing the same. 



Loving the sport as much as her grace and the others do, I am very 

 sure none of them would thro 77 up the sponge but for the expense, which, 

 under the present system, is ia the most monstrous degree levied right 

 and left upon owners. 



With this state of affairs staring them straight in the face, it is the 

 bounden duty of the Jockey Club to bestir themselves and do what 

 Lord George Bentinck, Admiral Rous, Mr. George Payne, or Lord 

 Drogheda would have done under similar cir( umstances. 



There is no time to be lost, for directly an example such as the 

 Duchess of Montro£;e's be set, it will be followed numerously. 



