98 PREPARATION. 
your money, besides the unpleasantness of hearing in various 
quarters the invidious remarks made as to your horse’s condi- 
tion, and the questionable purposes for which he was started. 
But that something beyond my bare assertion may evi- 
dence that horses under, as it is called, a severe system, can 
run many races in one year and for many consecutive years, 
I shall proceed to lay before the reader a few indubitable 
facts in support of it. In enumerating a few of the races 
won by horses thus trained, it must be borne in mind that 
racing twenty or thirty years ago was very different to what 
it isnow. Then,a 4100 plate was thought no mean prize, 
$20 at head quarters brought a field to the post ; and 450 
or £100 added was considered a munificent donation—one 
to be keenly contested for. Now we have £500 given to 
many of our races, and even 41,000; prizes which help to 
swell the aggregate winnings of owners (although to a 
cértain extent the money comes out of their own pockets 
first, in the shape of three and five guinea entrances to the 
fund). To win a race in those days, when heats were allowed 
and stakes were only of a few hundred pounds value, wouid 
be something like winning three or four races now, and as 
many thousands in money. I mention this that a fair 
estimate of their relative value may be made; because it 
was in those early days that many of my victories were 
achieved. My first racehorse, Fugitive, commenced by 
winning all the three races that he started for at Plymouth 
and Tavistock, and the total stakes won did not, I think, 
amount to £200. 
Ffistorian ran till he was ten years old, and Schism till 
after she was aged, notwithstanding the early age at which 
she made her appearance in public. Ovondan ran till twelve 
years old, and is still running ; whilst Ver, and a host of others 
