RESULTS OF HAVING BOYS IN THE SADDLE. 161 
Of all the reforms needed in turf matters, the revision of 
the light-weight scale is the most urgent. The necessity 
of this is not more keenly felt, or its adoption more earnestly 
desired by any, than by the older jockeys and by trainers. 
The result of the riding of the pigmies who are now put up, 
is but a series of mistakes from first to last, as owners must 
have learned to their cost. 
At the start, boys (for I allude to them—the light-weights 
of the present day) are generally left at the post or get 
badly off, and ride their horses to a standstill before half the 
distance has been gone over, in the vain hope of regaining 
their lost ground. After the race the youngster has the 
audacity, with smiling face, to tell you he was first away to a 
very good start ; at any rate he will never admit being further 
from the first horse than a length or two. It may well be 
asked how is the trainer or his employer, who has not himself 
witnessed the start, to know the merits of his own horse or of 
those of other people, when condemned to accept the state- 
ments of these urchins? What possible chance has your 
horse in a race, T.Y.C. or five furlongs, with twenty or thirty 
runners, in which the loss of a few lengths would seriously 
jeopardise your chance in the hands of an experienced jockey, 
if with a mere boy up, treble that distance be lost? The 
horse would in reality be very much better in his stable. 
These mishaps not only occur daily, but will never cease to 
do sa, so long as boys are in the saddle. 
It is unfortunately not much better in long distance races. 
It is true that in these the start is not so all-important. The 
lost ground may be made up, and your hopes momentarily 
raised at the prospect of success: yet before the lad’s assist- 
ance is needed, it is apparent he is too tired to urge his 
horse to his utmost speed; he loses a race he ought to 
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