174 THE RACE AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES. 
wet or dry, and how diversely horses are affected by, running 
over it in its different states ; and yet another thing not to be 
omitted from the calculation, is the superiority of one horse to 
another over different race-courses of the same length. With 
regard to the latter, the shape ought not to be totally ignored : 
whether the course have sharp angles or be straight, whether 
the ascent be steep or gradual, or the gradient of decline be 
little or much, or whether it be wholly flat. By carefully 
considering these things, advantages may be gained that would 
not appear to a superficial observer. 
When speaking of the external conformation of the horse, 
how often do we hear that he has a back that will carry him 
up the hill, but that his shoulders will never allow him to come 
down it? Without defining the reason, which I think is very 
obscure, we know, as a matter of fact, that some horses do run 
better over one course than another even of the same length. 
One animal may have pluck and stamina enabling him to run 
over a severe course, whilst another may lack both, and yet be 
better over an easy one than the former. And this will happen 
though both may be trained alike, and there be nothing to 
indicate from external appearance why one can stay and the 
other cannot, or why the one should show to better advantage 
over one course than another. 
It would seem to be Mr. Copperthwaite’s opinion that train- 
ing has something to do with this matter; although it should 
be said that his observations on the point bear as much or 
more on the subject of severe training—a subject on which, it 
has been already shown, I think he is mistaken. Therefore, 
before giving instances of the different running of horses over 
different courses, I shall briefly notice his remarks. “No 
doubt,” he says, “the Derby course is about the most severe 
and trying in England.” Here I disagree with him, for I think 
