EVILS OF THE LIGHT-WEIGHT SCALE. 193 
CHAPTER XX. 
WEIGHTS AND DISTANCES, 
Evils of the light-weight scale—Weight-carrying hunters and their performances ; 
instances—Successes of racehorses with heavy weights: Rataplan, Fisherman, 
Chandos, Vespasian—Admiral Rous’s opinion and its contrariety—The 
trainer’s view of it—Table of light- and heavy-weight handicaps and the 
lesson it teaches—The late Lord Derby on Lord Redesdale’s bill: his objections 
examined ; their fallacy shown; Mr. John Scott’s advocacy of it—Advantages 
of a higher standard—Opinions of the press—Children as jockeys: rarity 
of their success ; evils of the system—Reforms instituted by the Jockey Club 
—Long and short courses: advantages of the former, and evils of the latter 
—Handicaps at Goodwood and Newmarket tabulated to show the prepon- 
derance of boyish riders; injustice of the system to experienced jockeys— 
Examination of boys suggested—Reason for general predilection for welter 
races—Petition to Jockey Club recommended—The Duke of Portland and 
short races—Good example set by the Prince of Wales—Official table of 
weights for Queen’s Plates, and suggested table for shorter races. 
I PROPOSE in this chapter to discuss the subject of weights 
and distances, under the impression that I shall be able to 
show that the racehorse of to-day is as equally able to 
carry a man and go a distance as was his predecessor ; 
and that a higher standard of weight than that now current, 
would be better for owner and jockey, and more humane 
for the horse. 
In the first place, as I have previously demonstrated by 
examples, children cannot manage the horses they ride, and 
they are driven all over the course, and often out of it, 
and galloped twice the necessary distance before the race 
oO 
