262 
REVIEW. 
Flying Childers: but the blood of the Godolphin Arabian is in 
every great stable in England. He was a thick-necked, heavy- 
shouldered, over-topped horse, without apparently a single good 
point adapted to racing qualifications.” * * * “ Our experience 
teaches us that the first cross from the Arab frequently shews speed ; 
but there are very few instances of the first and second cross 
which can run beyond the distance of one mile in good company : 
I therefore suspect that the form of the best race-horse of 1750 is 
inferior to that of a common plater of the present day.” 
The modern practice of premature racing is commendably dis- 
countenanced by Captain Rous : — 
“ It is much to be regretted that the old system of not training 
horses until their powers are fully developed is abolished.” 
The expenses of training, and the establishing of all the import- 
ant, sweepstakes for two and three-year-olds, have led to this un- 
wholesome change ; one that destroys a horse’s racing powers by 
the time he reaches his fifth (or adult) year, and yet one that can- 
not now, unfortunately, be altered. The following statistics of 
racing shews the flourishing manner in which the sport has pro- 
gressed in Britain. Truly may it be classed among our “ national 
sports ” 
“In 1762, there were 76 race-courses in the United Kingdom, 
on which 261 races were run, consisting of 49 matches, 38 sweep- 
stakes, and 205 plates, amounting to a total value of ^61,440. 
In 1807, there were 782 races, of which 189 were matches, 263 
sweepstakes, and 269 plates, value £115,950, for which 691 
horses were started. In 1843, 1218 races, 86 matches, 897 sweep- 
stakes, and 191 plates, value £198,990, for which prizes 1289 
horses started ; and in 1849, 1307 horses started in public, of 
which 271 were two-year-olds, 417 three-year-olds, 254 four-year- 
olds, 365 five, six, and aged. There are 111 race-courses, of which 
three are in Ireland, six in Scotland.” “ It is computed that 
there are upwards of 200 thorough- bred stallions, 1100 brood mares, 
which produce about 830 foals annually : of these there are gene- 
rally three in the first class of race-horses, and seven in the second 
class; and they descend gradually in the scale to the amount of 
480, one-half of which never catch the judge’s eye : the remainder 
are either not trained, or are found unworthy at an early age.” 
We have not been able to resist making the above interesting 
extracts from the work before us, although they constitute so much 
as two-thirds of its “ Preface the remaining third being devoted 
to some casual remarks on “ The Science of Plorse-racing,” &c. 
