Turf
The fact remains, whatever the cause may be; and, on the other hand, many mares that ran moderately, or even badly, have become the dams of famous horses. There are what may be called "chance" sires also.
An example is Wisdom, a wretchedly bad horse when in training, who greatly distinguished himself at the stud, one of his sons having won the Derby, another the Ascot Cup, and a daughter the Oaks. Reference After Harington Bird.
ISINGLASS WINNING THE DERBY.
RACING] has already been made to The Rover, sire of St. Gatien, and to Bertram, sire of Robert the Devil, though it must be remembered that unless a horse has shown capacity to win races he rarely has good mares sent to him. as Advocates of scientific breeding are specially contemptuous about what they describe "rule-of-thumb" that is to say, disregard of intricate and exhaustive calculations of strains of blood, in favour of the simple attempt to supply from the dam deficiencies in the sire, to obtain from the his stud duties. It can scarcely be necessary to remark that the age of thoroughbreds dates from January Ist, and that the period of gestation is a year. Foals have occasionally appeared during the last days of December, and the unfortunate owners find themselves possessed of "yearlings" that are actually only a few hours old, the little creatures therefore rating as two-year-olds when their age is really twelve months plus the hours by which they anticipated the beginning of the year; and it is obvious that they are at a hopeless disadvantage with TAKING OUT THE STRING TO EXERCISE. sire correction of weak points in the dam, and so forth. It is far from certain, however, that, if this is carefully done, the secret of breeding, so far as there is any, has not been discovered. The suggestion will no doubt provoke the contempt of the theorists, but it is an idea firmly held by many men who have considered the subject and dealt with it practically all their lives -and have very likely in their time been themselves ardent supporters of theories, before the futility of their most ingenious calculations had been repeatedly exposed.
Certain questions as to make and shape being borne in mind, if a man sends a dam of winners to an approved good sire, the result is very likely to be a good animal.
Of late years the majority of breeders have paid attention to a point which was formerly much neglected-the necessity of keeping the stallions in good health by giving them sufficient exercise. Opinions differ as to whether it is advisable to ride the horse or to lead or lunge him, and the truth is that this depends in a great measure upon the disposition of the individual animal. But robust exercise is essential, particularly in the autumn, that he may be hard and in good health when he begins their quasi-contemporaries who have months of additional growth; for a few weeks make a great difference to a foal when he once begins to grow the right way and to " do well." Some breeders like their foals to be born in January, so that they may have the more time to get forward; others think that the young creatures thrive better if they do not come into the world till the spring grasses have begun to grow, till there is more sun. Seeing that days in March are not seldom as bleak and cold as any in the year, attempts to avoid winter winds are likely to have doubtful results. Here, as elsewhere, hard-and-fast rules are in truth impossible. Much depends upon the mildness or inclemency of the season; much more on the treatment to which the foals are subjected, the shelter afforded them, and so forth; very much, again, on the young animals' constitutions. Roughly speaking, it would seem that a colt born in February would have great advantages over the one born three months later, when as two-year-olds they run against each other; but some of the most successful horses known have been May foals. The Bard, Saraband, and Best Man may be cited as examples. a TRAINERS.-As a rule the trainer has worked his way to the position he occupies after apprenticeship as a jockey. In very many cases, having become too heavy to ride on the flat, he has afterwards taken to riding over country; for under National Hunt Rules, which govern steeplechasing and hurdle-racing, the minimum was an irreducible 10 st. until within the last two years, when, though only for handicap steeplechases of three miles and a half or upwards, a minimum of 9 st. 7 lb. was intro- YOUNG HORSE AT EXERCISE. duced. Of the principal trainers now in active pursuit of their calling, those who acquired a knowledge of the business in the manner indicated include Richard Marsh, Charles Archer, Joseph Cannon, Tom Cannon (who, however, only rode as a jockey on the flat), Richard Chaloner, George Chaloner (a flat-race jockey only), S. Darling, H. Escott, Fallon, W. A. Jarvis, T. Jennings, jun., the Hon. George Lambton, Mr. Gwyn Saunders Davies, Mr. H. S.
Persse, and Mr. J. Fergusson (exclusively amateur riders under National Hunt Rules, or on the flat for the clubs to which they belonged), F. Lynham, W. Nightingall, John Osborne (on the flat only), John Porter (on the flat), W. F. Robinson (on the flat), and F. Webb, the last-named having ridden in the Grand National, though only on one occasion. There could not be so good a way of obtaining practical experience of every detail of the sport; for no one can tell the condition of a horse better than the jockey who rides day after day and year after year; and to get a horse into perfect condition is the aim and end of the trainer's art. At the same time, that this apprenticeship is not essential is proved by the successes, for example, of the famous Dawson family. The four brothers, and the sons of two of them, John and George, have successfully superintended large stables of horses; George in particular was associated with many notable triumphs, for he was fortunate in finding animals of especial [RACING excellence-Ayrshire, Donovan, Semolina, Memoir, Mrs. Butterwick, and Amiable, all classic winners-under his control.
The modern trainer is a far more prosperous person than the old training groom; but if his rewards are higher he has more work to do in the majority of cases, for racing has enormously increased during the last few decades; usually trainers have a larger number of horses to look after, and it is a common thing for owners to rely much-in some instances exclusively-on their trainers' advice as to when horses shall be engaged and which of the engagements they shall fulfil. Making entries, striking horses out of stakes for which they are not to run, sending them about the country in all directions, finding jockeys to ride, are all duties which require anxious care; and then there are the yearly sales at Ascot, Newmarket, Doncaster, and elsewhere.
Some owners recruit their stables entirely from sales, nearly all buy occasionally; and it is part of a trainer's business very critically to look over what is to be sold, estimate the value of the animals, and advise as to what may judiciously be bought. "soft," The opinions of experts, it may be remarked, differ very widely on the subject of yearlings. Some trainers-good judges and in all honesty-will strongly recommend their employers to buy horses which other trainers-equally capable men and actuated by the best motives-regard as worthless, and beg their patrons not to bid for. This may be partially due, no doubt, to prejudice against sires or dams or strains of blood; there may be a suspicion, more or less well founded, that the stock of a certain horse exhibit a tendency to "make a noise," that the progeny of a certain mare are that hereditary bad temper will break out, or that some defect is likely to show itself; but, apart from this, in examining the animal one trainer will see some faultcoarse hocks that threaten to be curby, badly shaped feet, a jowl which suggests roaring, lightness of bone, uprightness, hocks too far back, want of length, or one of a score of weaknesses which will escape other eyes or will be set down as unimportant. "A nice compact horse," one man will say. "Too set and furnished; no room for improvement," will be the verdict of another. "Too small; nothing of him," A. will decide, turning from some youngster that is being led round. "Very well shaped colt; good bone; I like him; he ought to grow into a very useful sort of horse," B. will observe. It will be found that there are two ways of regarding almost everything that is inspected. When owners have RACING] many horses, a very large sum can be annually saved by keeping a careful eye on the Calendar and paying minor forfeits for animals which it is certain will not be sent for races in which they are engaged. By inattention to this matter a well-known trainer who died not long since annually cost his employers many thousands of pounds.
Of course, this was the fault of the owners for not looking into the matter themselves; but, as so many gentlemen do, they left the matter in the trainer's hands and continually found when too late that they had to pay for his carelessness. If the owner breeds for racing, again, it frequently happens that the trainer is called in to superintend that department, also to advise as to mating the mares, to see that they have all possible attention at critical times, and to keep an eye on the foals when they are born. wins with 10 lb. more on his back than the touts can possibly imagine he carries; and so back to a luxurious breakfast-after wiring off in cypher to make arrangements for winning a fortune on the good thing just brought to light a meal made more enjoyable by perusal of sporting journals, full of compliments on his skill, astuteness, and the perfect manner in which yesterday's winners from his stable were turned out. دو That is the conventional view, and it is not entirely accurate. The trainer may not improbably have been kept awake half the night wondering whether he dare "go on with the Derby colt, or the favourite for some big race on which he has invested money he cannot afford to lose. The animal's shortened stride in his gallop yesterday was not to be mistaken, and certainly there was something suspicious in the TRAINER WATCHING WORK AT NEWMARKET.
Many persons imagine that the trainer's duties consist in riding out on a well-broken hack to look after his string at exercise in the morning, and say which are to canter and which to gallop; in going round the stable once a day, accompanied by the head lad, who will be ready to answer all questions; and attending race meetings where he may look on at, or assist in the saddling of his horses when they are about to run. He is supposed by the outside world to have an almost positive knowledge of what is going to win; so that he can bet as much as he pleases, with a comfortable conviction that he will make a great deal of money, and can rarely experience disappointment or vexation in this matter, except, indeed, habitual displeasure at the shortness of the price which the ring will lay against his "certainties." It seems such easy work to canter over the heath or the downs, to inhale the fresh morning breeze, to watch, chatting to a friend, while the string come past, beckoning with his whip for some to go a little faster, or raising his hand to check the pace of others. Then there is the pleasurable excitement of the trial, in which, of course, the right horse always manner in which he walked away afterwards. Shall he stop him, or chance it? This worry is increased by perplexity as to whether his most promising two-year-old so charmingly shaped, with such perfect action-did or did not whistle or worse— as she passed him. Was it the beginning of a "noise"? The boy " did not hear anything," but he is stupid; a jockey shall be put up when she next goes out, she shall be sent a good gallop, and he will find out the worst. The morning, when it dawns, is dull and dispiriting; he rides out in the drizzle, gallops the two-year-old, and discovers-a fact too surely confirmed by the jockeythat she does make a noise; the Derby colt, there can be no further doubt about it, is lame; and a horse which is well in in a handicap next week, with nothing to beat, in fact, coughs badly several times.
Breakfast is not made more agreeable by the Calendar, which shows that two horses who have been entered in forthcoming handicaps can have no possible chance, two or three belonging to other stables being "thrown in," and by some irritating remarks in a newspaper to the effect that a horse which he ran yesterday, knowing it to be in perfect condition and believing that it could not lose, had, in the opinion of the critic, evidently been galloped to death, could obviously from its appearance have had no chance, had doubtless left the race on its training ground; "but if trainers will try their horses every other day, they must expect," &c., &c., with a hint to conclude with-not impossibly the critic had lost [RACING the structure, anatomy, and constitution of the horse must be practically complete, and, more than this, of the varying constitutions of different horses; he must be, in fact, a thorough "stableman," which is another way of saying a veterinary surgeon. The professional M.R.C.V.S. is called in at intervals; but unless operations of some sort have become necessary, the chances are that PRACTICE AT THE STARTING GATE. “ money on the horse that it may not have been the animal's day out," it may do better later on; a suggestion, in fact, that it was not trying. A grumbling letter from his employer, an intimation that the only light-weight jockey who could "get out " a troublesome horse, a lad he supposed he had definitely engaged, will not be able to ride; and the bad news that his best foal had been kicked and had her leg brokena filly that would have been worth a handsome price for the paddocks if she never won a race-make up a companion picture which is very often the truer one of the two.
Much more of the trainer's business is done in the stable than the outsider would suppose. He must, if he does his work thoroughly, study and get to understand the peculiarities of every horse under his charge. So many feeds a day, consisting of so much hay and oats, will not do; in certain cases food must be varied if the best results are to be obtained, and there are many examples of horses that have not done well on ordinary diet thriving on very unusual varieties of food. His knowledge of the trainer knows quite as well as the "vet." what is wrong, and how the ailment had best be treated; if the two differ it is far from certain that the man with letters after his name is correct; but he is consulted mainly for the satisfaction of the owner, who may complain, if anything goes wrong, that the "best advice" was not obtained.
The trainer's first essential is to be a judge of condition. Some horses thrive on little work, run better when rather " above themselves"; others, gross horses, require a great deal more exercise to make them really fit; and the position is complicated by the fact that some animals look perfectly trained, or even light, when they are not really "wound up," and, as the expressive phrase goes, "clean inside." It is necessary, therefore, to find out exactly what work is required by each horse. There are some points upon which the most knowledgable and experienced owners are almost bound to seek their trainer's advice; for the man who has charge of the horses naturally sees much more of them than the man to whom they belong. The trainer, for example, is best able to judge over what dis- RACING] دو tance of ground a horse is likely to be seen to the greatest advantage, that is to say, whether or not he stays. This he judges from the way in which the animal does his work. It is a more difficult business than the inexperienced might imagine. "If you want to find out whether a horse can get a mile and a half, gallop him the course and see," would be the simple philosophy of the unpractical; but he may get a mile and a half when he has done work over something like the distance, and the question is whether it is worth while to train him and try him for such a course with the not improbable effect of impairing his speed if he is in truth not even a miler. The owner, if he have any familiarity with the sport, will observe whether his horse appears to finish his races strongly, to be "running on at the end, and will draw his own deductions; but on the all-important question of an animal's best distance, the trainer will almost certainly be the safer guide. He must also necessarily be a sound judge of pace and of riding, or else his trials are likely to be very wrong and his reading of public running likewise much at fault. He must be sure whether a trial is run at a good pace, and whether the boys have been able to "get out" their horses-whether, in fact, it has been the equivalent of a truerun race. To him generally falls the important duty of giving the jockey orders how to ride-after or without consultation with the owner according to circumstances.
If the trainer has not a keen appreciation of horsemanship, subsequent confusion is desirable that the trainer should form his own opinion instead of depending upon the explanation of the average jockey, who, for instance, if he did not get well away when the flag fell, will be found not inapt to declare that he was first off. Some jockeys can and will give a trustworthy account of what has happened in a race; but these are a very small minority, for by no means all of them possess sufficient keenness of observation to take in what other animals are really doing, and if they themselves have done anything clumsy or stupid in the race they will not improbably find an excuse in some misleading explanation.
The trainer's work is unending, and it is rather the custom to ignore his labours and to underrate his share of success when it is achieved. The jockey who has narrowly and luckily escaped defeat by a head when he would have won comfortably by a couple of lengths if he had done justice to the horse and obeyed orders, is eulogised for having ridden a brilliant race; while the labour of the trainer, who has overcome many difficulties in bringing the animal to the post fit and well, is too often lightly esteemed, or accepted as a matter of course. Appreciation of a handicap is another requisite, that the trainer may perceive what chance his horse has, and if it is desirable to accept. Few professions are, indeed, more arduous, anxious, and responsible.
YEARLING SALES. - A particularly interesting feature of the season to genuine A TRIAL. likely to arise, as he will not know what his horse had in hand if he wins, or what happened in the course of the race-whether any legitimate excuse can be found for defeat if he was beaten; and it is very lovers of the thoroughbred horse is the sales of yearlings which take place periodically.
On the mornings and evenings of the days on which the Newmarket July Meetings are held Messrs. Tattersall are busy. The mornings of the Doncaster week are devoted to the same occupation, but at this time of year, approaching mid-September, the days are beginning to "draw in," and after racing the sales are not carried on, intending purchasers, or the curious who would like to purchase if they could, devoting themselves to an inspection of the lots that are still to be put up. Little groups of owners, trainers, their friends and acquaintances, go from box to box, reading the statement of pedigree that is fastened to the door-unless, indeed, they have read it before and GOING BACK TO THE STABLES AFTER A GALLOP ON EPSOM DOWNS. have it in their minds and critically examining the youngsters, who are not seldom upset by their strange quarters and unaccustomed relays of visitors, though some of them stand it calmly enough. Now is the time when one may hear much shrewd and instructive comment, together with a vast deal of nonsense and affected knowledge.
How greatly the opinions of experts differ is dwelt on elsewhere in the pages devoted to "Trainers." By reason of an evil practice much followed by breeders for sale, the yearlings are frequently so overloaded with fat that it requires a particularly experienced eye to detect what they really are, and only the expert can tell whether they are likely to grow out of suggested defects and progress in the right way.
A few leading points, however, will be evident. One looks to see that their feet are well shaped and that they stand truly, not turning in their toes or showing other malformation. Evidence of good bone is sought, and the slope of the shoulders is specially noted. It is a great source of probable trouble if a horse is too upright in front. [RACING Many good judges are particularly careful to examine the eye, which is believed to indicate much, though others scornfully observe that "horses do not gallop with their heads," and disregard this. The way in which the head is put on, and certain formations of throat and jowl, are very generally supposed to indicate danger of "roaring," however, and animals so made are to be carefully avoided; though their breeders, who are usually at hand in person, or are else well represented, are slow to admit the evidence of such failings, and probably ready to name and describe other animals of precisely similar structure, and very likely nearly related to these young ones, who are said to have emphatically upset all such theories and done great things when in training. One is careful to note whether the yearling is well ribbed up, and, if he be not, to refrain from paying too much heed to the theory that slackness here may very probably be a sign of speed-many breeders have a pretty invention. Good second thighs may be traceable even at this early age, undeveloped as they necessarily are; and particular attention must be paid to the hocks, to see that they are not coarse or curby, that there is good length from hip to hock, and that the hocks are not sickle or cow-shaped for one thing, and are well under the horse-not too far away from him -for another. A powerful broad back is also desirable. If the breeder notes his prospective customer standing by the yearling's shoulder and looking at his back, he will perhaps tell him that he "might play billiards on it." He will scarcely want to do so, but he will desire to be assured that. there is strength. Size is a further requisite, and in this respect an animal may be too big or too small. A little horse is apt to be deficient in length of stride, though here action comes in; and those who saw the Derby of 1886 will not easily forget how the little Bard for a few exciting moments fairly held his own with his in all ways greater rival, the far-striding Ormonde. On the other hand, it requires specially strong legs and sound joints to carry an exceptionally large frame. Many yearlings, however, come triumphantly out of the ordeal of examination, have fascinating pedigrees to support their title to consideration, claim close relationshipare often own brothers and sisters-to animals that have done great things; and are nevertheless presently found to be worthless for racing purposes. Those who give three or four thousand guineas for such an animal are usually rather slow to understand, or at any rate to approve, the RACING] appositeness of the adjective in that common phrase, "the glorious uncertainty of the Turf." In the so-called "Figure System,” which is supposed to show how Derby winners are to be bred by mathematics, I have no confidence.
The Royal yearlings, which used to be sold at Bushey Park, appear no more, the Hampton Court stud having been abolished; but at the Ascot Meeting a number of lots come up, and at various other times and places yearlings are offered; though at the Newmarket December sales, which have of late years grown to considerable importance, few yearlings are to be found, the catalogues being chiefly made up of horses in training, mares, and foals. It is a set phrase with a certain school of critics that "no yearling is worth more than a thousand."
That large sums are often paid for worthless animals, and that at the best there must always be a grave risk about the transaction, is, of course, true. On the whole, purchasers of high-priced yearlings have had an exceptional amount of bad fortune; not a few horses of whom high hopes were formed on apparently sound premisses have never been seen in public again after leaving the sale ring. But buyers must take their chance; and, indeed, year after year many are found quite ready to do so. No one can guess what a yearling will fetch, because no one knows what reasons a certain person or persons may have for desiring to possess it; and there are not a few rich men who, if they take a fancy to a thing, are not deterred by monetary considerations from obtaining it; but at the same time it is strange to note how often the expert foretells approximately the prices for which lots will be knocked down, except, indeed, when something very specially tempting is brought into the ring; and then, if 2,000 guineas are bid, it is often very possible that nearly twice that amount will have to be given to obtain the apparent treasure.
WEIGHT. - The usual record of a race. states that a horse has won by a short head, a head-a very narrow distinction—a neck, half a length, three-quarters of a length, or more as the case may be. This is the common formula; but the critical expert is accustomed to say, "he won with 3 lb. in hand," "it was a 7-lb. beating," or, to use some such phrase which deals with weight and not with distance. The reason of this is plain. A horse may win by a neck and have 3 lb. in hand or 3 st., because jockeys do not want to win their races by a much larger margin than is necessary; though it may be incidentally added that the very a 66 best riders have thrown away not a few races by attempting to draw things too fine -a stumble, a peck, some trivial accident, and a victory that had seemed inevitable is turned into defeat. Weight, as the phrase runs, brings horses together," hence the origin of handicapping, and of the system of penalties and allowances which is adopted to make chances more equal. It is impossible to give figures setting distance against weight, saying, for instance, that a length means 5 lb., for the reason that races are run over distances varying from five furlongs to close on three A SAND BATH. miles, and the farther a horse goes the more the weight tells. If the finish of a mile race be ridden out, and the winner beats the second by a good length, the chances are that with 5 lb. less on the latter the two would have as nearly as possible run a deadheat, and in considering the relative capacity of the pair, the handicapper would probably make that allowance. Authorities differ.
After a race, when the question arises what beating the second has received, the estimate of good judges not seldom varies to the extent of several pounds; but in such cases it will often be found on investigation that prejudice has a good deal to do with the opinions expressed. Success in a race usually entails a penalty, and in many weight-for-age contests, "maidens "-that is to say, horses that have never won-have allowances of from 3 lb. to as much as seven times that figure. As a rule, 5 lb. or 7 lb. is the maiden allowance; in practically every weight-for-age race mares and geldings are allowed 3 lb. The fact that a man's clothes weigh 3 lb. or 4 lb. more or less makes very little perceptible difference to him even when taking brisk exercise; and when the [RACING THE SALE PADDOCK AT NEWMARKET. strength of a horse is considered, when, furthermore, one remembers that the racehorse is full of muscle and "condition," in the plenitude of health and strength, it seems strange that so slight an additional burden should really have any considerable effect upon him. That it has such effect is, however, daily demonstrated. The matter is still further complicated when one observes what heavy weights some good horses carry to victory on the one hand, and how frequently the tables are turned by a small penalty or allowance on the other. Foxhall, Plaisanterie, and La Flêche, all as threeyear-olds, won the Cambridgeshire with 9 st., 8 st. 12 lb., and 8 st. 10 lb., the lastnamed in a canter, with her ears pricked; Isonomy and Carlton won the Manchester Handicap with 9 st. 12 lb.; Minting, the Jubilee, with IO st. These are instances of brilliant successes under severe burdens; and to grasp the opposite side of the question a glance at Turf records will show how many moderate horses have been helped first past the post in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Ascot by the 7-lb. maiden allowance. During the first three years of horse's Turf career he is supposed to be constantly growing in capacity, and to adjust these ever-varying differences a scale of weight for age has been constructed. It runs as follows:a SCALE OF WEIGHT-FOR-AGE.
The Scale of Weight-for-Age below is published under the sanction of the Stewards of the Jockey Club as a guide to Mar.
Oct.
Age. and May. June. July. Aug. Sept. and April.
Nov. st. lb. st. lb. st. 1. st. lb. st. lb. st. lb. st. lb. 9 9 7500 9 8 300 4678 899 6 9 8 OH 4 Five Furlongs.
Two years Three years Four years. 6 O 6 2 67 697 82 8 3 87 90