TUFTS OF TURF.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9022, 7 February 1895, Page 2

TUFTS OF TURF.

By the Editorial Scissors.

S>ms sporting writers, nob too-well iu-armed, (-»ays the same well known authority) have lately been animadverting onNationalHunt Flat races, and have com, plained of discrepancies in form. Wellthere are certainly discrepancies in form to be noticed in other races, and IE all were to be attacked on that ground, there would be plenty of criticism. But there is no particular reason to single out hunt flat races for invidious distinction in this respect; and as regards a recent case of reversal of form, which has attracted some attention, I happen to know that there is quiteasimpleexplanation.ln the first under notice, which was run at one of the London meetiu j;a, the owner thought he would like to have a ride himself. Though he is a good sportsman, he is a bad jockey; his horse did not win. A week or so afterwards in a race of a similar character, this horse again competed and met the winner of the race in which he had been beaten on precisely the same terms. But be was ridden by a different jockey. This gentleman was a really capable horseman, and the public, nob noting this fact, laid long odds on the animal previously victorious. The form, however, was entirely reversed. The horse that, ridden by his owner, was beaten with ease, beat his former conqueror with equal ease in the hands of a good jockey; and then the spiteful critics began to talk.bintingat "roping," and so forth. Yet I know that" the owner, • when he was riding, would have given anything to win, as ha is a man who can afford even in these days to think of honour and glory. After the race to which I have referred —I mean the last one in which the recent form was upset—l had a little conversation with the trainer of the winner, and he explained to mc the reason for his cqufldeuce that his horse would beat the one to which he had previously succumbed. "You see," remarked the trainer, "it was the riding that did it. The owner could not finish, he lost lengths round the last brnd, he was gasping up the straight, and if he had tried to ride his hcrse out, he would probably have fallen off. OJier people had the same chance of seeing that as I had. Yet when Iput up a man who can ride, they affect to be surprised at the difference in the result, shake their heads, and ask 'What was he doing at such and such a place?"'

There la no doubt a great deal of this silly < criticism heard in the paddock} malpractices are imputed where they do not j exist. In many of these hunt fiat races it Is, as the trainer observed, " the riding that does it." This oracle further assured mo that there are nob half a dozen of the gentlemen now riding who can really finish, " and," he added, " I have sampled them pretty nearly all. Many of them ride well enough over the fences, with plenty of | pluck, like huntsmen, and they finish like huntsmen, too. Now and then they win a race, of course, having 101b in hand; then their friends assure them that they have ridden a magnificent finish, perhaps the people on the papers (ao judges of riding) join in the chorus of praise, and the result is that the amateurs begin to think that they can tide, when, as a matter of fact, they have no idea." No doubt this severe criticism applies to some of tho "gentlemen," but there are others who have by constant practice and industry acquired undoubted ability in the saddle, and no professional would care to give them much at any part of the race. Some of the younger division, however, seem to believe that they can begin at the top of the tree, which is a mistake. There is no royal road to jo.keyship. The art is a difficult one; It can only be acquired by persistent hard work in a good school and certain not too common physical qualifications are necessary for its success. No man can be a good crosscountry rider unless he lias gone through the mill—that is he must have ridden " schooling " gallops over the fences at home constantly and on every available occasion before bethinks of accepting a mount in public. Yet many of the "gentlemen" only care to ride in public; they like to perform before a large audience in which are some of their lady friends. Such aspirants will never make jockey*. Ah indicating, however, what aonie of the amateurs go through in order to become eGicieut, I may mention that one whom I know has broken his leg twice, his arm once, his collar-bano several times has had hi* kneecap kicked out of its place, his rib* damaged, bis ankle dislocated, and he is riding now as merrily as ever.