CHAPTER V. FLAT RACING.

I had occasion to say, that in all exercises, the ordinary horseman, riding master or jockey should know what he ought to require from his horse. It is generally but wrongly thought that this rule does not hold good with respect to flat racing, at which the most successful jockeys are those who best conform to it.

In a flat race, when all the horses are on about the same level, as regards speed and staying power, the jockey who can set the pace in his own way will have the best chance, and consequently his success will depend on his knowledge of his animal's capabilities. He will give him the exact support which is necessary, and will put him at the speed to which he has been accustomed towards the end of his training ; will maintain it during the race, and will reserve his supreme effort for the finish.

As the horse has not been over-ridden during the race, he can easily, at the finish, make the last rush, upon which success almost always depends. I can easily prove this fact by the case of Archiduc, whom everyone remembers. On three consecutive occasions, Archiduc took the lead at a pace which suited him, and no horse was able to get near him. In the Chantilly Derby, however, Fra Diavolo tried to take the lead. These two struggled for supremacy,