The Race Horse: How to Buy, Train, and Run Him by Frederick Tynte Warburton

Author:Frederick Tynte Warburton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Low, Marston
Published: 1892-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

Nevertheless, lest this statement should seem at first sight incredible, and startle the reader by its boldness, a reference to recorded American time and the increased rate as the distance run decreases, will, I think, serve to bear me out. In the following table two things are apparent; one, as might have been anticipated, that the rate of speed is increased as the distance is decreased; another, that the percentage of increase is greater, or in other words, the rate per mile is shorter in proportion as the distance is decreased. As the record is only available for one-quarter of a mile upward, we have no reliable data whereon to determine the rate per mile for a shorter distance; but reasoning from analogy, or, perhaps I should say, from geometrical progression, we may, I think, fairly assume that the percentage of decrease in the rate per mile is greater as the distance is shortened. Now in the following table I have allowed an increase in speed of only 10 per cent, for the shorter distances, which is the percentage of increase between half and a quarter of a mile.

Rate per Decrease in Record. mile. rate per

Seconds. Seconds. mile.

2 miles 207 io3i

I „ 99i 99f 3t%%

i „ 47S 95i 4if9%

J „ 2ii 86 10%

\ „ or 220 yards... 9^^ 77to io7o

A »» 110 n . 4A^ 69^^ io7o

_1_ CC T 9 6. 62Q ^ * 10°/

So that we come down to a speed for a few lengths, say seven or eight, of close upon a mile a minute. Now, if the records of men's running are studied, it will be seen that the increase of pace at 100 yards is 64 per cent, over that at a mile, wherefore I do not consider it unreasonable to suppose that at the same distance the pace of a horse can be increased 40 per cent.

The fact is, that it takes the same amount of muscular exertion for every horse evenly weighted to compass the same distance on the same course, and one who has drawn heavily on his resources in the beginning has less reserve at the end, while it is generally admitted by experienced jockeys and racing men that the horse who makes a waiting race has the best of it, perhaps, in some measure, because his rider sees what is going on in front of him.

And the reason why I have gone into these calculations, or speculations, if it pleases the reader better—for there is both calculation and speculation employed in arriving at the conclusion—is that I want to impress upon jockeys more forcibly what I have tried to impress on them before, namely, that the loss of a few lengths at the start, or in the early part of a race, is one which need not concern them so very much, and that instead of endeavouring to regain it before their horse has settled well into his stride, they can, if they nurse the animal, reasonably expect to regain it at the finish.

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