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RECKLESS RIDING IN AUSTRALIA. Though they have nothing like the amount of racing- in Australia that there is in America, the number of accidents with serious results in Australia is amazing. On the recognized courses in Canada and the United States during the year 1910 only two accidents to race riders had fatal results. Both were at New York and one was in a steeplechase. Nearly a score of riders were killed in Australia. Of the tremendous, disparity as compared with English racing The Melbourne Argus says: "What the country courses are like we do not know, but all the leading tracks in the different states look as safe as it is possible to make racing tracks. In the old days, when the course was marked by posts, it was a common thing for a jockey to be killed or badly hurt through being posted, as it was called. In the Melbourne Cup of 1S7S J. Morrison; the rider of Chester, was driven on to a post, and his leg was badly broken. After that the V. R. C. decided to rail the course. Some objected to the rail as being more dangerous than the iosts. F. F. Dakin was one of the objectors. Fortunately the committee stuck to their guns. Nearly all courses are railed now, and those that are not should not be licensed by the government.- It is not the fault of the courses, then, that we had such a string of racing accidents as were reported in the Argus of Monday. We are afraid faulty or reckless riding is at the Itottoin of many of the flat racing mishaps. "The greatest number of falls ever recorded in a race occurred in Grace Darliugs Caullieid Cup. We have not the least doubt as to how that awful smash was caused. Thcrider of a good horse, who got off badly, made up his mind that his only chance was to make up his ground by going on the inside all the way. He was on a good horse, and a big horse. At. the first turn lie forced his mount up on the inside?, and from there to the last turn he drove him along on the rails until there was onlj; one horse in front of him. The leader was also on the rails, and would not pull out. The reckless rider would not wait. He pushed on. and struck ipto- the leader. Both fell, and then followed a sickening sight. One after another the horses following in the wake of the fallen leaders fell, until seventeen of the forty-one starters were down. It secius nothing less than a miracle that fatalities were limited to the death of one rider and one horse. "Ueckless riding is undoubtedly one of the causes of the falls which occur. Perhaps stewards might do more than they do towards stopping the practice, hut the stewaids are hampered by the refusal of jockeys to give them any assistance in sheeting home a charge of foul or reckless riding. Jockeys may talk to irresponsible persons about what has happened in the race, but in the hearing or a steward they are as dumb as oysters. They prefer, as they put it. to get even in some other race which is very pleasant for the owner they may bo riding for in that other race. But there is no doubt that many of the accidents are caused by plucky little Incompetents, with no control over their horses, all6wing tliein to run amuck, so to speak, and inter-fore with others. The short leathers havo something to do with it. All boys want to be Tod Sloans, hut it is only a first-chtss horseman that can control a rough horse when perched on his withers. "It will be said that in England nearly all the jockeys now ride in the Sloan style. That is so. but the jbekevs there are properly trained, and are not allowed to ride in public until they know their business. Trainers look after that. In Australia, wo are afraid, trainers are not so particular. Apart from that, they have not tho same chances as their brethren in England. Any little boy who can ride here fan go and earn money at unregistered meetings without going through the drudgery of an apprenticeship. They are without that kind of racing in England. The rails craze. which some of the leading riders suffer "from is another cause of acci dents. D. Mahcr and F. Wootton are said to bo alllicted with this disease, and two leading jockeys in Australia have got it badly. T. Hales, the most brainy jockey we have ever had. always, declared that the only races he lost which he should have won were lost through trying for the rails when he might just as "well have kept out. When the pace lias been very fast. said Hales, you can go inside at the last turn if your horse has something left in him, but if the pace has been slow, avoid the rails as you would a pestilence. Something in front is sure to have enougli go in him to stop you. Some leading jockeys, who have had the luck to avoid bad falls, will risk anything for the rails, and, because they arc in the fashion, they think their less unfortunate brothers should make way and give them any position they want. On the whole, however, we thiuk bad riding is responsible for more accidents than anything else. And, so far as the metropolitan racing is concerned, we must have bad riding. In these days of cheap racing and large fields, there are not enough competent riders to go round and we must have the chalk variety of jockey performing,"
