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i FRENCH MINIMUM WEIGHTS RAISED PARIS, France, December 3. An important change has been decided on by the committee of the Societe dEncouragement, to be put into operation : next year. The minimum weight in flat race handicaps has hitherto been forty kilos, or eighty eight pounds. The difficulty of finding suitable riders at anything under forty-five kilos, or ninety-nine pounds, has been practically unsurmountable; 1 in scores of distances during the past season. Owners have consequently had to sacrifice many good chances of victory on this account. The dissatisfaction thus created has made Itself felt to such good purpose thnt a clause is being inserted in the French Rules of Racing to the effect that handicaps in future shall be based on a minimum weight of forty-five kilos, or ninety-nine pound.
