Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-21
Fast Time in England.

Although time as a test OF the merit of race
horses has no standing in England, very fast
run race often eXcites great curiosity among
those Interested In this respect Brag's running
mile at Brighton in 1.37 As has excited great
interest, so much so that The Field of the Sd be-
gan Its weekly turf review with the following
on the subject, which shows how thoroughly I'M
reliable time" in England is compared with
the system of timing in this country:
1.-THE fastest time in which a mile has been
galloped has hitherto been the I'm. 42s. In which
D1Ophantus won the Two Thousand and GalOpin
defeated Stray Shot in their match On both
these occasions the battle ground was the Row
ley Mile. at Newmarket-rather paradOXical as
the ROwley Mile, sO-called, at Newmarket, is
one mile seventeen yards i'm length. Buccaneer
was said to have gallOped a mile at Salisbury in
Inn SIS. but We have always refused to recognize
this record. as the surroundings of the case make
the feat so extremely unlikely. Buccaneer was
at the time somewhat short of work, he was
running on particularly severe course at the
time very heavy, and had virtually no OPPOSE
ton, stable companion who could not make
him gallOp. being the best of his opponents We
consider that the best on record claimed for
Buccaneer under such circumstances is not suf-
hciently authenticated to be admitted Even
however. II 1t were admissible. it was If there
We're no mistake i'm the clOCking beaten on We'd
nesday at Brighton by Brag who is returned IN
contemporary as having galloped the mile i'm
I'm 81 los, or In 4 1-5s- quicker than the best
properly authenticated time But again we
have the fact. as in the Buccaneer case. that the
horse was not extended to win. Such also. it
may be urged, was the case when Galopin de-
1eated STRAY Shot; and there is this to be said
In favor OF the probability of Brag having eff
Iected the feat, that he was running over the
easiest mile in England and an old horse was
carrying at the end of the season virtually the
same weight that Dophantus and Galopin car
IIed in the spring. when they were but
three years old. In other words, Drag
had some twenty-One pounds pull in the
weights over his three-year old rivals to the
best mile on record: so that even if he negO-
flated the distance in the time stated the per-
Torrance. though ii would stand out as the
record time. would not bear comparison with
thOs" OF DlOphanthus or GalOpin. Our system
OF timing Il race is. however, so absurd as to
be utterly unreliable. as it is simply impossible
that one man can correctly perform the bust
ness There is not much fault to be found with
the na0d'ts ofer0ndi when horses start opposite
as in the Derby and Oaks but the system is
altogether at fault in race like the Lincoln
shire. the Two Thousand. the ROYAL Hunt cup
and the CambridgeShire where horses start mile
away In straight line, and the only guide
to the time of the start is the dropping of the adj
vance flag, which has nothing to do with the
start IN any shape or form. it being only used as
guide to the jockeys. Under the most favor
able circumstances. the time test in England is,
from the changes in the atmosphere the state
and lay of the ground and the manner in which
arace IS run. utterly unreliable as a test of
merit In the horse; and certainly. when it is
done in such a happy go-lucky STYLE one man
attempting to do that which can only be per-
formed by two, we are placed on the horns of a
dilemma. and We know not which Of the twain
OF records to quote that at Newmarket or at
Brighton. The probability is that Drag has cut
the record. and it is greatly to be regretted that
our contemporary is not enabled to verify the
performance without shadow Of doubt being
permissible"