The great and leading qualification of a horse bred for the TURF, is the purity of his blood, which can only be insured by the verity of his PEDIGREE, and this, to be authentic, must be signed by the BREEDER, and is in purchase and sale always transferred with the horse. The most distinguishing trait of judgment in racing, is first to ascertain the exact speed of the horse, and then to discover of what precise weight he is master; that he may not be retarded in one, by being overloaded with the other. Attentive experience with the PROFESSORS and AMATEURS for a series of years, has long since fully demonstrated, upon practical proof, (for the trials have been repeatedly made even to the key of the stable-door,) that the celerity is, in certain degrees, to be increased or impeded by the weight the horse has to carry. It will, therefore, be readily conceived, if two horses are tolerably equal in speed, strength, blood, and bone, as well as of the same year, the horse which carries the least weight by only three pounds, must, in the course of FOUR MILES, display the advantage he has over his antagonist; particularly as the longer the race, the more will the horse be affected by the weight he carries; and those who are the best and most experienced judges, hesitate not to affirm, that the addition of seven pounds weight carried by one, where both are thought of equal speed, will, if the ground is run honestly over, make the difference of a DISTANCE (two hundred and forty yards) in the four miles only.

The racing weights most in use for half a century past, have been according to age and qualifications, from about seven stone seven, to nine stone twelve, or ten stone; except in matches with two years old, and yearlings at light or feather weights, and the King's hundreds, for which (till some trifling alterations lately adopted) they carried at six years old TWELVE STONE. There are, however, some NEW CLUBS, lately instituted by NOBLEMEN and GENTLEMEN of the first distinction, who hold their meetings at Bibury and Kingscote, in Gloucestershire, where the weights are advanced beyond former example to twelve or thirteen stone, upon a well-founded principle of exciting emulation in BREEDERS to pay some attention to BONE as well as to BLOOD; a most judicious and salutary improvement, considering the infinity of weeds that are annually drafted and destined to the hammer of a repository, as objects of neither value, utility, or attraction.

CERTIFICATE of AGE.

Raby Castle, March 1, 1803.

I hereby certify that my Bay Colt, Hap Hazard, got by Sir Peter Teazle, Dam by Eclipse, was bred by me, and that he was no more than Four Years old last Grass.

D——

ARTICLE of a MATCH.

October 12, 1798.

Sir H. T. Vane's B. Horse Hambletonian, got by King Fergus, Dam by Highflyer, now Six Years, carrying 8st. 3lb. is matched against Mr. Cookson's B. Horse Diamond, by Highflyer, (out of the Dam of Sparkler,) now Five Years old, carrying 8st. over the Beacon Course at Newmarket, on Monday in the next Craven Meeting, for 3000 Guineas, Half forfeit; with a Power reserved to alter the Day and Hour, or either, by consent.

H. T. V.
J. C.