CHAPTERS FROM TURF HISTORY 



confederates who professed to know the chances 

 of Marconi,^ and he won his money. After the habit 

 of plungers who have had a success, Mr. George 

 " played up " his winnings and increased his 

 stake, and, as frequently happens, with disastrous 

 results. He did not settle his account. On the 

 Turf a man who fails to settle may be posted at 

 Tattersalls as a defaulter : a professional tipster 

 would not be appointed a judge at any race meeting 

 in the country. It would be interesting were a 

 modern Massinger to draw afresh the characters of 

 Overreach and Justice Greedy. 



Consistency in these political times does not 

 count for much, but it counts for something ; and 

 if the present Administration were to attempt to 

 interfere with racing they would indeed challenge 

 their own record for Pharisaical hypocrisy. The 

 philosophy of this prose age has borne much ; 

 but this would touch the limits of endurance. In 

 truth the fortunes of the Turf do not depend upon 

 Parliament. " You have taught me," exclaimed 

 George II. to his imperious Minister, " to look for 

 the sense of my people in other places than the 

 House of Commons." What the second Hanoverian 

 had to learn from the greatest of English statesmen 

 his illustrious descendant must have long since 

 realized without the counsel of a Minister and 

 despite the whisper of a Courtier. Hence, so long as 

 the democracy enjoys its racing, so long as owners 

 set an example of honesty and probity in their 

 own persons and require clean conduct from their 



I The reference is to Sir Rufus Isaacs, then Attorney- 

 General, and shortly afterwards appointed Lord Chief Justice of 

 England. 



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