48 ON AND OFF THE TURF. 



Had an outsider won what a haul he wou'd have had. 

 Very Hberal odds are laid by the ring over such races 

 as the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. A month be- 

 fore the Caulfield Cup race last year (1894), when 

 Paris won, nearly seventy horses were quoted in Mr. 

 Oxenham^s list at 50 to 1, and more than that num- 

 ber in the Melbourne Cup. When Glenloth won the 

 Melbourne Cup in 1892, a lOO to 2 could have been 

 had on the course. When Tarcoola won the follow- 

 ing year I saw 40 to 1 laid against him; and when 

 Patron won last November 33 to 1 could be had. 

 When Carbine won it was a difficult matter to get 

 money on at all, even at 4 or 5 to 1 in the ring ; 

 and I believe on the day of the race, in Sydney, some 

 infatuated backers accepted 2 to I about his chance. 



In 1893 Mr. Oxecham had very large volumes on 

 races. I saw in his book as much as £15,000 laid in 

 a single wager over the Derby and Cup, and there 

 were plenty of £10,000 and £5,000 wagers. That 

 year he laid what to most men would have been a 

 fortune against Carnage, and the colt ran second. In 

 the Caulfield Cup that year I saw he had laid in one 

 hand £5,000 to £200 Cremorne ; Fnlham £10,000 to 

 £400. Against Brockleigh £4,000, £3,000, and £2,000 

 wagers followed in succession. There were wagers 

 invested from the modest sov. to the ^^ merry monkey '' 

 (£500). 



Betting on a Melbourne Cup commences six 



