io6 RACING. 



The modus operandi is described ' as follows : When these 

 astute individuals meet together, the trainers, so to speak, take 

 the chair and guide the proceedings. The jockeys furnish 

 information as to all the trials they have ridden in, with obser- 

 vations on the running of horses in public races wherein they 

 have taken part ; the touts report the work done by the horses 

 which are considered to have a chance, and then the betting- 

 men telegraph all over England to invest the subscribed 

 capital ; for, be it remembered, they are too wary to bet much 

 openly on the course, or the money would soon be traced. 

 Later on, when the jockeys are weighed, and going to the post, 

 the interchange of a few talismanic words causes most of the 

 riders to stand on the favoured one. 



Nor does the matter end here, for there is yet another 

 organised body on the turf, namely, the Ring. It is said that 

 there is a man now earning his living by following up the 

 backing fraternity, his business being to receive telegrams from 

 all parts of the kingdom, one hour before every race, stating, 

 what horse is backed by the Syndicate, and his information 

 is well worth paying for by the Ring, who know what to make 

 favourite, ofttimes to the consternation of the owner, whose 

 chances of getting on at reasonable terms may be guessed. 



It must have been more than a suspicion of these compli- 

 cations which caused Mr. Alexander, in the Houghton Meeting. 

 of 1883, to urge upon the stewards the full and immediate 

 exercise of their discretionary powers. 



Therefore, in the beginning of 1884, Lord Cadogan and his 

 colleagues. Lord March and Lord Zetland, gave notice through 

 the 'Calendar,' that henceforth betting or ownership by jockeys 

 would be regarded as a misdemeanour, punishable by suspen- 

 sion of licence, and followed up this notice by certain action to 



' The authors state what was currently reported without in any way vouch- 

 ing for the truth of the assertion, but this ' backing club ' is said to have been 

 completely broken up by certain stringent measures taken of late years by the 

 stewards; amongst whom Lord March has been, and in his third term of office- 

 now is, one of the most prudently energetic. 



