BETTING. 253 



in the ring while he was talking to his trainer, and would then 

 with splendid candour give the straight tip to any and every- 

 body they met. Small chance has the rightful heir to the odds 

 under these circumstances ; so, as a ruie, he holds his tongue, 

 or fences the question with the retort courteous or the counter- 

 check quarrelsome, preferring if he wins to run the gauntlet of 

 'You never said a word to me] 'You might have given me a 

 hint,' ' You put me off/ to the universal cry of ' How could you 

 tell us to back such a brute as that ? ' which will assuredly be 

 his consolation for the defeat of a published certainty. 



The professional backer is the greatest of all nuisances to 

 the proprietary interest. An habitue of most race-meetings, the 

 smaller ones for choice he dearly loves racing round London 

 he has an immense circle of acquaintance amongst owners,, 

 trainers, jockeys and touts ; he insists on being told something 

 by everybody, and on finding out all that is to be found out 

 respecting every stable. He it is who helps to set the market 

 and to make favourites, two or three of them very often, for he 

 likes having more than one string to his bow. Woe betide the 

 owner on whose horse the professional has set his affections, 

 and who thinks that by biding his time he may get on at a 

 reasonable price ! Under his very eyes are the scanty odds 

 snapped up, leaving him to be content with such crumbs of 

 ' even ' as fall from the forestalled table ; and his best chance 

 often is to give his natural enemy the commission, so as to 

 secure even a portion of goods. 



' What a bore Forehand is ! ' said a heavy betting owner, as 

 he compared the fearful probability of loss with the inadequate 

 possibility of gain before a plunging selling race. ' Why do 

 you employ him then ? ' asked the friend to whom the remark 

 was made. ' Why do I employ him ? Why, because I get 

 something on, whereas if I let him have first run I should 

 get nothing. I must start my horses sometimes, and he goes 

 everywhere.' 



There is no greater mistake than to suppose that money is 

 never made in the long run by backing horses. Many of the 



