NEW HANDS AND OLD HANDS 



much in the end to warrant him having a wager. A 

 certain class of veterans are very superior in their 

 manner. They walk about with their hands in their 

 pockets, looking at nothing and nobody, and to all 

 intents and purposes very unobservant. They affect 

 an absolute lack of knowledge, and I really believe that 

 in some instances this is to hide their real ignorance. 

 The man I cannot stand is he who just had a fiver or 

 so on a loser and will tell you he has not had a bet 

 for a fortnight. He says this in such a superior sort 

 of way that you feel quite sorry for yourself if you have 

 been weak and foolish enough to have punted on one 

 or two runners. I often feel inclined to say to these 

 persons : " Why have you not had a bet for a fort- 

 night ? Are you broke or is your credit stopped ? " 

 But courtesy all round pays in the long run, and one 

 must never be too free in saying " clever things " when 

 they might create coolness. 



We all know the " I-told-you-so's " of both sexes, and 

 they are very wearisome, because as a rule they are not 

 funny. The best way to treat this type would be for 

 a circle of their friends to surround them and force a 

 tip on every race, and thus some " Mr, Mrs or Miss I- 

 told-you-so " would be put in a very uncomfortable 

 position and have to own up to fallibility. 



The great art I have known some to possess in 

 a marked degree is to approach trainers, jockeys or 

 owners, and have the skill of talking apparently of 

 nothing at all, yet obtaining all the information they 

 require without directly asking it. Personally I never 

 ask a question of anyone connected with a stable. 

 Naturally such information is sometimes obtainable, 

 but as a rule when it is volunteered it is generally the 

 best of all tips. If you pester a person who should 

 know something he will avoid you, but those people 



285 



