5 8 The Post and the Paddock. 



who he was, and asked him how he dared to pick up 

 a hare on the Rose Castle grounds before his very 

 eyes), with " You're the Bishop, are you ? and a devilish 

 good plac> too ; MIND YOU KEEP IT." 



Between the owners of horses and the Ring there 

 never will be any very perfect understanding. The 

 former consider that they may milk and scratch their 

 horses if it suits their book, or start them purposely 

 short of work ; while the latter and the public look 

 pretty much upon the horses as their own property 

 as soon as the acceptances are made. In fact, it is a 

 battle of kites and crows ; and it is matter of observa- 

 tion that those who are the most unscrupulous them- 

 selves are always the most stern and talkative 

 moralists when their own interests have been thwarted. 

 Lord George Bentinck gave the turf a serious blow 

 when he dictated to the backers of Elis the only terms 

 on which he would allow him to start for the St. 

 Leger. Hence his copyists have been " legion," and 

 many a horse has been sent home because the owner 

 has been forestalled, and cannot get any one to lay 

 him the original odds, in spite of his thumbscrew, to 

 a 5/. note. Not a few of the Ring have horses, or an 

 interest in them ; but out of the 800 men (including 

 Lord Jersey, the father of the turf, and the other 66 

 members of the Jockey Club) who declare their 

 colours, not more than 220 run them in their own 

 names. A nom-de-guerre in sporting used to be prin- 

 cipally used by University men when a steeple-chase 

 or a boat race required them to dare the anger of 

 proctors or anxious relations. It was at first rather 

 frowned on by racing authorities in " Mr. Gordon's" 

 case, but they have become as plentiful now .as 

 " spots" were after Voltigeur's victory, or " garters" in 

 later years, among the list of race-jackets, and at least 

 a dozen peers and commoners adopt this very ostrich- 

 like idea of secrecy. 



As regards the morale of the Ring, it must be al- 



