THE TURF. 
in the trial, Merlin, Sir William's horse, beat his oppo- 
nent about a length. " Now," said Frampton to his 
satellite, " my fortune is made, and so is yours ; if our 
horse can run so near Merlin with seven pounds extra, 
what will he do in the race ?" The betting became 
immense. The south-country turfites, who had been 
let into the secret by Frampton, told those from the 
north, that " they would bet them gold against Merlin 
while gold they had, and then they might sell their 
land." Both horses came well to the post, and of 
course the race came off like the trial. 
The Jockey Club law is very strict as to trials at 
Newmarket, notice being obliged to be given to the 
keeper of the trial-book within one hour after the 
horses have been tried, enforced by a penalty of ten 
pounds for neglecting it ; and any person detected 
watching a trial is very severely dealt with. Never- 
theless, formerly, watching trials was a trade at New- 
market, nor is it quite done away with at the present 
day ; though we have reason to believe that the bettor 
who should trust much to information obtained by such 
means would very soon break down. It often happens, 
that the jockeys who ride trials know nothing of the 
result beyond the fact of which horses run fastest, as 
they are kept in ignorance of the weight they carry a 
good load of shot being frequently concealed in the 
stuffing of their saddles. 
In later times than these, we have heard of more 
than one good ruse de guerre being practised at New- 
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