THE TURF. 
late lowered this department of sport in the eyes of all 
honourable men. The Scripture phrase, in short, is 
now every day verified, the race not being to the swift, 
but to the horse on whom the largest sums stand in certain 
persons' books. Indeed, it was not long since asserted 
by a well-known rider and owner of race-horses, deep 
in turf-secrets, that if Eclipse were here now, and in 
his very best form, but heavily backed to lose by certain 
influential bettors, he would have no more chance to 
win than if he had but the use of three of his legs. 
What, may we ask, must be the opinion of foreigners, 
when they read the uncontradicted statement of the 
" New Sporting Magazine," that in the Derby stakes 
of 1832, when St. Giles was the winner, every horse in 
the race, save one (Perion), was supposed to have been 
made safe, *. e., safe not to win ? By whom made safe ? 
Not by their owners, for many of them were the pro- 
perty of noblemen and gentlemen of high personal 
character. The foul deed can only be perpetrated by 
the influence of vast sums of money employed in various 
ways upon the event in short, where the owners stand 
clear, trainers or jockeys must combine with the parties 
concerned in the robbery. But what a stain upon the 
boasted pastime of English gentlemen ! And then the 
result : 
" This yellow slave 
Will knit and break religions ; bless the accursed ; 
Make the hoar leprosy adored ; place thieves, 
And give them title, knee, and approbation, 
With senators on the bench ! " 
288 
