ADMIRAL ROUS ON SCRATCHING. 



179 



bone of contention between those who keep racehorses and 

 the pubUc, is and always has been that of a spurious 

 ownership ; the pubhc erroneously thinking that every horse 

 brought out to run, nay, from the moment of his appearance 

 among the list of entries, becomes, and for ever remains, vir- 

 tually the property of the British pubhc, and that he should 

 be run to suit their pleasure and for their own peculiar 

 advantage. I need scarcely remark that I differ with this 

 presumptive dictum, agreeing with owners in thinking that 

 as long as they "pay the piper," they have a right to "call 

 the tune," and if forestalled in one race, may run for another. 



Nevertheless such a belief prevails, and hence a perpetual 

 warfare is waged by the two contending parties, to the injury 

 and annoyance of both. That the public are wrong in thus 

 interfering with and appropriating other people's property 

 is, I think, pretty clearly shown in this matter of forestalling. 

 It is a usurpation of authority which owners resent, and are 

 compelled in self-defence to meet, by the exercise of their 

 undoubted right to scratch their horses. 



But let us hear as to ownership what the late Admiral 

 (when Captain) Rous says in reply to certain questions put to 

 him on the subject of betting. 



These questions epitomized would run somewhat as follows : 



" Have the public a right to complain when owners do not 

 run their horses as they (the public) expect, and they lose 

 their money ? " 



" Should a person have backed a horse that in his opinion 

 has in some way or other been prevented winning, has the 

 person a claim, under such circumstances, to recover his 

 money .-' " 



Again : " Supposing this horse could have won, had his 

 backer such a right .'' " 



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