26o BETTING AS IT MIGHT BE. 



a rule ; what I propose is that it should be thoroughly- 

 known that they have the power to do so should they 

 choose. The plan if adopted would give owners a fair 

 chance of being able to back their nominations, because 

 it would check forestallers who would probably wait until 

 the day of nomination rather than invest their cash in 

 the dark. It would admirably meet the spirit of one 

 pertinent remark of the late Admiral Rous, who said, 

 " He would be insane to sacrifice the interest of the horse- 

 owner for the benefit of men with a monomania for gam- 

 bling." And it would do away with the heartburning and 

 the grumbling of the fraternity who insinuate favouritism 

 in the adjustment of the weights ; for the handicapper would 

 not know which horse would represent Lord Southdown's 

 nomination or indeed any other ; and knowledge of owner- 

 ship would be profitless to him. 



By this method, too, every one that made an entry would 

 be sure to get his horse fairly weighted, as no possible mo- 

 tive could be assigned for his being otherwise treated : 

 and this may help the entries and increase the number of 

 starters. I do not mean to imply for a moment that the 

 weights now are improperly or unfairly adjusted ; in most 

 cases handicaps are most admirably done, although, as is 

 inevitable, discrepancies will now and then appear. But the 

 plan will deprive the grumblers who find fault where none 

 exists of the last peg on which to hang a complaint. 



I shall be told, I daresay, that the system if adopted will 

 restrict betting and so spoil sport. In answer, I can point 

 to the large sums betted months and months before the 

 "draw" for the Waterloo Cup takes place, and ask, If the 

 principle is found to answer so well with greyhounds, what 

 is to prevent its being carried out on a more extensive 



