ABSURDITY OP^ HIS CHARGES AGAINST OWNERS. 



301 



up favourites for the great stakes. This is done by means of 

 lies, false trials, deceptive bets, high prices paid for horses, so as 

 to enhance the public opinion of their value, and by devices of 

 all sorts. Large sums are staked on the favourite horse by 

 the public. But is it intended that he shall win ? No, it is 

 settled he shall lose. A little management of the jockey 

 will save appearances, and thousands are to be duped that 

 the owner and his confederates may pocket the spoil. Enor- 

 mous sums, as 3,000 guineas or more, have been paid for a 

 colt ; we will suppose, to start for the Derby. What is the 

 meaning of this } Is the owner to back this colt against 

 a hundred horses he has never seen, twenty or thirty of 

 which (many of them, for anything he knows, better than his 

 own) are to start ? No : the purpose is not to win the Derby. 

 The owner and his confederates are to gain by the loss of the 

 race, and the dupes are to back the favourite." 



Now as only owners could do this wretched business, if 

 such a thing were done, on them alone must fall the blame. 

 But a brief examination will show the crudeness of the notion. 

 No one would put any faith in reported trials of living 

 wonders, unless the stable backed the report with money. 

 Then who is to get up false trials, circulate lies and make 

 sham bets for nothing ? or to give thousands for a horse not 

 worth a copper with the vain hope of persons more shrewd 

 than himself backing him ? Who would thus part with a 

 certainty for a doubtful expectancy, and give up the substance 

 for the shadow > A shallow trick of the sort would be un- 

 worthy of the merest novice, and would certainly recoil on 

 the head of its inventor. Owners are like other people, I 

 am pretty certain ; and as such, consult their own interests in 

 preference to that of strangers, friends or enemies, and would 

 scorn the idea of acting in a way at once mad and disre- 

 putable. The truth is, favourites are not made by those con- 

 nected with them, " by lying and other devices." Their chief 



