BACKERS AND BACKING 175 



mark, and this is particularly annoying when one 

 has undertaken a commission and can only return 

 the owner about half the price he has confidently 

 anticipated. It is even more annoying still when 

 one does a commission at the best price obtainable 

 and the animal backed afterwards drifts out to 

 longer figures. This, indeed, is one of the problems 

 before every race on which a man wants to bet — 

 whether to get on early or to let things settle 

 down, and for this there is no rule, every case 

 being governed by circumstances. 



If one knows that a horse is going to be backed 

 for a great deal of money it is of course obviously 

 advisable to lose no time. " The field a pony ! " 

 the ring opens out with when the numbers go up. 

 A crowd of eager backers, all on the alert, rush to 

 take evens, and the bookmaker's clerk immediately 

 begins to compile a long list, his pencil going as 

 fast as he can use it. In such a case, " I'll take 

 6 to 4 ! " is often followed pretty soon by *' I'll 

 take 2 to I ! " and only the backers who were in 

 the first flight have got on at evens. Sometimes, 

 however, as often as not perhaps, when even money 

 is offered backers are not disposed to take it. The 

 novice at the game, who has seen the speed with 

 which a previous favourite has become an odds-on 

 chance, may think it desirable to make his bet with 



