BACKERS AND BACKING 179 



possibly give his horse 3olb. Convinced by the 

 argument I adopted his views, backed his horse 

 (Partington), and watched it hopelessly beaten while 

 Sheen won comfortably, starting at 100 to 3. 



That is the exasperating sort of thing that con- 

 stantly occurs, and assuming that the backer is a 

 man of some knowledge and experience, I would 

 lay it down as a rule that he should always stick to 

 his own opinions and act upon them. I look back 

 through old records and find innumerable in- 

 stances of races on which I have lost, when, if I 

 had followed my own judgment, I should have 

 won. It is among the most exasperating things 

 about racing to pick out a winner one's self and to 

 be put off by what one hears, and it happens not 

 only daily, but not seldom several times a day. It 

 requires much strength of mind to avoid being 

 influenced by the rumours of the course ; but I 

 know two or three men who are judiciously 

 inflexible and who benefit by their practice. 

 Favourites win about four races out of nine 

 throughout the year. Frequently these favourites 

 start at odds on, and a favourite always starts at a 

 false price for the reason that many men back it 

 simply because it is favourite. A careful examina- 

 tion of any Turf guide will show that, taking one 

 day with another, to back all the favourites is 



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