BOOKMAKERS AND BOOKMAKING 



99 



laying 5 to 2 bar one, 9 to 4 it may be to 

 customers who are likely to be satisfied with it, 

 and whom I do not for one reason or another very 

 much care to propitiate, 11 to 4 to others (as the 

 betting varies and suits my book) whom I desire 

 to please. After these two, 4 to i bar one, 

 perhaps 9 to 2 bar one, is on offer, 5 to i may be 

 shouted, when suddenly there is a rush for the 

 third favourite. The runner sees 500 to 100 

 taken, 1,800 to 400 snapped up, 200 to 50 

 accepted because 250 to 50 is refused, and with 

 the perception of experience he understands that 

 100 to 30 will soon not be obtainable. He bolts 

 across the ring to tell me of the demonstration. 

 There is a lot of money for the animal that is 

 being backed, and this, of course, means that his 

 chance is very favourably regarded by men who 

 are prepared to support their judgment. The 

 runner is presumably a good man and has a 

 certain amount of licence to act upon his dis- 

 cretion. A loud voice (from Nottingham) is 

 shouting 3 to i against the third favourite — second 

 favourite probably by this time — but as my runner 

 makes his way he hears 4 to i bar two offered and 

 takes 200 to 50 for me ; his idea being that there 

 is a strong upward tendency about the animal, I 

 may be laying 2 to i or something like it before 



