300 THE RACING WORLD 



I have just said, he gets abused by his followers, 

 for you cannot touch a man, especially a " little " 

 backer, more severely than through his pocket. 

 People forget when they have backed a horse at 

 lo to I that the chances are those odds on the 

 horse losing. Giving tips to one's personal friends 

 is specially a business to be sedulously avoided ; 

 one always seems to have "put them off" the 

 winner, their own fancy ; and in case of success a 

 mere " Thank you " suffices. It is when losing 

 that they rub it in. A tipster's prima facie duty is 

 to induce people to bet, and in the present era of 

 gambling they need slight encouragement. My 

 earnest exhortation, however, the best and most 

 honest " tip " I have ever given or ever shall give, 

 is — Don't. Look at the bookmakers, what they 

 were and are, and how they live ; although they 

 will truthfully tell you that the game now is not 

 half what it was. 



Readers will naturally expect a few remarks upon 

 the methods of newspaper tipsters generally in 

 forming their opinions and giving selections. 

 Unquestionably the very great majority are 

 influenced by their own particular personal 

 " fancy," the results of which are immeasurably 

 influenced by luck. For instance, two people 

 seldom view the identically same happening in a 



