3o8 THE RACING WORLD 



invaluable Tuesday's issue," your " incomparable," 

 your " wonderful," and so on. This surely tends 

 to make the print that allows it look contemptible. 

 Self-praise is no recommendation. 



As a proof that second thoughts and being too 

 much " in the know " are not always an advantage, 

 I may give an anecdote of the Great Ebor Handi- 

 cap of two years ago. It chanced to be my 

 opinion, after Wargrave had won at Hurst Park 

 on the Saturday, that he would certainly gain the 

 following Wednesday's big event at York, and in 

 that idea his owner, Mr. H. Bottomley, entirely 

 concurred. Thus Wargrave was my emphatic 

 prediction. On the morning of the race (which is 

 the proper time for anybody to bet, being then 

 assured of a run and of the horse's well being), I 

 had wired to have £^o each way s.p. on Wargrave. 

 By an unfortunate mischance I met Mr. Bottomley 

 in Fleet Street two hours before the race and 

 expressed surprise that he was not at York. It 

 was then that I learned the reason. Wargrave 

 had been right off his feed since the Hurst Park 

 race, had done no work, and, to put it mildly, was 

 not " expected " or carrying a sou of his friends' 

 money. Thereupon, on the suggestion of his 

 owner — truly direct, well meant, of course the 

 very best possible information — I wired asking the 



