NOBLEMEN AND GENTLEMEN. 35 



liave neither of tlieni fallen amiss, either consti- 

 tutionally or from accident, — and that he has 

 been able to keep these two colts in the dark, 

 until just before the time of their coming to post 

 — if the owner of such two colts be a man of long 

 practical experience in racing matters, he will 

 have a right to expect to win one or other of the 

 great stakes mentioned, (let us say, for example, 

 it is the Derby, for wdiich stake the getting a 

 couple of colts ready to run will be described 

 in a future chapter). We will, therefore, con- 

 sider the owner to be a good judge, and capa- 

 ble of betting his money with as much advan- 

 tage as a betting man; by his being capa- 

 ble of doing this, he saves the expense of em- 

 ploying a commission better, and by his not em- 

 ploying this man he keeps the secrets of what 

 his colts can do more to himself, until the race 

 is over. Now, under these circumstances, the odds 

 would be likely to be high against the two colts 

 in question near the time of their coming to the 

 post — by the owner taking such odds as may suit 

 him, and afterwards hedging the little he would 

 lose in case of any thing unforeseen happening, 

 he will have made all safe; but, if either of 

 the colts should win the Derby, the owner will, 

 in casting up his book, previous to his paying 



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