CHAPTER XI 



BETTING AND " THE RING " 



It is, of course, impossible to treat the subject of 

 racing comprehensively without devoting space to 

 bettinof and "the rin^" That the Turf would be 

 healthier if there were no betting is doubtless the 

 case ; but it would also be for very many of its 

 followers far less interestino- and exciting-. The 

 person to whom racing is simply and solely a matter 

 of business has not the very slightest claim to be 

 regarded as a sportsman ; but to hold a strong 

 opinion and support it with a wager is scarcely such 

 an iniquity as some stern moralists are apt to repre- 

 sent it. As to the wisdom of habitual betting, how- 

 ever, I am inclined, from long experience and careful 

 observation, to calculate that perhaps one "backer" 

 out of twenty wins on the year as a rule ; that four 

 just about hold their own ; and fifteen lose. 



The late famous jockey, Fred Archer, once remarked 

 to me that betting was " a very poor game." Tom 

 Cannon, who, as owner, jockey, and trainer combined, 

 should be able to win if any one ever could, 



