BETTING AND "THE RING" 217 



backing horses is in very many cases the origin of 

 much distress and mischief ; for poor and — as a matter 

 of course — ignorant men are often tempted, chiefly by 

 advertising tipsters, to risk money which they cannot 

 afford to lose on horses that have never had the 

 remotest chance of winning, and bitter disappointment 

 is one of many evil results. As for the tipster, only 

 one thing need be said. If he were really able, as 

 he claims, to point out the road to wealth by the 

 backingf of winners, is it credible that he would not 

 adopt it himself, instead of indicating it to all and 

 sundry at the nominal price of about half a crown a 

 head ? That argument has never been met ; no 

 attempt has been made to answer it, because it is 

 unanswerable. 



If the foolish believer in "certainties" and "good 

 things " were behind the scenes, and could know the 

 widely different opinions of the shrewdest trainers and 

 best-informed judges on almost every big race during 

 the year ; if he could be shown how often when on rare 

 occasions opinion is practically unanimous, it never- 

 theless proves to be wrong ; the eyes of that foolish 

 believer would be opened in wide amazement. A 

 stable sometimes has a run of luck ; it cannot do 

 wrong ; backing winners seems the simplest of busi- 

 nesses — but the turn comes. In the year 1889 the 

 Duke of Portland won thirty-three races, worth 

 ^73,858. In the year 1897, with a larger and more 

 valuable breeding stud, he won a single race worth 



