2i8 THE TURF 



^490. It is recorded that not very long- ago an 

 owner of horses whose colours were continually suc- 

 cessful declared that he was "tired of winning." He 

 died a pauper, after living for years on charity. Life 

 on the Turf for those who (bookmakers always 

 -excepted) endeavour to make money by it is very 

 much of a see-saw ; but there are extremely few who 

 go " up, up, up," when they do they seldom go far, 

 and there are very many who go " down, down, down " 

 — right to the bottom, and stay there. 



But the sensible man does not "go racing" with 

 the idea of making it a source of income, and there 

 is much exao-o-erated nonsense talked about the in- 

 iquities of betting. I have tried to show that the 

 notion of the ring being wolves, and those who 

 bet with them guileless lambs, is really rubbish. If 

 backers kept their heads as well as the bookmakers 

 do, and exercised as much common sense and discre- 

 tion, results would be much more evenly regulated 

 than they are. Numbers of men bet within their 

 means, possibly having to deprive themselves of some 

 little pleasure or luxury if they lose, able to indulge in 

 some little extravagance for themselves or their friends 

 if they win ; to them the excitement of betting is a 

 pleasant and wholesome diversion, and the Puritans 

 who regard such men as criminals or something akin 

 merely reveal the narrowness of their minds. But the 

 temptation to do foolish things is often great, and 

 human nature is frail ! 



