70 EARLY RACING DAYS. 



ing him, and getting on a big sum of money. To 

 test his suspicions, his Lordship made it publicly 

 known that he would not run the horse unless he 

 could obtain the odds at 12 to 1 to 1000, knowing 

 well that no one, unless he had previously backed 

 Elis heavily, would be in a position to lay such 

 a bet. The result was that 12,000 to 1000 

 against Elis was laid to his Lordship's commissioner. 

 Nothing could have been more to his Lordship's 

 gratification, as it proved beyond doubt that he was 

 right in his conjectures. Although Mr W. Scott's 

 Scroggins was a great favourite, having been 

 heavily backed at 6 to 4, Elis won rather cleverly, 

 and Lord George was rewarded by landing a good 

 stake. In my opinion he never would have suc- 

 ceeded in getting the odds against Elis at 12 to 1 

 to that large amount had it not been that the layers 

 believed it impossible for the horse to reach Don- 

 caster in time to run for the St Leger. They 

 were well aware that Elis was still at Goodwood 

 in the middle of the week preceding the Doncaster 

 meeting, and that it took fifteen or sixteen days 

 for a horse to walk from Goodwood to Doncaster. 

 Under these circumstances, the Danebury party, 

 who had backed him heavily, became uneasy, and 

 were not long in making up their minds to " un- 

 load." They were perfectly cognisant of the fact 

 that Venison, who came from Danebury to Good- 

 wood to be tried with Elis, had been beaten by 

 the latter when in receipt of 7 lb., and accordingly 



