4 THE ENGLISH TURF 



racing journalism than the return of starting prices. To the 

 racing " regular," understanding his business, there should be 

 no advantage one way or the other, but the small starting- 

 price backer profits considerably by the prices returned, and 

 in this way. Supposing a casual race-goer in Tattersall's 

 ring wishes to put a couple of sovereigns on an outsider, he 

 would not think of going near the " rails," where £$ is con- 

 sidered a very small bet, but is content to bet with some 

 ready-money man who stands in the middle or on the 

 outskirts of the ring. From such a man he, in all proba- 

 bility, gets 7 or 8 to I about a horse which starts at lOO to 8, 

 or lo to I about a real 20 to i chance. The class of book- 

 maker he goes to seldom lays more than lo to i about 

 anything, excepting in the biggest handicaps, and we see 

 his clients accepting the false prices every day. Just now, 

 however, I am not concerned with betting, but with the 

 manner in which it is reported. 



The descriptions of the races are, on the whole, very 

 correct, and here also the work is entrusted to accomplished 

 hands, who have benefited by long experience in a subordi- 

 nate capacity before they are promoted, or rather promote 

 themselves through their ability, to race-reading. In the 

 short accounts published in the evening papers it is seldom 

 that any point of vital importance is missed, but if it should 

 happen that the favourite — or any other horse — broke down, 

 or was shut in, and such fact is not mentioned the same 

 afternoon, it is certain to be inserted in the reports published 

 on the following morning. The most difficult race to report 

 is the Liverpool Grand National, for, as a rule, only about 

 one-third of the field complete the course, yet within half 

 an hour of the decision of the race the actual fate of every 

 horse is always known in the Press-room. From the stands 

 it is impossible to note the falls and pulHngs-up which take 

 place more than a mile away, and in consequence all the 

 riders have to be interviewed, and as a matter of fact the 

 description of this particular race is largely composed from 

 what the jockeys say. The Derby and Oaks are very easy 

 races to describe, and so is the St. Leger ; but it is often 

 difficult, even with the strongest glasses, to see from the 



