BETTING BY SPORTSMEN USEFUL TO RACING. 15 



post-horse duties did the business: his race-horses 

 would have saved, instead of ruined him. 



When I speak of betting men, I can in no way allow 

 them to be mixed up with Gentlemen who keep race- 

 horses. I allude to the former (and would be happy 

 to see them considered) as a distinct class, as men on 

 whom any man of honour should look with suspicion, 

 and with whom none of the legitimate patrons of the 

 Turf should allow themselves to come in contact. 

 And when I speak of betting, I in no shape allude to 

 Men of Fortune who back their own horses or those 

 of others to the tune of a few hundreds, which they 

 merely do to give a further zest to the interest of a 

 race. This with them is nothing more than betting 

 their pony on the odd trick at whist, which they win 

 to-night and lose to-morrow. Neither do I include 

 the Country Gentleman, who, from his knowledge (or 

 more probably fancied knowledge) of the merits of 

 the different horses engaged at any of the meetings 

 in his neighbourhood, sports his 50/. on such occasions. 

 Nor, again, to the Yeoman, with his good-humoured 

 countenance, who, from a love of sport, boisterously 

 bets his sovereign on each race, which he laughingly 

 pockets if he wins, or as cheerfully pays if he loses. 

 No ; all this encourages the sport, by giving an 

 additional but harmless interest to the racing. Such 

 men all in their way contribute to keep the thing 

 alive, and probably materially assist in raising the 

 funds for each meeting. This kind of betting will 

 always go on at every race, and would be quite 

 sufficient for all racing purposes. 



Such men as these are the true friends of the Turf: 

 they contribute as much to forward its interests as 

 the regular Leg conduces to bringing it into disrepute. 



