HANDICAPS. 157 



events as the Royal Hunt Cup, run at Ascot, and 

 the Stewards' Cup, decided at the Goodwood 

 Meeting. These are races on which plenty of 

 speculation takes place, so that the loss of the 

 " great " handicaps is not of much moment, there 

 being so many other outlets for the gambling 

 instinct of the nation, which was never so strong 

 as it now is. The races for the Ascot Stakes and 

 the Goodwood Stakes do not give rise to betting 

 of any consequence till the days set for their 

 decision ; nor does speculation, as of old, begin 

 on the Portland Plate, decided at Doncaster, till 

 the names of the runners are known. The big 

 handicaps brought off at Manchester during the 

 Whitsuntide holidays, and at a later period, give 

 rise to an immense amount of betting, especially 

 among the masses. 



These handicap notes might be considerably 

 extended. Some of the recently introduced races 

 represent big stakes, ranging from one to six 

 thousand pounds, so that they are worth winning. 

 The race for the City and Suburban has even of 

 late years been improved, and is now worth a 

 thousand pounds to the owner of the winning 

 horse. A glance at any of the turf guides will 

 show that there is almost a plethora of racing ; 

 but betting men, be they ever so industrious, 

 cannot go on day after day figuring the odds 

 against everything. Racing fashions are bound 

 to change. It is of little use, therefore, mourning 

 over the decadence of the Chester Cup, or any 

 of the other "great" handicaps of " auld lang 

 syne," when there are so many events which 

 afford better opportunities to the horse and 

 greater scope to those who care nothing for the 

 animal, except as an instrument of gambling. 



