MODERN BETTING ILLUSTRATED, ETC. 215 



III. 



Many who desire to become rich with rapidity 

 think the turf a smooth road to fortune. Every 

 few weeks an appetising paragraph " goes the 

 round," telling the world that another fortune 

 has been won on the racecourse, that Mr. 

 So-and-So has "landed" ^25,000 by the victory 

 of a horse in one of the popular handicaps ! 

 Such an announcement excites the cupidity of 

 hundreds, and so a rush takes place to back 

 many horses for the next important struggle. 

 Very few who try succeed ; fortunes, they soon 

 find out, come only to the fortunate, and in time 

 many of the eager fighters for the favour of 

 the blind goddess find themselves hoi^s de combat, 

 and then retire disgusted from the arena. A 

 few doughty combatants fight on in the hope 

 of ultimate success, one of them, perhaps, to find, 

 after many days, that he has become enriched 

 during the struggle. 



Some who think themselves wiser than their 

 fellows come early to the conclusion that the 

 indiscriminate backing of horses, or even tipsters, 

 or newspaper selections is a blunder, and so 

 resolve to try a "system," feeling sure that by 

 speculating on a well-defined principle they must 

 make money. In due time the cleverest think 

 out for themselves or are put on a plan by some 

 friend, which is morally certain to prove success- 

 ful. It may be one of the many systems known 

 in connection with turf speculation, " following 

 the favourites," or backing one's own fancies, 

 or it may be the following of jockeys. 



