2i8 A MIRROR OF THE TURF. 



length, fill a volume. Many anecdotes are in 

 circulation of men who have been ruined by 

 backing horses, as well as of others to whom 

 the turf has proved a stepping-stone to fortune. 

 I remember when there used frequently to be 

 recorded a suicide over the Derby, which wns 

 said to be the result of losses sustained over 

 that highly popular race, but such narratives were 

 usually taken cum gi^aito salts. It is not over 

 such races as the Derby that the common run of 

 backers come to grief, because that race does 

 not present such favourable opportunities to 

 speculators as the popular handicaps. 



The Derby is a race for which the general 

 public evince much partiality, and on which a 

 large number of persons who never bet on any 

 other race risk a sovereign. Professional bettors, 

 of course, bet on the result of the Derby as they 

 do on all other contests; but the "form" of the 

 horses which take part in the struggle having 

 generally become well known, there is not the 

 same temptation presented to speculators as in 

 some other events where the odds obtained are 

 more liberal. On the other hand, some men 

 prefer to back the favourites for such races as 

 the Derby and Oaks, being contented with the 

 twos to one and sevens to four which can be 

 procured from the bookmaker ; but persons who 

 like the twenties, thirty-threes, and forties, which 

 can often be obtained against handicap winners 

 at some period before the race, do not readily 

 accommodate themselves to the large expenditure 

 involved in accepting small odds. I remember 

 a well-known betting man who is a keen hand 

 and speculates in large amounts, taking ^2,000 



