2 28 A MIRROR OF THE TURF. 



Monday night the vision was repeated, with 

 the words added, " this will come right." Davis 

 was staggered by the circumstance, and being 

 in possession of other information resolved to 

 have " a bit extra " on, and so landed a good 

 stake for his then position in the betting arena. 

 Many curious dreams connected with horse-racing 

 have from time to time been told, and the above 

 story, now first related, may be added to the 

 number. 



Visiting, day by day, all the well - known 

 sporting public-houses in London, picking up a 

 little information here and making a few bets 

 there, and always paying punctually when he 

 lost, Davis speedily made a connection, and in 

 a short time attracted a large number of customers. 

 Being modest of manner and invariably civil, 

 good fortune attended most of his efforts. 

 Another feature in his favour was that he was 

 liberal in offering odds, generally naming a 

 point more than any of his competitors, so that 

 he soon became " first favourite " among the 

 betting men who were fond of backing their 

 " fancy." Davis, in those days, betted for ready 

 money only, and it was a maxim of his that 

 " if you can lay all the horses, a point of 

 additional odds is of no moment." " The horse 

 which wins," he was wont to say, " brings you 

 nothing, all the others do." In the beginning 

 of his career, slow and sure was his motto ; " ten 

 pounds gained on each of five small races makes 

 fifty." Passing on to a later period of his career, 

 when his betting relations had extended to the 

 patricians of the turf, Davis occasionally laid the 

 odds to an almost incredible amount against all 



