580 THE HORSE. 



quented by broken-down hangers-on of the turf, and sharpers 

 of every degree, who bet small sums, and make prey of 

 trades-people and others, who are foolish enough to draw in 

 this lottery of many blanks. But the grand performers in 

 the play are a very different class of persons. These gentle- 

 men have risen far beyond the vulgar honours of the Sport- 

 ing-House. They "do the thing" on a princely scale, and 

 can exhibit "Books" enough to make a "royal merchant" 

 stare. 



The principal of the present " extensive operators on the 

 betting market," as Mr Whyte gently terms them, are, or 

 were, it seems, Messrs Theobald, Bland, Bond, Robinson of 

 Manchester, Holliday, Justice, Greatorex, Wakefield.* Of 

 the kinds of persons who, in the deep lottery of the turf, are 

 able to rise with the wheel of fortune, the following graphic 

 sketch, from the pen of Mr Apperley, the most useful and 

 happy writer on this class of subjects, will convey an idea. 

 " Of the public racing men at Newmarket, Messrs Crockford, 

 Gully, Ridsdale, Saddler, the Chifneys, &c., we need not say 

 much, their deeds being almost daily before us. But look- 

 ing at the extraordinary results of these men's deeds, who 

 will not admit racing to be the best trade going 1 Talk of 

 studs, talk of winnings, talk of racing establishments ! Our 

 Graftons, Richmonds, Portlands, and Clevelands, with all 

 their means and appliances to boot, are but the beings of a 

 summer's day when compared with those illustrious person- 

 ages and their various transactions and doings on the turf. 

 Here is a small retail tradesman dealing in a very perishable 

 commodity, become our Modern Croesus in a few years, and 

 proprietor of several of the finest houses in England ! Be- 

 hold the champion of the boxing-ring, the champion of the 

 turf, the proprietor of a noble domain, an honourable mem- 

 ber of the Reformed Parliament, all in the person of a Bris- 

 tol butcher ! Turn to a great proprietor of coal-mines, the 



* Whyte's History of the Turf. 



