Backing Horses 



the two ends can be only partially brought 

 together it is not so bad. A successful wager 

 is often nothing short of a providential bene- 

 faction in the trying circumstances sketched. 



" It seems to me," groaned a trainer, not going 

 too well, " that I can do no good unless I bet ; 

 and, after betting, I feel that I am going to the 

 bad at the rate of too many knots an hour." The 

 sensation is not agreeable whilst it lasts, but, 

 mercifully, it does not last long. Punters are 

 often "broke" so quickly that they scarcely 

 realise what has happened until it is too late to 

 turn over a new leaf with a gasp of despair. The 

 old leaves withered ere the season approached 

 its doom. 



A trainer is, as hinted, often forgotten in the 

 distribution of cakes and ale after one of his horses 

 has won a nice race. For example, when I was 

 training for Mr Goodson, I ran his "Dancing 

 Laddie " at Epsom, and he asked me whether I 

 proposed to ride " Dancing Laddie " myself. I 

 said: "No; if you are going to bet, I shall 

 get the best jockey I can find." The race was, 

 of course, on the flat ; I engaged the late John 

 Watts for our candidate, and he won comfortably. 

 Then Mr Goodson handed me either twenty-five 

 pounds or fifty pounds — I forget which — to give 



161 l 



