160 HiXTs TO hoksemen; oh, 



losing jockey twice — and they will not be paid a 

 simple three guineas, as flat-race jockies are — would 

 bring the balance sadly on the wrong side of the book. 

 Thus, to the best of my knowledge, there are but 

 two ways of making money by steeple-chasing ; the 

 first is, to keep first-rate horses that will command 

 the attention of the public, and by winning or losing 

 with them as suits the way the money is on — that is, 

 robbing the public — or by a man training and riding 

 for himself, in places where sport is more the object 

 of the meeting than robbery. I will not insult my 

 reader by supposing he would choose the former. It 

 is true, a man may chance on a wonder of a horse 

 capable of winning in the most important events, 

 but he would be of little use to him in running at 

 some places unless his master became one of the 

 gang ; for what is the good of owning a wonder, if he 

 is not permitted to show himself as such r and if he 

 was, the wonder would be more at the circumstance 

 than the horse. They say *' wonders will never 

 cease ;" I can only say, if in such events the best 

 horse not belonging to the clique was permitted to 



