112 SPORTING STORIES 



race by rail, was taken out of the horse-box and led on to 

 the course, in all his dust and deshabille after his long 

 journey from Ireland. He was saddled, his jockey mounted, 

 and he was not even recognised except by his owner and 

 friends, and started as an unknown competitor. I saw 

 him after the race, and thought him a splendid colt." 



This gentleman had no better luck, however, on another 

 occasion when he trusted to his own judgment in selecting 

 the winner of the Blue Riband. " At one of the meetings 

 of the aristocratic steeplechases over my farm at Ayles- 

 bury," he writes, " after the stewards' dinner the conversa- 

 tion turned on the Derby. This was about the middle 

 of March, and I was asked who I thought would win the 

 race. I replied, ' West Australian,' and one of the company 

 offered me ^^50 to £/ii^ against him, which I accepted, when 



Captain K , who was present, said I was foolish, as he 



would lay me £60 to £^^ which I booked. The horse soon 

 began to shorten in price, and about a fortnight before the 

 race had advanced to $ to i. As I stood to win £\\o 

 to ^8, 1 determined to make myself safe, so with a sporting 

 parson I laid £^Q to ^8 against him, so that I stood to win 

 £']0 to nothing. Needless to say, West Australian won. 

 I was so delighted that on the following Saturday, on 

 seeing the reverend gentleman, I gladly gave him a cheque 

 for ^40. But I never from that day to this received my 

 £\ 10, or a single farthing of it, so that my banking account 

 was £^0 to the bad. I then determined never again to 

 stake more than £'^ on any race, and I have kept to my 

 determination." 



It is the fashion amongst certain folks who regard all 

 prophets with the profound contempt which the late Baron 

 Martin entertained for them, to speak disparagingly of the 

 " training intelligence " in the sporting papers as " rot," and 

 of the men who supply that intelligence as worthless hum- 

 bugs. Some years ago I was sitting one evening in the 

 smoking-room of an hotel in a Midland town, when the 

 conversation turned upon this subject. Nearly everyone 

 was down upon the touts as frauds, except one old gentle- 

 man, who told us the following remarkable story : — 



" I was at Doncaster," he said, " before the Leger in '38, 



