A BET ON 'MACARONI: 391 



Mr. Simpson had horses in training at Newmarket. 



The best of these was True Blue, who did him some 

 good, but might have done much more ; for he was 

 capable of greater things than to win two or three 

 little races. I do not think that on the whole his 

 racing, pure and simple, was a very costly amuse- 

 ment to him ; and in betting he could scarcely have 

 been out of pocket. To begin with, he was not fond 

 of it, or objected to it as harmful to his standing as a 

 banker. He seldom backed his own or other people's 

 horses. When Macaroni won at Newmarket, how- 

 ever, he wanted to back him for the Derby, and did 

 so, getting 8 to 1. Fearing, I suppose, that some of 

 his people at Diss should hear that he betted, he 

 never put the bet down in his pocket-book, and when 

 he found Macaroni had won, wrote to ask if I could 

 tell him whom it was he had betted with. But I could 

 not ; and he would have lost the money, had not Mr. 

 F. Fisher, who heard the bet made, given him the 

 name of the person who made it some weeks after- 

 wards, and he recovered his £800. Of course 

 betting-men do not anxiously search for those to 

 whom they owe money. They think it time enough 

 to pay it when it is demanded. On the other hand, 

 if you lose money to them, you are sure to hear from 

 them at once — which is, after all, only business. 

 Beyond this bet, I never knew him risk anything, 

 unless it was on something which we jointly owned, 

 and this was not a losing business. 



