38 Horse Racing. 



him one half of the bet. If therefore A. backs 

 himself to win three matches against losing them, 

 and the result is that he wins two, and runs a dead 

 heat or compromises the thu-d on even terms, A. 

 would be entitled to receive two-thirds of the 

 amount of the bet. If in collateral betting, the 

 words "absolutely wins" are used, then all the 

 events must be won. by the same party or the bet 

 is void. If upon backing a certain number of 

 horses against the field, one or more of the horses 

 named should be disqualified, or should have been 

 .struck out, or should not have been entered, the 

 bet stands good, provided there be one horse in 

 the lot qualified to run at the time the bet was 

 made ; but if all the horses named in the bet were 

 disqualified when the bet was laid, it is void, on 

 the principle that you cannot lose when you can- 

 not win. Bets made when the horses are running 

 are not binding until both parties say " done ; " 

 that is to say, that the proposer of the bet 

 responds in the affirmative to the acceptor. If, 

 during the race, a bet is made that a horse actually 

 wins, and he runs a dead heat, the bet is lost. In 

 1839, when Charles XII. and Euclid ran a dead 

 heat for the St. Leger, heavy bets were made after 

 they had past the winning-post, before the judge's 

 decision was known. A question arose whether 



