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talked about than accomplished. No one has ever broken either the 

 bankers or the bookmakers, while they have broken and beggared 

 thousands upon thousands of people. The Ricg had an escape, how- 

 ever, in 1852, for had Hobbie Nobh won that year's Derby, Mr. Merry 

 would have hit it for the greatest amount that man ever won over a 

 horse. I heard the sum estimated at nearly a quarter of a million of 

 money, but I don't vouch for the accuracy. At all events, instead 

 of winning, he lost a sum which no one but a millionaire like him could 

 afford, and which, goicg to the Ring, made it all the more invulnerable. 



For one man that makes money by backing horses at least one 

 hundred lose. Thousands of instances have we of members of some of 

 the oldest families in England, not to speak of parvenus, ruining them- 

 selves through betting. Happily, however, most of them did so without 

 dishonour, and many are to be pitied for their folly and — shall I say 

 it ?— bad luck. 



We Irish are not, as a rule, credited with having more wisdom and 

 discretion than the English, albeit I can recall to memory only two of 

 my countrymer, who moved in the best society, having come to utter 

 grief through gambling on horses within the past thirty years ; yet it 

 cannot be said that we have been backward in the game of betting. 

 Proud also am I to be able to state that during that time an Irishman 

 of position has never been accused, much less found guilty, of dis- 

 honourable conduct on our Turf. 



The fashion as well as the method of betting has, like other things, 

 undergone changes for the worse within the last half century. 



In the beginning of the sixties race meetings began to increase and 

 multiply in England. At that time first came out betting lists, while 

 Holt and Crook, also Reynolds and Fisher were those who first circulated 

 them. These documents were sent broadcast all over the country 

 and were got up in a most comprehensive manner, quite as much so 

 as were the circulars which emanated from the most precise of business 

 firms. To these lists I attribute the first conception of betting in the 

 minds of the middle classes. Up to their appearance betting was 

 restricted to the upper and wealthy classes ; the others scarcely knew 

 of any races beyond the great events, but the^e and such like catalogues 

 soon enlightened them and sowed the seeds of bitter fruit, for immedi- 

 ately began the middle and poorer classes to back horses. 



With the Derby and other classic races the newly-started meetings 

 shared the patronage of the betting public. Race meetings still 

 continued to increase, with them increased the backer.-^, and to meet 

 their requirements the ranks of the bookmakers were proportionately 

 added to. Thus progressed matters till within the last ten or fiftten 

 years backing horses has become part and parcel of the daily occupation 

 of the greater portion of our population. 



There is scarcely an establishment in the kingdom, from Somerset 

 House down to that of the humblest trader, which has not in it employees 

 who habitually back horses, not alone for the principal, but for the 



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