28 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF, 



It is somewhat remarkable that in nearly all tho 

 schemes promulgated on behalf of the Derby and Oaks, 

 the Epsom authorities receive the greatest degree of 

 consideration ; all that is accorded to owners is the 

 questionable privilege of paying a much larger sum 

 in the shape of entry money ! All, for instance, 

 that ' Borderer's' scheme leads up to is just a bigger 

 gamble to be indulged in by the owners of the 

 animals entered; whilst what is really wanted is that 

 those who derive such a handsome return from these 

 attractive races should not 'bag' more money, but 

 should hand over a percentage of their gains to tho 

 men who provide the horses. If the writer is not 

 misinformed, it has long been a rule in all great 

 'matches' for the pedestrians engaged, or those who 

 * manage ' them, to receive a considerable share of the 

 gate-money — and why not ? And why should it not 

 likewise be so in the case of horse-racing ? Suppose, 

 by way of argument, that the owners of, say, the best 

 score of race-horses at present in existence were to 

 agree to run them in a sweepstakes of £1,000 per 

 horse at handicap weights, would these gentlemen not 

 be entitled to say to the authorities of Sandown, 

 Epsom, or Kempton Park, ' What sum will you give 

 us if we decide this great race on 3'our course ?' Such 

 an event might prove an enormous 'draw,' and yield 

 a Avonderful 'gate.' It would only be reasonable, there- 

 fore, that the directors of whatever course was selected 

 should present the promoters of the race with a per- 

 centage of the drawings. Co-operation is in vogue 

 at present ; why, then, should not sportsmen who own 

 valuable race-horses utilize them in the manner in- 



