124 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF. 



' Yet thousatiiis there be who profess to believe 

 In an easy-won victory by Sir Joseph's Green Sleeve j 

 But all ye gay galhmts from London's big town 

 Must shell out your gold on bonnie Blue Gown.' 



That particular poet, it may be noted, was possessed of 

 a wonderful memory. As the returning crowd from 

 the Downs halted at The Cock to refresh themselves 

 on their way home, he was there to remind them of 

 his prophecy, and to solicit largess, a demand which 

 many persons good-humouredly complied with, more 

 especially thos.e who had backed the horse. 



Stray poetic tips on several of the chief events of the 

 year still make their appearance in some of the sport- 

 ing newspapers, but the practice is evidently falling 

 into desuetude. 



Coming to the present time, it may be asserted that 

 touts and tipsters were never more industrious. Of 

 this fact the numerous advertisements which con- 

 stantly appear in the sporting journals aftbrd testimony. 

 They — the tipsters — offer people fortunes for a shilling 

 or two, but the fortunes which emanate from these 

 people are mostly made up of ' rainbow gold,' very 

 evanescent. 



The touts, of course, come first, making it their 

 business to supply information more or less reliable, as 

 to the work done by horses trained at Newmarket and 

 other places. It then becomes the duty of the tipsters 

 to generalize and utilize the reports of the touts, and 

 pass them on to the public, either through the columns 

 of the sporting press, or by means of letters, telegrams, 

 and circulars. The various training quarters are regu- 

 larly ' touted ' by men well versed in their business, 



