l?6 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF. 



amusing at some race meetings to note what takes 

 place ill tliis matter of regulating the prices of 

 different horses. It may be taken for granted, of 

 course, that the persons most interested, namely, the 

 bookmakers, take good care of themselves, and never 

 by any chance make a mistake in naming prices 

 that are too liberal. At a race m^eetins:, the moment 

 the numbers are exhibited for a small race, say a 

 field of from four to seven horses, a stentorian voice 

 may be heard to shout ' Six to four on the field !' which 

 'sets the market' for the race, and immediateW all 

 the leatlicr-lunged community of hxyers of ' the odds' 

 will bo heard singing the same song, probably varying 

 their offers with ' Two to one bar one,' which means 

 that the price of the second favourite is two to one ; 

 whilst another may be at odds of four, and another at 

 five to one. The announcement of six to four on the 

 field, or whatever the initial price may bo fixed at, 

 is often enough purely capricious, having no relation 

 whatever to the m.crits or chance of the horse in the 

 race about to be decided ; it is a custom of the business 

 to offer such odds — use and wont, in fact — and all 

 follow the first shout. 



These or similar odds are proclaimed over and over 

 again, day by daj', as i-acing progresses, no matter 

 whether they prove true or false. That such is the 

 case the following anecdote will prove : 



A friend of the writer's having been often struck 

 with the stereot^'ped and parsimonious character of 

 the prices oli'ered at one or two of the great race 

 meetings, and not being able to ascertain fi-om any 

 one present the reasons which governed the offers. 



