194 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF, 



known, except to persons more immediately con- 

 cerned, whether or not a particuhir horse will be 

 entered, 50 to 1 ma}^ be had against any animal for the 

 long race (the Cesarewitch), and ^^ to 1 against any 

 one animal for the Cambridgeshire, which means in 

 plain language that the bookmaker will give Z\i^ to 

 tlie person who can name the wanning horse — £1 

 being the forfeit of non-success. 



These figures may seem to denote a liberal price, 

 but in reality do not, for if even 200 to 1 were offered, 

 it would not in all probability covur the chance of the 

 animal selected. In the first place, the horse chosen 

 may not be entered for the race ; in the second place, 

 if entered, the ovv-ner ma} be dissatisfied with the weight 

 assigned to it, and in consequence not accept; in the 

 third place, if accepiance should be declared, the horse 

 may not be started in the race ; and in the fourth place, 

 should it actually take part m the struggle, it may not 

 prove the winner. Of these two races, after the handi- 

 cap is published (that is, when the weight to be carried 

 by each horse has been signified) the public bettors 

 may be said themselves to ' make ' the prices ; indeed, 

 long before the weights have been iixed a favourite 

 has frequently been well established. The bookmaker 

 very soon finds out for which hor>.e backers evince a 

 preference, and as it continues to be backed he gradu- 

 ally reiluces the odds. In the slang of the turf it has 

 been called a ' mug's game ' to back horses for any 

 race previous to the acceptances' being declared, but it 

 is a game jrom wdiich the votaries of the turf cannot 

 be weaned. They come to ' the scratch ' year after 

 year to obtain the so-called ' long prices,' and season 



