198 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF. 



backers have themselves to blame for the poverty- 

 stricken prices which they obtain. It has been argued, 

 in considering the prices offered against horses running 

 in small handicaps, that the price oiight to be governed 

 on the principle of placing the balls used in pool (bil- 

 liards) in a wicker bottle, and then betting as to which 

 colour will come out first ; but there is a striking differ- 

 ence to be considered: billiard-balls are dead and inert; 

 horses, on the contrary, are alive and active, so are 

 their jockeys, whilst their owners and trainers have 

 always a potent voice as to what the conduct of their 

 horse in the race shall be. Billiard-balls, it may be 

 taken for granted, are always in the same condition; 

 horses are not, neither are their owners and trainers 

 always in a winning mood. It can never, therefore, 

 be a case of similar odds to the appearance of a parti- 

 cular billiard-ball, whilst the influence of the betting 

 public must, as a matter of course, affect the prices 

 offered ; but the bookmakers have always this advan- 

 tage, that while one, or even two, out of seven horses 

 may be heavily backed for a handicap or other race, 

 only one can win ; if the favourite starts at even 

 money, the bookiflaker has the chance of one of the 

 other six winning the race. Moreover, the horse 

 which has been backed to win the least amount of 

 money may prove the victor, or the winner's name 

 may not have been mentioned in the betting, in which 

 case the bookmaker will 'skin the lamb,' In setting 

 the market, the jbim displayed by a horse is said to be 

 carefully taken into account; but curiously enough, in 

 races in which it is the rule for all horses to carry an 

 equal weiL;ht, better prices arc sometimes obtained by 



