2CX5 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF. 



quoted : ]\[ontargis in 1873, started at 50 to 1, and of 

 Isonom}', in 1878, the price at the start was 40 to 1 

 More recently Bendigo and Gloriation started at 50 

 and 40 to 1 respectively. The starting prices of the 

 Derby and Oaks winners are given elsewhere. 



One phase of Derby betting which ])revailed at one 

 time has been greatly fallen from, namely, the making 

 of books on the yearlings entered for the race. Some 

 thirty or forty years since there were men who would 

 lay to lose £10,000 against any animal entered for 

 the" Derby, and even now it is said one or two ama- 

 teur bookmakers are trying their hand at a yearling 

 Derby book. These speculations never paid, some one 

 or other of the backers being so fortunate as to back 

 ♦;he yearling to which victory ultimately fell. As 

 regards the general run of betting on the Derby, there 

 are men who never touch that race as a medium fur 

 speculation, ' It is not worth my vv^hile to back horses 

 for the Derby,' said recently a well-to-do backer to the 

 writer ; ' I prefer to risk my fivers on some of the other 

 events — the Derby betting is too stereotyped for m}' 

 taste.' On the other side of the question there are 

 many shrewd backers who bet on the Derby, and put 

 money in their purses by so doing. 



The odds now betted against horses for places, espe- 

 cially in what are called the ' classic events,' are more 

 fanciful than they used to be. For the benefit of the 

 uninitiated in racing economy, it has to be explained 

 that three horses in each race are ' placed ' by the 

 judge, viz., the winner, as also the second and third 

 horse — a fourth animal being sometimes placed. In 

 all the large races^ in consequence of that arrange- 



