270 ON RACING. 



But few, save the initiated, realise the 

 inevitable uncertainty of the game. By no 

 means every case of in-and-out running is 

 to be attributed to dishonesty. One instance 

 will suffice to show what I mean. 



A horse is backed by the public (possibly 

 by its owner as well, though of that they are 

 unaware), and the public naturally expects 

 that horse to beat others he has beaten 

 before, when meeting them again on the 

 same, or perhaps even slightly better, terms 

 than then. On this occasion he fails to 

 obtain a place, when unfair play is imme- 

 diately imputed to somebody, and the con- 

 viction remains with the disappointed backer 

 that he has been swindled. Yet he has no 

 real grievance at all. He had nothing 

 whatever to do with that horse, and was 

 under no necessity to back him : he chose 

 to do so at his own risk, and, as a matter 

 of fact, was not cheated. The horse could 

 not be got so fit as he was on the previous 



