RUINED ON THE TURF

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1926, Page 4

RUINED ON THE TURF

SOME EAUOl’y CiAAIBLEKS. (By Ralph Ncvill.) lb is a curious fact that in certain families every generation in turn seems to imagine that they can get the host of tho Ring. Undoubtedly there is a large (lass which ekes out a livelihood owing to betting or a connection with the T urf, but instances of anyone having made a fortune backing horse must be extremely rare.

A possible exception was the late Captain Mitchell, who. 1 believe, did manage to repurchase his family estate out of his winnings. At the end of his life, however, his judgment became somewhat impaired and he lost hack to the Ring a good portion of the money he had acquired. Though the number of bookmakers has increased, 1 rather think that however lucky a plunger might be it would not now he possible for him to win the great sums which in the middle of the last century depended upon the result of many a great race. Vast amounts were then occasionally laid against certain horses by the. Ring, but tho layer generally managed to come well out of the transaction.

Old racing men will remember the fate which, some years before the Great \Var, overtook a young officer Connected with royalty. He had a very had week at Leopardstown mul in order to get home laid £IO,OOO to £I,OOO on a horse in a match which seemed to he an absolute certainty for his selection. As however, had luck would have it, the Tlivourite was beaten, in consequence of which the young officer, went on foreign service for several years, and took care to have nothing further to do with the furf on his return. A FATHER’S LESSON.

About the best lesson as to the futlity of betting was that given hy the ’father of a prominent owner of racehorses to his son. The Latter, having lost a considerable sum to a bookmaker, found himself obliged to apply to his parent for an advance, which ho obtained.

“Tn future, my hoy, when you feel you must have a bet. don’t go to the bookmakers, hut come to me,” said his father. “I will lay you the market price, and it will save you a great deal of trouble.”

For some time the son continued to hack his fancy, on every occasion giving his father a written slip. After a time, when the young mail had ritu ii)) quite a heavy account'on the wrong side, tho father presented the slips, saying it was time for his son to settle. This, of course, the latter was not in the position to do, upon which his father, having wiped out the deot, told -the young man that lie hoped lie had learned how stupid it was to oaek horses without knowing anything about them.

The racecourse and the ginning talk' have impoverished a considerable number of aristocratic families, besides having ruined scores of reckless gamblers. A typical instance was Sir John Bade, who, coming into a rich inheritance at the a,go of 21. soon succeeded in Hinging it to the winds. A gentleman jockey and a rpnowTied whip, lie cut a great diish for a time: nevertheless, in. tiie end ho had to he rescued from the King’s Bench prison, whore he was detained for debt. Later he evolved into a “gentleman coachman,” with a salary, to the Prince Regent, who, after his accession, granted his cid friend a pension, which Queen Victoria insisted on continuing.

NO BETS LESS THAN £SOO. Another reckless plunger of the last century was Colonel Mcllish. a rich young Yorkshiroman, who lor a time cut a great dash with no fewer than .‘lB racehorses in training, 17 coachhorses, 12 hunters I chargers, and a number of hacks. His arrival on the course at Newmarket, in a chaise behind five beautiful white horses, excited great attention, his equipage being preceded by two crimson- liveried out-riders., on two more horses of the same colour. In addition to this another 'groom led a. thoroughbred hack, while yet another waited at the rub-bing-past. with a spare mount. The colonel in his halcyon days is said to have prided himself on never making a be tof less than £soo—one of the causes, possibly, which contributed to his ruin.

Though the aristocratic Turf men of tile Victorian era did not go in for Ibe extravagant display with which

Sir John Lade arid Colonel Mcllish delighted the crowd they got through just as much money. The ’sixties and ’seventies of the last century were particularly disastrous to this class, and it was remarkable bow many sporting contemporaries of the late King Edward started life -as rich men and ended up so 71001’ that in many cases they had to part with their family estates, a number of which changed hands owing to short heads and half lengths. Not that the victory of certain horses in great races would have long delayed ruin. Sooner or later, owing to their reckless wagers, they were doomed. From time to time, however, they did hit the Ring very hard. When, for instance, the ill-fated Marquis of Hastings won the Cesarewiteli with Lecturer his winnings were said to have amounted to £72,000. In spite of his recklessness during certain years he did quite well, his winnings in stakes in 1804 having been £1.0,C00, in 1866 £12,000, and in 1867 sometiling over £30.000. BISMARCK’S VIEW OF RACING.

In tillt year, however, Hermit Derby is supposed to have cost him £140,000. and even if the second horse Marksman, had won it is said that he would have lost about £120,000. Lord Hastings, though applauded by the Bing as a great sportsman, was anything hut shrewd in his bets on this Derby, on which, indeed, be had made his book so badly that while standing to lose luitvily he could only have profited to the extent of a few thousands had Van ban, which was his best horse, come in first. The next year the marquis. a broken-down, ruined man, passed to his grave at the age of 20.

ft is not betting alone that lias ruined so many owners. In evidence given before a Committee of the Home of Commons it was once estimated that it cost £350 to bring a horse to the starting-post for the Derby—to-day, of course, the sum would be far greater. In one year—lß4s—Lord George Bentick is said to have won £IOO,OOO by bets, but liis racing expenses amounted to an enormous sum. His successes as an owner hardly compensated him for the immense amount of time, thought, and money which he expend-

ed upon facing. Nevertheless, the Turf His its beneficent aspects. Writing to Queen Vie-

toria during the Berlin Congress, Disraeli, speaking of a dinner with Bismarck, said: “He asked me whether racing was still much encouraged in England. I replied, ‘Never more so.’ “ ‘Then,’ cried Bismarck ehgerly, ‘there never mil be Socialism in England. You are a happy country. Aou are safe as long as the people are devoted to racing. 'Here a gentleman cannot rido down the street without twenty persons saying to themselves or each other. “Why has that:, follow a horse and I have not one?” In England the more horses a noblempn has the more popular he is. So long as the English are devoted to racing. Socialism has no chance with you.’ ”