TURF FRAUDS AND TURF PRACTICES.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 229, 31 January 1885, Page 9

TURF FRAUDS AND TURF PRACTICES.

"A REALLY GOOD TIIIXG."

FIiAXK ScaxdEii had been in the army — in the Guards — just long enough to give him the most expensive tastes which could not be indulged in under at least a couple of thousand a year — and Frank's nominal income was about as many hundreds per annum. Frank was a betting man, that is, he made a book upon all the leading events of the year, and as he sometimes won, he persuaded himself that he never was a loser. Sometimes he was pretty fortunate. But he was rash to a degree, and as ignorant as possible of the chances of the turf. He often believed he had a book on which he could not lose, which, when it was looked over, turned out to be a book on which it was utterly impossible for him to Avin. Then he had a trick of "plunging 1 ' — of going headlong after one horse in the betting, and of risking his money — or rather risking his creditors' money, for Frank, when he lost, had generally to go to the discounters for the needful — for'an idea. The London season was draAving to a close, and Frank Seamier had made an uncommonly bad thing of the months between the Two Thousand and Goodwood. At the former lie had landed some £4-00, and as lie never paid anything except his lodgings and his club bills, this (together with half "the proceeds of a joint bill for £n<)o, which lie and Sir Henry Leaver had got old Sckulls, the discounter in Jermyn-street to do for them) had enabled Frank to pull through the time. But, as he said himself, he wan in very bad form. He had come to the end of his ready money, and could not sec his Avay to a fresh supply. In short, look Avhich Avay he would, there seemed but one chance for him, and that was GoodAvood. If he could get hold of a "really good thing " for that meeting, and, with his ay innings, then pot a little, in a quiet way, at the Brigtou meeting which follows Goodwood at Lewes which follows Brighton, and at Wolverhampton Avhich follows Lewes, he might make enough to carry him through the autumn, until men came back again to London, Avhen his billiards at the" club were always worth a ten -pound note per Avcek, and his quiet whist as much more. It is, perhaps, easier to get appointed to" a Commissionership of Inland Revenue, or to a Colonial Bishopric, than to get hold of '-a really good thing," Avhich can be relied on, for any of the great meetings. To the proverbially glorious uncertainty of the turf in olden days, must be added in our times the playful way in Avhich owners of racehorses scratch their animals at the last moment, rendering what Avas very risky before tenfold more so now. Still his mind dwelt upon Goodwood, the reason being that he had already been told of a certain horse which to back "to Avin or a place,"' was a dead fortune. But there Avas one thing that made him hesitate before going in for "the speculation, and this Avas the chance of the horse not being alloAved to run — being scratched at the last moment, because it might not suit the book of his OAvnor that it should win. The name of the horse was Brooklyn ; his owner was an individual named Aighburfc, Avho, under various aliases, had flourished in many ways, and had done many things Avhieh Avere the reverse of creditable. The chances of his horse Avinning the Groodwood Stakes were no doubt A T ery great, provided it suited Mr Aighburt's book that he should Avin. About a fortnight before the race Brooklyn stood at ten to one in the betting. Frank stood very well Avith all the more respectable of the bookmakers. Whenever he had been hard hie— a not unfrequonfc event during his career- — he had either settled tip promptly all that he owed, or had come forward manfully and asked for time tc turn himself round. He had often had to make immense sacrifices, but had aIAA r ays paid Avhat he owed on the turf cither at once, or Avith hardly any delay Avorth speaking of. The consequence was, that Avhenever he found himself in difficulties, he always got sound advice Avhen he consulted turf men. In the i? resent instance. 1 he sought out and found Stavit, an old friend and well-known betting- man, to Avhom, on the j)lea of getting- some information about Groodwood, he imparted his difficulties in the matter of the horse Brooklyn. "To tell the truth, Captain," replied Stavit, " I belieA-e that horse can be made certain either one way or the other — as certain as the Bank of England ; but it depends upon Avho bids highest for whether he runs or docs not. If lie is saddled for the Goodwood Stakes, the betting on the course Avill be tAvo to one, and cA r en three to ore, upon him : you mark my Avord if it ain't. And look at him iioav, ten to one, and twelve to one, and no backers ! I have been thinking of this all the morning, and if you are good for £1000, and Avili join me and two more in a little speculation, I'll tell you, now, Avhat can be done. I know Avhat you'll say — you haA r o not got the

£1000. Never mind, give me your name on stamped paper for the sum, and I'll find the cash; but we shall want your name for another matter. "Brooklyn is being- trained by Forbes, at Spendrift, not far from Groodwood. I know Forbes well ; he is an old pal of mine, and as honest as daylight. Nothing but what is quite square will ever happen to the horse at Forbes'. But his owner, Aighburt, is a dirty scamp ; there is not a bigger ruffian between this and next year's Derby. Now, here is my plan. We offer this fellow £'5000 amongst us to have Brooklyn put under our orders for Groodwood, and then we shall be certain that he will run. on the square. The offer shall be made in your name, and then we may go in and make our money as we like. The money shall be placed in the hands of a third party. I'll be that party —and shall be paid to Aighburt an hour after his horse starts for the Groodwood Stakes." Frank had great confidence in Stavit, and I at once took up with the plan he proposed. The great thing was to keep the affair a secret. That they were not a day too socn'' with Aighburt they found out that same afternoon, for another j>arty had already been offering him money to scratch the horse at the last moment. Stavit was a man of action. To get the money together in crisp bank-notes, and dispatch Frank Scander on his mission, was the work of halt' .-in hour. Before night the whole ailair was arranged. Aighburt was not only what Stavit had described him, a scamp, but a very needy man into the bargain, lie stood out, however, for better terms, and ho carried his point too. These terms wore, that he should be paid £JOO down, and that .i'UOO should be deposited in Stavit' s hands, the Litter giving au engagement that if Brooklyn started for the Groodwood Stakes, the money was to bo paid to Aighburt within an hour of the race. I The only tiling they had now to fear was that Aighburt, over greedy for money, would go into the market and by backing his horse heavily, give the public to understand that the animal was really going to run. But for this contingency they made arrangements. Fart of the* bargain was that Aighburt was to send commissions to four or five principal agents in London, and elsewhere, to take odds ru/ainnf his horse. As a matter of course, this got wind; and although many of the older hands on the turf looked upon the manoeuvre as a mere r/ise, the public at large — led by one or two of the sporting correspondents of newspapers — swallowed the bait with the greatest avidity. From ten to one Brooklyn went down to twenty, twenty-five, thirty, and thirtyfive to one ; and at these figures Stavit, and those who were behind the scenes, booked the bets as fast as they could get. Two days before the race the horse ran up the list much faster than he had gone down ; and, as Stavit had predicted, even money could not be got on the course against him when it became known for certain that he was to start. The horse won in a canter ; aud after everything was paid, Frank Scander's share of the profits amounted to the very nice little sum of £10,000. Ho has never since that time come in for anything like such "a good thing."

THE EXD,