Sir—I do not profess to enter into the pro or con of this vital question, which is increasing in force and imperativeness with each succeeding year. But to those of your readers—and I fear they are greatly in the majority—who, in spite of experience, fondly believe that it is possible to make money by backing horses, I append a list of 22 chances against the backer in every race that is run.
1. The regular percentage of odds, ranging from 2 to 1 up to 20 against one in every race. There can be only one winner.
2. The horse may be fit and capable of winning, but not “wanted.”
3. “Wanted” by the owner, not “wanted” by the trainer.
4. “Wanted” by owner and trainer, not “wanted” by the jockey, who has his money on another runner.
5. Owner, trainer, or jockey in debt to a bookmaker. In either of these three cases the horse runs to suit the layer’s book, irrespective of the backer.
6. Horse tried to be a certainty—money on. Something wrong with trial horse. All calculations upset. Again the backer loses.
7. Race lost by a bad start.
8. Long delay under a hot sun. Horse irritable, nervous, wears himself out at the post.