plenty of such going) run with Collingwood-the former at perhaps 5st. 10lbs., the latter and others of his class at 9st. 4lbs. or 9st. 7lbs. -the weights may be fair enough, but Collingwood or one of his compeers breaks down where is the fairness then?-a horse that was certainly worth fifteen of such others as I have mentioned has his racing career put an end to by struggling against, for the same prize, and put upon an equal footing with as to his chance of winning, as horses that ought to be sold like stale mackerel-so much the lot, and one given in if bought by the dozen.

Some say large stakes and handicaps produce large betting. I do not dispute that; but I do not think it is incontestibly PROVED, though many assert it is, that this extensive betting is quite the vitality of racing, though in some instances it has been the mortality, and in most instances the ruin, of any who bet at all honestly or honourably. I hope-and it would take a great deal to convince me to the contrarythat the love of sport inherent in Englishmen is the vitality of racing; and only let men who love racing have a fair chance with their horses, racing will go on in England as long as trees grow in it, or men exist to use them.

We will say betting is encouraged by our present system: let us see the advantages gained. We will say a sporting baker bets with a sporting cheesemonger, if they are equally good judges, baker loses his hundred, and the man of mites wins it. They bet on another event: in rouge-et-noir phrase-Baker wins, Cheese loses. No harm in this; they get their money back. They then bet with a minor leg: both lose, and neither get their money back; but, worse than this, they lose character as tradesmen by the company they are seen in. Nor do I see that the turf has gained by such transactions; if it has, "there is that within which passes show."

There is a way in which betting is conducive to the welfare of the turf, or rather was so. There are noblemen and gentlemen who like the stimulant of betting, and, as one means of enjoying it, kept a string of first-class horses in training. If our present system conduced to bring or keep such men on the turf, it is rather extraordinary that they have left it, which, looking at the standing of the majority of owners of racehorses now, we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that they have. Such individuals backed their horses heavily, and betted among themselves. This kept the game going; and had such horses been allowed fair play, houses in Newmarket now deserted would be a scene of hospitality and festivity during the meetings, and noblemen and men of family would form a very large proportion of those witnessing the running; but now their comparative number is so small, that we almost hear the inquiry"Which is Bolingbroke?"

No doubt that a very increased number of the slang-termed "fivers" change hands from the increased number of horses starting these are exchanged among men, ninety-nine out of a hundred of whom never gave a shilling towards a race in their lives, but when they come to a race merely encumber the soil"; they have not "the soul to fertilize" without the extraneous aid of scores of fifty-pound horses running. I believe the Duke of York, Earl Grosvenor, Sir Charles Bunbury, Captain Mellish, and hundreds of others of their day, found inducement, appliances, and opportunities enough to bet to no small amounts, and

H

kept horses by the dozen, but not such as could conveniently be purchased in a certain way. Meteoras, Violantes, Eleanors, Sanchos, &c., were not run over and over again to lose in order to get well in for handicaps. There is, however, one thing I must allow as a comfort in owning horses; kept for such purposes, the masters of such, figuratively, and indeed many in reality, "sit on velvet": if he ever wins twelve or thirteen hundred, it is a nice little morning's work; if he does not, most probably his book on the lot, starters and non-starters, pays his entry. If Miserabile-dictu," "There-she-goes-with-her-eye-out, Jemmy-go-gently," or whatever new-fangled sort of cognomen the creature runs under, breaks down, or breaks his or her neck, it is only a might-be gain that is lost, for the three or four prior losings have, in all probability, been made as many winnings to the owner; so as Jemmy-go-gently" was claimed at £40: had him six weeks, say £14 training expenses; travelling, £5; three entries at £3 makes £9; three jocks, £9: say £77 Dr. Per contra Cr. : At **** £37 ; *****, £42 ; *****, £25 : making £114. Not so bad; but better luck next time. If "There-she-goes does not win with 5st. 10lbs. on her, I'm no prophet; under such circumstances as attended the breaking down of "Jemmy-go-gently," the owner is comparatively to be envied. How different the feelings of the owner and his friends when Sancho broke down when winning!

But be of good cheer, O Turf! be of good cheer, thou bleak Heath of Newmarket! though by the bye, I think if a dozen brooms were made from it no heath would remain. Better and more cheerful scenes await the dull monotony of the flat-the railroad; blessings on it for visiting a spot that erst was different from all other race-courses, its only semblance being the Curragh. Crowds from St. George's and eke from St. Giles's shall now "make running to the bushes. Police will 300n be wanted to control the harmless gaiety of such a throng. The throng will want to feed. The public must be accommodated (so says the fat owner of a ham and beef shop; so says his spouse, who some short time since would no more have thought of a visit to Newmarket than to Baffin's Bay). The public must also be amused, and amused in their own way. It will all be easy enough: the rail can bring round-abouts, materials for booths; and if a lot of biped beasts loose, why not a lot of quadruped beasts in cages? Omnibuses can be made to suit the arches: how handy to bring down a pleasant party from Houndsditch slap to the Heath, and No. 6780 rumbles along its blessed contents to the T.M.M. or T.Y.C. This is all in course: it's the march of intellect, but if it occurs I shall call it the Curse of the Course.

H. H.

MR. JOHN PURSER,

OF THE CARDINGTON CLUB, WITH HIS DOGS PANSEY AND PILOT.

ENGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY G. F. DAY.

Good morning, Mr. Purser! What on the look-out for a hare, eh? And yet that's hardly fair to poor puss either, with two such clippers already slipped for a turn at her.

Perhaps, however, there is a taste of a trial wanted; and as our preeminent virtue is keeping a secret, no doubt we shall be heartily welcomed to look on. In the mean time we may oblige the enquiring stranger with what's what and who's who.

Within some two miles or so of the quiet, blessed-in-charity county town of Bedford, stands Cardington Cross, the landmark of Cardington village, or, what is yet more to our purpose, of Cardington Field. Happy as this said Field and domain are in a landlord, who, to use his own words, counts as the greatest pleasure the possession of his property affords him the opportunity it allows him of affording pleasure to others-rejoicing, we say, in so hospitable an owner, Cardington has long been the resort of sportsmen-of the lovers of the leash more especially. We should be afraid to say for how many years back, indeed, a famous course can be traced there; but we may state that within the last seven or eight a club has been established in order to do full honour to the stout and straightaway stock Mr. W. H. Whitbread so zealously preserves for his friends. The Cardington Club is now well known to every man who knows a greyhound. It is no merely local affair, where neighbour This can just beat neighbour That, and do no more, but abounding in good able men, who can go and take the first rank at the best meetings. We may just mention one or two from a return list before us, whose names alone will declare what they are: Mr. Inskip, for instance, with a strong kennel of dogs close by, Mr. Vipan with a long string of invincible V; Mr. Eley, Mr. Longman, and an almost equally good et cætera. Then we have a most courteous and justly popular secretary in Mr. Sam. Bailey; another good sportsman and good fellow, Mr. William Purser, as treasurer; and lastly, the gentleman there on the mealy hack, as about the best manan-vide the book-in the club.

Mr. John Purser, of Willington, Beds, we have all authority for saying, has bred and trained more winners than any other member of the club for which we return him as the representative. To such a length, in fact, would his list of winning dogs extend, that being rather pressed for time we have abandoned our first idea of giving them all, and must content our readers with a few particulars regarding the brace associated with himself in the picture. Even the performances of these alone will

* The Members of the Club some time since presented Mr. Whitbread with a piece of plate as a mark of respect and gratitude for the manner in which he had continued, at his own expense, to preserve for them. It was on this occasion the sentiment we quote was expressed-no catchword of the orator, but a feeling that has ever been fully acted up to.

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