Wyndham Smith

“ On occasions when a considerable sum of money is required to be laid out by the owner and his friends, it is usual to call in the assistance of some clever speculator to effect their investments to the best advantage with solvent men, and also to watch the movements in the market, and closely and continuously observe who are the principal opposers and supporters of the horse in which they are specially interested. ”

“ These suggestions were carried out to the letter, and New Zealander won the race with the greatest ease, ridden by the jockey to whom his lordship had spoken as above.
Success is at all times gratifying, but this was doubly so, as it completely and entirely removed from the rider all those suspicions which, owing to a strong combination of circumstances, are often very naturally entertained against an innocent and an honest man; and it turned the tables upon those (if such there were) who contemplated effecting by foul means the defeat of the best horse in the race. ”

“ When they had all pulled up, and had let their horses stand a few minutes to get their wind, the cavalcade again assembled together to wend their way home, “the General” riding by their side, looking as black as thunder, and not saying a word, upon which Phil began to chaff him, after his fashion, in the hearing of the other jockeys, and especially of Jack Brown.
“Why, General! your face is as long as a day’s march. Your bird did not fly quite as fast this morning as he did over the mahogany last night. ”

“ Let the trainer to-morrow morning, if the horse is all right and well, request several gentlemen of position and integrity on the Turf (the more the better) to come and see him in the stable stripped of his clothes, so that they can, one and all, testify to the fact that, if he is beat, he at least has done his duty in bringing him “fit to the post;” ”

“ On the other roof being uplifted, we behold our great diplomatist, Phil Spott, perusing a letter, while a knowing smile of triumph plays over his countenance—it is from one of his agents; and, taking advantage of our position, we look over his shoulder, and we read as follows:—
“Sir,—I have backed Munster for you with A., for so much, at such a price, and with B., for so much, at such a price. ”

“ The string of horses arrived at Newmarket as usual, as above described, shortly before the Craven meeting, and during the last Newmarket race meeting preceding their departure for Epsom, the boy who looked after the horse Munster was told that neither he nor his horse would be wanted to go South, and that he was to get all his things together and be ready to start with his horse by noon on the day after to-morrow; the object in thus delaying for a time the departure of the horse, after giving the lad his order, will be presently seen. ”

“ The lad found his letter quite safe where he had left it on his return to the room, and he was permitted, apparently unnoticed, to go on writing to “moother.” All this was “nuts” to the astute Phil, his suspicions being now almost wholly confined to this lad; while in order the more fully to confirm them, several ingenious little traps were laid, such as keeping a horse in the stable for a day or two, or only letting him walk for that time, or sending some Derby horse up a good strong gallop with an old one, taking care either that the young one had a good deal the best of it at the finish ”

“ The favourite is to the turf nobbler what the full-pursed traveller is to the footpad, and he seeks to make him safe, either for the sake of the money he can bet against him, or in order materially to improve the chance of other horses by which he stands to win, or both. ”

“ The following morning, when the light was but grey, six horses (including Culverstone, ridden by Phil Spott) stripped of their clothes, and each ridden by a crack jockey clothed in light boots and breeches, and thin jean jackets, and escorted by the trainer and one of the head-lads mounted on neat cobs, left the stable-yard, and walked leisurely to the trial-ground about a mile off. All the other lads and people about the racing-stable were carefully kept at home under the surveillance of some trustworthy person ”

“ The more money S—— brought into the market to support the horse, the less of a favourite he became, and the money still coming in against him from the same quarter, he became alarmed that there might be something the matter with the horse. ”

“ Philip Spott, Newmarket.
By this brief and business-like communication, Phil Spott was apprised that if Munster won the Derby, Messrs. A. and B.—or rather Mr. R——, for whom they had betted as agents—would have to pay him, through the writer of the above letter, a large sum of money; they having been, of course, perfectly unconscious as to the real person with whom they were betting. ”

“ B., and that they had not only swallowed up a large sum out of the available public money which is every year forthcoming to be betted against each and every horse in the Derby, but had in consequence brought the horse to a price at which Phil did not seem to think the owner and the stable ought to commence their investments. “This will never do,” said he. “Them as pays the piper has a right to choose the tune. We that keep the cows are not going to take the skim milk, and let others have the cream.” ”

“ All these minutiæ were designed to leave no doubt amongst the other lads that the horse really was not intended for the Derby, and this was almost necessary, as the announcement that his horse, who was strong in the betting, and much talked about, was not even going to start for that race, excited no little surprise in the lad’s mind, and he naturally talked with his fellow-lads, although especially cautioned not to do so ”

“ I hope he may be right; at all events I’ll know to-morrow morning what sort of metal he’s made of, for I’ll ride him myself, and be sure you make the pot boil, Master Jack, and have a good face, for I want you to make the running. ”

“ You did it uncommonly well; how kindly the old un swallowed the spice-nut, to be sure; and it is only one of many others he has swallowed within these two days. I am afraid in about another four-and-twenty hours they will begin to disagree with him unless his stomach is a very strong one. ”

“ S—— then communicated to him his suspicions, and, after some conversation, the owner finally gave him full authority to use his own discretion as to whether or not he would allow the jockey that was engaged for Cockcrow to ride him, S—— saying that he should not make up his mind till the morning of the race, and requesting the owner not to show himself at Goodwood till the day after the race. ”

“ I need hardly add that in both such cases the redoubtable Phil bestrode the apparently beaten animal: he was much too clever a workman to trust to any one else to do such handiwork as this. Accordingly, in every instance a letter was written to “moother,” and information was duly received from Phil’s agents in London and Manchester that such horses were backed or laid against as the case might be, and that these movements in the market were always made in one and the same quarter, not by Mr. ”