The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-13 00:00:00

Winning made Easy.

The facetious correspondent of the Racing Times
writesh oa
vn
ethe
eciabuoevnet
ly esubjectl alledas af ot
tl followso
n:
—to various
public channels through which were dispensed by
a multitude of prophets apparently true methods
of realising rapid fortunes • without any very serious
trouble or outlay. Are these sources reliable ?
There has generally been shown by the modern
Anglo-Saxon race a strong desire to begin where
their ancestors left off—in other words, an anxiety
to gain the summit of wealth's ladder without
troubling themselves to ascend the several steps
with care and safety, and the sporting portion of
our extensive population can, if they will, answer
the question with little difficulty, assuming that it
comprises patrons of advertising soothsayers, else
the strange medley pervading the columns of your
sporting contemporaries day by day must in reality
be merely so many myths.
It does not necessarily follow that backing horses
is the sole mode of acquiring independence, but
when we see mendacious statements daily persevered
in that double events are certain of realisation, that
£BOO can infallibly be secured about once in a fort-
night or so by entrusting one of the Nemo family
with a single sovereign, it would seem that no
finance, or hotel, or discount, or other corporation,
or company limited, or otherwise, ever possessed
anything like the chances held out by the vulgar
tipster, and the success of what is called the South-
clown fortnight appears on paper so extraordinary
that the theme " Winning made easy" is undoubted.
This is how the picture is drawn on paper ; now for
the reality. I consulted a tipster confidentially about
Brighton—he was, or affected to be, up to everything
for those stormy couple of days, and, after due conside-
ration;said," There is two things, Violent and Cannon
Ball; when you'ave Fordham upon St. Vincent's hoss
back him, hat I don't think much about the other."
I was not in any violent humour, and knowing that
a Cannon Ball, when once fairly started, generally
goes at a rattling pace, I tried my luck, and for the
15th Biennial took half a dozen pounds to four,
which, as the lawyers say, Were lost to me, my heirs
and assigns for ever, and this notwithstanding
Fordham was up. Keeping my eye on the colours,
I found the great Jock again in command of the
artillery for the Nursery ; his Powder was dry, and
therefore it seemed there was a capital chance of
bringing myself comfortably home, as twenty's
were offered, so I . popped down in my little book
100 to 5 about the animal ; but somehow or other
modern warfare altered the usual state of things, and
Cannon Ball was nowhere. On the following
day the noble lord, who was all in the fiery way,
started Brimstone, but, as Fordham was not up, and
10 to 1 laid freely on the horse, I did not venture.
Reflecting, however, on the mere mention of Violent,
I thought the time bad arrived to sport a trifle on
the filly, but as 3 to 1 was freely laid on her for the
Club Stakes, it seemed to be really buying money,
and so I waited for the Claret, and was obliged to
lay the same odds on her. King Christian easily
walked in, and my favourite was nowhere. It will
be admitted that this was an unlucky condition of
things, and, in the present hard times, enough to
discourage any Greenhorn, particularly one of
moderate experience like myself. Winning was,
therefore, a difficult operation, and. I had
enough of Brighton without attempting anything
at the great county town of Lewes ; but, on com-
, paring notes, in the evening, while waiting ter a

game of pool, I found a man, in no better position
than myself, although he had patronised a great
Manchester circular, the proprietor of which had
been so extensively courted, that, out of the vast
amount of small sums contributed by a generous
public, he had amassed sufficient to build a large
number of houses in the great city of cotton and
smoke, forming a couple of streets, one of which he
had dubbed "Stamp Terrace" and the other " Mug
Row," the former in grateful remembrance of the
number of stamps received, and the latter in com-
pliment to the class who sent them I
On looking casually at the entries for the Great
Autumn Events at Newmarket, Tormentor stands
No. 1 for the Cesarewitch, and Freedom finishes
the list. Public form has recently been much tor-
mented politically, 'freedom being the goal which
has professedly been aimed at. Alpha and Omega
are both three-year-olds, and from the horses be-
tween them the winner may be picked out. For
the Cambridgeshire, Affidavit heads the entry, and
Prince of Wales concludes it. The former is daily
patronised by lawyers, and the latter well known as
a comfortable trump card, likely to get through this
sublunary existence 'as pleasantly as most men or
horses either. 4,000 to 1 may be got about the
double event, and so I mean to make an attempt to
court fortune by selecting-Surney for the first and
Mail Train for the second, in the hope that both
may be lightly weighted, and afterwards accept and
catch the judge's eye first ; thus will the commenc-
ing chapter of " Winning made easy" be launched,
and the peculiar advantage to careful sportsmen is
that-I impart the information without even the cost
of a stamped directed envelope !
In all kinds of betting or matters of risk be sure
to lay a firm foundation, or you may discover losing
to be much more likely than the other thing.
Supposing you are asked to embark your cash
in some future Strand or Inns of Court
Hotel Company, Alexandra-park, or other kindred
certainties, take stock, and see whether capital may
not be more profitably employed elsewhere- The
winning game is generally on the cards of life, and
expert players have the better chance of realising,
for it matters little whether you are a prophet or a
commission's agent, a billiard sharper or a stock
jobber, a minor canon, or a missionary. Money,
the great idol of Mammon, is the fulcrum upon
which most things turn, and the possession of
wealth, however acquired, is sure in the long run
to command that amount of outward attention as
agreeable to its owner as applause is to the young
actor. Luck and judgment are two very essential
parts of needful stock in trade. The schem-
ing idler has only to attempt conspicuous
buzzing in the great hive of human
industry, and he will gradually enlist that
countenance and support of weaker members who
are prone to be led away ; but there is always a
strong under current in which the old leaven of
loaves and fishes will slowly but surely rise to the
surface, letting out the fact that the masses are
done by the shallow empirics who surround them
on every side. A fashionable Nonconformist, who,
prophesies the end of the present dismal state of
things within a limited period, and retails his book
at the moderate figure of seven and six, is neither
better nor worse than the hidden tipster who merely
wants a simple shilling for his " circular." The
one being just as trustworthy as the other, both of
the same actual moral value,when measured by the
standard of ordinary intellect, and both playing,
commercially, an artful and a winning game ?
As modern improvement's shine with greater
splendour than the homely acts of our predeces-
sors, so the present system of extracting honey
without destroying its makers is better than the
old ungrateful practice of killing the bees. It is
really a matter of no moment whether our gracious
avroiclgu were tn +a T

or reside at Calcutta, or whether a Whig or a Tory
'Administration guides the helm of State, if you fail
to pay whatever taxes are imposed the broker
Nv ill take stock of your chairs and tables ;
and although it is a well - known fact that
portions of our civic population grumble at the
Bank charging 10 per cent., far greater numbers
would not have the slightest objection to pay 15, or
more, and take as much at that rate as the Old Lady
can conveniently spare.
Any attempt to enumerate within your limited
space the various modes resorted to by those who
are ever on the look out, and contrive to raise the
wind without hard work, would be as difficult in a
sporting point of view as to expect your grand-
mother to unravel the mysteries of " Bradshaw."
A clear head, prudent and temperate life, strict
honour and probity, combined with industry, will
enable each in his sphere to pass on pleasantly, and
acquire the art of " Winning made Easy."