The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-16 00:00:00

anxious to thrust into their hands, in order to secure
a passage through that narrow aperture. In a word,
the Derby Day, with all its accessories, is a national
institution, and as such reflects many of the princi-
pal traits of the national character. The love of a
fair contest, where the best animal, whether man or
horse, wins—the love of social enjoyment, unfettered
by the restrictions of even the most considerate and
paternal of Governments—the love of absolute
equality in regardto all that concerns the individual,
and his right to regulate his owl; actions according
to his own fancy, are all vividly inillustrated the
ordinary proceedings of a Derby Day. There are,
however, other considerations which are forced On
our attention by the recurrence of this anniversarybesides those immediately incidental to the ftlhes
and the amusements of the road and of the hill. 11.49
prize which will be won to-day by the owner of the
fleetest of the three-yr-olds is accounted the blue
riband of the turf, and it must be confessed that,
independently of the eclat of securing that decora-
tion, the fortunate victor also obtains a reward of
so substantial a nature that it would have astounded-
those who first conceived the idea of establishing
horse races for prizes with a view to inducing
breeders to devote particular attention to the pro-
duction of their stock. But, large as is the amount
of the subscriptions paid by the owners of horses
entered for the Derby, and which, with some trilling
deductions, passes into the pocket of the pos-
sessor of the fastest of the lot, it is occasionally
insignificant when compared with the sum found
due to him in the balance-sheet of his betting-boo. k-
-Ihe Derby is, in respect to the inducements which
it holds out for gambling, only partially distin-
guishable from any of the races which are run at
other " meetings;" but, accepting it, as we may
fairly do, as a type, it involuntary forces upon
our notice some of those offshoots of the racecourse
which, after the manner of parasites, threaten the
stability of the parent stem. The " Ring" is not
an institution of to-day or of yesterday, and We
have no intention of preaching a homily on the
vice of gambling. Those who desire to risk their
money on events of chance can do so without fre-
quenting the betting-ring or visiting a German-
watering-place ; and the trickling drops on a pane
of glass caused by a passing shower, or the varying
lengths of the straws which may be pulled from a.
corn-stack, furnish to those who are so inclined a 5
ample an opportunity as could be desired for c%-
changing theluxury of a palace for the squalidrniserY
of a hovel. But, although we decline to consider
the evils of betting regarded per se, it may not be
out of place to pass a few comments upon the rela-
tionship in which the " Ring" stands to the racing
stable, and the nature of the influence which the
one exercises over the other. No one possessing the
slightest conversance with sporting matters can af-
fect to be ignorant that the speed of horses is not
unfrequently affected by the amount of the money-
staked on their ill success, instead of, as one would,
a priori, suppose, the result of a wager being solely
dependent on the capabilities of the horse abo.ut
which it is made. In a word, the Rine which
was originally an accidental appendage to the stable
and entirely subservient to it, has now gained the
up-
per hand, and horses which belong to a confederation
are now as often scratched, or pulled, or doctored,
in order to lose a race, as they used to be put la 16
high state of training in order to gain one. 1136
betting-book, from the magnitude of the transac-
tions which it records, eclipses the list of prizes
which reward the successful horses, and men Ws
learned that it may be much more profitable to lose,
a race than to win one. Against practices such 3:5,
those at which we have hinted little or no precau-
tions can be taken, and the public are compelled to
place implicit confidence in the honour of the ineine
bers of the turf. The favourites for to-day's
are watched even whilst we write with an anxiety
and care far more jealous than are expended on his
safety by the body guards of the most powerful
sovereign. " The Ring" has cast " The 'Turf'
proper into the shade, and it has become little les:s,
than ludicrous to urge that the main object and ens
of horse-racing is the improvement of stock. 'II
fact is patent, and cannot be denied, that 99 out
every 100 race-horses are foaled, reared, and trainse
with no other object than that of furnishing to their
owers the means of making a good book.