The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-05-05
betting on tho English Turf-A Great
Reform Proposed.


In England horso-racing Ia not only the
most aristocratic of sports, but the most pop
ular and consequently any evils connected
with the turf are widespread and involve
large proportion Of the community. That
thore are such evils, and some Of them not
slight ones, the leading racing mon Of Eng
land candid1y admit and an attempt is now
being made to bring about reform in the
existing system of betting, which encourages
gambling TO an alarming extent.
The leader in this reform movement is Sir
JOSEPH HAwLEYs gentleman who has been
prominent in English turf annals for many
years, who has owned an exceptionally largo
number Of winning horses, and who has
thorough knowledge of racing matters. OF
course the movement begun by him has met
with opposition and he has an able adver-
sary in Admiral Rous, man whom English
men have long been accustomed TO regard as
one Of the very highest authorities on every
thing relating to the turf
Sir JOSEPH HAwLEY's attack is directed
against what is called p. p. betting that is,
bets which arc made "play or pay" and
which are regarded as valid even If the horse
upon which the ia is laid fails to start in
the race a, all. He regards the system of
gambling involved In this kind Of betting rs
the curse OF tho turf, and demands that here.
after no bet shall hold good unless the horse
concerning which II was made shall start.
The rule which he has proposed for adop-
ton by the Jockey Club, is that when any
horse does not start, all bets shall DO void /;
and that any person ascertained by the stew
ards to have paid or received money upon
any bet so void shall DO warned off the
heath, and be disqualified from entering
horses for any race whatever"
He argues that these p. p. bets arc for the
most part made by persons who take little or
no other interest in racing, and perhaps
know nothing whatever concerning the ami
mails on which they bet, save what they learn
from the betting lists and other matter In
the newspapers. Speaking Of this subject,
the London Times says that " it is a matter
of perfect notoriety that not one man out of
hundred in England who bet ever sees
race except at the very rarest intervals.
Some have never seen one at all Yet in the
closest pothouse Of the darkest London court
betting Is going on as earnestly as on the
breezy turf of Newmarket"
Sir JOSEPH HAwLEY objects to allowing
these men to ruin the standing of the turf
by selecting the names Of horses as counters
to bet upon. In the great majority OF cases
such bets are just as much chance wagers as
if made upon matching pennies. They do
not result from opinions founded on observa-
ton and experience Of the relative build,
speed, and endurance of horses, as would
usually be the case if Sir JOSEPH HAwLEY's
rule were adopted for then very few bets
would be made until the names Of the horses
certain TO start were announced at the
course on the day Of the race. The present
attempt at reform does not arise from any
desire TO prohibit all betting, but only that
of this most Objectionable character.
Even if adopted, it would certainly lie n
long time before the rule could SO affect all
classes as entirely to do away with p. p. bet.
ting. Still, the action of an influential body
such as is the Jockey Club in thus con-
demning it, if supported by the real enforce
ment contemplated in the rule itself, might
in time destroy the evil. At any rate, 1t
could not fail greatly to mitigate it, Sir
JOSEPH HAwLEY suggests that if turfmen
themselves are not disposed TO do as much as
he asks, Parliament will be likely ut some
time to make any kind of betting whatever
penal offence.