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! i ; I PECULIARITIES OF FRENCH BETTING. " ! Long Odds and Much Volume Shown by the Pari-Mutuel. The Paris correspondent of the London Sporting Life discourses on the peculiarities of French betting most entertainingly as follows under date of October 21: "We had yesterday one of the most extraordinary days racing at Longchamps that 1 can remember. We were thankful in the first place that it did not rain, for. I do not think we have had a dry racing day all this mouth. In the opening race, we had a horse finishing second which brought in 22 to 1 for a place at the pari-mutuel. A thing of this kind emphasizes the great difference that is developing between, racing in England and in France. The Jockey Club here passed a resolution a little while back which practically compels owners to have their iiorses ridden out for a place, and there is often more place betting than for the actual winner. I suppose it would be an impossibility to get 20 to 1 about a horse for a place in a two-year-old selling race in England. Had Gallinule won, her winning price would have been 07 to 1. An English visitor who was present got me to explain to him the operations of the pari-mutuel on this race, and as be expressed great surprise, I take it that a similar explanation will lie instructive to many of your readers. lie Jells me that the prices to be obtained here, notwithstanding the S per cent, that is deducted from all investments, are so tempting that he does not wonder at the publie Hocking to the race courses. There were fourteen runners for the Prix des Champs Elysees. The winner, Copella, started at to 1, and the starting prices returned against the other runners are as follows: 07 to 1 Gallinuhi, 18 to 1 Emhuscade, IM to 1 Laboureur, 23 to 2 Dieppe, 13 to 1 Blue Cap, 7 to 2 Ilessione, 54 to 1 Ascot, 00 to 1 Vista Al-legra, 4 to 1 Beuzai, 21 to 1 Aberdeen, 30 to 1 Rafia, 13 to 1 Drive and 30 to 1 Vorutza. Compare these prices witli those offered in the ring on any similar race in England. No doubt many of the long-priced ones had no earthly chance whatever, but the same may lie said about horses against which your bookmakers will never offer more than 10 or 12 to 1. "Wo had also on Sundays program the Prix de la Faisanderie, for which there were seven runners, two of them being in M. de Brcmonts stable, and these were consequently coupled in the betting, which was extraordinarily close. Seldom do we see such a return as the following: C9 to 20 Pernod, 84 to 20 M. de Bremonts pair, 8!l to 20 Elysee the winner, 08 to 20 Vespery, 101 to 20 Revanche, 10S to 20 Druidesse. I have worked everything out, so as to give the quotations in roinid figures, twenty francs representing a golden Louis, this making comparisons easier. It can lie seen at a glance how fair the betting is. The turn-over at the pari-mntuels on Sunday was over 00,000, so that the percentage for distribution among employes, charities, and for premiums to breeders, was over .0,000. Is it any wonder that the state gives- such encouragement to racing, and that owners and breeders find the "game" much more profitable here than in England? On the other hand, owners who bet heavily have not many opportunities for bringing off a big coup, and that is why some of them prefer to send a horse over to your side when they think they have a "good thing," for, if they put ,000 on at the mutuels, and their friends followed suit, it would soon bring the horse to a short price. The present system in France is entirely in favor of the small hacker. Notwithstanding the stringency of the laws, and the vigilance of the police, a tremendous amount of starting price betting still goes on in France, away from the race courses, and there are agents frequenting most of the cafes who take commissions.. I have been told of one layer who lias his agents in most of the provincial towns, and he often takes 0,000 or 5,000 a day. This sum pays no commission and naturally the race course societies, as well as the legal authorities, are anxious to suppress this kind of business; but, like betting in England, it is likely to continue for all time."
