English Bookmakers Easy Rubbers.: Allan Pinkerton Gives His Impressions of Racing on the Other Side., Daily Racing Form, 1909-06-19

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ENGLISH BOOKMAKERS EASY RUBBERS. Allan Pinkerton Gives His Impressions of Racing on the Other Side. New York. June 18. — "There is very little heavy lietting on the English race tracks. says Allan ■ inkerton. who lias lust returned from a tour around the world. "ABni.in with $ 0 can make nearly every bookmaker rub or refuse the wager. There is no betting ring and the clmlkers are allowed to conduct business in the open air. They stand en little wooden blocks so that their customers can see them, and wear all sorts of fantastic costumes. I saw the Derby run at Epsom, a; least I saw the linisli of the race, because it was impossible to get a view of it during the early stages, with the rain failiug steadily in a foggy atmosphere. Sir Martin should never have been the favorite. He had not been in England six months, was trained under new methods and ran over the most difficult course for the first time in his career. But the Americans in Knirhind were carried away by sentiment and backed him heavily regardless of these conditions. Everybody was glad that the kings horse won the I erby. The king was a happy man. I can assure you. and it was an unusual sight when Englishmen of all • lasses crowded around him after t lie race, shaking him by tli. hand and patting him on the back. Racing is a great institution in both England and lrance as well as in other European countries. It is purely a sport, and people over there cannot understand vhy the turf is not allowed to thrive in America." , An English sporting writer, referring to the dying out of the practice of winter betting on the Epsom Derby and the decrease which is noticeable in sensational lietting at the race tracks, says: "I think this Is because liookniakers pinch their prices terribly in these times, and backers have found that it is no good backing horses months before the date of the race unless you get very big odds to compensate for tin- likelihood of something goinsr amiss with your horse before the time comes for his effort on the race course. You will easily recall instances of colossal wagering on the Derby, and in the plunging era." which was about the middle of the nineteenth century, it was by no means uncommon for an owner to find himself 00,000 the richer or the poorer by the result of the Derby. I do not think the decline of gigantic betting on the llerby is at all to be regretted in the true interests of sisirt. and it is pleasant to find the race maintaining its place as the great event of the sporting year in spite of that decline."


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1909061901/drf1909061901_6_1
Local Identifier: drf1909061901_6_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800