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FORTUNES FROM TRIFLING INVESTMENTS. A peculiar but easily understood fascination has always attached itself to the difficult task of trying to find the winners of the two great back-end handicaps at Newmarket. The outlav, win or lose, need only be small, and the reward, if it comes ones way. out of all proportion to the original s.take involved. To win a fortune by the risk of a pound or two is an agreeable achievement likely to forcibly appeal to most of us, and though future-event speculation is nothing like what it once was, there are many small punters who still lay themselves out each season to "find the Double." It has been done in the past by the lucky few, and niany have been within an ace of bringing it off. Hope, as we all know, springs eternal in the bu man breast, and a" lot of us, undeterred and undismayed by many failures, still try to find the winners of the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire in our bet. This article will relate some remarkable and authentic instances of this popular form of speculation. Both races were established in 1S39, but it was not until about ten years had passed that they became tho medium of heavy wagering before the day. In 1S49 the entries for the long-distance event numbered 00, and those for the shorter race 102. To pick the two winners from this formidable array of entries was a labor worthy of Hercules, and yet it was accomplished by one adventurous and enterprising backer at least.. This was au Irish gentleman named Morris. He had for years been keenly interested in turf affairs, but was hot over well-endowed with this worlds goods, and an occasional victory in a minor race at The Curragh was for a long time the summit of his sporting ambition. Before the appearance of the eutres for the two great autumn events at Newmarket he had been given, from a reliable source, a tip for Raby for the Cambridgeshire. This colt, belonging to ."Mr. Meiklam. was by The Doctor Modesty, and, in 1SI9, was three years old. Satisfied as to the strength of his information as to Babys merits. Mr. Morris decided to coiiple with that animal another three-year-old. Legerdemain, the property of Lord Stanley, for the Cesarewitch. He was offered 0,000 to 5 the double event, and accepted the bet during Doncaster races. Raby was given SO pounds by the handicappcr, and Legerdemain, a daughter of Pantaloon Decoy, 77 pounds. The last named started at 10 to 1 for the Cesarewitch, and, ridden by one Iliett, won by a length from Raby, with the Oaks winner. Lady Evelyn, third. Rabys bold show gave him au undeniable, chance for the Houghton event, and Mr. Morris boldly refused all sorts, of tempting offers to "hedge", his wager. Mr. Meiklams colt, starting at 0 to 1, won the Cambridgeshire from Captain Archdales Rhesus and Mr. Fowlers Ribaldry, and Mr. Morris was the lucky winner of 0,000. He invested the money advantageously, doubled it in two or three years, and. in 1S54. won tho St. Leger with a colt of his own breeding, Knight of St. George.- A well-known publican in. 1S5S was less fortunate. The brother-in-law of a popular trainer, this Boniface was frequently, put "in the know" of a good thing, and. , somehow; or other, he discovered that Rocket three years, S4 pounds was much expected to win the Cesarewitch. An old and experienced tout to whom . he had rendered some service told him that he . had seen a trial of Sir Joseph Hawleys. horses, in which gallop a "dark" colt, Beacon by name, had revealed considerable merit. Beacon was iu. the Cambridgeshire with 63 pounds only, and was to. be prepared for the race. Our sporting publican, took 5,000 to 5 Rocket and Beacon, and. felt on very good terms with himself when Custance, then a light-weight, got Mr. Lamberts horse . home first by the narrow margin of a head. It was a. case of "drinks ah round" on the night of the Cesarewitch. and the worthy host had another "fiver" on Beacon at 33 to 1 the following nioruiug.. Beacon started at 40 to 1, and it was only by a length that the sou of Flatcatcher failed to beat another outsider, Mr . afterwards Sir RichardSuttons lilly, Eurvdice. It was excellent picking, but -it did not quite come off, and the portly publican was a highly disappointed man. The notorious Mr. F. Swindell was. partial to this kind of turf speculation, and. used to relate a good story iu reference thereto. He had a fairly useful filly named Proserpine . engaged . in the Cesaewiteh, of I860, and the daughter of Marsyas promised to start a good favorite, as., indeed, she ultimatelv did. A few days before the race he got Sam Hib-berd. the jockey, to ride her a twormile gallop, and, when the latter pulled up, . Swindell asked Sam bow the filly had carried him. "Oh, pretty fair." was the latters reply. "But she aint going to win no Cesarewitch." "What makes you say that" inquired the owner, a little disconcerted. "Cos the raee Is a good thing-,- Mister, for the one Im a-goln to ride," the jockey explained, "but there, I aint a-gbiu to lecture you about it." The significant emphasis Hibberd put on the word "lecture" reminded Fred Swindell that a colt called Lecturer was in the race with 87 pounds. He backed the latter at once to win him ,000. and took a bet of ,500 to 0 about Lecturer for the Cesarewitch and Actoea for the sister raee. He stood to win about 0,000 over his own filly, Proserpine, but, when the Cesarewitch was run, the latter could only finish third, and Lecturer won bv a half length from Baron Rothschilds Lothario. A fortnight later the Cambridgeshire was run, and Swindell was again in luck. Actoea, the proiierty of Mr. S, Thcllusson. won from Lord Westmore-. lands Thalia and Mr. Palmers gelding, Caithness. The conductor of a bus plying between Camden Town and Charing. Cross brought off the double in 1S77 when Hilarious won the Cesarewitch and Jonglenr the Cambridgeshire. He received the tip for these in. the most mysterious way. Proceeding to his yard early one morning he picked up a copy of "Bells Life." dated the previous day, and penciled on the margin of the front page were these two nanies. The entries for the two races had then appeared; indeed, the weights were almost diie. He got a friend of his to piit him on 0 his entire savings at 300 to 1, and, miracle of miracles!, both horses won. That bus conductor, wise iu his generation, never made another bet-He went in for building in a small way. selecting Tooting as a likely district, and when he died a few. years ago he was the owner of much house property there and at Balham, and was a wealthy man. London Sporting Life.
