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USE OF SYSTEMS IN TURF BETTING I continue to receive a great many letters about systems, for some of which it is claimed that they pay, besides others of the usual "infallible" type, which, of course, are beyond all reason. Personally, I have considerable respect for many systems which, if carried out on sound lines and adhered to, often prove remunerative. The trouble with a fixed scheme, as I see it, is the human element with which one always has to contend, and more often than not one finds a system which would have paid in the long run given up because of its failure in the first stages. One good point in favor of most systems is that they limit ones loss, though, per contra, the winnings are usually also cramped, which hardly suits the majority of punters, who at any rate like to dream of fortunes. The other day a friend of mine told me a rather amusing tale except for those immediately concerned of a gentleman who expounded a certain system for a select few. It required his presence on a racecourse, to be a success and all that was needed was the usual small capital. After a certain amount of persuasion a syndicate was formed on modest lines. True to his word, the financial and race course expert worked with great zeal, and each week returned a nice little dividend. As might have been expected the shareholders soon began to ask why it should not be possible to double or even triple their returns, with the result that more money was "invested" in he "infallible-" concern. The system continued to produce wonderful results, and at the end of tin; mouth, it was now too big to settle weekly the profit figures had run into thousands. A general meeting was called to distribute the spoils, and all might have been well but for tin: chief executive officer missing his train. In fact, he had not only missed it. lint caught another to an unknown destination, where he is probably basking in the sun tit the present moment! You say: "What fools the other men must be." Yes; but, alas, I fear so many of us are, which rather coincides with the old saying "The world is made up of fools and knaves, and fortunately for- the knaves the fools predominate." To come back to serious consideration of the subject, however, the best system I know of is judiciously to follow horses on an "increasing stake" basis. 1 do not mean by this that one should pick out at the commencement of each season, say, a dozen horses and follow them blindly, hut to keep oncs eyes and ears open. and. having digested what you have seen and heard, put the horses name in your notebook and follow him. A friend of mine has worked this scheme profitablr for years, and it is certainly the best I have Cotno across, allowing, as it does, plentv of scope for persnoal judgement, I had nearly forgotten to mention that my friends system provided that as soon as a selected horse won he was struck off the list, and if he failed to earn a bracket in three attempts his name was also ruled out. His successes were amazing, but he was such a good judge of racing that he would probably have won monev without any system "Vigilant" in Loudon Sports-man.
