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TRAINER ALWAYS TO BLAME Invariably Accused of Mistakes Unavoidably Made by Rider Gilpin Tells How Poor Racing Luck Often Is the Cause of a Disagreement Between Owners and Employee. P. P. Gilpin, writing in the London Weekly Dispatch, gives the following analysis i of the most frequent causes of disputes between an owner and his trainer. The trainer with his accurate estimate of the horses qualities and a good appreciation "of the merits of the other competitors, advises his employer that his horse stands a chance, not necessarily a good chance, but a chance, and that if he intends to back him : to "go light." But the owner, with too good a conceit of his own animal and an unduly low estimate of other peoples, reads much more into the 1 trainers words than -was ever intended, and places a big bet. The horse runs well but not quite well enough and is narrowly beaten, and the owner loses far more than he should have lost. Does he blame himself for disregarding- the advice tendered him? Not a bit of it. The trainer may be blamed, the jockey may be blamed, or both together, but the owner never. Trying indeed is the owner who is swayed by the ridiculous clap-trap he hears, probably from friends, in clubs and railway carriages and on the race course and off it. j One thinks his trainer should not have done this cr his trainer ought to have done that, and, strangely enough, it is generally the self-opinionated man who is swayed by this sort of ignorant tittle-tattle. UNDERMINING CONFIDENCE. If he presented the points raised to the trainer the probability is that he would be given a good reason for every move. But brooding over such uninformed criticism is a sure way to undermine that confidence which should exist between trainer and patron. Another aspect of the relations between owner and trainer is illustrated by the following cases within my knowledge : Just before the war a young man who had been racing a short time had a really extraordi- nary run of luck. but. like many another novice, he thought his success was not in his stars but in his own . merit. For a few months whatever horse he backed used to win. Discussing him at lunch with the trainer, I said his patrons luck was bound to turn soon and he would not be able to back a winner at all ; if he the trainer would take my advice he would not allow this young man to get too heavily into his books. The inevitable denouement came even more quickly than expected, but not quickly enough for the trainer, for when the youth retired hurriedly from the turf he owed my friend 3,500. His horses were sold, and he went abroad, leaving my friend to whistle for his money. Though in fair I circumstances, the loss -was a matter of some moment to the trainer. Not many months ago a trainer who had his stables pretty nearly full was owed so much money by those who ought to have been his supporters that a subscription was raised to help him tide over matters when he "was ill and unable for a short time to attend to business. His books showed a large amount owing to him in comparison with the class of business he carried on. Walking home after work one morning at The Curragh I said to another trainer. "Michael, do you know Captain ?" "Yes," was the reply. "Did you ever train any horses for him?" "Oh, yes," said Michael, "I did." "How did you come to train for him?" I asked. "Well," it was like this," he explained. "The captain came up to me one day anil said, Mr. D , would you like to train a few horses for me? and I said I certainly would. Very well. he said. I will send you half a dozen in a few days. And I thanked him. He added, You can send in your account monthly, quarterly or half-yearly. Its all the same to me. Bedad, these last were tho truest words he ever spoke, because no matter when I sent in the bill he never took any notice of it at all."
