ODD CORRESPONDENCE.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7187, 24 October 1888, Page 3

ODD CORRESPONDENCE.

Owners, trainers, and others have at times some odd correspondence. For pure, unadulterated impudence, I, ("Rapier") think the following letter from someone at Clapton to the Duke of Beaufort is hard to beat. It runs:—"My Lord,—May it please your Grace to excuse the liberty I take in addressing you. lam requested by a few sporting friends—who, with myself, have been discussing tho entries for the Cesarewiteh Race, run at Newmarket in October next—to ask you to be kind enough to let us know which ot your horses entered is the most likely to run the beat in that race. We should be much pleased to see your colonrs carried to the front, and wish your horses success in many races beforo the dose of the season. Apologising, and thanking you ii. anticipation, allow mc to remain, your Grace s most obliged and obedient servant, G.F.8." It might be supposed that to such a letter no reply would be sent, but tha Duke of Beaufort kindly took the trouble to answer, and the reply so thoroughly sums up the situation that I quote it with* out comment. "Badminton, August 27th. " Sir,—l have received your letter cf tb* 24th inst. I think I may venture to say that you are somewhat premature in your inquiry. You seem to forget that the * Cesarewiteh Race,' as you call it, is a handicap, and that as the weights have not yet been adjusted it would require something more than human knowledge to be able to say which of my horses is likely to have the best chance of winning: nay, further, whether any of them will have any chance at aIL Since the racing season opened I have had no chance of winning any handicap—the nearest I have approached to a win was running once third. Should any of my horses have a chance it strikes mc that as lam the person who pays the stakes and the training expenses, it would he but fair that I should have the first run of the market, and that it is time enough for those wh6 contribute to neither of these expenses to follow the market when they see a horse backed. I am aware that there is a very general opinion among those people who back other people's horses that owners ought to enjoy the privilege of keeping horses for others to bet and gamble upou, and thatifr is quite good enough for the oWr i e f ß „i* take the hedging money of those JJ*«fJP well on. It may be prejudice ontnvjpazb, but I do not see the matter that light. The telegraph and the tope hava revolutionised betting, and tl c momenta horse is backed for two or three .hundred pounds In London or any great city he ia quoted a"«mch short odds that an ownei __sno chance to win any money. ■ I am, yours faithfully, - Bea-koke*;