GOOD "TIPS" REVEALED IN DREAMS.

Golden Bay Argus, Volume VI, Issue 61, 29 July 1897, Page 2

GOOD "TIPS" REVEALED IN DREAMS.

However objectionable betting on horses may be considered, there are decidedly picturesque elements in the business. One of these is the superstitious importance attached to trivial occurrences by some racing men. One man selected the Derby winner of 1883 because a load of wood was dumped on the sidewalk iu front of his residence, and, as the jockey Wood was to ride St. BUise, he figured as follows : Load of wood—blaze : St. Blaise— Wood. On the strength of this coincidence he backed the horse heavily and won.

Another turfite was induced to back Doncaster for the Derby in 1873 because the address of a letter ivhich a friend had asked him to put in the pillar-box was " Derby Hotel, Doncaster." Again, on a Lincoln Handicap day, this individual asked an acquaintance what horse he would recommend'him to back to win.

" Win ! ; ' he replied. " Old Vestminster will liteially trot in, so go and back him instantly." " Instaul/ly !" thought the other man. " Why, there's a horse of that name in the racti, so I'll back liis tip as a double one. : ' He did so, and the result of the race was : First, Wstininster ; second, Drumstick ; third, Instantly. Another mysterious tip that was once followed was obtained through reading a theatre bill, It was on Thursday, in the Doueuster St. Leger week, and the hero of the story was looking at the playbill or the late Joe Eldred's company. " Little Nell " was one of the pieces which caught his eye. Little Nell was running in the Portland Plate that day, and the coincidence was sufficiently near to induce the man concerned to put his money on her. She won. When Goggles won the Liverpool Cup quite a crowd of people are said to have found a good tip in the fact that on th»,t very day a " spectacle maker " was made Lord Mayor. A very extraordinary incident happened some few years ago in connection with the Melbourne Cup the event of the year in the Colonies. An owner of horses had a very promising youngster entered. Many months before it was run he dreamt that he saw the horse saddled for the race and come out for it ridden by a jockey dressed in his colours, but with a large mourning band on his arm ; and he saw the horse win easily. So vivid was the dream that he told it to a friend, and half thought of acting upon the suggestion, but in the end did not do so. Hie friend was, however, more deeply impressed and, knowing that the colt was a very good one though quite unthought of by the public, he invested £I,OOO on the off-chance, and got 80 to 1 against him.

Before the race the owner died, and it was lucky that by Australian rules the death of a nominator did not cancel an entry, since the horse did not come out for that race in his late owner's colours, and the jockey, out of respect, did have a mourning baud on his arm, and the horse did win the race, and the speculator did win £BO,OOO by the performance.