King Edwards Bets.

King Country Chronicle, Volume X, Issue 909, 23 September 1916, Page 3

King Edwards Bets.

To Tod Sloan, who tells in his "Reminiscences" the late King Edward once made the interesting confession that he was no gambler, and that as a rule he hardly ever had more than £25 on a horse. But, says Sloan, "His Majesty used to make an exception, and risk a couple of hundred on anything I was riding and when I told him I thought it would win."

One of these occasions was when Sloan was riding a horse at Newmarket, called Encornbe, and King Edward, then Prince of Wales, who was standing with Lord Marcus Beresford, beckoned to him. "Sloan," said the. "Prince, "what are you riding ?*'

"I told him Encornbe," says Sloan. " 'Do you think you have a chance, Sloan ?' tie asked, and I told him X thought Encornbe was a good thing. Lord Marcus spoke up then, and told me I was wrong, and that Kncombe would be nowhere. 'We shall beat Encornbe,' he went on, 'and Duudonald will beat both.' T listened, of course, but before I left to get in the saddle I turned to the Prince. 'Never you miud what Lord Marcus says, your Royal Highness. You can be a plunger here and have a bit on me.' The Prince roared ; he was laughing at my nerve at speaking so boldly to him, I suppose. W'ell, I was thinking of what I had said all through the race. I beat Dundonald after a desperate finish. The Prince told me afterwards that he had taken my advice, and put £2OO ou Encornbe, who, I think, started at about 7 to 2."