King Edward's 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 Encombe, 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 Encombe," says Sloan. " 'Do you think you have a chance, Sloan ?• he asked, and I told him I thought Encombe was a good thing. Lord Marcus spoke up then, and told me I was wrong, and that Encombe would be; nowhere. 'We shall beat Encombe,' he went on, 'and Dundonald will beat both.' I listened, of course, but before I left to get in the saddle I turned to the Prince. 'Never you mind 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. Well, 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 on Encombe, who, I think, started at about 7 to 2."
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Bibliographic details
King Country Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 998, 11 August 1917, Page 2
Word Count
269King Edward's Bets. King Country Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 998, 11 August 1917, Page 2
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