A LOSING GAME.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 366, 17 June 1884, Page 5

A LOSING GAME.

Horseraeinsr is a most expensive amusement. Few indeed aro the men who are winners at the end of a long career. Mr Merry, the great iron-master, who won fabulous sums with Thormanby,Lyoncsse, and others, ? is said to have lost much money over his favorite sport. English papers hint that Lord Falmouth — far and ; away the biggest winner of modern times, who has won over L 250.000 in stakes, and never bets — has nothing to the good after deducting expenses. Count Legransre. owner of G-ladiateur (who alone won L 30.876), Fillo de LAir, and other good horses, was a very heavy loser. Certainly no sensible man ' would dream of taking up racing as a means of increasing his means — at least no one would become an owner of horses. The persons who make money by horseracing are a few bookmakers and jockeys. Some of these lads get salaries that the ablest men in the land might covet. Martin, the fashionable English light-weight, is a school-boy, and earns LSOOO a-year. Archer has earnedL2o,ooo in a like period. One reason why horsoracing is so losing a game is the difficulty of knowing whether young horses "will turn out good or bad. An Epson Derby winner has been picked up for L6o,and; a 4000 guinea yearling colt never won. a race. Welcome Jack, the best horse in New Zealand,was sold for LIOO, and that grand old horse, The Agent, winner of innumerable horse races, long went begging at L2O. The most successful horse in New Zealand is Tasman, who was bought at some very moderate figure. This horse has started in forty-six races' of which he won twenty-eight, ran second nine times, third only twice, and was unplaced seven times. His winnings amount to L 4600, and may reach a considerably higher figure. If owners of horses could guess more accurately the capabilities, or, better still.the ' incapabilities *of tHe • colts i.they .' buy, racing might become a profitable speculation, but as the wisest and cleverest men make such big mistakes^ it is a losing game.