A Betting Dispute Over the St. Leger.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue XXII, 31 May 1902, Page 1092

A Betting Dispute Over the St. Leger.

Why “Lord Clifden" should have been so much opposed for the St. Leger of 1863 has ever remained a mystery. His owner. Lord St. Vincent, was, however, very fond of the horse, and, undaunted by the way he went in the betting, backed him heavily. The fact (writes a correspondent of "Illustrated Bits") was that his lordship "eopped the needle” at the sarcastic way in which pencillers alluded to "Ijord <Jlifden k ” and frequently snapped up the long odds that were offered, though this support did not make any perceptible difference in the market status of the dethroned Derby favourite. Macaroni, it may be remembered, defeated the "Lord”

by a short head at Epsom, but as the former was not in the St. Leger it looked good on paper for Lord St. Vincent’s candidate; hence the dead set against him seemed the more puzzling. At the time in question it was customary to settle all bets on the following morning. Lord St. Vincent therefore had an exceedingly busy time “raking in the spondulicks,” and when he at length encountered Jackson, who had laid the owner 11,000 to 1000 Lord Clifden, the latter gentleman was in a rather excited state. Unable to thoroughly control his nerves, the nobleman hurriedly glanced through the bundle of banknotes he received from the leviathan layer, and then thrust them into his pocket.

Having more leisure later on. Lord St. Vincent counted the flimsies, and t,o his surprise found the amount short by a monkey.

Going over the various amounts again did not alter the total; a friend who was present likewise checked them, with the same result, in consequence of which Lord St. Vineent informed Jackson he had made a mistake. That worthy, however, insisted the notes he handed his client were of value claimed, an assertion which of course produced some argument and consequent loss of temper on both sides. Undismayed by threats, Jackson refused to pay another penny, an announcement which called forth a threat from his lordship to post the bookmaker as a defaulter unless the amount in question were forthcoming before the following week. With this declaration of hostility they parted. Later on, however. Jackson again met his client. Both by this time were in a less excitea state, arid on the layer referring to the disagreement of the morning, his lordship

produced the notes, which he requested the penciller to count. The operation, however, afforded Jackson little satisfaction, and he still persisted that he had carefully given the full amount to his patron. “Are you certain the money is not in one of the pockets of your coat, my lord?” inquired Jackson, who could see no other possible explanation of the missing money. “I think not,” was his lordship’s reply; “but I put the money in here.” Suiting the action to the word, Lord St. Vincent placed his hand in the receptacle indicated; then as quickly withdrew it, and showed to the delighted bookmaker a crumpledup note for £5OO. In his excitement the nobleman had not thought of the simple procedure suggested by Jackson, who was well satisfied at this termination to what might have been a very unpleasant incident.