Thumb, carrying 9 st. in a mile 120 yds., and Tom Thumb, carrying 9
st. 7 lb., was beaten by Jehoshaphat over seven furlongs, we have to
calculate what chance Tom Thumb has of beating Jezebel in a race of a
mile and a half on a wet day. There are men to whom such calculations
may come easy. To Mr Asquith they are probably child's play. For
myself, I shrink from them and, if I were a betting man, would no
doubt in sheer desperation be driven back on the method of pin and
pencil. But it is obvious that the sincere betting man has to make
such calculations daily. Every morning the student of form finds his
sporting page full of such lists as the following:--

0 0 0 CONCLUSIVE (7-5), Kroonstad-Conclusion. 8th of 9 to
Poltava (gave 17lb.) Gatwick May (6f) and 7th of 19 to
Orby's Pride (rec 4lb) Kempton May (5f).

3 3 3 RAPIERE (7-4), Sunder--Gourouli. Lost 3-4 length and 3
lengths to Bantry (gave 2lb) and Marcia (rec 7lb) Newmarket
May (1m), GOLDEN GUINEA (gave 20lb) not in first 9. See
BLACK JESS.

0 0 4 ROYAL BLUE (7-0), Prince Palatine--China Blue. See
NORTHERN LIGHT.

0 2 0 BLACK JESS (6-11), Black Jester--Diving Bell. Not in
first 4 to St Corentin (gave 121b) Lingfield last week (7f).
Here Ap. (7f) lost 3 lengths to Victory Speech (rec 1lb),
RAPIERE (gave 13lb, favourite) ½ length off.

0 LLAMA (6-11), Isard II.--Laughing Mirror. Nowhere to
Silver Jug (gave 15lb) Newbury Ap. (7f).