A rathar smart trick was performed at the ABhburton races (says the Mail) which deserves to be chronicled as a guide to the unwary at future race meetings. A young man had invested a pound in the totalisator on Takd Miss, and &n the latter winning went to receive his two pounds' odd divi dend. Judge of his surprise when he was told that he held the wrong ticket (which was numbered 3). it being a number 3 on a previous race. For a Jong time he was unaware aB to how he came into possession of the wrong number, as he did not purchase it in the preceding race, but the following incident eventually dawned on his mind, and enlightened him as to the most probable cause of losing his dividend on Take Miss :— Just before the race a respectably-dressed young man, said to be a "bookie," went up to the purchaser of the ticket and asked him what horse he had laid on, at the same time requesting a look at the ticket. Evidently satibfied, a ticket was handed back with the whispered words " You've struck it this time." And so he had, but received no dividend. The above episode conveys the moral— Never let a stranger handle your ticket with a number on it, as you may re ceive a like number in return on a race which has jtist been run.
