Over a drink in a quiet corner of a tavern, Rory O'Toole, who heads a gambling syndicate, outlines his part in a racing coup to Brian a new recruit tasked with placing money on a horse that is running the following day.

On his way to the race meeting Brian misses vital information regarding the name of the horse and learns of Rory's underworld links from Josh, a jockey, sharing his carriage, who is also on his way to the races.

At the track, Josh seems to save the day by discovering the name of the horse in question, but when Brian meets Rory later, he finds he's backed the wrong horse.