Chapter XIX: Part 19

+-----------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| Age. |Mar. and| May. | June. | July. | Aug. | Sept. |Oct. and|
| | April. | | | | | | Nov. |
+-----------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|_Five Furlongs_--|st. lb.|st. lb.|st. lb.|st. lb.|st. lb.|st. lb.|st. lb.|
| Two years | 6 0 | 6 2 | 6 7 | 6 9 | 7 0 | 7 4 | 7 7 |
| Three years | 8 2 | 8 3 | 8 5 | 8 7 | 8 9 | 8 10 | 8 11 |
| Four years | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 |
| Five, six and | | | | | | | |
| aged | 9 1 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 |
|_Six Furlongs_-- | | | | | | | |
| Two years | 6 0 | 6 4 | 6 7 | 6 11 | 7 0 | 7 5 | 7 7 |
| Three years | 8 4 | 8 6 | 8 8 | 8 10 | 8 12 | 9 0 | 9 2 |
| Four years | 9 7 | 9 7 | 9 7 | 9 7 | 9 7 | 9 7 | 9 7 |
| Five, six and | | | | | | | |
| aged | 9 9 | 9 8 | 9 7 | 9 7 | 9 7 | 9 7 | 9 7 |
|_One Mile_-- | | | | | | | |
| Two years | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6 5 | 6 7 |
| Three years | 7 9 | 7 11 | 7 13 | 8 2 | 8 4 | 8 5 | 8 6 |
| Four years | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 |
| Five, six and | | | | | | | |
| aged | 9 4 | 9 3 | 9 2 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 |
|_One Mile and a | | | | | | | |
| Half_-- | | | | | | | |
| Two years | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6 0 | 6 4 |
| Three years | 7 7 | 7 9 | 7 11 | 7 13 | 8 1 | 8 3 | 8 5 |
| Four years | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 |
| Five, six and | | | | | | | |
| aged | 9 5 | 9 4 | 9 3 | 9 2 | 9 1 | 9 0 | 9 0 |
|_Two Miles_-- | | | | | | | |
| Two years | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6 0 | 6 2 |
| Three years | 7 8 | 7 11 | 7 12 | 8 0 | 8 3 | 8 4 | 8 5 |
| Four years | 9 4 | 9 4 | 9 4 | 9 4 | 9 4 | 9 4 | 9 4 |
| Five, six and | | | | | | | |
| aged | 9 10 | 9 9 | 9 8 | 9 7 | 9 6 | 9 5 | 9 4 |
|_Three Miles_-- | | | | | | | |
| Three years | 7 1 | 7 4 | 7 5 | 7 7 | 7 9 | 7 11 | 7 13 |
| Four years | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 | 9 0 |
| Five years | 9 8 | 9 7 | 9 6 | 9 5 | 9 5 | 9 4 | 9 3 |
| Six and aged | 9 10 | 9 8 | 9 7 | 9 6 | 9 5 | 9 4 | 9 3 |
+-----------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+

L10,000 Races.

In the year 1884 the managers of Sandown Park formulated the scheme of a race for a prize of L10,000, to be called the Eclipse Stakes, and to be run over a distance of 1(1/4) m. In order to secure a large entry, horses were to be nominated soon after their birth; owners who perceived the hopelessness of their nominations could withdraw at stated intervals by the payment of increasing forfeits; if their animals finally went to the post a stake amounting in all to L115 would have to be paid for them; and thus it will be seen that owners were really running for their own money, though if there were an insufficient number of entries the funds of the club might be taxed to supply the deficiency. The scheme was found to be attractive, and the example was followed at Leicester and at Manchester, at both of which places, however, it lapsed. At Newmarket, under the immediate auspices of the Jockey Club, the L10,000 races succeeded, and there were two of them each year. The Princess of Wales's Stakes was run for the first time in 1894 at the First July Meeting, and the Jockey Club Stakes at the First October. The former has, however, now been reduced to L2000 added to a sweepstake of L30 each with a minor forfeit. In the year 1900 a fourth race of similar character, the Century Stakes, was originated at Sandown, but the experiment proved a failure, and the contest was discontinued.

Two-year-old Races.

The age of the thoroughbred horse is always dated from the 1st January. Foals are generally born in February, March or April, though not a few good horses have been born in May; they become yearlings, therefore, on the 1st January following, two-year-olds twelve months later, and many of them begin to race in the following March, for flat racing always starts during the week which contains the 25th, except when Easter falls unusually early. In France no two-year-olds run until the 1st August, and discussion is frequently raised as to the respective wisdom of the English and French systems. It happens, however, that some young horses "come to hand" soon, and deteriorate with equal rapidity. They are, in fact, able to win races at the beginning of the season, and fail to hold their own later in the year against bigger and more powerful animals of their own age who have taken longer to mature; so that there is some argument in favour of the earlier date. The first noteworthy two-year-old race is the Brocklesby Stakes, run at Lincoln during the first week of the season. Sometimes the winner of the Brocklesby is really a good animal, as was the case with The Bard in 1885 and Donovan in 1888, but as a general rule when the autumn comes he is found to be far inferior to the winners of subsequent two-year-old races of good class. It is seldom that a first-class two-year-old appears before the Ascot Meeting about the middle of June, though horses of character sometimes run for the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom and in other contests elsewhere. The names of many of the most famous horses on the turf are found in the list of winners of the New Stakes at Ascot, which was first run in 1843 and maintains its character. In 1890 the Coventry Stakes was originated, and is regarded as a race of practically equal importance. The July Stakes at Newmarket is the oldest of existing two-year-old races, having been first run in 1786. The list of winners is a brilliant one. The Chesterfield Stakes ranks with it. The best two-year-olds are usually seen out at Goodwood, and as a general rule those that have chiefly distinguished themselves during the year, and are to make names for themselves later in life, are found contesting the Middle Park Plate at the Newmarket Second October Meeting and the Dewhurst Plate at the Newmarket Houghton. The Middle Park Plate is generally worth over L2000, the other races named are between L1000 and L2000 in value; but these are not the richest two-year-old prizes of the year, the value of the National Breeders' Produce Stakes at Sandown, run on the day following the Eclipse, being between L4000 and L5000, and the Imperial Stakes at Kempton Park falling not very far short of L3000. As a rule, a colt who has been specially successful as a two-year-old maintains his capacity later in life, unless it be found that he cannot "stay"--that is to say, is unable to maintain his best speed over more than five or six furlongs; but it is frequently the case that fillies who have won good races as two-year-olds entirely lose their form and meet with little or no success afterwards.

Newmarket.

Ascot and other meetings.

Newmarket is called with reason "the headquarters of the Turf." There are about forty training establishments in the town, each trainer being in charge of an average of thirty to forty horses, irrespective of mares, foals and yearlings. During the year eight race meetings are held on the Heath: the Craven; the First and Second Spring; the First and Second October--the First October usually occurring at the end of September; and the Houghton. These are contested on "the Flat," the course which includes the Rowley Mile. It is said that the Rowley Mile is so called from the fact of its having been a favourite race-ground with Charles II. The First and Second July Meetings take place on another course, known as "Behind the Ditch," the Ditch being the huge embankment which runs through several counties and has existed from time immemorial. The Craven Stakes for three-year-olds is an event of some importance at the first meeting of the year. It used to finish on an ascent at what is called the "Top of the Town," a course over which the handicap for the Cambridgeshire was run. This course has now been abandoned and the stand pulled down. At the First Spring Meeting the Two Thousand Guineas and the One Thousand Guineas occur, as already stated, but the names do not represent the values of the stakes, which are, in fact, usually worth close on L5000 each. The July Stakes and the Princess of Wales' Stakes are run at the First July Meeting. The Jockey Club Stakes is the leading event of the First October; the Cesarewitch and the Middle Park Plates follow in the Second October; the Criterion Stakes, another of the few races that once finished at the "Top of the Town," the Cambridgeshire and the Dewhurst Plate take place at the Houghton Meeting. The majority of races finish at the Rowley Mile post; but there are three other winning-posts along the Rowley Mile. "Behind the Ditch" races finish at two different posts, one of which enables horses to avoid the necessity of galloping up the severe ascent of the "Bunbury Mile." Although, as a rule, there is no better racing to be seen than the best events at Newmarket, the programmes are often spun out by selling plates and paltry handicaps, and a high level is nowhere so consistently maintained as at Ascot. The Ascot meeting is distinguished by the entire absence of selling plates, and much more "added money" is given than on any other course. Added money is the sum supplied by the directors of a race meeting, derived by them from the amounts paid for entrances to stands and enclosures; for in many races--the Ten Thousand prizes, for instance--owners run mainly or entirely for money which they have themselves provided. The Ascot Cup is generally spoken of as a race success in which sets the seal to the fame of a good horse. It is a prize of the highest distinction, and of late years has been of considerable value, the winner in 1909 having gained for his owner L3430. That the number of runners for this race should be invariably small--the average for many years past has been about six--is not a matter of surprise to those who are familiar with the Turf. There are very few horses possessing sufficient speed and staying power to make it worth the while of their owners to submit them to the exceedingly severe test of a preparation for this race, which is run over 2(1/2) m. of ground at a time of year when the turf is almost always extremely hard everywhere, and harder at Ascot than almost anywhere else. There is no course on which more good horses have hopelessly broken down. All the prizes are handsome, and success at Ascot confers much prestige, for the reason that the majority of horses that run are good ones; but annually there is a list of victims that never recover from the effects of galloping on this ground. Goodwood also attracts horses of high character, though some unimportant races fill out the programme. Formerly there were many meetings around London, which fell into disrepute in consequence of the manner in which they were conducted. These have been replaced by well-managed gatherings in enclosed parks, and here the value of the prizes is often so high that the best horses in training are attracted. These meetings include Sandown, Kempton, Gatwick, Lingfield, Newbury and Hurst Park. Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Brighton, York and various other towns have race meetings twice or oftener in the course of each year. At the various fixtures over half a million of money is annually given in stakes. The largest sum ever won by a horse was the L57,185 gained by Isinglass in 1892-1895. Donovan follows with L54,935. In all probability these large totals would have been considerably exceeded had not Flying Fox--who had won in his first two seasons L40,090--been disqualified by the death of his owner, the duke of Westminster, as this colt was engaged in the four L10,000 races of 1900, in which to all appearance he could not have been beaten, so much was he superior to his contemporaries. The death of an owner of horses disqualifies the animals he has entered--a necessary regulation, as otherwise an heir might be burdened with a stable of horses the possession of which would entail heavy expense and serious responsibility on a person who perhaps had no knowledge of or taste for racing.

Value of horses.

The value of an unquestionably good horse is enormous. It has been seen what handsome prizes are offered for competition, and when withdrawn from the Turf the horse may secure a large income to his owner at the stud. A stallion's fee of 600 guineas (as in the case of St Simon) should mean well over L20,000 a year; and fees of 100 guineas and more are common. Proved merit on the Turf is considered essential in a sire, though there have been instances of horses, unsuccessful during their racing career, who have distinguished themselves at the stud: Wisdom, sire of the Derby winner Sir Hugo, and several notable examples might be cited. Mares are much more uncertain in this respect. On the whole, the famous mares that have won the Oaks, the St Leger and other leading races, have been apt to fail in the paddocks; but there is always a hope of success with them, and the large sum of 12,600 guineas was paid for La Fleche when she had ceased from active service on the Turf. For None-the-Wiser 7200 guineas was given; and 4600 guineas for Wedlock when well advanced in years, on the strength of her having been the dam of a good horse called Best Man. Well-bred mares that have shown no capacity for racing are, however, frequently the dams of good winners. Breeding is a lottery. An Australian enthusiast some years since published a book the object of which was to enable breeders to produce good horses by a species of mathematical calculation; but the fallacy of the "Figure System" was at once proved by the simple circumstance that in very many cases the own brothers and sisters of good winners, whose breeding conformed entirely to the system, proved to be utterly worthless for racing purposes. It is a fact difficult of explanation that the majority of famous winners have been privately bred by their owners. Many persons breed for sale, in some cases sparing no expense or trouble in the endeavour to secure good results, and yearlings sold by auction have fetched prices of from 10,000 guineas (paid for Sceptre, a daughter of Persimmon and Ornament, in 1900) downwards; sums of over 1000 guineas being frequently given. That so large a proportion of high-priced yearlings should turn out failures is not at all a matter for surprise, considering the uncertainties of the Turf, but it by no means follows that a high-priced yearling is necessarily an expensive animal; 5500 guineas was, for instance, given for La Fleche, who won for her owner L34,585 in stakes, and, as already observed, was subsequently sold for 12,600 guineas. The principal yearling sales take place during the July meeting at Newmarket and the Doncaster meeting in September. There are also sales at Ascot and elsewhere. The Royal Stud at Bushey Park, where Memoir, La Fleche, Best Man and other good animals were bred, has now been abandoned.

Trainers and jockeys.

In many cases trainers have graduated from jockeys. The usual charge to an owner is 50s. a week per horse, but, as regards the cost of a horse in training, to this there are various additions irrespective of entrances to races, forfeits, travelling, jockey's fees, &c. The recognized sum paid to a jockey is 3 guineas for a losing mount, 5 guineas for winning. In many cases special terms are made; the principal owners usually have a claim on a rider's services, and for this call as much as L5000 per annum, exclusive of the usual riding fees, has been given.

From time immemorial until within a very recent period jockeys rode in much the same style, though, of course, with varying degrees of skill. Many hundreds of boys exercise daily at Newmarket and other training grounds, all of them necessarily having a firm seat in the saddle, for the thoroughbred horse is, as a rule, high-couraged and apt to play violent tricks; but though most of these lads find chances to distinguish themselves in trials and races for apprentices, probably not 5% grow into professional jockeys, increasing weight keeping many from the business, as a jockey has few chances unless he can ride well under 9 stone. Knowledge of pace is a rare gift or acquisition which is essential to successful jockeyship. The rider must also be quick to perceive how his own horse is going--what he has "left in him"; he must understand at a glance which of his rivals are beaten and which are still likely to be dangerous; must know when the moment comes for the supreme effort to be made, and how to balance and prepare the horse for that critical struggle. At the beginning of the race the jockey used to stand in his stirrups, with the idea of removing weight from the horse's back and preserving perfect steadiness; towards the end of the race, if it were necessary to drive the animal home, he sat down "to finish."

This method used to be adopted in all countries, but recently a new system came into practice in America. Instead of putting the saddle in the middle of the horse's back, where it had always been placed previously, it was shifted forward on to the animal's withers. The jockey rode with very short stirrups, leaning forward over the neck and grasping the reins within a few inches of the horse's mouth. The appearance of this was ungainly in the extreme and an entire departure from ancient ways (though Fordham and a few other riders of great reputation had always sat much more forward than their contemporaries), but it was found to be remarkably effective. From the position thus adopted there was less resistance to the wind, and though the saving in this respect was largely exaggerated, in racing, where success or failure is frequently a matter of a very few inches, every little that helps is to be considered. The value of the discovery lay almost entirely in the fact that the horse carries weight better--and is therefore able to stride out more freely--when it is placed well forward on his shoulders. With characteristic conservatism the English were slow to accept the new plan. Several American jockeys, however, came to England. In all the main attributes of horsemanship there was no reason to believe that they were in the least superior to English jockeys, but their constant successes required explanation, and the only way to account for them appeared to be that horses derived a marked advantage from the new system of saddling. A number of English riders followed the American lead, and those who did so met with an unusual degree of success. Race-riding, indeed, was in a very great measure revolutionized in the closing years of the 19th century.

Foreign horses.

Of late years American horses--bred, it must always be remembered, from stock imported from England--have won many races in England. Australian horses have also been sent to the mother country, with results remunerative to their owners, and the intermixture of blood which will necessarily result should have beneficial consequences. French horses--i.e. horses bred in France from immediate or from more or less remote English parentage--have also on various occasions distinguished themselves on English race-courses. That coveted trophy, the Ascot Cup, was won by a French horse, Elf II., in 1898, it having fallen also to the French-bred Verneuil in 1878, to Boiard in 1874, to Henry in 1872 and to Mortemer in 1871. In the Cesarewitch Plaisanterie (3 yrs., 7 st. 8 lb.) and Tenebreuse (4 yrs., 8 st. 12 lb.) were successful in 1885 and 1888; and Plaisanterie also carried off the Cambridgeshire as a three-year-old with the heavy weight of 8 st. 12 lb. in a field of 27 runners. In most respects racing in France is conducted with praiseworthy discrimination. There are scarcely any of the five- and six-furlong scrambles for horses over two years old which are such common features of English programmes.

Time.

That the horses who have covered various distances in the shortest times on record must have been exceptionally speedy animals is obvious. The times of races, however, frequently form a most deceptive basis in any attempt to gauge the relative capacity of horses. A good animal will often win a race in bad time, for the reason that his opponents are unable to make him exert himself to the utmost. Not seldom a race is described as having been "won in a canter," and this necessarily signifies that if the winner had been harder pressed he would have completed the course more quickly. The following figures show the shortest times that had been occupied in winning over various distances up to the spring of 1910:--

M. S.
/ Mirida (2 years), Epsom, 1905 \
Five furlongs < Le Buff (aged), Epsom, 1903 > 0 56(2/5)
\ Master Willie (aged), Epsom, 1903 /
Six furlongs Master Willie (5 years), Epsom, 1901 1 7(1/5)
Seven furlongs Vav (4 years), Epsom, 1907 1 20(3/5)
Mile Caiman (4 years), Lingfield, 1900 1 33(1/5)
Mile and a quarter Housewife (3 years), Brighton, 1904 2 1(4/5)
Mile and a half Zinfandel (3 years), Manchester, 1903 2 28(4/5)
Mile and three quarters Golden Measure (4 years), York, 1906 2 57(4/5)
Two miles Pradella (aged), Ascot, 1906 3 19(2/5)
Two miles and a half Bachelor's Button, Ascot, 1906 4 23(1/5)
Three miles Corrie Roy, Ascot, 1884 5 9

It may be noted that, as compared with similar records in 1901, only
three of these latter held good in 1910, i.e. the mile, the six
furlongs and the three miles. The fastest times over a mile and a half
(the Derby and Oaks distance) up to 1901 may be repeated here as of
some interest: Avidity, 2 min. 30(4/5) secs., in September 1901 at
Doncaster; Santoi, 2 min. 31 secs., in May 1901 at Hurst Park; King's
Courier, 2 min. 31 secs., in 1900 at Hurst Park; Landrail, 2 min. 34
secs., in September 1899 at Doncaster; Carbiston, 2 min. 37(2/5)
secs., in August 1899 at York; Bend Or, 2 min. 40 secs., in 1881 at
Epsom (gold cup): Volodyovski won the Derby in 1901, and Memoir the
Oaks in 1890, in 2 min. 40(4/5) secs.

As regards time in famous races, Ormonde, perhaps the best horse of the 19th century--one, at any rate, that can scarcely have had a superior--occupied 2 minutes 45(3/5) seconds in winning the Derby; and Lonely, one of the worst mares that have won the Oaks, galloped the same mile and a half in 2 seconds less. Ormonde's St Leger time was 3 m. 21(2/5) s., and Sir Visto, one of the poorest specimens of a winner of the great Doncaster race, took 3 m. 18(2/5) s. The regulation of the weight to be carried serves to "bring the horses together," as the popular sporting phrase runs--that is to say, it equalizes their chances of winning; hence handicaps, the carrying of penalties by winners of previous races, and the granting of "maiden allowances." A horse that has never won a race, and is therefore known as a "maiden," often has an allowance of as much as 7 lb. made in its favour.

The Jockey Club.

Sport is carried on under the auspices of the Jockey Club, a self-elected body of the highest standing, whose powers are absolute and whose sway is judicious and beneficent. Three stewards, one of whom retires each year, when a successor is nominated, govern the active--and extremely arduous--work of the club. They grant licences to trainers and jockeys and all officials, and supervise the whole business of racing. The stewards of the Jockey Club are _ex officio_ stewards of Ascot, Epsom, Goodwood and Doncaster. All other meetings are controlled by stewards, usually well-known patrons of the Turf invited to act by the projectors of the fixture, who settle disputed points, hear and adjudicate on objections, &c., and, if special difficulties arise, report to the stewards of the Jockey Club, whose decision is final.

Steeplechasing.

Steeplechasing has altered entirely since the first introduction of this essentially British sport. In early days men were accustomed to match their hunters against each other and ride across country to a fixed point near to some steeple which guided them on their way; and this is no doubt, in several respects, a class of sport superior to that now practised under the name of steeplechasing; for it tested the capacity of the horse to jump fences of all descriptions, and provided the rider with opportunities of showing his readiness and skill in picking the best line of country. But racing of this kind afforded spectators a very small chance of watching the struggle; and made-up steeplechase courses, the whole circuit of which could be viewed from the enclosures, came into existence. The steeplechase horse has also changed. The speed of the thoroughbred is so much greater than that of all other breeds that if one were in the field, if he only stood up and could jump a little, his success was certain; consequently, except in "point-to-point" races, organized by various hunts, where a qualification is that all starters must have been regularly ridden with hounds, few other than thoroughbred horses are nowadays ever found in races run under the rules of the National Hunt Committee, the body which governs the sport of steeplechasing. A considerable proportion of existing steeplechase horses have done duty on the flat. Members of certain equine families display a special aptitude for jumping; thus the descendants of Hermit, who won the Derby in 1867, are very frequently successful in steeplechases--Hermit's son Ascetic, the sire of Cloister, Hidden Mystery and other good winners, is a notable case in point. The sons and daughters of Timothy and of several other Hermit horses often jump well. When a flat-race horse appears to have comparatively poor prospects of winning under Jockey Club rules, he is frequently, if he "looks like jumping," schooled for steeplechasing, generally in the first place over hurdles, and subsequently over what is technically called "a country," beginning with small fences, over which he canters, led by some steady animal who is to be depended on to show the way. A great many steeplechase horses also come from Ireland. They are usually recognizable as thoroughbred, though it is possible that in some cases the name of an ancestor may be missing from the Stud Book. Irish horse-masters are for the most part particularly skilful in schooling jumpers, and the grass and climate of Ireland appear to have beneficial effects on young stock; but, as a rule, the imported Irish horse improves considerably in an English training-stable, where he is better fed and groomed than in most Irish establishments. All steeplechase courses must at the present time contain certain regulation jumps, the nature of which is specified in the National Hunt rules:--

44. In all steeplechase courses there shall be at least twelve fences
(exclusive of hurdles) in the first 2 m., and at least six fences in
each succeeding m. There shall be a water jump at least 12 ft. wide
and 2 ft. deep, to be left open, or guarded only by a perpendicular
fence not exceeding 2 ft. in height. There shall be in each m. at
least one ditch 6 ft. wide and 3 ft. deep on the taking-off side of
the fence, which ditch may be guarded by a single rail, or left open,
and which fence must be 4 ft. 6 in. in height, and, if of dead
brushwood or gorse, 2 ft. in width.

45. In all hurdle-race courses there shall be not less than eight
flights of hurdles in the first 2 m., with an additional flight of
hurdles for every quarter of a m. or part of one beyond that distance,
the height of the hurdles being not less than 3 ft. 6 in. from the
bottom bar to the top bar.

Natural fences would no doubt be desirable if they could be utilized; but it is obvious that fences must be made up, because when the same hedge is jumped frequently, and for the most part in the same place--as it is the object of riders to go the shortest way round--gaps would necessarily be made. The use of these made courses naturally renders the sport somewhat artificial, but under existing conditions this is unavoidable; and as a matter of fact, by reason of the conformation of the ground, the arrangement and make of the fences, courses do vary in no small degree. The steeplechase horse differs from the hunter in his method of jumping. In riding to hounds a man usually steadies his horse at a fence, and in almost every case the animal "dwells" more or less after the leap. In a steeplechase, where speed is everything, horses must be taught to dash resolutely at their jumps without hesitation, and to get away with no pause on the other side; as a rule, therefore, an old steeplechase horse who is employed as a hunter is rarely a pleasant mount for any but a bold rider. It has been remarked that steeplechase horses are usually in the first place schooled over hurdles, and many animals remain hurdle racers till the end. More speed is required for hurdles than for a steeplechase course, and there is more money to be won over hurdles than over "a country." No hurdle race is worth so much as the Grand National or the Lancashire Handicap Steeplechase, the two richest prizes now offered; but, with the exception of these, hurdle-race stakes are as a rule of greater value. Except as a spectacle, there is little to be said in defence of this mongrel business, which is neither one thing nor the other; but hurdle races are popular and are therefore likely to continue. A few years ago an attempt was made to discriminate between what were called "hunters" and handicap steeplechase horses, and certain races were only open to the former class. It proved, however, to be a distinction without a difference; thoroughbred horses crept into the ranks of the so-called hunters, and when nominal hunters began to be entered for, and in some cases to win, the Grand National and other important steeplechases, for which they could be nominated by abandoning their qualification of hunter, the meaningless title was relinquished. Still more absurd were the hunters' flat races of a former day. In order to compete in these the rule was that an owner must produce a certificate from a master of hounds to the effect that his horse had been hunted. Thoroughbreds who lacked speed to win under Jockey Club rules used to be ridden to a meet, perhaps cantered across a field or two, and were then supposed to have become hunters. Animals who were genuinely and regularly utilized for the pursuit of foxes had of course no chance against these race-horses in shallow disguise. What are called National Hunt flat races still exist, the qualification being that a horse must have been placed first, second or third in a steeplechase in Great Britain or Ireland, after having jumped all the fences and completed the whole distance of the race to the satisfaction of at least two of the stewards, to whom previous notice must have been given in writing. There are no handicaps for such animals, and none is allowed to carry less than 11 stone. No race under National Hunt rules can be of a shorter distance than 2 m., except for three-year-olds, who sometimes run a mile and a half over hurdles; and the lowest weight carried can never be less than 10 stone except in a handicap steeplechase of 3(1/2) m. or upwards, when it may be 9 st. 7 lb.

Horses are ridden in these races either by gentlemen, or qualified riders or jockeys. The first of these classes comprises officers on full pay in the army or navy, persons holding commissions under the Crown, bearing titles either in their own right or by courtesy, or members of certain social and racing clubs. Qualified riders may be farmers holding at least a hundred acres of land, their sons if following the same occupation, and persons elected by members of the National Hunt Committee, a proviso being that they must never have ridden for hire; but it is feared that this rule is in not a few cases evaded. Professional jockeys are paid L5 for each mount or L10 if they win. The sport is governed by the National Hunt Committee, a body which receives delegated powers from the Jockey Club, and six stewards are elected every year to supervise the business of the various meetings. Steeplechases and hurdle races are either handicaps or weight-for-age races according to the following scale:--

_For Steeplechases of 3 miles and upwards._

From the 1st of January to the 30th of June, both inclusive:--
4 yrs. 5 yrs. 6 and aged
10 st. 3 lb. 11 st. 8 lb. 12 st. 3 lb.

From the 1st of July to the 31st of December, both inclusive:--
4 yrs. 5 yrs. 6 and aged
11 st. 11 st. 12 lb. 12 st. 3 lb.

_For Steeplechases of less than 3 miles._

From the 1st of January to the 30th of June, both inclusive:--
4 yrs. 5 yrs. 6 and aged
10 st. 10 lb. 11 st. 10 lb. 12 st. 3 lb.

From the 1st of July to the 31st of December, both inclusive:--
4 yrs. 5 yrs. 6 and aged
11 st. 6 lb. 12 st. 12 st. 3 lb.

_For Hurdle Races._

From the 1st of January to the 31st of August, inclusive:--
4 yrs. 5 yrs. 6 and aged
11 st. 6 lb. 11 st. 10 lb. 12 st. 0 lb.

From the 1st of September to the 31st of December, inclusive:--
3 yrs. 4 yrs. 5, 6, and aged
10 st. 7 lb. 11 st. 12 lb. 12 st. 3 lb.

The Grand National.

The great test of merit in a steeplechase horse is success in the Grand National, which is always run at Liverpool during the first week of the flat-racing season. The course is 4(1/2) m., and includes thirty jumps, the fences being for the most part larger than are found elsewhere. The average time occupied is well under ten minutes. The stake has varied in value since the race was originated in 1839; it now amounts to close on L2500. Only a very small percentage of steeplechase horses possess the speed and staying power to give them a chance in this race, and the number of entries year by year falls considerably short of a hundred, the prospects of many of these usually appearing hopeless to all but unduly sanguine owners. The average number of starters during the period 1860-1901 was rather over twenty. As many as thirty-two competed in 1909, when the French-bred Latteur III. won; in 1883, when Zoedone, ridden by her owner, Count Kinsky, was successful, only ten went to the post. Mishaps are almost invariably numerous; in most years about one-third complete the course. So severe is the task that for a long time many good judges of steeplechasing believed that no horse with more than 12 stone on his back could possibly win. In 1893, however, Cloister won in a canter by forty lengths carrying 12 st. 7 lb., and with the same weight Manifesto also won in 1899. The race which most nearly approaches the Grand National in importance is the Lancashire Handicap Steeplechase, run at Manchester over 3(1/2) m. early in April. The stake is worth about L1750. An interesting steeplechase called the Grand Sefton takes place at Liverpool about the middle of November; the distance is 3 m. During the winter, and extending into the spring, steeplechasing and hurdle racing are carried on at Sandown, Kempton, Gatwick, Lingfield, Newbury and Hurst Park; at Ludlow, Newmarket, Aldershot, Birmingham, Manchester, Windsor and other places. A race called the National Hunt Steeplechase, under the immediate patronage of the National Hunt Committee, is run annually over a 4-mile course, the stake being L1000. Managers of various courses bid for the privilege of having the race on their ground, and it is therefore found in different localities. A condition is that no horse who has ever won a race can compete; and, as few owners are willing to keep their animals with a view to success in this event, the field consists either of unknown horses or of those that have been beaten.

AUSTRALIA

Racing in Australia has its headquarters at Sydney, under the
government of the Australian Jockey Club, the principal course being
at Ranwick; and at Melbourne, where the Victoria Jockey Club is
supreme, the principal course being at Flemington. In New Zealand
sport is carried on under the authority of delegates from the chief
racing clubs, who meet in conference. There is a Sydney Derby and a
Victoria Derby, and a notable event at Flemington is the Champion
Race, weight-for-age, for three-year-olds and upwards, which usually
attracts the best horses in training, as the fee at which a sire
stands depends in a great measure on his success in this contest. This
race is over a distance of 3 m., and to ensure a good pace there is a
regulation that the time in which it is run must not exceed 5 minutes
40 seconds, though the stewards have power to extend this in case the
ground should be made exceptionally heavy by rainy weather. The
Melbourne Cup is regarded as one of the most important races in the
state. This is a handicap, and in comparison with English races may
perhaps be ranked with the Cesarewitch. The birth of horses dates from
the 1st of August, which corresponds as nearly as possible to the 1st
of February in England, so that the Australian horses are practically
seven months younger than the English--a matter of some importance in
the case of those sent to run in England. There are few races which
close long before the date of decision, and practically all the good
animals run in handicaps. The five- and six-furlong races for other
than two-year-olds, so common in Great Britain, are extremely rare;
and it is asserted by colonial sportsmen that their horses stay better
than those bred in England, a circumstance which is largely attributed
to the fact that mares and foals have much more liberty and exercise
than is the case in the mother country.

UNITED STATES

Horse-racing was indulged in to a limited extent in Maryland and Virginia as early as the middle of the 17th century, particularly in the latter colony. Most of the inhabitants of both were either from the British Isles or were descended from parents who had immigrated from them, and they inherited a taste for the sport. The animals used for this purpose, however, were not highly prized at the time, and the pedigree of not even one of them has been preserved. A horse called Bully Rock by the Darley Arabian out of a mare by the Byerly Turk, granddam by the Lister Turk, great-granddam a royal mare, foaled 1718, is the first recorded importation of a thoroughbred horse into America. He was imported into Virginia in 1730. In 1723 the duke of Bolton bred a mare named Bonny Lass by his celebrated horse Bay Bolton out of a daughter of the Darley Arabian. She became celebrated in England as a brood mare, and was the first thoroughbred mare, according to the records, that was carried to America. This is supposed to have been in or after 1740, as the _Stud-Book_ shows she produced in England after 1739 a filly by Lord Lonsdale's Arabian, and subsequently became familiar to the public as the granddam of Zamora. The importations increased very rapidly from this period, and many valuable shipments were made before the war which resulted in a separation of the colonies from the mother country. This acquisition of thoroughbred stock increased the number and value of racing prizes, and extended the area of operations into the Carolinas in the South, and New Jersey and New York in the North. The first race run in South Carolina was in February 1734 for L20. It took place over "the Green," on Charleston Neck. This shows that the earlier races in America were actually on the turf, as they have always been in England. The next year a Jockey Club was organized at Charleston (1735), and a course was prepared, such as those which came later into general use throughout the states, the turf being removed and the ground made as level as possible.

After 1776, when the United States declared their independence of Great Britain, the importation of thoroughbred horses from England became quite common, and selections were made from the best stocks in the United Kingdom. This continued and even increased as the country became developed, down to 1840. The following Derby winners were among those carried into the states: Diomed, who won the first Derby in 1780; Saltram, winner in 1783; John Bull, winner in 1792; Spread Eagle, winner in 1795; Sir Harry, winner in 1798; Archduke, winner in 1799; and Priam, who won in 1830. The most important and valuable importations, however, proved to be Jolly Roger, Fearnought, Medley, Traveller, Diomed, Glencoe, Leviathan, Tranby, Lexington, Margrave, Yorkshire Buzzard, Albion and Leamington. The best results were obtained from Diomed and Glencoe. Diomed sired one horse, Sir Archy, who founded a family to which nearly all the blood horses of America trace back. He was foaled in 1805, in Virginia, and became celebrated as a sire. The superiority of his progeny was so generally conceded that they were greatly sought after. From this period, too, the number and value of races increased; still they were comparatively few in number, and could not compare in value with those of Great Britain. Up to 1860 the value of racing prizes was quite inadequate to develop large breeding establishments, or to sustain extensive training stables. Then the civil war between the North and the South broke out, which raged for four years. Breeding establishments were broken up during that time; the horses were taken by the armies for cavalry purposes, for which service they were highly prized; and racing was completely paralysed. It took some time to regain its strength; but an era of prosperity set in about 1870, and since then the progress in interest has been continuous.

In the United States interest in trotting races more than rivals that felt in the contests of thoroughbred horses. This interest dates back to the importation to Philadelphia from England, in 1788, of the thoroughbred horse Messenger, a grey stallion, by Mambrino, 1st dam by Turf, 2nd dam by Regulus, 3rd dam by Starling, 4th dam by Fox, 5th dam Gipsey, by Bay Bolton, 6th dam by duke of Newcastle's Turk, 7th dam by Byerly Turk, 8th dam by Taffolet Barb, 9th dam by Place's White Turk. He was eight years old when imported to the United States. He was at the stud for twenty years, in the vicinity of Philadelphia and New York, serving a number of thoroughbred mares, but a far greater number of cold-blooded mares, and in the progeny of the latter the trotting instinct was almost invariably developed, while his thoroughbred sons, who became scattered over the country, were also noted for transmitting the trotting instinct. The first public trotting race of which there is any account in the United States was in 1818, when the grey gelding Boston Blue was matched to trot a mile in 3 minutes, a feat deemed impossible; but he won, though the time of his performance has not been preserved. From about that date interest in this gait began to increase; breeders of trotters sprang up, and horses were trained for trotting contests. The problem of breeding trotters has been necessarily found to be a much more complex one than that of breeding the thoroughbred, as in the latter case pure blood lines of long recognized value could be relied upon, while in the former the best results were constantly being obtained from most unexpected sources. Among the leading families came to be the Hambletonian, of which the modern head was Rysdyk's Hambletonian, a bay horse foaled in 1849, got by Abdallah (traced to imp. Messenger on the side of both sire and dam) out of the Charles Kent mare, by imp. (i.e. imported) Bellfounder, with two crosses to imp. Messenger on her dam's side; the Mambrinos, whose modern head was Mambrino Chief, foaled 1844, by Mambrino Paymaster, a grandson of imp. Messenger; the Bashaws, founded by Young Bashaw, foaled 1822, by Grand Bashaw, an Arabian horse, dam Pearl, by First Consul; the Clays, springing from Henry Clay, a grandson of Young Bashaw through Andrew Jackson; the Stars, springing from Stockholm's American Star, by Duroc, son of imp. Diomed; the Morgans, whose founder was Justin Morgan, foaled 1793, by a horse called True Briton, or Beautiful Bay, who was probably thoroughbred; the Black Hawks, a branch of the Morgan family; the Blue Bulls, descended from Doyle's Blue Bull, foaled 1855, a pacer, sired by a pacer of the same name, dam by Blacknose, son of Medoc; the Canadians, whose best representatives were St Lawrence and pacing Pilot, horses of unknown pedigree; the Gold Dusts, another branch of the Morgan family; and the Royal Georges, springing from Tippoo, a horse who was probably by Ogden's Messenger, son of imp. Messenger. But trotters of great speed have been produced which do not trace to any of the sources mentioned. Very large prices are paid. Steinway, a three-year-old colt, was sold in 1879, to go to California, for $13,000; and in 1878 $21,000 was paid for the four-year-old filly Maud S., after she had trotted a mile in public in 2 m. 17(1/2) s. Much larger sums have been paid, however, for matured trotters, such as $40,000 for the stallion Smuggler, $38,000 for Pocahontas, $35,000 for Dexter, $36,000 for Rarus, and long prices for many others; St Julien, the trotter with the fastest record at the close of 1879, was held at $50,000, while Rysdyk's Hambletonian, Messenger Duroc and Volunteer were valued, in their prime, at $100,000 each.

Compared with the early days of American trotting, the advance has been rapid and the changes marked. After the performance of Boston Blue, mentioned above, more attention was paid to the gait, but for a long time the races were generally under saddle, and at long distances, 3 m. being rather the favourite. The best of the old time trotters were Edwin Forrest, who trotted a mile in 2 m. 31(1/2) s. in 1834; Dutchman, who did 3 m. under saddle in 7 m. 32(1/2) s.; Ripton; Lady Suffolk, who trotted a mile in 2 m. 26(1/2) s. in 1843, and headed the list of performers; Mac, Tacony, &c. After 1850, however, the taste of the people settled upon the style of race called "mile heats, best three out of five, in harness" as the favourite. By "in harness" is meant that the horse draws a sulky, a light two-wheeled vehicle in which the driver sits close to the horse, with his legs on each side of his flanks. These sulkies often weigh less than 40 lb. The driver is required to weigh, with the blanket on which he sits, 150 lb., while for saddle races the regulation weight is 145 lb., or 10 st. 5 lb. Each heat of a mile is a separate race; 20 minutes is allowed between heats; and the horse that first places three heats to his credit wins the race. There are various penalties imposed upon a horse that breaks into a run in a trotting race. The driver is required to pull him to a trot as quickly as possible; if the horse gains by running, the judges set him back at the finish twice the distance he has gained, in their estimation, by running; and for repeated "breaks" they can declare him distanced. The first-class tracks are of oval shape, with long stretches and easy curves, measuring 1 m. at 3 ft. distance from the "pole," as the inner railing of the track is called. The time in which the leading horse trots each heat is accurately kept, placed on a blackboard in front of the judges' stand for the information of the public, and also placed in the book of the course. The fastest time that any trotter has is thus entered as his "record." This is one of the distinctive features of trotting in America.

Prior to 1866 purses for trotters were small; match races were more in vogue, and the trotting turf was in bad odour. In that year an association was formed at Buffalo, N.Y., which inaugurated its efforts by offering the then unprecedented sum of $10,500 for a trotting meeting of four days' duration. The experiment was successful; other cities followed the example of Buffalo; larger and larger purses were given; and at Buffalo in 1872 the prizes amounted to $70,000. Since then the amount offered in the United States and Canada, during a single year, has reached $1,500,000. Individual trotters, in the course of a long turf career, earn enormous amounts. A remarkable instance of this was the mare Goldsmith Maid, by Alexander's Abdallah (a son of Rysdyk's Hambletonian), out of an Abdallah mare. She began trotting in 1866, and left the turf in 1878, when twenty-one years old, and her winnings amounted to over $200,000.

In 1869 the National Trotting Association was formed, under which an elaborate code of rules has been published.