Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 12.djvu/214

202 202 HORSE [HORSE-RACING. Ascot raees. Qood- rwo rhou- 3nd,&c, Bandi- 3pS. fillies only have won both races, viz., Sir C. Bunbury s Eleanor in 1801 and Mr W. I Anson s Blink Bonny in 1857, but Deception ran second for the Derby in 1839, and subsequently won the Oaks. The course has been run in 2 m. 43 s. by colts and in 2 m. 44 s. by fillies. Ascot races, which are held on Ascot Heath, on the con fines of Windsor Park, close to the kennels of the royal buckhounds, were established by the duke of Cumberland, uncle of George III., and are patronized by royalty in state or semi-state. They are mentioned in the first Racing Calendar, published in 1727, but the races were for the most part plates and other prizes of small importance, though a royal plate for hunters appears to have been given in 1785. The Gold Cup was first given in 1807, and has been regularly competsd for ever since, though from 1845 to 1853 inclusive it went by the designation of the Emperor s Plate, the prize being offered by the emperor of Russia. In 1854, during the Crimean war, the cup was again called the Ascot Gold Cup, and was given from the race fund. The Queen s Vase was first given in 1838, and the Royal Hunt Cup in 1843, while in 1865 a new long-distance race for four year olds and upwards was established, and named the Alexandra Plate, after the Princess of Wales. Goodwood races were established by the duke of Richmond on the downs at the northern edge of Goodwood Park in 1802, upon the earl of Egremont discontinuing races in his park at Petworth. The course is situated in most lovely scenery, about 5 miles from Chichester, with downs and woodlands to the north, and the sea and the Isle of Wight to the south. The races take place at the end of July, on the close of the London season. The Goodwood Cup, the chief prize of the meeting, was first given in 1812; but from 1815 to 1824 inclusive there was no race for it, with the single exception of 1816. Since 1824 it has been competed for annually. During the latter half of the 18th century horse-racing declined very much in England, and numbers of meetings were discontinued, the wars which took place necessarily causing the change. From the beginning of the 19th century, and especially after the conclusion of the French war in 1815, racing rapidly revived, and many new meet ings were either founded or renewed after a period of suspension, and new races were from time to time estab lished. Among others the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket for three year old colts and fillies, and the One Thousand Guineas for fillies, were established in 1809 and 1814 respectively, the Goodwood Stakes in 1823, the Chester Cup and Brighton Stakes in 1824, the Liverpool Summer Cup in 1828, the Northumberland Plate in 1833, the Manchester Cup in 1834, the Ascot Stakes and the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire Handicaps at Newmarket in 1839, the Stewards and Chesterfield Cups at Goodwood in 1840, the Grsat Ebor Handicap at York in 1343, and, to omit others, the City and Suburban Handicap at Epsom in 1851, and the Lincoln Handicap in 1853, With the exception of the Two Thousand and One Thousand Guineas run for in the spring at Newmarket, which are as it were junior Derby and Oaks, or at any rate public trials for those events, all these races are handicaps, which came into fashion for the following reasons : In the early days of racing the plates or stakes were given for competition by horses of not less than five and generally of six years of age, all carrying the same weights, so that if a four year old, as sometimes happened, entered, it took no allowance from its older and more mature opponents, but had to compete with them on even terms, or at a material disadvantage considering the difference in age. We then find that weight for age races were intro duced, a specified difference in weight for each year, where all were not of the same age, being conceded by the older horses. As time went on, however, it was found that when well-known winners entered for a race, other com petitors withdrew, and sport was spoiled. A remedy was devised in handicapping, that is, in apportioning a t;ible of weights to the competitors, placing the heaviest impost on the best public performers, and lighter weights in a descend ing scale upon those of lower calibre, in proportion to their known or assumed demerits. The object of course was in theory to place all, both good and bad, on an equal footing, in other words, so to burden them that on paper they should all be equal and run a dead heat. In practice it is often far otherwise, for the real merits of a horse ara frequently kept secret, and he is sent to run in public half trained, with the view of deceiving the handicapper, who then puts on him a lighter weight than lie is capable oi carrying, and the race and a large stake of money in bets are frequently so won. It is unnecessary to say that handicaps are thus responsible for much of the malpractice which prevails on the turf, and for keeping in training inferior horses otherwise valueless. No horses of less than three years of age are allowed to run in handicaps, and at present the lowest weight is 5 st. 7 ft&amp;gt;, although some years back it was as low as 4 stone, a weight carried to victory in the Chester Cup by lied Deer in 1844. It would be a step in the right direction to raise the minimum to 7 stone, which would not only tend to the improvement of the horses running, but permit abler and stronger jockeys than the present feather-weights to ride. Two year old racing was established very shortly after the great three year old races, and on a similar footing, that is to say, the competitors carried the same weights, with the exception of a slight allowance for sex, the July Stakes at the Newmarket midsummer meeting having been founded as early as 1786. The Woodcote Stakes at Epsom succeeded in 1807, the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in 1823, the Criterion Stakes at the Houghton meeting in 1829, the Chesterfield Stakes at the Newmarket July meeting in 1 834. the New Stakes at Ascot in 1843, the Middle Park Plate (or two year old Derby, as it is sometimes culled) at the Newmarket second October meeting in 1866, the Dewhurst plate at the Houghton meeting in 1875, and the Rich mond Stakes at Goodwood in 1877. No race is now run over a shorter course than 5 furlongs. The number of races in Great Britain in the year 1879, according to the Racing Calendar, was 1626, of which fifty-nine only were of 2 miles and upwards, ten of 3 miles and above, and two of 4 miles. The number of horses competing was 844 two year olds, 633 three year olds, 314 four year olds, and 322 of five years and upwards in all 2113 ; and the value of the slakes run for amounted to &amp;lt;380,699. During the same period there were foaled 955 thoroughbred colts and 900 fillies, while 716 marcs were barren, 98 slipped their foals, 152 were covered by halfbred horses or not covered at all, and 174 either died or were sent abroad before foaling the total number of mares on the register being nearly 3000. The horses at the stud who sired the above foals amounted in round numbers to 350. The following table will show the value of the principal two and three year old races for the last six years : Statis- tics of Britain, 1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. Tvo Thousand ) Guineas

4200

4550

4100

5200

4650

6250 One Thousand | Guineas 3050 2350 3100 4750 4500 4200 Derby. 5350 4950 5575 6050 5825 7050 Oaks 4375 2925 4300 4150 5000 4425 St Leger 4625 4150 4825 5025 5750 6550 Middle Park Plate 3340 3430 3860 3610 3790 3470