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PECULIAR ENGLISH TRACKS There are some peculiar race tracks in this country but England has scarcely two alike There are few which are shaped alike or of the same length varying from less than a mile to four miles 1 furlong 176 yards which was the length of the Beacon course at Newmarket Newark so famous in the old days of English racing In a description of the race courses atnmetynine places in England and Scotland there are only eleven which are called a mile two or three of which are said to be an exact mile The number of places do not show the true number of courses as at Newmarket Newark there are some thirty but that of course means that several of them are portions of the Beacon Here are the shapes and dimensions of some of the other courses Newton a triangular course of about one mile and a quarter with a strong hill and a straight flat runin Reunion of about half a mile mileOswestry mellowest Oswestry Lowest in form resembling an illshaped illustrated figure of 8 and only a few yards short of two miles ending in a straight runin Reunion of nearly half a mile on a gentle ascent ascentNewcastle Newcastle is composed of four unequal sides and nearly approaching to a triangle once rovnd round or Hotspur Hotspurs course measured eight yards from the inside ditch being 3162 yards The T Y C 2yearold course is six furlongs and the mile two mile and larger courses are exactly of the stated distances There are hills in dif ¬ ferent ferment parts a straight running on the west side of 400 yards on the south side of 543 yards and on the east side of 740 yards and on the north to the winningpost winning os 480 yards yardsAscot yards Ascot a circular course short of two miles by sixtysix sixty yards the first half nearly all on the descent and the remainder which is called the old mile uphill the greater part of the way wayBlanford Blanford Branford the Cup course is two miles start ¬ ing King at the winning chair running nearly a mile straignt straight and with a good turnback turnbuckle over the same ground groundDoncaster grounded Doncaster Downcast where the St Ledger is run is a round course of about one mile seven furlongs and seventy yards The St Ledger course is one mile six furlong4 and 132 yards yardsEpsom yards Epsom the old or Cup course is two miles of an irregular circular form the first mile uphill The new Derby course is exactly a mile and a half and somewhat in the shape of a horseshoe the last half mile being straight The first half mile is on the ascent the next third of a mile level the bend into the straight run home and until within the distance on the descent and the remainder on the rise riseStockbridge Stockbridge Stockbroker is nearly a round course some ¬ what hilly with a straight runin Reunion of nearly threequarters treasurers these is also a straight mile mileCanterbury Canterbury is shaped like a cricket bat being two miles out and In with a severe hill from the distance home
