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FAMOUS EACE COURSES OF OLD ENGLAND. Racing Conducted Over Several for the Last Two Centuries Epsoms Features. As the classic events of the Bullish racing season, the Derby. St. Logur ami Oaks, always create considerable interest in lovers of the thoroughbred in nil parts of the world, it will not be amiss to say a few words concerning the courses over -which these historic rums are run. Not the least interesting feature of these courses is- their age. Racing -was held at Epsom as far back as 1045. but it did not assume a permanent character until the first Derby in 17S0. The famous Newmarket course is over 200 years old. while the Ascot races owe their origin to Queen Anne in 1711. The York and Doncaster meetings art-over 150 years old, while that at Goodwood is over 10O years old. The three Thames valley courses Hurst Park. Kemptou Park and Sandown Park are all modern courses, established in the last thirty-live years. It was on the last-named course, however, that the first race for S.O.OOO stakes took nlace. Twenty-three years ago the managers of Sandown Park startled the racing world by instituting the Eclipse Stakes, nominally worth this amount first won by that famous horse. ISendigo and the success of the venture was such that the Jockey Club ultimately established two 0,000 races at Newmarket, viz.. the Prince of Wales Stakes and the Jockey Club Stakes. Needless to say. the races for these enormous stakes attract the best horses of each year, and it is on record that in 189:; two winners of the Derby, two winners of the St. I.eger, two winners of the Two Thousand Guineas and a winner of the Ascot Cup ran on the Sandown Park course for the Eclipse Stakes. Newmarket, "the racing capital of England." possesses no fewer than ten courses, the longest being four and one-quarter miles in circuit. Here the Jockey Club has its chief seat, while over 1.000 horses will often be found in training on the Heath. Altogether there are nearly fifty training establishments at Newmarket, and a large army of employes are constantly at work during the racing season, keeping the courses and galloping grounds in order. The cost of this labor is mostly met by the fee charged by the Jockey Club on each horse trained on the Heath. For horses in training an annual charge of 5 is made, while a fee of 0 is levied or. yearlings taking their first lessons. Altogether between .0,000 and 5,000 is derived from these sources every year. Although somewhat expensive, most owners like to train their horses at Newmarket; for then the horses need not be taken away to run. There are seven annual meetings to choose from, and prizes like the Two Thousand and Cesare-witch to win. and., in addition, the course can be chosen which will most likely suit the horse. For. while some animals can run equally well on any course, there are others which never do themselves Justice except on a course they like. Consequently there is often a great deal to be gained by properly "placing" a horse. It is at Newmarket where King Edwards race horses are trained by Dick Marsh, as the famous trainer is known on the turf; while not far from the town is a beautiful estate owned by Danny Maher, the famous American jockey, and probably the richest professional rider iu the world. Ilow many people are aware that had It not been for the generosity of Lord George Bentinck some sixty years ago the Derby race at Epsom might have been crossed off the racing calendar? In 1S29-30 00,000 was spent on the erection of the grandstand, which accommodates 7.500 spectators. The maintenance of the Epsom summer meeting, however, cost more Uian the revenue from the stands, etc., and the consequence was that the clerk of the course went to Lord George Bentinck and explained that unless more money was forthcoming this meeting would prolwbly come to an end. Lord George lent the clerk 25,000. which the latter used to such good purpose that the Epsom summer meeting took a new lease of life and the clerk and his family made their fortnnes. For manv years afterward the original S100 shares in the Epsom Grandstand Company realized large sums in the market. In 1SS4 they brought 00. although they dropped some 00 after that. This was owing to a falling off in the entries for the Derhv and Oaks, however, and a great fillip was given to the popularity of Epsom when, in ISOO. it was announced that in future the Derby would he worth a guaranteed miniranm of 5,000. Its guaranteed value was then made 2,000. at which it iiow stands. There are several courses at Epsom, but the chief of them all is the Derby course lOfone and one-half miles. This course contains the steepest hill lending down to Tattenham Corner to be found o.n any important course in the kingdom. In addition, the first half-mile of the track is on the ascent. As a matter of fact, the Derby course offers the greatest test of merit to race horses, and that is why 4he best horse nearly always wins. It has often happened that the winner of the Derby has also carried off the Ascot Gold Cup, the value of which of late years has been between 5,000 and 0,000. The Ascot course is circular, nearly two miles long, and within the confines of Windsor Park. As a matter of fact, the course is crown property, and to a certain extent under the care of the Master of His Majestys Buckhounds. The Ascot course is generally considered to be the best in England, one great advautagc being that practically the whole of the racing can be seen from the stands. The race for the St. Leger. which takes place on the Doncaster course, has rightly been described as the "Derby of the north." for it is witnessed every year by something like 30,000 people, mostly Yorkshiremen. The race is of the same value as the Derby, viz.. 2,500. As a matter of fact, the Doncaster meetings are "run" by the town corporation, and the course relieves the rate-payers to the extent of about 1908.sh0,000 each year, a large portion of the profits of the races being devoted to the reduction of the rates. The Ebor Handicap, which takes place on the York course, is also an event which draws thousands of excursionists: the race for the Gimcrack Stakes founded iu honor of Gimcrack. a famous grey horse foaled in 1700. which won races when he was eleven years ohWbeing almost equally popular.
