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FAMOUS ENGLISH RACE COURSES. As the classic events of the English racing WSJ son. the Derby. St. Leger and Oaks, always create o .nsiderable Interact in lovers of the thoroughbred in all parts of the world, it will not be amiss tc -ay a few words concerning the courses over which these historic races are run. Not the least inter eating feature of these courses is their age. Racing was held at Epsom as far back as 1C45, but It did not assume a permanent character until the tir-l Derby in 1780. ."he famous Newmarket course is over MO years old. while the Ascot races owe their origin to Queen Anne ;u 1711. The York and Don-caster meetings ire over 150 years old. while that at Goodwood i- over Idf years old. The three Thames valley courses — Hurst Park, Kemptou Park and s indown Park — are all mod era courses, established in the hist thirty-live years. It was on the last-named course, however, that the first race for 0.000 Stakes took place. Twenty-three vear- SgO the managers of Sundown Park startled the racing world by instituting the Eclipse Stakes, nominally worth this amount -first won by that famous horse. Beadles — and tie success of the venture was such that the Jockey Club ultimately established two 0,000 races at Newmarket, viz.". the Prince ..f Wales Stakes and the Jockey Club stake-. Needless to any, the races for the-. moils -takes attract the best horses of eSCh vear. and it is ..n record that in IMS two winners of he Derby, two winners of the St. Leger, two winners of tin- Two Thousand Guineas and ■ winner of the Aw t Cup ran on the BandOWO Park coarse for the Eclipse Slakes. Newmarket, "the racing capital of England." possess, - H,, fewer than ten courses, the longest being four and one quarter miles in circuit. Here the Jockey Club has its chief seat, where over i.ok horses will iften be found in training ou the heath. Altogether there are nearly fifty training establish inents at Newmarket, and a large army of employes are constant! at work during the racing season, keeping the courses and galloping grounds |n order. The cost of this laUir is mostly met bv the fee charged by the Jockey Club ou each horse trained c . I i f J J J s J « J J j I l f i I I 1 s : i 1 i i j j s , j , , . , : j . . _ on the heath. For horses in training an annual charge of 5 is made, while a fee of 5 is levied on vearlings taking their first lessons. Altogether between 1912.sh0,000 and 5,000 is derived from those sources every year. Although somewhat expensive, most owners like to train their horses at Newinark-t. for then the horses heed not be taken away to run. There are seven annual meetings to choose from, and prizes like the Two Thousand and Cesarewiten to win. and. in addition, the course can be chosen which will most likely suit the horse. For. wh 1 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 Coorge"s 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 in the world. How 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 bees crossed off the racing calendar? In 1829-30 00,000 was spent on the erection of the grandstand, which accommodates 7.500 spectator:--. The maintenance of the Epsom summer meeting. however, cost more than the revenue from the stables, 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 probably come to an end. Lord George lent the clerk 5,000. 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 fortunes. For many years afterward the original 00 shares in the Epsom Grandstand Company realized large sums in the market. In 1884 they brought 00. although thew dropped some 00 after that. This was owing to a falling off in the entries for the Derby and Oaks, however, and a great fillip was given to the popularity of Epsom when, in 1800, it was announced that in future the Derby would be worth a guaranteed minimum of 5,000. Its guar anteed value was then made 2,500. at which it now stands. There are several courses at Epsom, but the chef of them all is the Derby course of one aud one-half miles. This course contains the steepest hill — leading down to Tattenham Corner— to be found on nay important course in the Kingdom. In addition, the first half-mile of the track is on the asceut. As a matter of fact, the Derby course offers the greatest test of merit to race horses, and that is why the 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 circtliar. nearly two miles long, aud within the confines of Windsor Iark. As a matter of fact, the course is crown property, and to a certain extent under the care of the Master of His Majestys Buckhound". The Ascot course is generally considered to be the best in England, one great advantage 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 Doaeaster course, has rightly been described as the "Derby of the north." for it is witnessed every year by something like 30.010 people, mostly York ■hiremen. The race is of the same value as the Derby, viz.. 2,500. As a matter of fact, the Don caster meetings are "run" by the town corporation, and tin course relieves the rate payers to the extenl of about 1912.sh0,000 each year, a large portion of tin-profits of the races being devoted to the reduction of the rates. V The Ebor Haudicap. which takes place on the York course, is also an event which draws thousands of excursionists; the race for the Clmcrack Stakes — founded in honor of Giracrack, a famous grey horse foaled in 1700. which won races when he was eleven years old — being almost equally popular.
