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NEWMARKETS FIRST JULY MEETING It was King Charles II who set the fashion of two mettings at Newmarket one in the spring and the other in the autumn The races were nearly all matches and the horses were usually ridden by gentlemen amateurs the king himself not disdain ¬ ing a few picked mounts The Jockey Club seeing the enormous potentialities of the magnificent heath introduced a second spring meeting in 1753 a second October meeting in 17015 and a July meeting in 17G5 These five fixtures were further Increased to seven ly the establishment in 1770 of the Houghton and Craven meetings For about a dozen years how ¬ ever the second spring affair was abandoned but this was quickly restored to the Calendar The linal addition to the list of reunions on the classic heath was made in 1SOO when the inaugural second Inly meeting was held Of all these meetings the two celebrated in July are socially at least the most popularTiie popular Tiie Inly Stakes is one of the oldest events in lac Racing Calendar and for many years was ilic most valuable and important of the races con iined entirely to twoyearolds It was first run tlr in 17S i and its long list of past winners abounds with the names of the equine great Again nd again it has served to introduce to public life ci coli or lilly destined to achieve classic honors ml if it has now fallen from its high estate it yet retains something of its ancient prestige It lias been won by live colts that subsequently car ¬ ried oir the Derby viz Gustavus 1S20 Orlando lMi The Flying Dutchman 1848 Donovan nstvX and Cicero 1904 and by such winners of the daks as Minuet 1814 Green Mantle 1S2S nicllix IS1 Miami 184G Hannah 1870 and r erptre 1001 Besides these celebrities like jieiram The Colonel Achievement Lady Elizabeth Enterprise Friars Balsam Kirkcoimel Velasquez Desmond Doricles Gorges and White Star have won the July Stakes in their first seasons seasonsIt It provided a very notable race in 1830 when three animals Lord Orfords Armenia Colonel Peels Fille do Jole filly and Lord Exeters Corbau ran a dead heat There was great excitement at this unusual result and speculation over the deciding Jieat was fast and furious The gray daughter of Sul I an and Fille de Joie the mount of Davis was favorite for the runoff but she was the last of the three at the finish Armenia getting the better of Corbau the brother to Beiram after another fine struggle The winner did little good afterwards lint Coban developed into a really good animal linff in its list of great winners gives Colouel ns the winner of the July Stakes in 1S41 This is sin error The July Stakes that year fell to Chatham a chestnut colt by The Colonel Hester belonging to Colonel Peel Chatham in the first instance merely tied with Lord Bruces Rostrum but vanquished him decisively in the deciding heat In 1S3S the race fell to a colt confidently expected in his juvenile days to blossom into a Derby winner This was the Duke of Richmonds Bulwark a son of Defence out of Enropa which John Day described as a colt and a half to his ducal owner The Volt and a half however was not always to be relied u on to do his best and two days later in the Chesterfield Stakes was beaten by Mr Fords daughter of Rowton by name Minima Bulwark did not even run in the Derby of the following year a race which fell to Bloomsbury Sport BloomsburySport at the Newmarket First July meeting was flen of very indifferent class forty years or so ago rind was practically kept alive by the matches that were included in the program In 1S7C for instance firr matches were decided the most Important and unresting of these being that between Levant and CVrVdalis for 1000 on the opening day Constable rod Levant a filly that had won the July Stakes twelve months previously and Parry had the mount on the other The race was a farce Lord Rose lierys filly strolling home at her leisure some thirty lengths li front of her opponent The handsome and liloodlike Ouamaut winner of the Two Thousand in 1877 made his debut at this July meeting and Springfields victory in the July Cup gave It addi ¬ tional distinction distinctionA A match for 500 between Avowal one of the most moderate horses in training and a purebred Arab was one of the features of the First July meeting in 1S77 T Chaloner rode Avowal and J 7ones was on the Arab which was favorite at 2 to 1 on The nselessness of Arab horses for racing panwses was once more proved by this match Alep being beaten by thirty lengths Springfield tho late Mr Houldsworths idol again won the Julv Cup that season defeating with ease such flyers is Trappist Lollypop and Ecossais EcossaisOne One of the most exciting races ever seen at New miarket was that for the July Stakes in 1884 the tpartleipants being Melton and Luminary Neither Iliad been beaten each had been tried of the very 1iighest class and partisanship ran high Webb rode luminary a very stylish son of Beauclerc Stella trained by John Porter Archer was on Melton vtilcli had made a brilliant debut in the New Stakes t Ascot The betting at the start was 11 to 10 Melton 10 to 1 Luminary and there were four other runners These however could not live with the two cracks which ran a terrilic race home the Kingslere colt boating Mat Dawsons by a head The subsequent careers of the two however were in marked contrast Tho shapely elegant Melton de ¬ veloped into a Derby and St Leger winner and poor Luminary turned roarer and did little good afterwards afterwardsIn In 1SS2 Fred Archer rode ten winners at the First July and was second in six other races It was a favorite meeting of the great jockey which in 1885 hacked himself for a large sum to ride the winners of not less than nine races during the four days lie failed to land this wager however his success ¬ ful rides only numbering live Irf 18SO Archer won the July Stakes on Mr Bairds handsome Sterling colt Enterprise which would almost certainly have won the following years Derby had he not gone wrong on the Saturday before the race raceIf If the Newmarket First July does not make much turf history these days it is a very delightful celebration and is dear to the hearts of those who like to take their racing quietly There is a repose and calm about it which feverish Epsom and strenu ¬ ous Ascot do not possess G B II L in London
