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FAMOUS ENGLISH RACE COURSES. As the classic events of the English racing season, the .Derby, "St Leger and Oaks, always create considerable interest in lovers of the thoroughbred In all parts of the world, it will not be amiss to say a ten- words concerning the courses over which these historic races are run. . .Ndt the least interesting feature of these courses Is their age. , Racing was held at Epsom as far back .as 1643, but it did not assume a permanent character until the first Derby in 17S0." The famous Newmarket course is over two hundred yearn old, while the Ascot races owe their origin to Quoeii Anne in 1711. The York ana Dont-aster meetings are over pue" bliptlrefl and fifty years old, while that at Goodwood is over one hundred years old. The three Thames Talley courses Hurst, Park, Kempton Park and Saudown Park are all modern courses, established in the last thirty-five years. It was on the last-named course, however, that- the first race for 0,000 stakes took place. Twenty-thrCe years ago the managers of Sandown Park startled the racing world bv instituting the Eclipse Stakes, nominally worth this amount first won by that famous horse, Bendigo and tho 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, tho races for these enormous stakes, attract the best horses of each year, and it is on record that in 1S93 two winners or the Derby, two winners of the St. Leger, 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, tho "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, where 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 5 is levied on yearlings taking their first lessons. Altogether between 1913.sh0,000 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 bo 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 ge gained, by properly "placing" a horse. It is at Newmarket where King Georges 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, 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 Bentnlnck some sixty years ago the Derby at Epsom might have been crossed off the racing calendar V In 1829-30, 00,000 was spent on the erection of the grandstand, wliich accommodates 7,500. spectators. The maintenance of the. Epsoni summer meeting, however, cost more than the revenue from th.e stables, etc., and the .consequence was that the clerk of the course weiit ,16 Lord George. Benthinck and explained that unless more . money was forthcoming, this meet-lug would probably come , to ah. end. Lord George lent the clerk o,g00, which the latter used to such good purposes 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 1SS4 they brought 00. although they dropped some 00 after that. This was owing to a falling off in the entries for the Derby and Oaks, however, and n great fillip was given to the popularity of Epsom when, in 1890, it .was announced that in future -the Derbv would be worth, a. guaranteed minimum of 5,000. Its guaranteed value was then made 2,500, at which it now stands- , There are several courses at Epsom, but the chief of them nil is the Derby course of one and one-half miles. This course .contains the steepest "hill leading down to Tattehham Corner to be found on any important course iii the kingdom. In addition, the firs 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 Wiethe 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 Buckhourids. The Ascot course is generally considered to be the best in England, one great advantage being that practically the. whole Of tho rucing can be seen from the stands. The race for. the St. Leger, which fakes 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, inostly Yorkshircmeh, 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 ,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 nice for the Gimcraek Stakes-founded in honor of Gimcraek, a famous grey horse foaled in 17C0, -which won races when he was eleven years old being. almost equally popular.
