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6 THE LINCOLNSHIRE HANDICAP One of Largest Fields in History of Race to Start Today. First Big Stake of English Flat Racing Season Attracting World Wide Attention Its History. Special Cablegram. LINCOLN, England, March 15. Probable starters in tomorrows Lincolnshire Handicap, first big race of the new flat racing season, were reduced to thirty-six this afternoon by the withdrawals of Old Riley, Grand Salute, Kenwyn, Man of Property, Ellen-borough and- Fenchi. Riding arrangements were completed for the great spring handicap which is over the mile course on the Carholme. The field, one of the best seen in the race since it was first run eighty years ago, equals the record of thirty-six starters in 1881. The following are the eligibles: Horse. Wt. Jockey. Heronslea 133 Taylor Diolite 131 Freddy Fox Pomma,ne ..126. Harry Beasley Fleeting Memory 120 Beary Alluvial 119 Carslake Flying Argosy 119 Lady Marjorie 117. .... .Harry Wragg Golden Cloud 115 Wing Zanoff 115. .Gordon Richards Poor Lad...- 112 S. Wragg Eyes Front ...Ill McGuigan Anthurium 109 Sirett Spinners Cottage ..... 108 . . . Steve Donoghue Knight Error 108 John Doyle Light o Love 108 Nevett Red Letter Day 108 Lane Grand Master. 107 Jericho 105 Gethin Sargasso 104 Dines Eldorado 105 Kenhill 104 E. Fox Twelfth Night 104 James Doyle Knight of the Vale. . . 103 Dowdall Breadcrumb 103 Rada 103 Goeasy 101 Weston Witticism 100 Smirke Jerome Fandor 97 Christie Benburb 96 . Carr Ghost Train 96. .Clifford Richards Seascape 95 W. Rickaby Ladies Chain 95 Amoya 94 Quick Fraudulent 92 S. Wales Dooley 92 Philippos 91 Etocks The history of the ancient race and the antiquated Lincoln course, upon which it , is run, presents interesting reading. According to English rules of racing no race under Continued on twenty-first page. THE LINCOLNSHIRE HANDICAP Continued from first page. Jockey Club rules shall be run earlier than in the week which includes March 25, unless that be the one next-before Easter Sunday, in which case races may be run in the preceding week. In accordance with these terms the English racing season this year began March 15, the privilege of holding the first ; meeting falling as usual to Lincoln. It is a privilege that is thus conferred. With the exception of one race the Lincolnshire Handicap the program is a poor affair; but the public, which has seen no racing on the flat for four months, are keen to get in touch with it once more and are not, therefore, disposed to be hypercritical. Lincoln is about 150 miles north of London and perhaps twenty-five miles from the sea coast. At this period of the year it is apt to be a bleak place. The race course lies on an area of flat land, known as the Carholme, at the foot of a ridge which cuts through the City of Lincoln. The beautiful cathedral with its noble towers stands on top of the ridge, and so can be seen a long distance off. It often happens in March that the east wind comes tearing over the ridge and across the Carholme to freeze the marrow of the crowds that assemble to hail the return of racing. But the people turn up year after year regardless of all discomfort. The lure of the turf is as strong as ever, notwithstanding the fact that it is a vastly more expensive pastime to follow than in the pre-war days, when the railway companies provided trains run at specially cheap fares to race meetings. There has been racing at Lincoln for more than 300 years. A meeting was organized there in the spring of 1617 for the benefit of King James I., the father of the two Charleses, who were both keen patrons of the turf. The races King James witnessed were run on a course situated to the south of Lincoln, whereas the Carholme, which has been used as long as anybody living can remember, is on the north side of the town. With regard to King James visit, it is recorded that His Majesty "stood on a scaffold which the city had caused to be set up." There is, however, a document in existence which shows that the cost of erecting the royal stand had to be borne by the Icing himself. It was thought worthy of note to record that for that memorable occasion the last two furlongs of the race course were railed and corded with rope "on both sides" so that the people were kept out "arid the horses that ran were seen fair." It is a far cry to those days of improvisation, but the Lincoln race course even of today, is rather antiquated. Some of the accommodations have been modernized, but alongside are antediluvian structures probably a century old. The course is, however, only used seven days each year, so there is not much inducement to the management to lay money out on costly improvements. This is one great drawback to racing in England. There are far too many race courses. If there were fewer they would be more frequently used, and it would become worth while to equip and keep them on thoroughly up-to-date lines. The Lincolnshire Handicap, which will be run today, is a race which dates back to the year 1853. At the outset it was called the Lincoln Spring Handicap. It was then a small affair, a sweepstakes of 0 each, half forfeit. A paltry 50 was added. Moreover, the owner of the winner was called upon to contribute 0 toward the expenses of the meeting. There were nine starters in 1853, and the value of the stakes to the winner was 10. The race was won that year by an aged horse called Caurire, who later in the season was sent to France. For the first twelve years the Lincoln Spring Handicap was run over a mile and a half. In 1855 the winner was the three-year-old Saucebox, which had only three opponents and started an even money favorite. The following September Saucebox won the St. Leger at Doncaster. He is the only classic horse which has won the Lincolnshire Handicap. That brilliant mare Sceptre, however, was beaten a head only in 1902, the year she won the Two Thousand and One Thousand Guineas, the Oaks and the St. Leger. The daughter of Persimmon-Ornament was not thoroughly trained when she ran at Lincoln, or she would most certainly have won quite easily and have placed a small fortune in the pockets of her then owner, Robert Sievier. As it was, St. Maclou caught her on the post and won by a head. Sceptres defeat served to emphasize the idea that three-year-olds cannot be expected to win the Lincolnshire Handicap in March, no matter how leniently they are handicapped. True, no three-year-old has won the race since 1893, when Barcaldines son Wolfs Crag was successful, but the fact is that during all the intervening years few three-year-olds have been given an opportunity of winning, and with the exception of Sceptre, which, when half fit, all but scored a victory, they have been second and third rate horses. The real truth is that if a horse is engaged "n. the classic races it does not pay to pre- pare him so soon for a severe ordeal like the Lincolnshire Handicap. If our trainers would put forward that excuse instead of pretending that a three-year-old has no chance, there would be no more to be said. In 1892, the year before Wolfs Crag won, the first and second horses were both three-year-olds, the "winner being Clarence. There was only one other three-year-bid in the field that year. Then, again, mares have rarely won the Lincolnshire Handicap. The last to do so was Little Eva, wlio carried off the prize in 1901. But the idea that mares possess but a slender chance, of winning the Lincolnshire is as strongly rooted as the prejudice against three-year-olds, and few have been entered for the race in recent years. In 1865 the distance of the Lincolnshire was reduced to a mile, and ever since it has been decided over a straight eight furlongs of practically level ground, though there are slight undulations. By the year 1873. the Lincolnshire had become a sweepstakes of 5 each, 0 forfeit, with ,500 added. It was then worth ,325 to the winner and there were 100 entries. In 1874 the sweepstakes was increased to 00 and ,000 was added. This change was due to some of the leading bookmakers- How it came about is told by the late George Hodgman, in his wonderfully interesting book, "Sixty Years on the Turf." While the Lincoln spring meeting of 1873 was in progress another bookmaker, Harry Steel, approached Hodgman and asked whether he did not think that the added money should be increased to ,000, seeing that the value Of other handicaps was being increased. "Yes" said Hodgman, "but where is the extra ,500 coming from?" "We will get it out of the ring," replied SteeL Two or three members of the ring quickly collected the money and handed it to the clerk of the course. So ,000 was added to the race the-following year. The event at once gained an added importance and the meeting of 1874 was so successful that the clerk of the course, when thanking those who had subscribed the ,500 for their liberality, told them that the executive would in the future be able to find the additional money. There were 150 entries and thirty-five starters for the race in 1874, and the value to the winner was ,850. Only once has there been more runners in 1881, when the number was p thirty-six. Ever since 1874 the Lincolnshire has been a highly popular handicap, largely because it is the first big race of the year. Entries are received at the beginning of January, the weights are published at the end of that month, and so for six or seven weeks the public makes it. a frequent topic of discussion. As a medium for ante-post betting, it possesses a strong attraction. Hence the intense interest with which the result is awaited all over the kingdom. Only once has the race produced a dead heat in 1871, when Vulcan and Veranda could not be separated. And only one horse has ever won the Lincolnshire twice. The distinction belongs to the French horse 6b, who was successful in 1906 and 1907. The first year he carried 112 pounds and started at 20 to 1; the second year his weight was 122 pounds, and odds of 25 to 1 were laid against him. The longest priced winners were Oberon and Veracity, successful in 1887 and 1888. Both were 50 to 1 chances. The Lincolnshire is a race rarely won by the favorite.
