RACING A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 693, 18 June 1903, Page 19

RACING A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

Through the months of December and January, 1803, says “ A. F. M.,” in the “ Field’” there appears to have been little frost or snow ; at any rate, the sporting events arranged for those months, according to the chroniclers of the times, seem to have been got through without interruption’ and so things apparently continued throughout i he winter. Hunting, coursing and shooting, were the popular diversions, the racehorse being in enjoyment of idleness, as steeplechasing, as now conducted under the National Hunt rules, was unknown. The race meetings under the English Jockey Club rules which took place in the season of 1803 were indeed small in number, when compared with those arranged for the pre sent year; in fact the only names of important stakes that existed a century ago are Derby, Oaks, St. Leger, the Juh Stakes at Newmarket, the Stakes and Cup at Doncaster, and a minor event like the Earl of Chester’s Welter in the Chester programme. The racing seasons of 1803, however, when closely examined, does not ap pear to have been of a very sensational character. Of the classic winners, Sir H. Williamson’s Derby hero Ditto, by Sir Peter, stands out boldly as an own brother to the celebrated Walton. Then Remembrancer, for Lord Strathmore, did the unprecedented feat at Doncaster, of winning the St. Leger’ Doncaster Cup and Stakes in the same week. Yet the names of neither of these horses figured subsequently as successful sires. Nor was the year 1803 noticeable for the foaling of celebrities ; indeed, the most important feature that I can trace is that Whitelock, the father of the famous Blacklock t was born that year ; so was the daughter of Gohanna and Flaxineila, who, seven years later gave us by Dick Andrews the well-known sire Tramp. With regard to the various meetings held in 1803, it is surprising to find how few there are of that date that now retain their old-fashioned racecourses. At the present time Newmarket Heath is much the same for racing. The Roodee track is as circular as ever at Chester, and York still sticks to its kuavesmire, although of late obstacles have been put in the way of the committee. Epsom’s famous downs are as of old; Ascot Heath is only slightly altered; and Goodwood as of yore, is “ Glorious Goodwood.” Brighton (in 1803 called Brighthelmston) yet favours its Race Hill Lewes its Southdowns, Warwick its Swan Meadows, Lincoln its Oarholm Salisbury its present drive from the town, Worcester its Pithcroft, Doncaster its Town Moor, Carlisle its Swifts, Norhampton its Common Pontefract its park, and Beverley and Oatterick Bridge their present quarters Of the above the only two centres where two or more meetings were held in the season of 1803 were York and Newmarket. As is now the case the former held its racing in spring and autumn, Newmarket had six fixtures, one less than now, and the titles of the races have practically been preserved, a Second July being quite a recent institution. Considerably over a hundred years ago meetings like Newmarket, Ascot, Epsom, York, and Doncaster flourished, but Goodwood was merely in its infancy, and in 1803 two days arranged in April were evidentally fixed to end the Sussex hunting season, for the programme was made up principally of matches and stakes for hunters and horses bred in the country. Newmarket a century ago was without doubt the chief spot for horse racing, and what the place was like in 1803 may be gathered from a work evidentally published that year called the “ Beauties of England and Wales.” This hook tells of the place as being “ long celebrated in the annals'of horsemanship, for its extensive heath, which, in the neighbourhood of the town, has been formed into one of the finest racecourses in the kingdom.” Then, after mentioning the historic fact of James I, Charles 11., and other Monarchs being in residence there, the story of Newmarket rune on:— “ The idea of racing there was the improving the breed of horses, which, to a certain degree, induced the Legislature to encourage this species of gambling, and even the Throne seems to patronise its continuance, for, in addition to the plates given by the nobility, the King himself gives one or two every year. The chief part of the town is in Suffolk, but the whole of the racecourse, on whose attractive charms its support chiefly depends, is in Cambridgeshire. Most of the houses are modern and well built, and many of them have been erected as residences for the nobility and private gentlemen , who attand the races, and are extremely handsome. Two of the coffee houses are very conveniently furnished for the use of the betters, when they meet to ratify agreements or settle matches. Billiard and other rooms are alro prepared for the reception of those gentlemen who prefer games of skill or hazard to the more boisterous diversions of the Turf, and excellent accommodation for visitors may be found in the numerous inns with which the town is provided. The houses aie chiefly disposed in one long street.” The writer winds up his story by recording that the residents of the Suffolk and Cambridgeshiie town all told numbered 1792. Slyvanus, in his “ Bye Lanes and Downs of England,” fifty years ago, suggests an increased number of inhabitants and more excitement on his first visit to the place, but of all that has been said or written in either of the books mentioned there is one thing certain that with all its increased population and what still more modern innova tions, the racecourse remains intact, It is pleasing, with modern stands and “ up-to-date ” course comforts complete, that the Heath itself, as was the ease a century ago, designated the finest and fairest racecourse in the world, is still at the disposal and receives the patronage of Royalty and the nobility. Epsom races in 1808 started on Wednesday, May 25, and extended to Saturday. The Derby was run on the second day, and is described in the “ Sporting Magasine” as affording an almost unprecedented display of ° sporting brilliancy ”:

“ And the road must have been a great sight in those days. The people are said to have come from the metropolis and th® surrounding country in equipage of every construction. The phaetonic whips with their different beautiful sets of bays, blacks, and pyeballs, evidently displayed a desire to out Herod Herod in the dexterity of their driving, and the repeated enjoyment of ‘ hair-breadth scapes ’ seemed to be the utmost object of the charioteering ambition.” Post-coaches, sociable chases, gigs, chairs, buggies, taxed carts were the names of the vehicles upon the road and the pedestrians were said to have been never equalled upon the downs of ” Surry.” Only a fifty pounds of four miles’ heats was on the programme, and this had thrice to be run. Mr Forth’s Revenge, ridden by the owner, after being fourth in the first heat, won the next two, and this is recorded to have afforded greater sport to the multitude than the Derby itself. To the latter there were only thirty-four subscribers, and the six starters illrepaid the general expectations. Ditto, the winner, it seems, was named by Lord G. H. Cavendish, and “he Jtook the lead at starting, about three lengths, which in running he easily increased to six, and came in with that advantage ; the third was the same distance behind the second, who, like Ditto, was by St. Peter, and the fourth (Mr Watson’s Dreadnought) not at all nearer the third (Sir F. Standish’s brother to Stamford).” The chronicler of these facts said they “ constituted a kind of desponding chasm in the countenance of those who were numerously called upon to pay seven or eight times they had expected to receive ; in fact, those who conceived themselves in the secret lost their money, and to a consi ierable amount. ’

Ditto’s Derby Day, like many others, does not appear to have been free from accidents; on the contrary, they seem to have been very numerous. It is recorded that between the heats for the Fifty Pound Plate two gentlemen, when riding in the direct line of the course, in opposite directions, the chests of the horses came into contact with such dreadful velocity that one was killed on the spot, and the other having his shoulder dislocated a period was pat to its existence likewise. In returning from the downs a horse ran away with a chair, in which were a lady and gentlemen, and for a time threatened most dreadful consequences, but the driver, with a degree of temper and judicious determination, keeping from the road entirely upon the new down arable land for about a mile and a-half, happily brought him up with no other injury than a single fracture of a single trace. In the road between Epsom and Merton no less than three horses lay breathing their last, in ample proof of juvenile folly and inhuman expedition. The course on the Oaks Day (Friday) was described as being again covered with a profusion of company, but not so numerous or variegated as on the Wednesday. Seven ran, and in the result the winner, Sir T. Gascoign’s Tbeophania, a sister to Symmetery, was thought little of. Buokle, however, rode the winner.