The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-18

may secure the profits which they now go
slipping away from them.
The Cost of Horse Racing in England.
Some curious statistics have been lately
compiled In London to show the amount OF
money spent ON the English turf. Why the
data on this suhjert should I've peculiarly
hard to verify or estimate we do not know,
| but the present IL said to be- the first pro-
else and authentic statement Of the facts.
II appears that the number Of bloodcd
colts sold during 1876 added 500 candidates
for racing honors to the existing stables, and
that the public sales of the present year arc
expected to show equivalent results But
these figures do not represent more than
third OF the now racing stock reared In Eng
land during given year, the aggregate
progcniturc Of the 1858 mares registered in
the Racing Calendar rising in 1876 toupward
Of 1900, including both colts and iillics.
Many Of these, however, are never seen ON
the turf, but are trained for the hunting field
or the side saddle; 80 that cautious csu-
mate would supplement from private trans
actions by only 30 the annual contingent Of
ono derived from public sales Now, in com
putting the amount Of capital invested in
ln'St dlllifltl~. W. u'ffl liNA illhNu NNi'Nr
ON the exceptional sums paid for certain
colts Of famous lineage. We will only men
ton that at the recent sales from the Cob
ham Company's stables five yearlings
brought 5000 apiece, while in the July sales
at Newmarket the price of four colts ranged
from 800 to $4,000, and one was purchased
for sl2.yp. What We wish to ascertain IL
the average price. and this 10y a collation.
of all the public sales held during the present
year we find to hc $40 gulnoas, or say 81 800
In other words. the $50 colts purchased for
racing purposes in single twclvcmonth rep
resent total outlay OF more than nil
lion dollars.
The next item In the expense account Of
the English turf Ii still more considerable.
According to the official calendar more than
two thousand horses of oil ages ran IN the
races Of last year. These must likewise he
computed To have cost. when purchased at
the age Of one year, not less than three hun
dred guineas apiece. making total dis
bur-oment of three million dollars Ia be-
added to the figures before cited. Again. I'll"
hloodeI stock from which these animals
have sprung possesses proportional"
value We need only cite, by way Of illus
tration. the breeding mare Formosa, which
was sold last year for $4,000, the stallion
scottish Chief, purchased by his present
owner at the Dewhurst sale for $4,000
Blair Athul, for whom the Gotham Company
paid s6leO; and Doncast"r, winner OF
the Derby in 70, who brought sI2.fr
Passing 10 average values, W. ma
that the brood mares from Middl" Park
were sold not long ago for a mean price ol
229 guincas head Applying this standard
OF value, which, however, III the Judgment
Of experts IL much tao lnW- l.. The m 'cfff
Racing Calendar t265s, We have new
item of about three million dollars charge
able against the English turf A. regards
stations, the Wcthcrby Calendar for 1876
cnumerates ga. which, If we accept the
reasonable estimate OF $3.50 apiece, would
represent an additional outlay Of tl.37O,OOO
II is probable that Il scrutiny Of the famous
names included In the existing stud would
tend to place much higher the mean value
Of these animals. but under statcmcnts will
only fOrtify the general inference suggested
10y all these figures SO far IL appears that
the amount Of money invested in racing
stock aggregates n capital sum Of $3.50 800.
OF which the interest at five per cent en-
cccds 100000.
This interest, however, represents hut a
trivial share Of the annual expenses incident
to the racing system. Experience shows
that the maintenance Of an English race
horse costs at least 1880 year; indeed,
most experts would max" the outlay one
fifth larger. 1t follows that the two thou
sand or more Of horses under training in
1876 imposed upon their owners an expend-
ture Of two and halt million dollars. while
IA lnpIraI md ri In, "a, ..
purchased for racing objects during the
same year must have exactcd further dis
bursements, computed AT $500 apiece, or, in
the aggregate, $4,000. In the estimate
from which we draw these figures no charge
is made for expenditures on account Of
stations or brood mares, these being offset
by the proceeds from the sale Of colts. The
ultimate result of these calculations, which,
II is claimed are now undertaken for the
first time, is sufficiently impressive. They
demonstrate that the English racing sys-
tenn, including the interest of capital in
vested and the cost of maintaining stock,
lays on the nation an annual burden OF at
least S3,3O0,OO0
When these facts are once brought out IL is
seen to be out Of the question that race
horses should reimburse by the prizes gained
the outlay Of their owners II is just posi-
BILE that given horse might win two or
three Of the great prizes, namely, the Two
Thousand Guincas, the Derby, and the st.
Legrr, whose united value is about $4,000
But such cases are very rare, and the dcci-
sive point il that the sum of all the prizes
run for during tn" past year did not exceed
$1,000, O0O--was, in other words about two
iilths of the amount expended by the sta
blcS Moreover, We must bear in mind that
much the larger share OF the sum covered
by prizes was derived from entry fees that
is the owners of horses were running, so TO
speak for their own money. Thus, in the
engagements for the St Lcgcr of 1873, which
foot up some $50, French noblcman and
Scottish peer are respectively credited with
IA aud II entries. Under these circum-
stances, racing stables cannot count upon
legitimate winnings TO offset more than a
very trivial fraction Of their annual outlay
Stripped Of the prctoxts which have found
| uISIa tha ia, f,,,r Ia,