The New York herald., 1877-02-15
THE ENGLISH TURF.
INTERNATIONAL RACING IN EN0LANp-rHE
xNoLIsH AND FRENCH JOCKEY CLUBS AT
Lo0oERHRADs--INTERNAT ATIONAL RACES.

LoooKRHRADs-INrERNAT RACES
LONDON, JAN 81, 1877.
John Bull, In his sporting capacity, Is bu,toning up
his pockets Free trade Is all very we'll as applied 10
commerce, aud has suited his shopkeepng propensi-
ties admirably but he is beginning 10 doubt the adapt
ability Of the principle 10 his pet pastme, racing
That eminent sportsman Lord Falmouth. has laid
before the Jockey Club resolution which, II carried,
will put IN end the present system OF unrcservcd
and opcn-handed welcome to all comers ard establish
In its place "proection and reciprocity The liberal
ny OF the English ockey Club for time past, in
deed, has been extraordinary, and must have been
almost surprising as 1t was gratifying to foreign
sportsmcn and owners OF racchorscs Foremost among
the rivals OF England on the ground over which shc
once held undisputed superiority IS France Not
many years ago the French had racehorscs and no
propensity whatever for racing; they were, in fact,
almost the least .'horsey' people in Europe,
knowing nothing about and caring little for tho
improvements in breeding, which, carried through
long Of years. have produced that highest form
OF equine perfection, the racehorse But having ac-
qured from England the asc for racing they imported
English horses, English trainers and English Jockeys,
and having thus created their own "turf' have re-
peatcdly beaten John Bull his ground, with his
weapons and carried homo across the "siiver
streak' thousands upon thousands OF pounds OF his
money and much Of his ''plae." Open TO all the world
have been these modern Olympic games OF England,
and lately there has been further concession TO
foreigners IN the OF one OF the most famous OF
races, the Goodwood Cup, liberal allowance of weight
bsing given horses oacd out Of Great Britain which
might compete forl It,
The result OF this free trade has been that al
though English bred horses have generally held their
against their foreign adversars The spectacle has
frequently been Witnessed OF horses With which
sometimes have presented an amusing stumbling block
TO the gentlemen or tho "ring'' winning the
Tho Derby and tho Oaks have twice fallen 10
foreigners the Ascot ard Goodwood Gu ps each thrice
while last year the Middle Park aud Dcwhurst Plates
the ost important two-year-od races of tho year.
carried of by French colt Upon the thoroughly
sound and sportsmanlKe principle OF "may tho best
win, there nothing all this to complain Of
but the grievance OF the 10 English minds that
the French Jockey Club have not returned the comp
ment 0 throwing their open TO England in the
manner hut have persstently maintained close
and stringent cxclusivencss, restricting nli their i'm
portant prizes except the Grand prix de Paris, 20
E0rscs bred IN their own country Under these Cir
rumstances Lord Falmouth has determined bring
The subject delicate difficult though be- strongly
lnd unhesitatingly before the English Jockey Club.
His resolution will be coached in the following terms-
s'rhat produce stakes weight tforage to be-
entered Tor as ioals, ycarngs or o-yearolds shall
be open 10 orcigubrcd horses, unless specially adver
tised 20 be unless such horses bred In those
countries which open their races on equal terms
t. British horses"
Alluding 10 some remarks which appeared in tho
Daily Telegraph upon this proposed resolution Lord
Falmouth has written the following interesting letter
LORD FALMOUTH on WRIGHT AGE RACES.
Commencing by asserting the desirabty OF placing
before the public some OF the reasons winch have n-
duced him submit To the Jockey Club $50 disasto.
fu! measure" the noble lord and veteran sportsman
goes on 70 say:-"Severa years ago called the aten.
ihs club to the inevitable Consequences Of
throwing open all our races, as matter OF
course to the horses OF other countries, but thcro
were not sufficient data ut that time TO lead to any
definite Conclusions, and the matter was treated as
one merely OF opinion since Then anen every WORD ora urged
when It IS easily seen that owing TO tho prohibt
against our horses running abroad. the number
ol mares kept IN tho country has been annually
decreasing, that English breeders deprived Of
almost every foreign market, excepting be 1t SAID to
their praise that OF the United STATES America aud
that Tor tho the country further
threatened with additional loss by the removal OF
breeding Establishments tho Continent. 1t is surely
high lime some steps taken stop these dsas-
trous results, and II only to be hoped they may not
be too late Every one with the SUBJECT OF
horse racing Is doubtless aware that 1t virtually
resolves itself into two classes, OF which may be
termed the handicap and plating element. the other
been that while the ormcr has greatly Increased the
latter with difficulty holds its own-s3 much so that
the majority Of meetings We have but little else than
Bhort-coursc handicaps ard selling races aud
Newmarket last autumn, whole day devoted TO
Ihs description oi sport.
CAUSES os rnE DECLINE IN WEIGHT FOR AGE RACING.
1--WE have always been told tnat weight for age racing
the most worthy OF support, and believe this view
10 generally Endorsed by the country; but every
Of experience Will acknowledge the downward Ten
dency above referred 10 Is only the natural conse
quence OF practice which allows tpouS encOurager les
autres supposed large sums OF money subscribed by
the followers left OF lhs best branch OF .he pur
suit TO 20 annually the improvement the horses
other nations, whose breeders judging from the In
Of racing In recent years on the Continent have
not been slow to pront by such rnnocenr policy.
contributions TO our stakes here have than
Ierbaianced any loss English horse owners may have
suffered. Il ig heartily to DO wished IL So
csn only say that II it wore. Tor would never
inter word against the present state OF things; but
alter year bad, naturally, and without knowing
why, arc ,nsensiby driven from wcight.ior.
naions but little in comparison to ourselves
II suppose tnat the principles OF
are compromised ny the proposition now before U.S. in
asmuch by them the foreign competitor supplies
with necessary return Tor gold whereas ia
case he runs oil with our money and his goods too.
WINNINGS or FoREIGN STABLES IN 1876
"last year--not exceptional one-the Continental
horses netted between Ga, 900 and els 900
above their owners contributions our wcight.for-
age stakes should like Know how It can possibly
be expected that those English horsc owners who ran
next ihem ana on whom tho whole burden fell can
subscribe largely this year this description OF
they would have done If they had not had to
aergo such drain upon their purses. Thcv cannot
snjoy the sport, but do pay. We told that
pass such a rule would be tantamount to acknow-
Is difficult understand such reasoning what we
domand is to be placed IN position y attack and, to
SHOW the readiness oi TINS country 70 assert ITS
superiority, l may call your attention the
circumstance, that while in our very next
Derby the whole Of the nations OF the Continent
put together contribute twcnyeIght subscr ptons, to
The Grand Prix this tight little island alone fur
nishes lOS Nor should the high sounding phrases Of
friendly rivalry BRUSH 'ibcraIity' AID other
Sentimental feelings be any longer permitted 10 inter-
lere with matters OF hard business In which British
interests involved. 1t IL because believe the
character and consequent value OF horses-which
am confident are as gooG as over-are by our policy
becoming unjustly traduced ycarlings rendered
utterly valuecss on the Continent and the like
descr ipton OF racing promoted, that have given
notice Of my motion; and II the country prefers to
uphold the present policy can do but, II II does
II may be- certain Of thing, that Is that our
bre~ding and weight forage racing become
matters OF history. remain, SIR, your obedicnt
want, FALMOUTH.n
The matter has. US may bc imagined created much
interest sporting circles. and there be no doubt
that II the racing community could decide the ques
tion by Lord Falnouth's motion would DC carried
by large majority. AS IL Is he has the ardent sup
port OF such influential sportsmen Admiral Rous
and Sir John d. Ashley and is tho hope OF all lovers
OF lair play that France will follow the example Of
Pica nd mn her IN rke,x tn tha