The New York herald., 1877-11-23
THE CAMBRIDGESHIRE COURSE
From the Field, October 27.l

lSiom sne Fielu, octooer
it's related by the solo companion who was with
nim upon the occasion that, when Admiral Rous rode
out upon tho heath at Newmarket for the Hrss Time
alter the demolition Of The Dukes Stand he pulled his
horse up ut the Red Post and sadly and silently
templated Thai time honored monitor OF the past ~
VIII have now coat Of paint given TO this dear old
post al length he exclaimed, sfor II is the
mento LETT OF The Newmarket OF my youth" II was
10 this accident that the ked Post which now figures
consDicuously In the descriptions OF races run over
tho Criterion Course as aid tho Dukes Stand while it
still existed. Is indebted for the bright rod coat
which lick OF paint has bestowed upon it
and for the superscriptioE inscribed upon it OF
'Bettng Post OF tho Beacon Course. l70n AS 10 the
Newmarket OF . century and three quarters ago.
when the sdcar old post" or its predecessor was
first driven into the ground. We know scarcely more
about It than OF the version OF Roman history given
by tytus Lvius Patavinus in his lost second decade
Thus "Baily's Racing Registcr undertakes to furnish
a synopsis Of British racing 'from the nrst period
OF its assuming definite and organized form down
to modern times;, but the lrst meeting chroni
cled IN II took place at York in the September OF
100 As a significant indication Of what racing there
WAS, wo road that the last race OF the meeting "A
Plato OF fl0, four mile heats" In connection with
which il is recorded that "thc third heat q dead
heat between Button and Mnkmaid, but the riders
being guilty OF foul play In running, and aitcrward
On HorseOack plate was gwen 70
The nrst mention Of Nowmarkot mado by tho
"Racing Register" related to a meeting which
took place tho October OF IT'S. and of'vne
twelve which then occurred ,hcro was not
over less distance than four miles In 1910 there Ia
again bat one meeting on record, In which the only
exceptions to four-milc races that the Duko Of
Wharton's Dangerhed beat Mr.. Frampton's Gandor
over Elk milo course In q so guinea match. and
that tho Duke OF Devonshire's bay mare by Bas,o
beat Mr.. Frampton's Nutmeg eight-milo
course IN q match for $50 gulncns Apiece. II will
thus be seen that the .beltlng post OF the Beacon
Course" must have been the busicst and rveiiess
spot upon tho Heath when good Queen Ammo was ON
the throne. and during the reign OF two, II nos
tho three first Georges In thoso days. when match
was mado without the course being specified Il WAS
taken Tor granted that II was to be .sover the
Beacon" Nor thero any lack OF close and cxcit
Ing nnshcs seeing that October 3, 17lS tho Duke
OF Wharton's Chance and Lord Hllsborough's gray
mare. carrying stone each, tried conclusions
the Beacon Course which Is four miles ono urlons
and forty-,hrce yards in length, and dead heat
Again, In 1899. Sir Harry vano Tempest's Hambe.
tonian, aged seven, met Mr.. Cooksons Diamond, OF
the snm0 ago, over the Beacon, and ono OF the most
terrific races on record In which the riding Of FRANK
Buckle ana Dennis Fitzpatrick ex,olled in tho su-
perlatives then employed by sporting writer's, ended
IN the victory Of Hambotonan by haif IA neck
" was said--probaoiy without accuracy-that In
this match tho four miles and upward we're lit
tie thnu eight minutcs and that i3OO
changed hands on the occasl on So Interesting are
the details OF these old matches to turf antquarana
that The total silence which prevails TO tue racing
during and anterior to the nrst hall oi last century
has often boon bewaed BY those who love 10 burrow
IN the dust OF the past, But a. least we know enough
TO icei certain that the Bettng Post o the Beacon
Course" must have witnessed many stIrr,ng
scenes; for, IN his ANATOMY OF Mcanchoy,h
old Burton. who died in 1889, tells that .Horse
races are dspors Of great men, aud are good 10 them
selves. though many gentlemen by such means gailop
quite out OF ihoir fortunes" There was Beacon
Course when these written, and yet IL ID
evldont that there never can nave beun time
horse races were first celebrated In England when
! heavy wugers made upon their issues. For
these rcasons II Is not difficult to understand aud to
sympa,h,xc with the natural affection winch Aamiral
Rous felt and expressed Tor 'that old post Tho
Newmarket which u recalls IS as rrevocabie tho
shcridan's "scnoo for Scandal !" but arc now
alive luger fondy over tue too scanty "reminiscences
Of scenes IN which many great statesmen,
the past, took part Mr. Wyon, tue very iutcst
historian VINO. treats Of Great Britain during
tho reign OF Queen Anne, - tells that Harley
went out of olice IN l7l0 committee was formed to
institute rigorous examination INTO the financial
administration OF the late government. tit was for
tunate Tor GodoIphn at ths oonJunctrrc,' adds Mr..
wyon, .that tho world firmly believed him be
what nc was In TACT poor man. He WAS AZ least un.
attended by any OF tho evidences oi wealth. HIS
style OF living was snguiurly devoid OF luxury
tentaton. HIS passion Tor horse racing, cock light
ing and card playing was, indeed, notorious, but. II
was also notorious that he was seldom loser by his
betnR transactions, which he conducted with all
warncss and cool calculation Of professional black
leg"
i
dolphin, who was superb borssman, mus, oisen nave
galopcd up to the betting post Of the Beacon tho
eve OF some famous match, 10 take CT lay odds, as hs
fine judgment OF racing suggested II was To him thnt
MIR. Williams. proprietor Of tho 81. Jaines's Coffee
house-whicn stood ON The spot now occupied by lna
| 1hatchcd House Club-made present of the Godul.
phin Arabian, whom another English sportsman
deserted while employed IN the drudasry Of drawing
sand cart in Paris. Having boon brought 10 England,
the Godolphn Arabian became the oI Lora Godol.
phins Laih, who was tho best horse at Newman.
ket since ChIders. We know that tho great
Duke oi like all good soldiers, was
passionately fond OF horses, often consulted Lord
Godolphn about strains OF pedigree and crosses OF
blood; and the Duke OF Cumberland, by whom Eclipse
was bred, got some oil his choicest brood mares IRON
Gogmagog, the Canbrid eshire homo Of Lord Godol-
pnin Il is probable that Corporal Joho,n as his
soldiers called the hero ol Bicnhem and Malpaquet,
may have ss. on horseback beside tina. .Red Post.
| although absent IRON England during the year In.
scrbod upon ~ which was the date oi his greatest
victory. Here also the famous Lord Bolinsbroks
must sometimes have been seen, and likewise hia
successor, the owner OF "iitte Gimcrack,' whose
picture was bequeathed by Admiral Rous TO tne
Jockey Ciuo. hither again came SIR Robert Wapole
and his rival Pultcncy, OF whom the latter contributed
charming paper on Newmarket 70 the periodical IS.
tablishcd by tho witty and refined Lord Chesterfield,
and to which no gave the Of The World
The Duke OF Grafton, upon whom Junius has con.
| fcrrcd Questionable Immortality, was regular fro.
qucnter oi tho Heath; and who that has any regard
Tor the storied past Is ignorant OF tho description
youtn-Charies JAMES Fox, before US as ne gaiopsd
after competing horses, with his hat on. his shirt
front open aud hts long black hair noating la tho
| windY
Well, thon, may tho poor Admiral have muscd over
that historical post Tor IL rs rauah with memories OF
winch no other oiJcct or building ~ Newmarket Is
suggestive. The course over which The Cambridge
stakes run u, as regards antiquity but
cnid wnen compared with that silent remem branccr
OF tho Beacon Course and OF It's pristine
glorics; but something OF the same feel
ing which bound the Admiral TO tho "Red
Post" behind the reluctance Of tho
Jockey Club 10 decree that the last OF The great New
market haLdicaps shall DO transferred TO the much
roomer and more unobjcctonabio course "Across tno
Nat We learn therefore, with much satisfaction
that Mr. Nceorge tho starter Is oil opinion that tho
nj "a uI hor
the left nand Of tho ino when the start Tor the Gam
brdgeshrc takes place arc not nearly great as is
generally supposed; and IN continuation oi thIs opn
Ion Jopgeur has Just won, carrying the highest weight
ever borne triumphnntiy by a three. .ycaroid, and
acspitc tho circumstance that lac drew mo- 20"
which landed him, nl The outset tnan nall
down tho hill For ourselves, No can objection
TO permitting these owners whose horses are drawn
low the list TO In second line, arraycd
behind tho numbers ranging between QUO aud Twelve u
II seems gooa To them 10 do. But. be Tins may,
certainly TO be deprecated that Newmarket should
j he silll assiuilaicd LEaxAeu aul Sandaxu