Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-06-03
ON THE DOWNS.

To-day is the one day in which all
Englishmen who can possibly do SO, leave
care and business, and go to Epson
Downs to see the Derby races. The
T,ib,,ae of this morning makes an error
in speaking of this day, but does 1t on
the authority OF a couple of English gen.
tlemen who misinformed the Tribune
writer as to the date at which the Derby
was instituted. Rice, in his history OF
the British Turf, says that races have been
held on EPSON Downs since 1870, but
that the Derby was instituted by an an
cestor OF the Earl OF Derby in 1870. II
is the great day in the week at EPSON,
and the winner of the Derby is more
honored on that day than any other per-
sonage in England, and to be the wearer
of the "blue rihand OF the turf IS greater
than TO be the wearer OF the Garter
There have been times when both Houses
OF Parliament have adjourned, and 1t Is
said that for at least fifty years after the
institution of the Derby it was the GUS
tom of the members OF the House OF
Commons to go to the Epson races. On
Tuesday, May IS, 1847, Lord George
Bentinck moved "That the House on It's
rising do adjourn till Thursday" and
ever since that day the House has ad-
iourned from Tuesday till Thursday dur
ing the Derby week. Rice describes the
course as follows:
The new Derby course, over which the
race for the Blue Riband is now run, Is d
better course at starting by far than that OF
n few wears AGO. The features of the track
are almost too well known to need descrlp,
ton here. The beginning OF the race Is
ridden over a wide track, with ample room
for forty starters, if as many come 10 the
most. The first ground covered is a steep
ascent. followed, when the top of the hill Is
reached, by tolerably fiat ground for three
furlonps Then comes the very sharp de-
scent to Tattenham Corner rather dan
oerous curve; and the straight run IN OF
rather less than half mile IS al
most fiat, the rise to the stand
being very gradual and Slight. With
the exception of Tattenham Corner,
there is no dangerous part Of EPSON race
course, and the running track all round the
course is of ample width to afford elbow
room to practically unlimited number OF
starters"
The length Of the Derby is a mile and a
half, and not two miles and a half. The
first winner Of the Derby was Sir c. Bun
bury's Diomal. Previous to 1916 no Off
cial time was kept OF the race, when Mr..
Gullys horse, Pyrrhus the First, was
winner in 2:55. The best time ever made
was by Colonel Towneley's Kettledrum,
who run it in 2:43. Only one foreign
horse has ever won the Derby, and that
was Mr.. Lorillard's Iroquois. The other
great English races are the st. Leger,
Oaks, also instituted by the Earl Of
Derby, in I779, Two Thousand, and One
Thousand Guinea. The Grand Prix de
Paris is only second in Importance to the
Derby, and this was won by Mr.. Keene's
Foxhall the same year that Iroquois won
the Derby. None OF the races in the
United States have the same Importance
attached to them that is attached to the
Derby in England. To have a Derby
winner in England is the same as having
a Maud S. in the United States.
To-day the happiest man in England
is Lord Hastings, whose bay colt Melton
has just won the Derby, and given to his
owner that for which many men would
give fortune. Lord Hastings holds the
"blue riband of the turf"