The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-02

some distance beyond III, tnere are many
cheaper ones on each sidc OF the course,
| their prices varying with their desira.
| bilIty. Standing room In the main
| edilcs call for s. a head on big days,
with an extra charge of 81. 30 for the free
| dom Of the inner betting ring ana the
| paddock. while the most desirable private
| boxs and reserved seats bring fabulous
| prices. On the great day itself ID, 600
| people are packed into this stand, many
| of whom get but a passing glimpse of the
| horses. The receipts from these on Derby
| day exceed $780, 600, while half as much
moro is earned by the cheaper stands
! and the outside privileges. all the
latter within the main building being re-
served by the company itself. Outside
| the stands the downs arc free TO all pedes-
| trians, though charge Is made for vehi-
| cles u space for them boing reserved on the
J side hill facing the stand. By the time
| the saddling bell for the great race sounds
| "A crowd usually estimated at $50. 600 lines
| the rails ten deep on either side of the
| course clear up to Tattenham corner,
| while thousands more are clustered around
every vantage point especially at the
| starting point. Ii takes large body OF
/ mounted police aided by several divisions
or tho metropolis constabulary, TO keep
| this crowd in order and clear the course,
onto which the people swarm as soon as
| the horses In race are past them'
Race Fixed by Date of Easter.
The date of the EPSON racing carnival
| is fixed, curiously enough. 10y that OF the
| church festival, Easter. the Derby always
bong run on the seventh Wednesday AFTER
| the commencement of the Craven meot-
| ing mt Newmarket. which in the Jockey
! Clubs opinion, begins the racing season.
| This opening is determined by Easter, the
| Craven taking place on Tuesday, Wednes-
| day, and Thursday OF Easter week, II that
/ feast falls in April, or two weeks later II
| il falls in March. In consequence tho race
| always takes place either on tie last wed
| nesday in May or the first one In June
Though less than fifteen miles by road
| from London, Epson Downs would DO
| considered very inaccessible by an Ameri-
| can race goer 1t is true the London,
| Brighton and South Coast Railway has
| special loop and station close TO Tatten-
| ham corner, but its patrons must either
| pay half dollar for hack ride to the
| stand or face dusty and disagreeaDle
| walk of nearly mile before IL Is reached.
| A return ticket by the early specials costs
| 81. %, by the later ones nearly o. Both
| the London and southwestern ana the Ia
| b. and =. G. have stations In the town
| itself. but TO land at either Of them en-
| tails dusty drive of over mile and
| half. up "a steep hill. The most popular
way OF going to the Derby is by road,
| every highway leading out OF the metropo-
| lis in the direction of the downs being
| crowded on the great day with convey
ances of every description, from the four
| in-hand of the peer to the donkey barrow
| of the coster. Though the crush necessi-
| tates slow progress this Is really the best
| and cheapest way of going, especially for
| strangers. A good hanson To accommo'
date two costs $40 for the day. and enables
| its charterers To return as early as or a5
| late as they think fit while the sights and
| bumors of the road will repay the extra
| time expended. But, once landed safely
| at the stand, the troubles of visitor who
| Is out 10 enjoy the races and inspect the
| horses, are not ended.
| Visiting the Paddock.
The paddock, where alone he can ap-
| proach the horses, is over n quarter OF "a
| mile distant and access 10 1t can only
| be gained after elbowing ones way
through a dense mob Its shelter once
gained, peace and quiet can be obtained,
however for it is ten acres in extent ana
! the high charge (s2 JO) for admission
keeps out all but the enthusiasts aud the
swells. The paddock, with tie exception n
| of a narrow space where the track sweI es
into it, is left open during the actual
, progress OF a race, but closed at other
times by a rope lined with policemen. is
| surrounded by a tight board renee on three
sides. tho southern boundary being the
stone wall of Lord Rosebery's beautiful
| suburban seat, the DurCans, at which
| most of the leisure Of the former premier
| is spent There are only few roughly
| constructed sheds for saddllng in one
corner of this inclosure, most OF the com
petitors being put through their toilets
in the open. As to stahliDg the stand
| company provides none, the horses having
| To seek accommodation at the training
| stables in the vicinity, or the liyeries III
| the town, at "a cost OF 80 per head per day.
| There are over dozen training establish
III. IL. Ito, or n hn TCa
but most of their occupants are JumI ers
or selling plateis, Cecil who won the
Cesarewitch for Major Penn mberton in '6S,
beinp tho last good winner trained on
the downs, though St Gatiep, "A dead
heater for the Derby, and Richmond, well
known in this country, took their early
lessons on them.
In former days early betting on the
Derby was general, many yearling books,
| AS they were termed, being opened on II
| as soon as the entries appeared by both
amateurs and professionals, who usually
offered $50, 900 to $500 and take your pick,
When the possible competitors became
two-year olds. and something definite was
known of their merits, very heavy bet
| ting resulted, while as soon as they en-
| tered on their three-y ear-old career enor
nous sums were staked. Almost ever,
| one in the land, whether parson or peas
ant wagered from 5000 down To Dlt
L
today things of the past. Speculation oi
| tho t,xa.ypar. .nlds- confined to the lev
who show high class form in public, an'
IL is not TIL the Two Thousand Guinea
is decided, just month before tho race
that betting on it now becomes general
Then, however, no person III the Kingdom
with any pretensions TO sporting taste
negleots to have n bit ON MS favorite, nc
cordiug 20 his means.
Betting long time before the race ba
, died out in England, not only on tn
Derby, but on all other fixed events tina
; used to provoke IL. One reason Is ther
, are now so many valuable two.year-ol
races that but few horses are Kept dar
(neyer run in public) for the three-yea'
. old stakes Another, that the sportin
| press gives daily such publicity to oil tn
private doings of the horses that the put
: lie are almost as well informed OF thel
, merits and conditions as the owners
trainers themselves, which naturally cor
, | fines speculation TO narrow limits.
I IL must not bc Inferred from this thf
I betting ON horse racing is decreasing
; | ON the contrary. tho total volume n,