The sun., 1901-09-29
ENGLISH RACING WOMEN.
Great Ladies Of ne Turf - Described
BY an Authority.

contributes tho .On-Looksr's Notebook
TO the Aanehesisr Guardian s always in
| teresting chiefly because he has lived
all his Year, among the society be describes
| This week he has q most interesting tale
| 10 tel Of the racing woman as she used 10
s1ist. and etil exists 10 England. HO
writes
Il oncs found myself sitting by the sister
Of ono Of the lost leaders Of tho turf
q man whose achievements and disasters
had bean the wonder Of his ume-and In
reply 20 some modest proposal Of naine
she said No, never bet You wouldn't
bet II you had lived six months cheek by
jowl with q baihn put into your homo on
account OF racing debts. But / know
n good horse when see him. and I love "A
good race. and Tattenham Corner simply
makes my heart stand still' There spoke
the woman who loved tho game for hs
games sake, and was never a penny the
richer or the poorer for the games result
Quite n different type IL the woman who
makes racing her profession II ! adopt
the name OF Catherine, Countess OF Ascot,
] do 90 partly because IL presents no audible
resemblance TO tho real name of the lady
whom have In mind. and partly because
the Lady Ascot OF 'Rsvenshoe' Is q perfect
portrait OF the racing ,sentlewomsn; The
her blood shrewd eve 10 the main chance.
an intense love Of excitsment and adventure
were elements a. strongly marked In her
nature as warmth Of heart and loyalty "
her friends
pursuit Of her life was racing She went
about 10 In tho most busines--like manner
lived on intimate terms with owners OF
horses. exchanged friendly oonhdences
with trainers. took . motherly interest In
l., oil F.A hnr Inf, rxagk
care. applied IL with sldl. bore lossee with
patience and enjoyed triumphs without
undue e1altation. She lived In racing.
for racing and by racing
Her winnings formed tho bulk Of her
income. and at the beginning OF each Lon
don season It was easy 20 Judge by tho
greater or less smartness Of her carriage
and horses whether the previous twelve
month"; racing had been successful or
disast rous.
Duchess Of Doublegloucester. Those who
were present at the famous racins trial OF
Wood vs. Coz, about the alleged pulling OF
Success. will vividly refnsmber her Grace's
deportnent In the witness boz: The
Jockeys and trainers had shufled and
wriggled. and the smart young gentlemen
who patronize the turf had missed tho
point Of every question and stared about
them like calves In a pen. To them sue
ceeded the Duchess-and great was the
contrast.
.she moro than justified Lord Herschelrs
dictum that women are tho best witnesses
answered every question promptly and
precisely. spoke In the clearest tone, stood
her ground with the most perfect dignity,
and when shs had occasion u Use any Of
thu techincal jargon Of the turf she In
variably translated II into ordinary Eng
llsh Ia a bewitching aside addressed To the
very unsportsmanlke gentlemen In tho
jury boz.
i.l - o - -.
had left her q stud and a million de-
ternined 70 express her gratitude by
some appropriate memorial Moved by
the spiritual destitution of the jockeys at n
racing centre which abe specially affected.
she built them handsome church. In
order to perIetuate her position as tho
pious foundress. shs caused counter
ieit prcsentment OF herself. in the character
Of a saint whose name shs bore, 20 be- in
serted In the reredos The Incumbent. with
INJURED Ia this erection; whereupon tho
Duchess, deftly turning the reproach away
from herself. went about saying, Parsons
are such unreasonable people Mine won't
have poor ST Brdgitina In his reredos
II is 81 uncalled for. I'm told she Was a
most respectable person not a word against
her character
But this was not the only modification
10 which the pious and sporting foundress
was exposed. Some one who noticed that
she no longer attended her own church
asked her tho reason sho replied, with
emotion; How can |? I'm not Ia cnarity
with Tom SnAff'e. He shared my hymn
book on Sunday and pulled my horse on
Monday
These are some oi the moro credl,able
instances OF the racing woman / have
known less agreeable specimens
whom the demon Of gambling has made
iis own. and whom no domestic obligations
can soften or restrain. Tradition says
that one such was entertaining party
for Donoaster races. Her husband died
suddenly She retired to her own rooms.
but would not allow the party 10 break
up, saving that the fact that there was
a corpse In the house need mako no differ
ence 10 any ones enjoyment.
quite recently "a racing wife dragged
q moribund husband from one mss,ting
to another, cloaking her own tnveterats
love OF excitement under tho rather thread
bare plea that a little change of -cene did
the poor dear good. and. a. he was already
In the article Of death tile final change
Of scene was not long deferred.
Then there ar. the women on whom
wherever they 30 kilograms containing
tips fall like autumn leaves Ia Nallom-
bro~a-women who intrigue with appren-
tice- and stand In with stable boys and
quarrel with their husbands, and negleCt
their childron. and bully their servants.
and disregard every domestic and almost
every social obligation In their mad thirst
for nl-gottsn gain The type L. scarcely
agreeable, but Il must bc caialogued among
the social phenomena of our times
Tho Duchess ot Doublegloucee,er, as
sha In callssi herp tina lata no~