Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-11
FAMOUS ENGLISH RACE COURSES
Classics Conducted over Several for
Last Two Centuries.

Last Two Centuries.
As the classic events Of the English rae
ing season-the derby. the st. Leger and
the ~Oaks-always create worldwide interest
II will be a matter Of to all
classes OF turfmen to say something about
the race courses over which these events
are decided. says a recent issue Of the
London Sporting Life. Not the least in
teresting feature Of these courses is their
age. Racing was held at EPSON as far
back as l645. but it did not assume a per-
manont character until the first derby in
1880.
The Newmarket course is over 200 years
old. while the Ascot races owe their origin
to Queen Anne in IN. The York and Dom
caster meetings are more than $50 years
old, while Goodwood was ~inaugurated more
than 100 years ago.
The three Thames valley courses-Hurst
years ago the managers of Sandown park
are all modern courses, established in the
last thirty-five years. 1t was on the last
named course, however. that the first race
for 10000 stakes took place. Twenty-three
years ago the managers of Sondown park
startled the racing world by instituting the
Eclipse stakes, nominally worth this
amount-first won by that famous horse
Bendigo-and the success Of the venture
was such that the Jockey club ultimately
established two $4,000 races at Newmarket,
viz, the Prince OF Wales stakes and the
Jockey club stakes. Needless to say, the
races OF these enormous stakes attract the
best horses of each year, and it is on rec
ord that in 1893 two winners of the derby,
two winners of the st. Leger, two winners
OF the Two Thousand Guinea and a win
ner of the Ascot cup ran on the ~Sandown
park course for the Eclipse stakes.
Newmarket. "the racing capital Of Eng
land, possesses no fewer than ten courses,
the longest being four and one-quarter
miles in circuit. Here the Jockey club has
its chief seat, while over 1000 horses will
often be found in training on the Heath.
Altogether there are nearly fifty training
establishments at Newmarket, and a large
army of employees are constantly at work
during the racing season keeping the
courses and galloping grounds in order.
The cost of this labor is mostly met by
the fee charged by the Jockey club on each
horse trained on the Heath. For horses
in training an annual charge of SIS is made,
While a fee of $40 is levied on yearlings
taking their first lessons. Altogether be
tween 10000 and $1,000 is derived from
these sources every year. Although some
what expensive. most owners like to train
their horses at Newmarket, for then the
horses need not be taken away to run.
There are seven annual meetings to choose
from and prizes like the Two Thousand and
Cesarewitch TO win. and In addition the
course can be chosen which will most
likely suit the horse: for. while some ami
mails can run equally well on any course
there are others which never do them,
selves Justice except on a course they like
I II - a
be gained by properly Placing a horse
II il at Newmarket where King Edwards
race horses are trained by Dick Marsh, a,
1.-THE famous trainer is known on the turf
n while not far from the town is a beautiful
estate owned by Danny Maher, the famous
American jockey and probably the riches
professional rider in the world.
How many people are aware that had /
not been for the generosity of Lord Georg,
Bentlnck some sixty years ago the Derb!
race at EPSON might have been crossed
off the racing calendar? In 1880 $4,000
was spent on the erection Of a grandstan'
which accommodates 1900 spectators. TIL,
maintenance of the EPSON summer meet
ing, however. cost more than the revenu
from the stands, etc, and the consequence
: was that the clerk Of the course went T.
Lord George Bentinck and explained tina
I unless more money was forthcoming thi
? meeting would probably come to an end
E Lord George loaned the clerk 81, 600. whicI
the latter used 10 such good purpose tina
the EPSON summer meeting took a neN
7 lease OF life and the clerk and his famil
. made their fortunes.
T For many years afterwlrd the origins
{ s1oO shares in the EPSON Grandstand com
-. pany realized large sums in the market
In 1884 they brought $500, although the
dropped some 500 after that. This wa
owing to a falling off I'm the entries for tn
Derby and Oaks. however. and a grea
hIlip was given TO the popularity O
Epsom when in 1890 it was announced ths
In future the Derby would be worth
guaranteed minimum OF s25.Oo
There are several courses at EPSON, bu
the chief of them all is the Derby cours
OF one and a half miles. This course cor
tajns the steepsst hill-leading down I
Tattenham Corner-to be found on any I'm
portant course in the kingdom. In add
ton. the first half mile OF the track is o
the ascent As a matter OF fact, the Derb
course offers the greatest test OF mer
e race horses, and that is why the bel
horse nearly always wins.
II has often happened that the WHINE
OF the Derby has also carried off tn
Ascot gold cup, the value OF which of lat
years has been between Sl0,VV ana NU,Vl
The Ascot course is circular, nearly Nv
miles long and within the confines {
windsor Park. As a matter OF fact. II
course is crown property, and TO a certal
extent under the care OF the master OF h
majesty's buckhounds. The Ascot couri
is generally considered to be the best
England, one great advantage being TIL
practically the whole OF the racing ca
be seen from the stands.
The race for the St Leger, which TAX.
place on the Doneaster course, has right
been described as the derby OF Il
north" for il is witnessed every year I
something like 5000 persons, mostly Yori
shiremen. The race is OF the same vail
as the Derby, 1880. As a matter
fact. the Doncaster meetings are 'rur
by the town corporation, and the cour
relieves the r~atepayers to the extent
about $4,000 each year, a large portion
the profits OF the races being devoted
the reduction OF the rates.
The Ebor handicap. which takes pla
i on the York course. is also an eve
which draws thousands OF excursions
\ the race for the GimcTack stake.
founded in honor OF Gimcrack, a famo
gray horse fcaled In l76O. which ",
races when he was II years old-bel