THE COLONIAL HORSE 169 



rate fund. Out of this fund every jockey hurt or incapacitated 

 in the colony of Victoria is supported till he is again fit for work. 



There are four grand stands, capable of accommodating 

 18,000 people. Under the stands are ample luncheon-rooms, 

 splendidly fitted drawing-rooms for ladies, press and telegraph 

 accommodation, and a suite of rooms for the governor's private 

 use. The catering is done under control of the club : all wines 

 arid cigars being first approved by the committee ; the whole 

 of the cooking is done by a system of high steam pressure, so 

 as to avoid fires in the wooden stands. 



A firm of carriers undertake the transport of luncheon 

 hampers to any part of the lawn or hill and their safe return 

 to Melbourne in the evening, while the glass and china may 

 be hired on the spot. Ice and milk carts drive about the 

 paddock supplying these articles, while boiling water for 

 making tea is provided without charge by the club. For the 

 summer meeting the programmes are printed on silk fans for 

 ladies' use. The * Ring ' is carefully looked after by the club, 

 and the odds may not be called in front of the stands. No 

 man is allowed to carry on the business of public betting or 

 bookmaking without the previous permission of, and registration 

 by, the club. If he wishes to bet in the paddock, he must pay 

 an annual fee of 257. ; or, if he confines himself to the hill 

 behind, ten guineas is the charge. Each man, like the driver 

 of a London hackney carriage, has to wear and produce his 

 name and badge of registration. 



The club makes provision on race-days for stabling 500 

 carriage horses in separate stalls. Nor are their attentions con- 

 fined to the club property alone, for before each day's racing 

 the watering-carts of the neighbouring municipalities are put 

 into requisition to well water the four dusty miles of road 

 leading from Melbourne to the course. Throughout the year 

 the course is in use by some of the four hundred horses which 

 are trained on the four tan, cinder, sand, or sand and tan train- 

 ing tracks provided by the club. 



Thus it will be seen that it would indeed be difficult to make 



