376 



KACING, WAGERS AND GAMING. 



Reign of 

 Charles the 

 First. 



Reign of 

 Charles the 

 Second. 



distinct sport. James the Fii-st was extremely fond of 

 field sports ; he established Races on a new footing ; under 

 his patronage Rules were promulgated for their regulation, 

 and his favoiuite coui"ses were Croydon and Enfield Chase. 

 From this period also began the practice of breeding a 

 distinct kind of Horse for the especial purpose. And we 

 find that about this time an Arabian Horse, and also the 

 White Turk, the Helmsly Turk, and Fairfax's Morocco 

 Barb, were brought into the kingdom ; and a considerable 

 improvement in the breed of the animal was thus effected (u). 



Charles the First established Races in Hyde Park and at 

 Newmarket ; yet, although these were discontinued during 

 the Protectorate, attention was not withdrawn from breed- 

 ing, and Cromwell had his stud of Race Horses (,r). 



On the Restoration, a new impulse was given to gaiety 

 and amusement of every kind, and the Newmarket meet- 

 ings were revived. Charles, who was a great patron of 

 Horse Racing, encouraged it by the gift of Royal Plates 

 at the principal Courses. He pm-chased brood Mares and 

 Stallions in the Levant, which were principally Barbs and 

 Turks ; and the breed was also much improved by Horses 

 brought over from Tangiers, as part of the Dowry of his 

 Uueen, Catherine of Braganza (/y). 



No sooner had Horse Racing been fully established, 

 than we find an Act was passed to endeavoui* to prevent 

 the evils which have unfortunately always attended it. 

 The Act was 16 Car. 2, c. 7, which came into operation 

 A.D. 1664, and in it Horse Racing is mentioned for the 

 first time in the Statute Book. It is intituled "An Act 

 against deceiffiil, dhorderhj and excessive Gamhig^^ and 

 recites that " all lawful Grames and exercises should not 

 be otherwise used than as innocent and moderate recrea- 

 tions, and not as constant trades or callings to gain a 

 living or make unlawful advantage thereby ; and that by 

 the immoderate use of them many mischiefs and incon- 

 veniences arise, to the maintaining and encouraging of 

 sundry idle, loose and disorderly persons in their dishonest, 

 lewd and dissolute course of life, and to the circumventing, 

 deceiving, couzening and debauching of many of the 

 younger sort, both of the Nobility and Gentry, and others, 

 to the loss of their precious time and the utter ruin of their 



{n) Lib. IT. K. "The Horse," 

 28; and 31 Law Mag. 65. 



(x) Lawrence on "The Horse," 

 vol. i. p. 218; and Lib. U. K. 



"The Horse," 28. 



(y) Lib. U. K. "The Horse," 

 29 ; and Martin arqucndo, Apple- 

 garth V. Collcy, 10 M. & W. 728. 



