250 THE JOCKEY CLUB 1773- 



deprecatory spirit), and what were the main innova- 

 tions which it encouraged. 



As regards innovations, to begin with, the Club 

 is found to have sanctioned the racing of yearlings 

 as early as 1786, in which year (though, as it 

 happened, no yearling ran in the race) there was 

 announced a ' Subscription Plate of 50 Guineas ; 

 yearlings a feather, &c.,' at Newmarket Craven Meet- 

 ing; and by 1792 yearling races were in full swing 

 under the auspices of the Jockey Club at Newmarket. 

 Indeed, in 1788 there was a regular ' Yearling Course 

 (being the first third of E.M.),' and thereon Mr. 

 ' Jockey ' Vernon ran (but at an off-meeting in 

 March) his bay colt Ventilator, one year old, against 

 two-year-olds belonging to two other members of the 

 Jockey Club (Mr. Panton and Lord Clermont). From 

 that time the mischievous practice (as it is gene- 

 rally acknowledged to be) continued at Newmarket 

 and was adopted all over the country until 1859, 

 when Lord Stamford (a member of the Jockey Club) 

 and Mr. W. Day (eminent among jockeys and 

 trainers) ran first and second for the Anglesey 

 Stakes * for yearlings ' at Shrewsbury, after which 

 the Jockey Club, repenting of its sanction, stepped 

 in and prohibited the running of yearlings for public 

 stakes, though it was not until 1876 that * yearlings 

 shall not run for any race ' was inserted among the 

 Eules of Racing. 



The next innovation was an attempt (in 1792-93) 



