BRrriSH TURF. 133 



from the fact, that a reference to the rate of speed 

 at which the most celebrated races were run between 

 those periods and the present day, shew^ the falHng 

 off to have been gradual. For instance, the famous 

 match in which Hambletonian, carrying 8st. 31b. 

 beat Diamond at the Newmarket Craven Meeting, 

 25 March, 1799, for £3000 over the Beacon Course 

 (4 miles, 1 furlong and 13S yards) which he ran in 

 7 minutes, 15 seconds. Hambletonian was supposed 

 to have covered seven yards in his last stroke in 

 passing the winning post. At Doncaster 19th Sep- 

 tember 1801, Sir Solomon beat Cockfighter 8st. 

 71bs. each (41bs. more than Hambletonian) over 

 the round course (4 miles, less 408 yards) the dis- 

 tance being done the first 2 miles in 3 minutes, 

 the whole distance in 7 minutes and 1 1 seconds. 

 In comparing this with the performance of Ham- 

 bletonian, it should be remembered that the lat- 

 ter was over the straight course of Newmarket, 

 while at Doncaster the former had to run round 

 a course twice over, which doubtless impedes a 

 horse's speed, besides which the Doncaster course 

 was excessively hard at the time this race was run. 

 The following is a fair specimen of the speed of 

 our present racing stock, as compared with the 

 above, from which it appears to have gradually de- 

 clined. In 1822, Theodore the winner of the Don- 

 caster St. Leger Stakes, ran over the St. Leger 

 course, (one mile, six furlongs and 132 yards) in 



