BRITISH TURF. 387 



one for a gold cup of £50 run on Clifton and Raw- 

 clifFe Ings, near the city of York, by horses 6 

 years old, in September, 1709. But as this work 

 contains few details worthy of particular attention, 

 w^e will content ourselves wdth merely noticing 

 such of its contents as tend to throw a light on 

 the most remarkable characteristics of racing in 

 those days. 



Racing was distinguished, or more correctly 

 speaking, brought into public notice, by Charles 

 II, wdio besides the gifts of several annual plates, 

 himself kept horses for the turf; and the sport 

 continued to receive the patronage of his suc- 

 cessors ; but with the exception of their adding 

 in each successive reign to the number of royal 

 plates, no exact particulars remain. 



So much, however, had this great national amuse- 

 ment increased in favour with royalty towards the 

 latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, that we find 

 that sovereign not only still increasing the number 

 of royal plates, but actually running them in her 

 own name. For example, we find that at York in 



1712, her majesty's grey gelding, Pepper, ran for 

 the royal gold cup, value £1 00; and again, Mustard, 

 described as a nutmeg grey horse, another of her 

 Majesty's racing stud, ran for the same stake in 



1713. The last mention made of any race-horse 

 belonging to the Queen, we find is for a sweep- 

 stakes, or as it was called in those days, stakes 

 of 10 guineas, with a plate of £40 added, run for 



c c 2 



