65 



that purity of blood and standard of excel- 

 lence which have rendered the breed of Eng- 

 lish horses superior to that of any other 

 country in the world." 



The last statement was borne out by Mr. 

 Tattersall's evidence. He said that he had 

 sent horses to every part of the world except 

 China. America and the countries of Europe 

 have been purchasing the best stallions and 

 mares money could buy in England during 

 the last hundred years and more. 



In 1845 the number of Queen's Plates 

 stood at 51 ; 36 in Great Britain and 15 in 

 Ireland. In 1861 the scale of weights was 

 remodelled and made applicable to all the 

 Plates wherever run ; and in the same year 

 it was enacted that " none of Her Majesty's 

 Plates shall be run in heats." 



Some few abortive attempts to control 

 racing by law have been made since Her 

 Majesty's accession. In 1860 Lord Redes- 

 dale introduced into the House of Lords a 

 bill to stop light-weight racing by fixing the 

 minimum weight at 7 stone. This measure 

 was withdrawn, Lord Derby and Lord Gran- 

 ville, also a member of the Jockey Club and 

 leader of the Liberal Party in the House of 

 Lords, promising on behalf of the Jockey 

 Club that that body was prepared to deal 

 5 



