1/8 MY HORSE ; MY LOVE 



back no more gladden the eyes, and provoke the cheers, of 

 the spectators on Derby days.' 



Their absence in these days of democratic travel, must 

 be compensated by the arrival, every few moments, of 

 railroad trains of enormous length, from every part of 

 the United Kingdom^ from which emerge multitudes of 

 horse-lovers, who swell the human stream until there is 

 scarcely standing-room. To count them is impossible, but 

 the receipts of the grand stand are enormous, and can 

 be calculated — and very many must be fed. 



The hostelries by the wayside have their innings, as 

 well as the booths and vendors. Dickens compared this 

 wonderful commissariat department to an ogre's castle, 

 but his figures in 1851 are not a fourth of what is con- 

 sumed to-day. 



The features of the track are important to relate. The 

 length is one mile and a half. At the beginning the race 

 is ridden over a wide track, with plenty of room for forty 

 starters. First, there is a steep ascent, followed when the 

 top of the hill is reached by rather flat ground for three 

 furlongs. Then comes the very sharp descent to Tatten- 

 ham Corner, a rather dangerous curve. The straight run 

 in of half a mile is almost flat, the rise to the stand being 

 slight, and very gradual. With the exception of Tattenham 

 Corner, there is no dangerous part of Epsom racecourse, 

 and the running track all around the course is of ample 

 width, to afford elbow-room to a practically unlimited 

 number of starters. 



At the starting-post stand, impatiently pawing the ground, 

 or stretching their necks in restless anxiety to be off", a 

 group of thoroughbreds, mounted by jockeys bright in 

 silks and satins, exhibiting the various colours of their 



