84 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE HUMOUES OF THE IIACECOURSE. 



The history of our great race-meetings lias never 

 been satisfactorily written ; and the interesting 

 subject still awaits a pen worthy to do it justice. 

 Scattered here and there in the pages of old books 

 and magazines are many accounts of turf-gatherings 

 which would prove entertaining to those specially 

 interested in such matters. For instance, Nimrod 

 has thus described the race for the Derby nearly a 

 hundred years ago : 



' Fancy twenty- four three-year colts, looking like 

 six-year-old horses, with the bloom of condition on 

 their coats, drawn up in a line at the starting-place, 

 with the picked jockeys of all England on their 

 backs, and on the simple fact of which may prove 

 the best perhaps a million sterling depends. They 

 are off! " No, no ! " cried one jockey, whose horse 

 turned his tail to the others just as the word " Go ! '' 

 was given. It is sufficient, 'tis no start. " Come 

 back ! " roars the starter. Some are pulled up in a 

 few hundred yards, others go twice as far. But 



