Turf History. 7 



Other racing sovereigns had not sent their studs 

 farther north than Newmarket ; but Queen Anne, 

 who, as Dean Swift wrote to Stella, " drives furiously 

 like Jehu, and is a mighty hunter like Nimrod," was 

 a firm supporter of York. Although her Pepper 

 and Mustard both failed to win back the gold cup 

 which she gave to be run for by six-year-olds (i2st. 

 each), in four-mile heats, her Star was successful, 

 after running sixteen miles, for a i^l. Plate, the 

 very afternoon before she died ; the Lord Chamber- 

 lain politely finishing second with Merlin for the 

 " Ten Guinea Stakes." One hundred and fifty-six 

 carriages were counted on Rawcliffe Ings that day ; 

 and Lord Fauconberg's coach-and-six formed only one 

 out of thirty such equipages, when the meeting was 

 removed to Knavesmire. Balancing the respective 

 merits of these princely turnouts, was long the 

 chosen pastime of the Tykes between the heats. 

 This high-born company must have been much more 

 easily pleased than their descendants ; as, although 

 one " Monsieur Dominique, musician," gave " a purse 

 of guineas for hunters," and extended their 1750 

 meeting from Monday to Saturday, there were only 

 fifteen races, including heats, and only twenty-eight 

 horses to run for them. 



We do not care to inquire with Southey whether 

 hyaenas really " prowled over what is now Doncaster 

 race-ground, and green lizards, huge as crocodiles, with 

 long necks and short tails, took their pleasure on 

 Potterie Carr ;" nor to make nearly as crab-like run- 

 ning to the days when Robin Hood roamed with his 

 merry gang of outlaws through the dells of Barns- 

 dale, and looked in at Roche Abbey to taste the 

 Hatfield eels with the jolly abbot; nor to peep in 

 fancy under the cowls of the Cistercian friars, as 

 they stealthily move down Baxter Gate. We simply 

 like to think of those grave old card-parties, which 

 " The Doctor" loved one hundred years ago ; of the 



