74 THE DIFFERENT BREEDS OF ENGLISH HORSES. 



Comparative view of the Englisli Racer- and Saddle Horse during tlio 

 Last and Present Centuries ' — mentions a horse called Exotic, that was 

 on the tui-f eleven years. 'We do not know,' says our author, 'how 

 many times he started during this period, but in the course of it he won 

 eighteen times. In his seventh year on the turf he won a race at Peter- 

 borough consisting of four heats of four miles each.' 



' Four horses were handicapped by Dr. Bellyse at NeAvcastle-under- 

 Lyne — Sir John Egerton's Astbury, Mr. Milton's Handel, Sir W. Wynne's 

 Tarragon, and Sir Thomas Stanley's Cedric. The following was the 

 result : — Of the first three heats there was no winner, Tarragon and 

 Handel being each time nose and nose, and, although Astbury was stated 

 to have been third in the first heat, yet he was so nearly on a level with 

 the others, that there was a difficulty of placing him as such. After the 

 second heat, the steward requested two other gentlemen to look Avith him 

 steadily as they came, to try to decide in favour of one of them, but it 

 was impossible to do so. In the third dead heat Tarragon and Handel 

 had struggled with each other until they reeled about as if they were 

 drunk, and could scarcely carry their riders to the scales. Astbury, who 

 had laid by after the first heat, then came out and won. The annals of 

 the turf cannot produce another such contest, founded on a thorough 

 knowledge of the horses, their ages, and their previous running.' 



'In 1737, Black Chance, at five years old, won a plate at Durham, 

 caiTying 10 st. With the same weight he won the Ladies' plate at York, 

 in that year. In 1738, he won the king's plate at Guildford, beating- 

 several horses. He won the plate also at Salisbury, at Winchester, at 

 Lewes, and at Lincoln — five king's plates in one season, and every race 

 four miles and contested. The same horse was in the field in 1 744, and 

 he walked over for the annual plate at Famden.' 



What are our racers now ? They are speedier. That it would be folly 

 to deny. 



They are longer, lighter, but still muscular, although shorn of much of 

 their pride in this respect. They are as beautiful creatures as the eye would 

 wish to gaze on, but the greater part of them give in before half the race 

 is run ; and out of a field of fifteen, or even twenty, not more than two or 

 three of them live, in the exertion of their best energies, far Avithin the 

 ropes. 



And what becomes of them when the sti'uggle is over ? After the 

 severe racing, as it is now called, of former times, the horse came again to 

 the starting-post Avith not a single power impaired ; and year after year 

 he Avas ready to meet any and every rival. A single race, hoAvever, like 

 that of the Derby, noAV occasionally disables the AA^nner from ever running 

 again ; yet the distance is only a mile and a half. The St. Leger is more 

 destructive to the Avinner, although the distance is less than tAvo miles. 

 The race of the day has been run ; some heavy stakes have been Avon by 

 the owner ; the animal by Avhose exertions they were gained is led aAvay, 

 and it is sometimes an even chance Avhether he is evex heard of, or, 

 perhaps, thought of again. He has answered the purpose for Avhich he 

 Avas bred, and he has passed away. 



And by Avhat Avitchery has all this been accomplished ? How came it 

 that skilful and honourable men should have conspired together to dete- 

 riorate the character of the racer, and with him that of the English horse 

 generally ? Why, there was no conspiracy in the matter. It Avas the 

 natural course of things. The race-horses of the beginning, and even of 

 the middle, of the last century Avere fine poAvcrful animals ; they had almost 

 as much flectncss as could be desired, and they had strength that Avould 

 never tire. He who bred for the turf might in his moments of reflection 



