WEIGHT-FOR-AGE RACES 47 



idea will be understood by a study of the conditions, 

 which were as follows for the first Eclipse, run in 



I 



The ECLIPSE STAKES of 10,000 sovs. nett,with 500 sovs. for the 

 second, the third to save his stake of no sovs. ; three-year-olds, 

 8 St. ; four, 8 st. 12 lbs. ; five and upwards, 9 st. ; mares and 

 geldings allowed 3 lbs. ; winners of a stake value 500 sovs. to 

 carry 4 lbs., of 1,000 sovs., 7 lbs. extra (handicaps not included) ; 

 winners of the Derby, Oaks, St. Leger, or Grand Prix de Paris to 

 carry 10 lbs. extra ; about one mile and a quarter. — 265 subs., 

 103 of whom pay 10 sovs. each, and 66 of whom pay 30 sovs. 

 each. By subscription of 10 sovs. each, the only forfeit if 

 declared by the first Tuesday in October, 1884; if left in after 

 the first Tuesday in October, 1884, a further subscription of 

 20 sovs. ; if left in after the first Tuesday in January, 1885, a 

 further subscription of 30 sovs ; if left in after the first Tuesday 

 in January, 1886, a further subscription of 50 sovs. In the 

 event of the forfeits exceeding the expenses of the stake, the 

 surplus will be devoted either to a Consolation Stakes for the 

 unplaced starters, or will be divided between the second and 

 third horses, at the discretion of the Executive. 



It thus cost ^i 10 to run, that is to say, owners were 

 taking the liberal odds of 10,000 to iio about their 

 horses, with the chance of certain other recompenses 

 or compensations. The scheme was successful, though 

 in 1887 and 1890 there was no race. In amount, the 

 total of the stakes has varied, dependent as it is on 

 the number of entries. Ayrshire's Eclipse was worth 

 ^11,160, St. Frusquin's ^9,310. These Ten 



Thousand Pounders, as they are called, were 

 tempting races for conductors of meetings, and other 

 places followed the lead of Sandown. The Lancashire 



