no THE TURF 



1889. For some reason or other it seems impossible 

 to find starters for this race even now that the distance 

 has been diminished, and the average is much what it 

 was previously. The same story of reduced distance 

 has to be told about the Lewes Handicap, though 

 only half a mile has been taken off the length of this 

 course, and it is now a mile and a half instead of two 

 miles. Lord Hartington's Rylstone carried out the 

 principle of "horses for courses" in notable fashion by 

 winning three times running, the only handicap that has. 

 ever fallen in three consecutive years to the same horse. 

 For the rest, there is nothing particular to be said 

 about the race, which is contested as a rule by- 

 average handicap horses. Much the same may be 

 written of the Great Yorkshire Handicap at the' 

 Doncaster Meeting. It has fallen to good and bad 

 animals in turn. The Portland Plate at Doncaster 

 is one of the most popular of short races, the dis- 

 tance being 5 fur. 152 yds., and as the field is nearly 

 always numerous, success here is a genuine test 

 of speed. Oxonian, Lollipop, Hackthorpe, are three 

 horses that have carried off this stake, which in 1881 

 was secured by Mowerina, who was presently to win' 

 fame as the dam of Donovan. This was one of the 

 races won by Goldseeker, with whom a succession of 

 victories had been very cleverly planned. The horse, 

 it may be incidentally remarked, injured his friends by 

 winning once too often. This was in the following 

 year at Epsom. Goldseeker started for the City and 



