86 HORSE-RACING PREVIOUS TO VANS. 



larity of his favourite meeting, Lord George 

 promptly gave the Waterloo Shield. 



Lord George's father, the Duke of Portland, was 

 also disposed to encourage long-distance races, and 

 he established the Portland Handicap at New- 

 market, to be run for over the last three miles of 

 the B.C., to which race his Grace added 300. 

 The Duke seldom or never ran a two-year-old ; 

 and at that time it was considered unwise to 

 encourage three-year-olds to race too much, as is 

 shown by the following extract, which appeared 

 in the 'Sporting Magazine' of 1836: "The ten- 

 dency of the great three - year - old races is to 

 deteriorate the breed of the English race-horse. 

 Nothing can be done to correct it till the close 

 of the present season. For a true patriotic at- 

 tempt in this direction we are indebted to the 

 Duke of Portland, who has founded and endowed 

 the Portland Handicap ; and there can be little 

 doubt that we shall find other stakes upon the 

 same plan instituted at all the great race meet- 

 ings." There is no question that races exceeding 

 a mile in distance afford more opportunity of ex- 

 hibiting fine horsemanship than the short-course 

 races of the present day. The riding of such 

 artists as Samuel Chifney, Frank Buckle, and 

 James Robinson over some of the long courses 

 at Newmarket was quite an attraction, and far 

 more interesting to good judges than the com- 

 petition of the horses. 



