252 THE JOCKEY CLUB 1773- 



cluded the stars of the Northern as well as of the 

 Southern Turf, and such a step as that just mentioned 

 could scarcely fail to find favour both in the North 

 and in the South, and augment the influence of the 

 Club in both regions. 



But the most important innovation is that of 

 1833, which effected, so far as the breeding of race- 

 horses is concerned, a complete revolution. For on 

 April 25 in that year it was decreed by the Club that 

 ' from and after the end of the year 1833 horses shall 

 be considered at Newmarket as taking their ages from 

 January 1 instead of May 1. With respect to other 

 places, they will be considered as taking their ages 

 from May 1 until the Stewards of those races shall order 

 otherwise.' It is noteworthy that this Eesolution, 

 though expressly said to apply to Newmarket only, is 

 prefixed not to the ' Eules and Orders of the Jockey 

 Club,' but to the ' Eules concerning Horse-racing in 

 General,' as if it were a ballon d'essai in the direction 

 of universal legislation ; that by the year 1851 the 

 exception relating to ' other places ' had been omitted, 

 and that in the new list of Eules in 1857 that 

 which had been a complete innovation in 1833 was 

 incorporated, probably after consultation with the 

 Stewards of the various meetings outside Newmarket, 

 or on account of the general acceptance of the novelty, 

 and made the very first ordinance without a word 

 about Newmarket or any exceptive clause. That inno- 

 vation, no doubt, was a salutary one in many respects, 



