THE ENGLISH TURF 



CHAPTER I 

 THE POSITION OF THE TURF 



The sport commanding attention — Press reports in increased demand — Sporting 

 papers — Reporting races — Starting prices — Telegraphing— Increased number 

 of owners^Demand for yearlings — American importations — Mr. Haggin's 

 consignment — English breeders — Too many short races — Sprinters— The late 

 Duke of Westminster and the sale of Ormonde — Austrian and German 

 buyers of blood-stock — Roaring — Unsoundness — Soundness of Colonial 

 horses — Merman — Newhaven II. — Breeding of Colonial and American 

 horses — Duke of Portland and Carbine — Stamina of foreign-bred horses — 

 Horse of the century — Experts differ — St. Simon and Ormonde — The time 

 test — Grand National times, Manifesto and Cloister — Derby times — Sires 

 put to stud too young — Sire fees — Owners of present day — Millionaires — 

 Professional owners. 



THERE is no exaggeration in saying that the sport of 

 horse-racing never before commanded the attention 

 that is now accorded to it ; and the many measures of 

 radical reform that have been introduced of late years have 

 tended, and are still further tending, to render the sport 

 clean and healthy, and so fit for universal participation. 



As regards the attention which racing receives from the 

 general public I have only to point to the Press reports 

 and criticisms, which have more than quadrupled within 

 my own experience. Less than a quarter of a century 

 ago there was no such thing as a daily sporting newspaper, 

 and racing was passed over so lightly in the London non- 

 sporting dailies that it was impossible to find the bare 

 return of many provincial meetings until the Sheet Calendar 

 appeared, or until the Saturday weeklies supplied the news. 



B 



