68 THE ENGLISH TURF 



cleared, and a rope held across to keep the people back. 

 At Doncaster there is always a rope just beyond the 

 winning-post. At Ascot the foot traffic from the stands 

 to the carriages and tents on the other side of the course 

 is enormous, but I think it might in a great measure be 

 avoided. To begin with, those who go backwards and 

 forwards from the Royal enclosure, the owners' and trainers' 

 stand, and from the paddock are well beyond the winning- 

 post. All that need be required of them is that they 

 should go straight across instead of turning down the 

 centre of the course. With the occupants of the Grand 

 Stand it would be more difficult to arrange, but were 

 the rails thrown back — say twenty feet — on the far side, 

 the space thus procured could be given to making a twenty- 

 foot passage in front of the stands to beyond the winning- 

 post. This passage could be equally divided, so that those 

 going and those returning would each have a road to 

 themselves, and the result would be that the run-in would 

 be saved for the horses. It is just as difficult for a horse 

 as for a man to maintain his foothold on slippery ground. 

 Mark how the wood and concrete pavements in London, 

 when greasy from rain, or suffering from the after-effects 

 of a frost, bring horses down ! Yet on the London streets 

 much is done to minimise the slipping by washing, brushing 

 with revolving wire brushes, and sprinkling with gravel. 

 At Ascot, on the other hand, the course being left to the 

 people all the week except when the races are actually in 

 progress, the grass become so worn by constant foot traffic 

 as to be really unfit for horses to gallop upon at top speed, 

 and even if few actually come down when racing, many 

 of them flounder at a critical moment, which has the same 

 effect so far as winning the race is concerned. 



Now to the programme. Not only is it the best as regards 

 the grand total of prize money given, but it sets an example 

 to all other fixtures because of catering so liberally for 

 stayers. From a sporting point of view long-distance racing 

 is the great feature of the Ascot Meeting, and this can 

 be best shown by tabulating the races. Naturally enough, 

 the programme has been changed from time to time, and 



