SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



in 1735 and subsequent years were very small, 

 but 1738 saw larger entries for prizes of smaller 

 value, five horses starting for a. 10 plate and 

 six for one of 12, the latter run in four heats. 

 In 1739 one I o-guinea stake only was contested, 

 the second day's race of the same value failing to 

 fill. The leading personages of the county had 

 ere now ceased to support the meeting, and this 

 was the last held until 1756, when two prizes of 

 50 each were offered, with restrictions in favour 

 of horses which had never won a Royal Plate nor 

 a race worth 50, matches excepted ; both races 

 filled, and the meeting, on similar lines, was held 

 again the next year. The races of 1757 were 

 the last held here until September, 1771, when 

 they were revived two 50 plates, each con- 

 tested by three horses. The 1772 meeting shows 

 an improvement in the shape of larger fields, and 

 next year three races, the Town Plate, jso, the 

 Gentlemen's subscription purse, ^50, and a 

 20-guinea sweepstakes, were well supported ; the 

 Town Plate in particular for many years brought 

 large fields. In 1776 no fewer than ten horses 

 started for the three-mile heats, and in 1780 

 Hazard, by Matchem, won in a field of eleven. 

 Despite the support accorded, the meeting came 

 to an end in 1782, and was not revived until 

 1828, when one day's sport, comprising four 

 races and a match was successfully brought off ; 

 one of these races was a subscription for a Gold 

 Cup, another a Welter Stakes, 10 sovs. for 

 hunters not thoroughbred, and a third a 

 Farmers' Selling Stakes of 7 guineas each, with 

 additions by the Marquis of Chandos and the 

 Race fund ; the winner was to be sold for 

 2OO sovs. if demanded. On these lines the 

 meeting continued for several years, the Gold 

 Cup being the principal event. In 1836 it 

 began to show symptoms of decay, Ruinous, by 

 the famous sire Filho da Puta walking over for 

 the Gold Plate, while only seven horses (inclu- 

 ding Ruinous) ran in the other two races which 

 completed the card for the day. No meeting 

 was held in 1837, nor was racing here revived 

 until 1868, when a steeplechase meeting, with 

 one 5-furlong selling race on the flat, was 

 held. 



That of 1729 is the first Aylesbury meeting 

 recorded ; it was not a very brilliant affair, and 

 was not held in the following year. The attempt 

 to revive it in 1731 with two races worth 15 

 and 20 respectively, met with small success, 

 one horse starting for each event. The 1732 

 meeting of two days produced better results ; one 

 ' free purse ' of 40 guineas and another of 20 

 guineas bringing three starters for each ; but no 

 more races took place until September, 1736, 

 when a modest i o-guinea plate for galloways 

 was contested. 



Racing in Buckinghamshire now entered on 

 oneof its many pcriodsof depression. From 1740-7 

 inclusive, not a single meeting was held in the 



county. 1 In August, 1 748, Aylesbury races were 

 revived with two events, each worth 50, the 

 first being for ' such hunters of the foregoing 

 season as never started for anything under a 

 Hunters' Plate.' 



In 1751 the meeting was held on Hay don 

 Hill. There were two races, the Gentlemen's 

 Purse and the Town Purse, each worth ^50, 

 and for some years the sport was continued with 

 varying success. The Hunters' Race was generally 

 the most successful twelve horses started for this 

 event in 1754 and Aylesbury was continued 

 when all other meetings were suspended. The 

 races of 1/59, however, were the last held until 

 1764, when they were again revived with two 

 events, one a 50, weight for age, the other a 

 Whim ' 3 Plate of the same value. The Whim 

 Plate was given until 1772 when the conditions 

 were altered; in 1773 it disappeared, the two 

 races of which the two-day meeting then con- 

 sisted being the County Purse and Town Purse, 

 each worth ^50. In 1776 the programme wa 5 

 enlarged by the addition of the Hon. George 

 Nugent Grenville's 50 for Hunters,* to carry 

 12 stone, four mile heats; it was not a great 

 success, bringing only two starters ; Mr. Brand's 

 Leander beat his opponent Mr. Lake's Bajazet, 

 in two of the three heats. Horses of fair class 

 ran at the Aylesbury meeting on occasion ; the 

 first race this year was won by Indian by Snap ; 

 the Town Purse by Lime got by Squirrel, both 

 good sires. Mr. Nugent Grenville's Hunter race 

 was more successful in 1777, bringing four 

 starters ; three of which, it may be observed, 

 were greys. In 1778 the meeting consisted of 

 three days' racing with five events, the new ones 

 being a subscription race for Hunters, and a 50 

 prize given by the Earl of Chesterfield, which 

 latter race was won by Hautboy, a good horse in 

 his day. 



In 1779 Mr. Nugent Grenville's Cup for 

 Hunters was not given, but Earl Temple came 

 forward as donor of one of equal value. In 

 1781 the meeting once more consisted of only 

 two races, the Town Plate and Gentlemen's 

 Purse, each worth ^50. These two races in 



1 Cheney. The Act of 1741 was no doubt largely 

 responsible for this temporary cessation of racing. 

 Under 13 Gco. II, cap. 19, races for a stake of less 

 value than 50 were absolutely prohibited save at 

 Black Hambleton in Yorkshire, and Newmarket. This 

 unpopular restriction was withdrawn by statute (18 

 Geo. II, cap. 34, sec. xi), five years later. 



' In a ' Whim ' plate the weight carried was calcu- 

 lated in accordance with the horse's height (measured 

 to an eighth of an inch) and age. 



* The old description of a hunter (to which 

 the owner had to make oath in due form) was 

 a horse which had ' never started for cither match or 

 plate but has been actually used as a hunter at the 

 last season, and not only to get the name, but really 

 as a hunter ; nor has he been in sweats with an 

 intention to run but only from Lady day last.' 



231 



