6o 



A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH TURF 



for a short time to all racing on the Town Field. At Linton, also, where the King 

 first saw handsome young George Villiers, the races had so disturbed Cambridge- 

 shire that the Privy Council took notice of the matter. 



The popular idea of Racing at this period has been preserved in a contemporary 

 picture at Leasowe Castle, near Birkenhead. It appears to represent the King 

 watching a race, which is followed on horseback by his son, while the Queen looks 



out of the window of the Royal 

 carriage, driven by a coachman in 

 scarlet livery The Leasowe course 

 was well known, and owed its be- 

 ginning to the Elizabethan Earl of 

 Derby, father of the famous breeder 

 of gamecocks ; but there must be 

 some inaccuracy in the artist's 

 drawing of the horses finishing on 

 both sides of the winning-post ; 

 though the jockey's colours are quite 

 clear, and the " body-clothing " of 

 the two horses in the distance is 

 interesting. As might have been 

 expected from its earlier develop- 

 ments, the good city of Chester 

 had advanced to a far more organ- 

 ised form of Racing than is sug- 

 gested by this picture of a private 



course at Leasowe, or on Sir Richard Grosvenor's estate at Farndon, for, as is shown 

 by an entry of 1624, the rules on the old Roodee were now carefully formulated, and 

 the prize given outright to the winner. According to this document, one John Creceton 

 (or Brereton ?) " caused first St. Geo. Race on Roodey, the 23 Aprell, 1624, to be 

 begone at the poynt beyond new tower, and to Run 5 tymes about the Roodye, and 

 he that wan the last Course, or Trayne to have it for ever : which moneys was 

 collected of cittisens to a some for same purposse, the 3 former bells of Mr. Amoryes 

 being sould, and a 100 li. more gathered the use thereof to find a Cupp. He caused 

 the new tower gate to be enlarged for the sayd horserace, wch before was but a 

 small gate for the rome of 3 horses to run in brest. ..." 



Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel. 

 By Van Dyck, 



