42 A MIRROR OF THE TURF. 



and attended the Lord Mayor (William Redman, 

 Esq.), and Archbishop Dawes, who proclaimed 

 His Majesty King George I., after which most 

 of the nobility set off for London. 



In the year 171 5, there was run at Black 

 Hambledon, a race for His Majesty's Gold Cup, 

 value 100 gs., for five-year-old mares. This cup, 

 it has been explained, was originally free to 

 be run for by any horse, mare, or gelding not 

 exceeding five years old ; but in the reign of 

 Queen Anne, the conditions were altered, mares 

 only being allowed to run. The first Hambledon 

 Gold Cup was won by Sir William Strickland's 

 horse, Sphynx. The Gold Cup continued to 

 be run for apparently till 1775, when, by His 

 Majesty's commands, it was ordered to be run for 

 alternately at York and Richmond. 



Two hundred and eighty-five years ago, there 

 was a racecourse at Doncaster ; there is a record, 

 in the year 1600, of action being taken to clear the 

 course of some impediment that had been placed 

 upon it. So far back, indeed, as 1595, there were 

 two racecourses at Doncaster — there is said to be 

 a plan or map, still extant, showing the lines of 

 the track. Various interesting notes of incidents 

 in connection with the Town Moor, in what by a 

 little license may be called its prehistoric days, 

 might be gathered into a focus, more particularly 

 the particulars of how sport was encouraged in 

 its infantile aspects by the Corporation of Don- 

 caster ; but these, in the meantime, for divers 

 good reasons, must be passed over. 



For the year 1728, we are in possession of 

 the printed record of two races run on the Town 

 Moor; these were: "On July 22nd, a plate of 



