44 A MIRROR OF THE TURF. 



IV. 



Epsom must now be noticed, if only to say 

 that racing took place there long before the 

 Derby was thought of, or the Oaks either ; but 

 the beginning of sport on the now famous downs 

 cannot be determined by any mention of dates. 

 The place, however, was long, long ago largely 

 frequented as a health resort, becoming at certain 

 seasons the temporary residence of fashionable 

 people who assembled to drink " the waters " and 

 hold social communion. Sport of some kind 

 became a necessity, and King James I., who dwelt 

 in the palace of Nonsuch, at Epsom, passed much 

 of his time on horseback, being fond of hunting 

 and also of " horse matches," which frequently 

 took place, to the great delight of the visitors. 



In the reign of Charles I., horse-racing on 

 Banstead Downs would appear to have been 

 pretty well established on an organised plan ; 

 references to the sport by Pepys are numerous. 

 Looking over the pages of a " Racing Register" 

 for 1727, the writer found a notice of meetings 

 held on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th of May, when 

 various " give and take " plates were run for and 

 decided. For the time, the trophies raced for at 

 the meetings in question were of some value, one 

 of them being a gold cup worth forty guineas. 



Beginning in the year 1730, racing became 

 annual at Epsom, and was thereafter carried on 

 with great regularity, and continued to grow in 

 importance. In 1736, five days' racing was 

 arranged to take place at intervals. Ten years 

 later, a plate of the value of £^0, bestowed by 



