54 A MIRROR OF THE TURF. 



ginning being made with a purse of ^613, a little 

 more than the half of which was public money, the 

 sweepstakes entered for amounting to ^300. 



The meeting was in every respect a successful 

 one, and was continued in 1803 and 1804, but with 

 less popularity, the subscription having fallen off 

 to a very serious extent. In 18 10, there were but 

 two days of sport, the money run for being a little 

 over ^200. Nor up till the year 1827 was there 

 much improvement ; till 1825 the public money 

 subscribed did not total up to a large sum, it 

 varied from £^0 to ;^300, whilst the money 

 received as sweepstakes amounted to something be- 

 tween £()0 and ^600. Two years later, as has been 

 stated, a great improvement began in the financial 

 resources of the meeting, as was obvious enough 

 from the amount of money which was run for, the 

 total sum in that year exceeding ;^2, 000. In 1829 

 the racecourse was altered and improved, and the 

 amount of cash expended in the shape of stakes 

 was ;^3,285. The year following the new grand 

 stand was opened ; and in 1831 the Royal purse of 

 100 gs. was procured to be annually run for. 



From this period Goodwood races made great 

 progress; and between the years 1832 and 1835, 

 the average annual amount of the stakes contested 

 for was ;^6,ooo. In 1837 the amount had increased, 

 to^i 1,145 ; ^^d what with the large sum of money 

 spent upon improvements by the Duke of Rich- 

 mond, and the personal exertions and good 

 management of the late Lord George Bentinck, 

 this meeting made such wonderful progress, that 

 in time it not only rivalled, but even eclipsed many 

 of the other principal meetings. 



In i845,the value of the stakes run for amounted 



