io6 A MIRROR OF THE TURF. 



The distance run in the earher races for the great 

 Doncaster prize was two miles, and the horses, 

 instead of running as at present, went the other 

 way of the course. In 1812 the race is described 

 as being run "over the St. Leger course," which, 

 in the Calendar of the period, is stated to be 

 I mile, 7 furlongs, and 20 yards, and i mile, 

 6 furlongs, and 100 yards on the inside ; now 

 the St. Leger distance is given in Weatherby's 

 Calendar as i mile, 6 furlongs, 132 yards. 



In the early years of the race the stakes were 

 counted in guineas, the weights, 8 st. 2 lb. for 

 colts, fillies carrying 2 lb. less. Since its insti- 

 tution many horses have competed, the highest 

 number started in any year being thirty, when 

 the winner was Mr. Watts's Memnon (1825). As 

 few as four horses, however, have gone to the start- 

 ing-post, namely in i yS^i ^^d 1 785, when Phenome- 

 non and Cowslip won. During the last quarter of 

 a century fair fields have competed for the St. 

 Leger Stakes. As many as nineteen horses went 

 to the post in 1870, when victory was awarded 

 to Hawthornden ; only seven horses were selected, 

 however, to oppose Mr. Merry's heroine, Marie 

 Stuart. In the five years ending with 1890 

 fifty-nine horses faced the starter. Taking a 

 rough average, thirteen horses made up the field 

 for the " Sellinger," and as the public form of the 

 year is pretty well exposed by the middle of 

 September, many more competitors could scarcely 

 be expected. 



Glancing over the roll of victories as recorded 

 in " Ruff," and other " guides," we see that Lord 

 A. Hamilton, one of the most successful of the 

 earlier aspirants for St. Leger honours, won the 



