THE CLASSIC RACES. 117 



North ; the subscriptions in their entirety should 

 go to the winner, and a given amount ought to be 

 fixed for the first horse — say £'=^,000. 



II. THE OAKS. 



If dukes are conspicuous by their absence 

 from the fame-roll of the St. Leger, they figure 

 liberally enough in the list of Oaks winners, the 

 " Garter of the Turf" on sixteen anniversaries of 

 the race having fallen to ducal subscribers. As 

 for lords — "mere lords" as these members of the 

 Peerage were once upon a time designated by 

 William Cobbett (and later by Thomas Carlyle) — 

 they would almost appear to farm the race, espe- 

 cially if the baronets, who have been equally for- 

 tunate, be included. On no less than sixty-four 

 occasions has the heroine of the Oaks been the 

 property of a titled personage. 



The Oaks takes precedence of the Derby 

 by a year. Only fillies run in the race. The 

 origin of the stakes has been often told. The 

 first struggle for the ladies' prize took place in the 

 year 1779. An Earl of Derby of the period 

 originated the race and conferred a title upon it, 

 and his horse Bridget, ridden by J. Goodison, won 

 the first Oaks. The race derived its name from 

 an alehouse which existed at one time on Ban- 

 stead Downs. This homely haunt of humble 

 wayfarers was purchased by General Burgoyne, 

 who, by the expenditure of a few hundred pounds, 

 managed to convert the public-house into an 

 elegant hunting-seat. " The Oaks " afterwards 

 became the property of Lord Derby, who en- 

 larged and beautified the house, adding also to 



