THE CLASSIC RACES. 127 



34, 30, 29, 29, 2io^ -^o, 30, 32, 32, 32, 50, 49, 45, 

 45' 37, 37, ZZ> and 33, respectively. 



Nothing of much interest can be written 

 regarding the earlier years of the Derby. As 

 is well known to persons versed in the history 

 of the turf, the race was instituted by, or at any 

 rate was named after the twelfth Earl of Derby, 

 who was also, as has been already mentioned, 

 sponsor for the Oaks. Could the future cele- 

 brity of the great event have been foreseen, we 

 should not be without full particulars of the 

 earlier struggles for victory ; but a hundred years 

 ago the sporting reporter was evidently not of 

 much account; at any rate, the newspapers of 

 the time (1780 to 1800) do little more than 

 record that the race was run. Brief comments 

 began to be offered upon the Derby in 1802 and 

 following years ; these, however, were exceed- 

 ingly curt, consisting usually of such observations 

 as " Won easy," or " Won very easy." The 

 race of 1805, won by Lord Egremont's Cardinal 

 Beaufort, was commented on in the following 

 fashion : " Won by a neck. There was much 

 betting on this race. Mr. Best's colt was thrown 

 down by some horsemen imprudently crossing 

 the course before all the race-horses had passed, 

 and his rider, B. Norton, was bruised by the 

 fall." In the following year, 1806, when Lord 

 Foley's Paris won the Derby, we obtain a better 

 account of the race : " At half-past one they 

 started, and went at a good speed to Tattenham 

 Corner, on which it was observed that Shepherd, 

 who rode Paris, rather pulled, whilst Trafalgar 

 was making play ; notwithstanding. Lord Egre- 



