364 A MIRROR OF THE TURF. 



1863, which contains many observations on the 

 powers and duties of the Club, and the mode 

 in which they ought to be carried into execution, 

 the object of the commentator being to point 

 out how wonderful a circumstance it is that 

 the whole racing community can be held in 

 check by a self-constituted body. That is cer- 

 tainly remarkable, but is not more so than that, 

 at every race meeting, tens of thousands of 

 pounds sterling change hands, as it may be 

 said, by means of a nod of the head of one 

 person to another, neither bill nor bond being 

 required to bind the transaction, which as a 

 rule is honourably implemented by both parties. 



What probably in the beginning most helped 

 to give the Club that power it now exercises 

 was its interest in Newmarket Heath, For 

 two centuries and more Newmarket has been 

 to trainers and jockeys what various seats of 

 some particular industry are to the persons 

 interested in that industry. The Jockey Club, 

 which has no palatial London dwelling-place — 

 having, as a matter of fact, only an office there 

 for the transaction of business — possesses a suite 

 of apartments at Newmarket, and holds in its 

 own right, or by lease — chiefly the latter — all the 

 land of the Heath now being used for the various 

 racecourses or public training-grounds, from which 

 it derives a large income, each horse exercised 

 at Newmarket being charged for at the rate 

 of five guineas per annum. Considerable sums of 

 money are also derived from charges of admission 

 made at various stands and enclosures per- 

 taining to the different racecourses, and these 

 are being multiplied by order of the Club, which 



