NEWMARKET 55 



As mentioned elsewhere, it is the aim of the Jockey Club 

 to provide every description of course, and owners and 

 trainers are thankful for the variety, if some of the public 

 are not. 



On the " big " days of the year, the Two Thousand day 

 and those on which the Caesarewitch and Cambridgeshire 

 are decided, all the races finish opposite the stands, but 

 this is on account of the increase in the attendance, and 

 because it would be difficult to accommodate them else- 

 where. Finishing at the Portland Stand, or " the top of 

 the town," are the Ancaster Mile, which is the last mile 

 of the Beacon Course, and the Criterion Course, which is 

 the last six furlongs from the Turn of the Lands of 

 the Ancaster Mile. The Ditch In (two miles) also finishes 

 here, and the now never-used Audley End Course of I mile 

 7 furlongs and 56 yards ; but nowadays we never see any 

 races finish at the Portland Stand which are not run on the 

 Ancaster Mile or Criterion Course, except the race for the 

 Old Cambridgeshire, the starting-post for which is two 

 furlongs west of the Ancaster Mile starting-post, and quite 

 off the Beacon Course. This fine course, on which the 

 Cambridgeshire was run for the first thirty years or more 

 of its existence, is now never used, except for the one 

 particular race mentioned, which is decided on the Friday 

 of the Houghton week, and this is in my opinion a matter 

 for regret. It is true that the Portland Stand affords very 

 little accommodation, and only a moderate view, but I 

 should dearly like to see a new and larger stand take its 

 place, and the last two races of each day decided there. 



Seen from the July Stands behind the Ditch lies the Round 

 Course, which personally I have never seen used. It begins 

 at the end of the plantation, rather more than a quarter 

 of a mile below the stands, and describes a circle of 3 miles 

 4 furlongs and 138 yards, the last mile being the Bunbury 

 Mile. It touches the Beacon Course on its easterly side, 

 but leaves it a quarter of a mile to the south of the running 

 Gap, and wheeling round to the right, runs parallel with the 

 Ditch up to the July Stands. Not so long ago I rode over 

 this line and lamented that so fine a course was not used. 



