THE YORKSHIRE MEETINGS 143 



furlongs, the former being generally worth about ^800 and 

 the latter a little over 1,000. The Stockton Handicap 

 of a mile and five furlongs and the Stockton Stewards' 

 Handicap of a mile are also useful items of the programme, 

 and it may be added that, the course being situated in a 

 thickly populated industrial district, the races are always 

 very largely attended. Possibly the date, coming just at 

 the commencement of grouse shooting, is not a very happy 

 one, but Lords Londonderry and Durham are good sup- 

 porters of the meeting, as is Lord Zetland, and Mr. James 

 Lowther invariably brings a large party from Wilton Castle. 

 Redcar Races as at present constituted have not been 

 in existence more than a quarter of a century, though they 

 used to race on the sands before the new course was made. 

 The neighbourhood is perhaps as horsy as any other part 

 of Yorkshire, and no less a celebrity than the Flying 

 Dutchman was foaled at Kirkleatham, some three miles 

 from the little seaside town. The course lies on the inland 

 side of Redcar, quite close to the station, and though it is 

 a dead-flat, it takes high rank amongst modern racecourses, 

 the straight mile (there are nine furlongs of it) being 

 absolutely one of the best in the kingdom. The round, or 

 rather oval, course is just under two miles, with a straight 

 run-in of five furlongs, but the top turn past the stands is 

 just a little too abrupt. Not that this matters, as there 

 are no two-mile races on the programme now, and the 

 bottom turn has not only a more gradual "elbow," but is 

 so far from home that when a horse does run wide he has 

 every chance of making up his ground again. Portions 

 of the straight mile are used for the five- and six-furlong 

 races, and long - striding horses are generally seen to 

 advantage on this dead-level galloping course, whilst 

 staying power is always served. Indeed, I have seen 

 horses finish very leg - weary in a strongly - run race at 

 Redcar, for there is no give and take. The Spring Meeting 

 of two days takes place at Whitsuntide, and the Summer 

 Meeting early in August, the latter being generally on the 

 same days as the Kempton August fixture. The two 

 places, however, are so far apart that they do not harm 



