OTHER COUNTRY MEETINGS 157 



invariably have it between them, unless, as very occasionally 

 happens, the first legitimate racing day is Easter Monday. 

 In that case there are two or three minor fixtures to 

 commence the week with, and Lincoln loses a day. After 

 the first week the order of the meetings is not always quite 

 the same, but, as a rule, Derby and Northampton come next ; 

 and these, like Lincoln and Liverpool, command a general 

 following. As a general rule, but not always, Nottingham 

 has the Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week, and also 

 in most years the Newmarket Craven fixture follows. Then 

 come the Epsom and Sandown Spring Meetings, followed by 

 Newmarket (the Two Thousand Guineas fixture), and after 

 that Chester and Kempton, with the last of the Newmarket 

 Spring Meetings in the following week. Generally York 

 and Doncaster in the North, and Bath and Salisbury in 

 the South, are sandwiched between Newmarket Second 

 Spring and Epsom (the Derby meeting), and the following 

 week is devoted to minor Whitsuntide fixtures, both North 

 and South, with Manchester occupying the last four days. 

 There is no need to go further with the list, which would 

 include a host of Saturday fixtures at the Metropolitan 

 enclosures. But nowadays, all through the season, with 

 hardly an exception, each week is devoted to one big 

 meeting, or two consecutive ones, for which support is 

 received, as regards both runners and visitors, from all parts 

 of the kingdom. The minor meetings, especially those 

 held at a considerable distance from London, seldom have 

 a clear date, and, as naturally follows, are extremely local 

 in character. 



The chief attraction at Chester is the Chester Cup, a 

 handicap of two miles and a quarter, now worth 2,500, to 

 say nothing of Cheshire cheeses for the three placed horses. 

 This race, which has a most interesting history, is an ex- 

 traordinary draw. Where the people come from it is 

 difficult to say, but the town is absolutely besieged by 

 visitors from earliest morning on the Cup day. They swarm 

 about the streets, walking all over the road, and to proceed 

 from the station to the course on wheels between noon 

 and two o'clock is a most difficult job, the journey having 



