-^ Horse Racing in England 



of Rockingham then proposed that the sweepstakes sug- 

 gested by Colonel St. Leger two years previously should 

 be run for annually, and bear the name of the founder. 

 In this year it was won again by a filly, called Hollandaise, 

 belonging to Sir Thomas Gascoigne. 



Since those days many alterations have been made in 

 the conditions and weights to meet the requirements of 

 modern racing. 



The Derby and Oaks were established under the 

 auspices of one of the Turf's greatest supporters — the 

 twelfth Lord Derby. The Derby was first run in 1 780, 

 and was a sweepstakes of 50 sovereigns each, half forfeit, 

 for 3-year-old colts, and the distance one mile ; but this 

 has been altered now to a mile and a half, and the prize 

 at the present day is never less than ^5,000. In the 

 year of its inception it was won by Sir C. Bunbury's 

 chestnut colt Diomed, by Florizel, against eight com- 

 petitors. The " Ladies' Race " has priority over the 

 Derby by a year, having been founded in 1779, and on 

 the first occasion of the Oaks — a sweepstakes for 3-year- 

 old fillies, over a mile and a half course — the winner was 

 Lord Derby's Bridget. 



The Two Thousand Guineas for 3-year-old colts and fillies 

 was established in 1809, and the One Thousand, for fillies, 

 in 18 1 4. The Goodwood Meeting was established in 1802, 

 by the Duke of Richmond, on the Downs at the northern 

 edge of his beautiful seat near Worthing. Besides these 

 great races, there are many other races of note that have 

 been inaugurated during the present century, and amongst 

 them may be mentioned the Goodwood Stakes, founded 

 in 1823 ; the Chester Cup and Brighton Stakes in 1824 ; 



