'^ Reign of Queen Victoria, 1 837-1 901 



true sportsmanlike fashion, borrowed money on their own 

 personal security to increase the stakes, carry on improve- 

 ments and tide them over their temporary difficulties. It 

 must not be thought that the alterations pleased everybody ; 

 and the additional fees pleased none. However, the 

 Trustees were obliged to get back the money they had 

 spent, and amongst other things they tried in 1866 to 

 levy an entrance fee of half a sovereign from owner and 

 trainer for entrance to the paddock. This caused great 

 annoyance all round, and the Duke of Beaufort had the 

 satisfaction of getting the tax abolished on the second day 

 of the meeting. Another item that caused great opposition 

 from those who did not get places was the erection of 

 boxes. From 1862 to 1867 several private boxes and 

 stalls had been built in the Grand Stand and allotted as 

 soon as ready at high rentals — a fruitful source of revenue 

 as was also the fees levied on the Betting Ring which were 

 then considered extortionate. Later years, however, have 

 shown that the management were justified in their policy. 

 The important matter of refreshments cropped up again 

 in 1867, and the commissariat was given into the charge 

 of Mr. Browning, who has held it up to the present time. 

 It then became possible to get a pigeon pie that was not 

 all beef, and a lobster salad in which there was some lobster. 

 In fact, to manage a Race Course is no sinecure ; for not 

 only the course and the buildings thereon require attention, 

 but even the roads leading thereto. Accidents and fines 

 had placed the railways temporarily at a discount and 

 during the sixties coaching to the races was again the 

 favourite mode, but so much confusion was caused, and so 

 many collisions occurred at the junction of the London and 



143 



