20 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF. 



of that time It would lead, pvobabl^^ to curious 

 revelations to know its history in the aspect of the 

 question just asked, namely, Is the title of " the Derby 

 Stakes" held by patent? if so, from whom? or is it 

 copyright ? if so, where can the register be seen ? and 

 how came the patent, or copyright, to be vested in the 

 company which at present " bosses " the race ? ^^'hy 

 should the gentlemen of England subscribe a matter 

 of £10,000 per annum to be competed for on Epsom 

 Downs, in order that the attraction so caused may 

 enrich the proprietors of the Grand Stand ? They 

 might as easily devote the money to some other pur- 

 pose, or, as has been more than once suggested, run 

 the race which they maintain elsewhere ; and prob- 

 ably, at no distant date, that may bo done. Those 

 interested — namely, the owners of the horses entered 

 for the race — are surely entitled to dispense their 

 patronage in any mode they please ; and were the 

 Derby to be put up to auction, and the Oaks along 

 with it, some enterprising race-course company might 

 far outbid the present holders of the monopoly. This 

 idea may be scouted as Utopian, but more unlikely 

 things have happened before now, 



' No figures representing the receipts of the two race- 

 meetings held at Epsom are ever published, so far as 

 making them known to the general public is con- 

 cerned ; but those familiar with racing finance have 

 computed that in the course of the six days occupied 

 by meetings at Epsom a sum of over £50,000 will be 

 bagged in name of admission-fees and rents of many 

 kinds. A well-known writer commenting recently on 

 the financial aspects of the Derby and Oaks, stated 



