22 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF. 



erection of the Stand 'had its origin in an arlfnl 

 speculation devised by a small horde of questionable 

 characters ; and it was not before great trouble and 

 expense had been incurred that they were excluded 

 from the management.' A lawyer's bill was incurred 

 amounting to £557. . 



The Grand Stand was built from a set of plans 

 drawn by Mr. William Trendall, and, in order to get rid 

 of the 'questionable characters' referred to, a new com- 

 mittee of management was formed, and an additional 

 sum of raone}' was authorized to be raised. This was 

 done : a mortgage of £5,000 being effected on the pro- 

 perty, and two bends of £2,500 each were granted on 

 annuity at 70 per cent., one of Avhich was redeemed m 

 1836, partly by the creation of forty-nine new shares, 

 carrying interest at 5 per cent., the value of which 

 was assessed some years since at £75 each. The rent 

 at one time paid for a considerable portion of the 

 race-course was at the rate of £300 per annum, Avhich 

 was deemed inadequate by Mr. Studd, who had (18G8) 

 become proprietor of the Manor of Walton. That 

 gentleman proposed a rent to be fixed at the rate 

 of £1,000 per annum, extending over a twenty-one 

 years' lease. Ultimately, however, the course was so 

 altered as to avoid Mr. Studd's portion of the heath. 

 When the Derby was instituted, the course to be run 

 over was only a mile in length ; now, as is well known, 

 it is half a mile longer. 



With reference to the Grand Stand and its ap- 

 purtenances, it is related that it was a Mr. Charles 

 Ijluck, from Doncaster, who originated the building of 

 it, having proposed to the manorial court at Epsom to 



