FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF THE RACE. 23 



lease, for a period of sixty-one years, an acre of ground 

 on which to build it. Ultimately, by agreement with 

 the lord of the manor, the period of tenancy was 

 extended to ninety 3-ears, and the document Avas 

 signed on the 27th of November, 1828, the annual 

 rent being fixed at £80. That lease will, of course, 

 terminate in the year 1918. The stand has been an 

 immense success, and may be said to have proved 

 a gold-mine to its proprietors. ' The receipts of the 

 Grand Stand,' says a popular writer, ' increase year 

 by year. The charge is now two guineas for the four 

 days, or one guinea for the Derby Day or the Oaks 

 Day ; and the paddock, admission to which some 

 years ago was only a shilling, now fills well at half a 

 guinea.' 



Every 3'ear the public patronage accorded to the 

 Grand and parasitic stands, to the paddocks and other 

 enclosures, increases at a wonderful rate. For re- 

 freshments the demand is incessant, and the profit 

 derived from this part of the business must be very 

 large. No two persons will be found to agree as to 

 the numbers who crowd to Epsom Downs to witness 

 the Derby, but various estimates have been made, 

 ranging from 70,000 to a quarter of a million. If, 

 however, 100,000 persons are present, and each, 

 striking an average, expends half a sovereign in 

 railway fares and refreshments, that of itself totals 

 up to a sum of £50,000 for the day's outing ! 



One of our ablest and most informed writers on 

 horse-racing and the economy of the turf, whilst 

 advocating, some j^ears since, that something should 

 be done by way of augmenting the stakes of the Derby 



