74 THE DIFFERENT BREEDS OF ENGLISH HORSES. 



of a field of fifteen, or even twenty, not more than two or three of them live, in 

 the exertion of their best energies, far within the ropes. 



And what becomes of them when the struggle is over ? After the severe racing, 

 as it is now called, of former times, the horse came again to the starting-post 

 with not a single power impaired ; and year after year he was ready to meet any 

 and every rival. A single race, however, like that of the Derby, now occasionally 

 disables the winner from ever running again ; yet the distance is only a mile and 

 a half. The St. Leger is more destructive to the winner, although the distance 

 is less than two miles*. The race of the day has been run ; some heavy stakes 

 have been won by the owner; the animal by whose exertions they were 



* An account of the lengths of the principal race-courses may be acceptable to the 

 reader :— 



MII.KS. FUR. YARDS, 



The Beacon Course is ... 



The Round Course is . . . . 



Last three miles of Beacon Course . . . 



Ditch in . • • • 



The last mile and a distance of Beacon Course 

 Ancaster mile ..... 



From the turn of the lands in ... 



Clermont Course, from the Ditch to the Duke's Stand 

 Audlcy End Course, from the starting-post of the 



T.Y.C. to the end of the Beacon Course 

 Across the flat ... . . 



Rowley milo ..... 



Ditch mile . . . . . 



Abingdon mile ..... 

 Two middle miles of Beacon Course . . , 



Two-years-old Course (on the flat) . 

 New ditto (part of the Banbury mile) . 

 Yearling Course ..... 

 Banbury mile ... . . 



" Previously to 1 753 there were only two meetings in the year at Newmarket for the pur- 

 pose of running horses, one in the Spring and another in October. At present there are seven — 

 The Craven, instituted in 1771, in compliment to the late Earl Craven, and commencing on 

 Easter Monday ; the First Spring, on the Monday fortnight following, and being the original 

 Spring Meeting ; the Second Spring, a fortnight after that, and instituted in 1753 ; the July, 

 commonly early in that month, instituted also in 1753 ; the First October, on the first Mon- 

 day in that month, being the original October meeting ; the Second October, on the Monday 

 fortnight following — instituted in 1762; and the Third October, or Houghton % a fortnight 

 after that, and instituted 1770. "With the last-men tioDed meeting, which, weather permitting, 

 generally lasts a week, and at which there is a great deal of racing, the sports of the Turf close 

 for the year, with the exception of Tarporley, a very old hunt-meeting in Cheshire, now nearly 

 abandoned ; and a Worcester autumn meeting, chiefly for hunters and horses of the gentlemen 

 and farmers within the hunt." — Nimrod — The Turf, 152. 



ASCOT HEATH. 



The two-mile course is a circular one, of which the last half is called the old mile. The 

 new mile is straight and up-hill all the way. The T.Y.C. is five furlongs and 136 yards. 



EPSOM, 



The old course, now seldom used except for the cup, is two miles of an irregular circular 

 form, the first mile up-hill. The new Derby course is exactly a mile and a half, and some- 

 what in the form of a horse-shoe : the first three-quarters of a mile may be considered as 

 straight running, the bend in the course being very trifling, and the width very great ; the next 

 quarter of a mile is in a gradual turn, and the last half-mile straight ; the first half-mile is on 

 the ascent, the next third of a mile level, and the remainder is on the descent, till within the 

 distance, where the ground again rises. 



The new T.Y.C. is six furlongs ; the old T.Y.C, or Woodcot course, is somewhat less than 

 four. 



The Craven course is one mile and a quarter. 



nONCASTER 



Is a circular and nearly flat course of about one mile, seven furlongs, and seventy yards 

 The shortor courses are portions of this circle. 



