44 
““. . . Gentlemen went on breeding their horses 
so fitte for the sake of shape and speed only. Those 
animals which were only second, third or fourth rates 
in speed were considered to be quite useless. This 
custom continued until the reign of Queen Anne, when 
a public spirited gentleman (observing inconvenience 
arising from this exclusiveness) left thirteen plates 
or purses to be run for at such places as the Crown 
should appoint. Hence they are called the King’s 
or Queen’s Plates or Guineas. They were given 
upon the condition that each horse, mare or gelding 
should carry twelve stone weight, the best of three 
heats over a four-mile course. By this method a 
stronger and more useful breed was soon raised; and 
if the horse did not win the guineas, he was yet 
strong enough to make a good hunter. By these 
crossings—as the jockeys term it—we have horses 
of full blood, three-quarters blood, or half bred, 
suitable to carry burthens; by which means the 
English breed of horses is allowed to be the best 
and is greatly esteemed by foreigners.” 
Whether the money for the royal plates 
was provided, as Berenger states, from the 
Queen’s own purse, at the instance of her 
consort, or whether it came from the estate 
of the public spirited gentleman referred to 
by the contributor to the Sporting Magazine, 
the fact remains that these plates were 
established in Anne’s reign, and that they 
did something to encourage the production 
of a better stamp of horse. An animal able 
to carry twelve stone three four-mile heats 
must be one of substance, and not merely 
a racing machine. 
