53 
last century, George II. s Act directed against 
small racehorses notwithstanding. <A 12- 
hand pony carried 5 stone, and the scale of 
weight for inches prescribed 14 0z. for each 
additional quarter of an inch; whereby 13 
hands carried 7 stone, 14 hands 9 stone, 15 
hands ir stone. Hunter races were run 
at Ascot in 1722, and after that date the 
Calendar of 1762, however, is the first of 
the series that contains the form of ‘ Quali- 
fication for a Hunter.” 
The Royal Plates were still among the 
most important events of the Turf; in 1760 
there were 18 of these in England and Scot- 
land, and 6 in Ireland, 5 of the latter in 
Kildare. The ‘King’s Plate Articles,” 
which appear in every annual issue of the 
Racing Calendars for very many years, were 
retained in their original form. ‘“ Six-year- 
olds shall carry 12 stone, 14 Ibs. to the stone; 
three heats”; but in the Calendar of 1773 a 
footnote occurs, ‘‘ By a late order altered to 
one heat.” Nevertheless, very cursory inspec- 
tion of the books shows that much latitude 
was allowed in weights, distances, and num- 
bers of heats both before 1773 and after. 
In 1799 another footnote appears under the 
‘King’s Plate Articles,” to effect that the 
conditions “By a late order are altered to 
