CHAPTER II. 



INFLUENCE OF THE TURF ON HORSE- 

 BREEDING. 



The Turf! "What visions of delight the 

 term conjures up to the lover of horses ! 

 Newmarket Heath, with its vast expanse 

 of galloping ground ; its labyrinth of courses ; 

 its historic Ditch; its memories of mighty 

 equine heroes of the past, and their almost 

 equally famous owners, trainers, and jockeys ; 

 its strings of modern racers, pacing with the 

 inimitable lounging gait of the thorough- 

 bred through its ancient streets to their 

 spacious training tracks on the Race or Bu.ry 

 side ; Epsom Downs, scene every year of the 

 most remarkable and characteristic gathering 

 of the British people, and equally interesting 

 to the student of Turf lore for its historic 



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