QUEEN'S PREMIUM SIRES. 125 



of horses " were most esteemed, both for their 

 intrinsic value and the prestige which 

 naturally accrued to the winning of a royal 

 prize. These King's Plates formed, there- 

 fore, the chief event at most race meetings. 

 They were run for at first in heats of four 

 miles, and with a minimum weight for 

 four-year-olds of ten stone four; five-year-olds 

 were given eleven stone six ; while six and 

 aged had to put up no less than twelve 

 stone. 



So long as these conditions were main- 

 tained there can be no doubt that the Royal 

 Plates were of considerable value, in eliciting 

 from the small number of racehorses then 

 in training those most likely to transmit 

 substance and staying power, no less than 

 speed, to their progeny. Unfortunately, 

 however, during the later reigns, weights 

 and distance were gradually lowered and 

 shortened till the Plates no longer served 

 their purpose, and, moreover, they came 



