, RACING SHOULD BE RESTRICTED TO FOUR DAYS. 279 
plan be thought inadvisable, then an extra day, or two days 
if needed, might be given in the following week—the latter, 
a provision that his lordship made, which it may be remarked, 
was the cause of the re-introduction of the Second Spring 
Meeting at Newmarket, after its discontinuance for so many 
years. Even at head-quarters, four days a week should 
satisfy the most ardent sportsman. If the time did not 
permit all the races to be run off, it would be better to have 
eight annual meetings instead of seven, concluding the racing 
‘season at head-quarters as now with the Houghton meeting. 
Apart from the increased comfort to racing men, there is an 
incentive for the change in the benefit accruing to those pro- 
fessionally engaged in training. Five days racing means an 
augmentation of the Sunday labour which, in almost every 
other direction, it is endeavoured to limit as much as possible. 
Racehorses must travel to and from the scene of action, and 
men must take them. Workmen must be employed in the 
construction of booths and temporary stands, and horses and 
men in the transport of the material. Sunday must be largely 
devoted, too, to the cooking of provisions, and the conveyance 
of drinkables from place to place. The present custom was 
commenced, and is continued, for,the benefit of the few; it 
finds no sympathy with the bulk of the people, or with the 
generality of racing men.’ 
I should add that certain recent enactments of the Jockey 
Club have, with excellent judgment, in a certain measure 
helped in the diminution of Sunday labour. I refer to rule 
s4. By it, all entries previously made on a Sunday, are in the 
future to be made on the Monday, or for races falling on 
Monday on the previous Saturday. 
1 Since this was written Saturday racing has been (in April 1879) abolished at 
Newmarket. 
