one mile, and two of under one mile. At the Newmarket 

 Craven Meeting of igoo there were three races of about one 

 mile and a half, six of about one mile, and eleven of five or 

 six furlongs. 



In 1832 a new schedule of weights was issued for the 

 Royal Plates. From about this time the system of short races 

 and light weights began to develop, and as it developed the 

 character of the race-horse underwent a change. With every 

 desire to produce Thoroughbreds possessing power as well as 

 speed, breeders have found themselves unable to reproduce 

 the former quality and successfully compete for the great 

 prizes of the Turf. To be successful in these days the race- 

 horse must possess the utmost speed, but he need not be able 

 to travel at speed for a greater distance than a mile and a half 

 at most, and if he can carry g stone he is considered a weight 

 carrier. 



The Roadster of a Century Ago 



Thoughtful writers foresaw the result of this change in 

 the English Turf more than 60 years ago, when Thoroughbreds 

 of stamina and substance were far more plentiful than they are 

 now. An author previously quoted* declared that at that date 

 " There are powerful reasons for concluding that the single 

 quality of speed possessed by the modern (1836) racer is a 

 bad substitute for the fine old union of speed, stoutness and 

 structural power possessed by the old racer." 



The racer of the thirties was lighter than his ancestors, 

 but he was far stouter and truer made than his modern 

 descendant. " The older race-horses," wrote this author, 

 " were swift enough to enable the general breeder to produce 

 excellent saddle-horses. Our roadsters were formerly admirable 



* A Comparative View of the Form and Character of the English Racer 

 and Saddk-Horses during the Past and Present Centuries. Published by 

 Thomas Hookham, 15 Old Bond Street, London. 1836 



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