_Ascot Heath._ A circular course, exactly two miles, the last mile of
which forms the Old Mile. The New Mile is straight, rising all the way,
and measures 7 fur. 150 yds. The T. Y. C. (part of the New Mile) is 3
fur. 95 yds.
_Buxton._ A circular course of one mile.
_Chelmsford._ An oval course, thirty yards short of two miles; but by
starting between the distance post and the winning chair, it becomes two
complete miles.
_Chester._ A circular course of one mile. It is a complete flat, and
perhaps the pleasantest course in England for spectators.
_Doncaster._ A circular course of 1 mile, 7 fur. 70 yds. The other
courses are formed of portions of this circle, namely, Red House Inn, 5
fur. 164 yds. T. Y. C. 7 fur. 189 yds. Fitzwilliam Course, 1 mile, 4
fur. 10 yds. St. Leger Course, 1 mile, 6 fur. 132 yds. Two Mile Course,
2 miles, 25 yds. Four Mile Course, (twice round) 3 miles, 7 fur. 219
yds.
_Egham._ A flat oval course, 66 yds. short of 2 miles.
_Epsom._ Two miles, the last mile and a half of which is the Derby and
Oaks Course. The Craven Course is one mile and a quarter of the same
ground. Epsom Course can be properly called neither circular, oval, nor
triangular.—It is altogether one of the worst courses in England.
_Knutsford._ A flat circular course of one mile.
_Lancaster._ A circular mile course, and good turf.
_Leeds._ A circular course of 1 mile, 2 fur. 48 yds. There is also a
straight course, through the centre of the circular one, of 2 fur. 158
yds., which, uniting with each half of the circle, forms two other
courses, in the form of a sector, the one 1 mile, 11 yds., the other 1
mile, 135 yds.
_Liverpool._ The Old Course is an oval mile, flat, and very good turf.
The New Course is one mile and a half, forming an ill-defined oblong
square; and though nearly flat, is a very distressing course for horses.
It is a new establishment, races were held upon it this year (1829) for
the first time. The form is bad—it is too elongated, and in consequence
causes the horses, for a great part of the length, to be too far
distant. The Old and the New Course are situated at the distance of two
miles asunder.
_Manchester._ An oval course of 7 fur. 184 yds. The Cup Course is 2
miles, 168 yds. The T. Y. C. 5 fur. 184 yds. There is a hill, and the
course is by no means of the best description.
_Newcastle._ A sort of square of 1 mile, 6 fur. 132 yds.
_Newton._ A triangular course of one mile.
_Nottingham._ A circular course of 1 mile, 2 fur. and 11 yds.
_Oxford._ Flat, oval course, 2 miles all but a distance.
_Pontefract._ An oval course, formed on the gentle declivity of rising
ground, 2 miles, 1 fur.
_Preston._ An indifferent oval course, one mile.
_Stockbridge._ An oval course, rather hilly, the last three quarters of
a mile in a straight line. There is one straight mile, and also a
circular course of about one mile and a quarter; the latter is called
the New Course.
_York._ T. Y. C. 5 fur. 59 yds. Mile Course, 1 mile, 8 yds. Last mile
and quarter, 1 mile, 2 fur., 15 yds. Last mile and half, 1 mile, 4 fur.,
18 yds. Last mile and three quarters, 1 mile, 5 fur., 160 yds. Two-mile
Course, 1 mile, 7 fur., 85 yds. Four-mile Course, 3 mile, 7 fur., 24
yds. York Course is situated upon low ground, and, in consequence,
becomes very heavy in wet weather.—_Turf Expositor._
RACEHORSE, _s._ A horse bred to run for prizes.
There is much dispute with regard to the origin of the thorough-bred
horse. By some he is traced to both sire and dam to Eastern parentage;
others believe him to be the native horse, improved and perfected by
judicious crossing with the Barb, the Turk, or the Arabian. “The Stud
Book,” which is an authority acknowledged by every English breeder,
traces all the old racers to some Eastern origin; or it traces them
until the pedigree is lost in the uncertainty of an early period of
breeding. If a pedigree of a racer of the present day be required, it is
traced back to a certain extent, and ends with a well-known racer;—or,
if an earlier derivation be required, that ends either with an eastern
horse, or in obscurity.
It must, on the whole, be allowed, that the present English
thorough-bred horse is of foreign extraction, improved and perfected by
the influence of the climate, and by diligent cultivation. There are
some exceptions, as in the case of Sampson and Bay-Malton, in each of
whom, although the best horses of their day, there was a cross of vulgar
blood; but they are only exceptions to a general rule. In our best
racing stables, and, particularly in the studs of the Earls of Grosvenor
and Egremont, this is an acknowledged principle; and it is not, when
properly considered, a principle at all derogatory to the credit of the
country. The British climate, and British skill, made the thoroughbred
horse what he is.
Whatever may be the truth as to the origin of the race-horse, the
strictest attention has for the last fifty years been paid to pedigree.
In the descent of almost every modern racer, not the slightest flaw can
be discovered: or when, with the splendid exception of Sampson and
Bay-Malton, one drop of common blood has mingled with the pure stream,
it has been immediately detected in the inferiority of form, and
deficiency of bottom, and it has required two or three generations to
wipe away the stain, and get rid of its consequences.
The racer is generally distinguished by his beautiful Arabian
head;—his fine and finely-set-on-neck;—his oblique, lengthened
shoulders;—well-bent hinder legs;—his ample, muscular quarters—his
flat legs, rather short from the knee downward, although not always so
deep as they should be;—and his long and elastic pastern. These are
separately considered where the structure of the horse is treated of.
The racer, however, with the most beautiful form, is occasionally a
sorry animal. There is sometimes a want of energy in an apparently
faultless shape, for which there is no accounting; but there are two
points among those just enumerated which will rarely or never deceive, a
well-placed shoulder, and a well-bent hinder leg.
It has been imagined that the breed of racing horses has lately very
considerably degenerated. This is not the case. Thorough-bred horses
were formerly fewer in number, and their performances created greater
wonder. The breed has now increased twenty-fold, and superiority is not
so easily obtained among so many competitors. If one circumstance could,
more than any other, produce this degeneracy, it would be our absurd and
cruel habit of bringing out horses too soon, and the frequent failure of
their legs before they have come to their full power. Childers and
Eclipse did not appear until they were five years old: but many of our
best horses, and those perhaps, who would have shown equal excellence
with the most celebrated racers, are foundered and destroyed before that
period.
Whether the introduction of short races, and so young horses, be
advantageous, and whether stoutness and usefulness may not thus be
somewhat too much sacrificed to speed: whether there may be danger that
an animal designed for service may, in process of time, be frittered
away almost to a shadow of what he was, in order that at two years old,
over the one-mile-course, he may astonish the crowd by his
fleetness,—are questions that more concern the sporting man than the
agriculturist; and yet they concern the agriculturist too, for racing is
principally valuable as connected with breeding, and as the test of
breeding. _Vide_ TRAINING.
RACER, _s._ A Runner, one that contends in speed.
RACK, _s._ An engine of torture; extreme pain; the clouds as they
are driven by the wind; a wooden grate in which hay is placed
for cattle; arrack, a spirituous liquor.
RACKET, _s._ An irregular clattering noise; the instrument with
which players strike the ball.
RACKETS, _s._ A fine manly game, in which a small ball and cat-gut
implement are used.
RAFFLE, _s._ A species of game or lottery, in which many stake a
small part of the value of some single thing, in consideration
of a chance to gain it.
ODDS ON A RAFFLE WITH NINE DICE, OR THE
HIGHEST IN THREE THROWS WITH THREE DICE.
It is 10077695 to 1, that you 54
1007768 .. 1, do not 53 or more.
183229 .. 1, throw 52 —
45809 .. 1, 51 —
14093 .. 1, 50 —
5032 .. 1, 49 —
2016 .. 1, 48 —
886 .. 1, 47 —
422 .. 1, 46 —
215 .. 1, 45 —
116 .. 1, 44 —
66 .. 1, 43 —
39 } .. 1, 42 —
very near 39½ }
24½ .. 1, 41 —
15¾ .. 1, 40 —
10½ .. 1, 39 —
7¹/₇ .. 1, 38 —
very near 5 .. 1, 37 —
3½ .. 1, 36 —
2⁶/₁₁ .. 1, } 35 —
or 28 .. 11, }
11 .. 6, 34 —
9 .. 7, 35 —