"Newmarket may truly be styled the classic ground of racing, and
it is there only that this delightful sport may be said to exist
in perfection. No crowd, no booths impede the view; none of those
discordant noises which make a perfect babel of other racecourses
distract the attention. The number of spectators seldom exceeds 500,
and they are mostly of the higher classes, the majority on horseback,
with perhaps a few close carriages and barouches."
The words given above were written previous to 1840, by a well-known
turf historian. Since then numerous changes have occurred at Newmarket,
the sacred heath having even on occasions been invaded by "the roughs."
At one period the place was doubtless all that has been pictured, and,
as "head-quarters," the metropolis of the turf, it has always been of
importance to racing men, and a well-known seat of training for horses
and riders. As many probably as 1,000 race-horses of all ages, it has
been computed, are housed in the training stables of Newmarket.
In considering the part which Newmarket has played in the history of
the turf, it will be as well, however, to begin at the beginning.
In the days of the second Charles, Newmarket was highly favoured by
King and Court. Although the breezy downs of Epsom were much nearer
London, His Majesty, with a party of friends in his train, visited
Newmarket much oftener than he did any other centre of racing or
hunting sports.
The earliest time at which racing took place at head-quarters was in
the reign of James I., who is said to have "permanently established
meetings, and first attended in person in the third year of his reign
(1605)."
During the reign of this monarch, racing made considerable progress,
the reputation of Newmarket as a centre of sport being enhanced for a
time by the arrival of some of the horses saved from the wreck of the
Spanish Armada. During the reign of Charles I., racing fell off as a
consequence of the Civil War, only to be revived with greater éclat
in the following reign; from the moment that Charles II. ascended
the throne, racing began again to flourish at Newmarket. The "Merry
Monarch," being particularly fond of racing, and indeed of all kinds
of pastime, passed much of his time at the chief seat of sport, having
erected there a palace for himself and a fine stable for his stud. In a
work on the horse, written by John Lawrence, it is stated that at one
time there was to be seen on Warrenhill, what was termed the King's
Chair, from which His Majesty viewed the horses at exercise; it was
customary for persons who took an interest in the pursuits of the turf
to visit that part of the heath at Newmarket once a year--on a certain
day in springtime--to see the coursers gallop up to this seat, on
which occasions both lads and horses were clad in new clothes.
The King's partiality for Newmarket is often alluded to in the
literature, or rather written records of the period. In Pepys' Diary,
more than one entry refers to the "Merry Monarch's" fondness for the
pastime of racing; as for instance, May 22nd, 1668: "The King and Duke
of York and Court are at this day at Newmarket, at a great horse-race;"
again on March 7th, 1669: "I hear that the King and the Duke of York
set out for Newmarket by three in the morning, to see some foot and
horse-races." Having recourse to the Diary of Pepys once more, we find
him saying, in an entry dated March 8th: "To Whitehall, from whence
the King, and the Duke of York, the Duke of Monmouth, and the Prince
Rupert, at the King's gate in Holborne; and the King all dirty, but not
hurt. How it came to pass I know not, but only it was dark, and the
torches did not, they say, light the coach as they should do." Again, a
few weeks after this mishap, on April 26th, Pepys tells us: "The King
and Court went out of town to Newmarket this morning betimes for a
week."
These extracts not only illustrate the fact of the sport of
horse-racing being in progress at Newmarket at the period indicated,
but are also valuable as an illustration of the travelling facilities
of the time and the risks endured by Royalty.
A peep at the kind of racing then in vogue has been vouchsafed to us
by the Duke of Tuscany. The races of May 9th, 1669, at which the King
and the Duke of York were both present, are thus described in his
Grace's "Journal of his Travels in England": "The racecourse is a
tract of ground in the neighbourhood of Newmarket, which, extending to
the distance of four miles over a spacious level meadow, covered with
very short grass, is marked out by tall wooden posts painted white.
The horses intended for this exercise, in order to render them more
swift, are kept always girt, that their bellies may not drop, and
thereby interfere with the agility of their movements. When the time
of the races draw near, they feed them with the greatest care and very
sparingly, giving them for the most part, in order to keep them in full
vigour, beverages of soaked bread and fresh eggs."
The dish of sport set before His Majesty was not "up to much" when
compared with the Newmarket racing of to-day. Only two horses started
with riders in "white" and "green," the latter proving victorious;
the race, of course, witnessed by the King and his retinue, all
mounted. It appears to have been the fashion of the day for the retinue
to accompany the running horses, and to head them, waiting at the
winning-post for their arrival and the coming of His Majesty with his
numerous train of ladies and gentlemen. A blaze of trumpets and a
flourish of alarm drums announced the victory, after which the Royal
party adjourned to the house. The Duke of Tuscany, in describing the
race, says that "the horses were not let out at first, but were much
reserved lest strength should fail them; but the further they advanced
in the course, the more their riders urged them, forcing them at length
to full speed."
This primitive kind of racing probably continued for fifty or sixty
years; it was, however very much thought of by those who saw it, and
Newmarket, as the seat of sport, continued to attract much attention.
In Evelyn's diary of date July 20th, 1670, there occurs this entry: "We
went to see the stables and fine horses, of which many were here kept
at a vast expense, with all the art and tenderness imaginable."
That the "Merry Monarch" and his friends enjoyed Newmarket there is
abundant evidence to show. "I lodged this night at Newmarket," says
Evelyn, 21st October, 1671, "where I found the jolly blades racing,
dancing, feasting, and revelling, more resembling a luxurious and
abandoned rout than a Christian Court." A few days previous to that
entry there is the following: "I went after evening service to London,
in order to a journey of refreshment with Mr. Treasurer, to Newmarket,
where the King then was, in his coach with six brave horses, which was
changed thrice; first at Bishop's Stortford, and last at Chesterford;
so by night we got to Newmarket, where Mr. Henry Jermain (nephew to the
Earl of St. Albans) lodged me very civilly. We proceeded immediately
to Court, the King and all the English gallants being there at their
autumnal sports. Supped at the Lord Chamberlain's, and the next day
after dinner I was on the heath, where I saw the great match run
between Woodcock and Flatfoot, belonging to the King and to Mr. Elliott
of the Bed-chamber, many thousands being spectators; a more signal race
had not been run for many years."
A remarkable set of rules for the guidance of those taking part in the
competition for the original Town Plate was devised in this reign,
and, as will be evident from the following extracts, afforded a
foundation for many of the rules of racing, which afterwards came in
use all over England.
One of the rules is worded as follows: "Every horse that rideth shall
be bridled, saddled, and shod, and his rider shall weigh twelve stone,
fourteen pounds to the stone, and every rider that wanteth above one
pound and a half after he hath rid the heat, shall win no plate or
prize." Another rule says: "Whosoever doth stop or stay any of the
horses that rideth for this plate or prize, if he be either owner,
servant, party, or bettor, and it appears to be willingly done, he
shall win no plate, prize, or bets." Moreover, "Every rider that layeth
hold on, or striketh any of the riders, shall win no plate or prize."
Another rule confers on the judges the following power: "Any of the
judges may call any of the riders at the end of any of the heats, and
if he be found to have fraudulently cast away any of his weight and
want any more than his pound and a half, he shall lose the plate,
prize, and stakes." One more extract from these rules will suffice:
"Whosoever winneth the plate or prize shall give to the clerk of the
course twenty shillings to be distributed to the poor on both sides of
Newmarket, and twenty shillings to the clerk of the race, for which he
is to keep the horse plain and free from holes and cart roots."
Betting and "turf profligacy" of all kinds were in these times indulged
in at Newmarket to an extent far beyond the bounds of morality and
prudence, and, although King and Court were, so to put it, in "the
swim" of all that occurred, an Act of Parliament required to be passed
to restrain gaming and betting on race-horses to an excessive amount
"on tick or credit." It was upon the Act which was then passed that
the celebrated _Qui Tam_ actions, brought in 1843-44 against certain
noblemen and gentlemen to recover penalties for betting, were chiefly
or at any rate partly based. It may be as well to state here the scope
of the Act, which was entitled, "An Act against deceitful, disorderly,
and excessive gaming."
The preamble of this piece of legislation was decidedly couched in
severe language; it asserted that all games and exercises, when not
used in an innocent and moderate manner, encourage idleness and tend to
a dissolute course of life, and to the debauching of the nobility and
gentry and others; to the loss of their precious time, and the utter
ruin of their estates and fortunes. Following this exordium, it was
duly enacted that no person, by the exercise of deceit, could obtain
any sum or sums of money or other valuable lost to them at any of the
games of the period, which, as set forth, were Cards, Dice, Tables,
Tennis, Bowles, Kittles, Shovel-board, Cock-fighting, Horse-racing, Dog
matches, and Foot races; but, on the other hand, would be required to
forfeit and lose treble the sum or value of money, one moiety thereof
to be given to the King, the other half being destined for the person
aggrieved. It was also at the same time enacted for the better avoiding
and preventing of all excessive and immoderate playing and gaming for
the time to come, that no person could recover any sum betted on credit
which was above the value of one hundred pounds, and that persons
betting on tick or credit above that sum shall forfeit and lose treble
the value of all such sum or sums of money or valuables which they
shall so win.
In the brief reign of James II., nothing occurred at Newmarket, or,
indeed, at any other seat of racing sport, of any great interest to
followers of the turf. The reign of William and Mary is equally barren;
but in the days of Queen Anne, the pastime of horse-racing flourished
exceedingly. That august sovereign not only added considerably to the
number of Royal plates, but actually ran for them in her own name, as
the following entry in the "Racing Register" will show.
YORK, _Monday, July 28th, 1712_.--Her Majesty's Gold Cup, value 100
gs., for six years old, 12 st., four mile heats.
Mr. Watson's dun horse. Farmer 1 1
Mr. Carr's gr. h., Sturdy Lump 4 2
Her Majesty's gr. g., Pepper 5 3
Also ran, Monkey, Spot, Milksop, Blackfoot, and Mustapha.
Her Majesty evidently had a companion to Pepper in Mustard, a nutmeg
grey horse by the Taffolet, or Morocco barb, which ran at York on
August 3rd, 1713, but only got seventh and fifth in his heats.
The following information regarding the different contests at Newmarket
is derived from Whyte's "History of the British Turf":
"At Newmarket, till the year 1744, there were only two plates run for
in October, viz., the King's Plate and the Town Plate; but in 1744, the
trading inhabitants of Newmarket raised two plates of 50 gs. each: one
for five years old, 9 st., and the other free for any horse, 9 st. 4
lb., mile heats. There was also 50 gs. raised by the contributions of
persons of property, for four years old, 8 st. 7 lb. each, four miles.
At this period there were only two meetings at Newmarket, the first in
April and the other in October; but in 1753 there was a Spring Meeting
added, in which two Jockey Club Plates and several matches were run
for. In 1759 the Weights and Scales Plate was begun; in 1762 a second
October Meeting commenced of sweepstakes and matches; in 1765 the July
Meeting; in 1770 the Houghton Meeting; and in 1771 the Craven Meeting,
with a subscription of five guineas each, twenty-one subscribers,
called the Craven Stakes, for all ages, from the ditch to the turn of
the lands, which stakes were won by Mr. Vernon's Pantaloon, beating
thirteen others."
"All the above meetings," adds Mr. Whyte, "are still continued, and
several plates and sweepstakes are added to each" ("History of the
British Turf," 1840). In the year 1727, eleven Royal plates were run
for in England, one of these being run for at Newmarket.
Turning now to the annals of racing as recorded in the "Register"
(Baily's), it will be found that the pastime had become regular at
Newmarket by the year 1718; in October of that year twelve races took
place, extending from the 1st to the 31st. In the following year,
the Spring Meeting is recorded as being held in April, on six days
of which month there was sport on the classic heath; in October and
November, ten days of racing was provided. Next year, 1720, the racing
at Newmarket was considerably augmented, nineteen days being devoted
to the sport in April and May, and the same number of days in September
and October. A Royal plate always forms one of the trophies to be run
for, in heats of course. Both King's plates in this year were won by
the Duke of Rutland, who took the plate of April, 1721, also by the
aid of Fox, who won it in the previous October. Twenty-four races took
place at Newmarket in 1721, most of them matches.
Passing to the year 1731, fifteen days' racing are noted as having
taken place during April and May, whilst ten days were devoted to
the sport in October and November; most of the races being run in
heats; matches, however, begin about this period to be noted among
the results. In 1742, six races only are recorded as being run at
Newmarket, of the October Meeting only the race for His Majesty's Plate
is mentioned, which was won by Mr. Panton's Spinster. Making a jump
of twenty years, it may be stated that the kind of racing in 1751 is
much the same as the races previously chronicled. In the spring there
are "His Majesty's Plate of 100 gs. for six year olds, 12st," the same
for mares, two fifty guinea purses, a sweepstake of 100 gs. and the
subscription plate of £100 11s. for five years old, 10 st. "Nine days
were devoted to the sport in September and October; one of the races
during that month was a sweepstake of 135 gs. for the first, and 30 gs.
for the second, weights 12 st.; it was run in heats."
In 1781, the fashions of the Newmarket races had somewhat changed;
sport began in April, with the Craven Stakes of 10 gs. each for two,
three, four, five, six, and aged horses, from the ditch to the turn of
the lands, each class of horse carrying the same weight. Racing took
place on only two days, but in that space of time eleven races were
decided. The First Spring Meeting followed on April 16th, lasting to
the 21st, during which period some important contests took place for
large stakes. The Second Spring Meeting of that year was held from
May 7th, to May 12th, when no less than forty-three races were run
and decided, most of them being matches. There was a meeting in July,
beginning on the 10th, and continued on the 11th and 12th. Then came
the First October Meeting, which lasted six days, and during which
thirty-two races were run. The Second October Meeting commenced on
the 15th, with "Fifty pounds, the winner to be sold for 150 gs. if
demanded," twenty-two other races followed, and sport terminated on the
20th. At the Houghton Meeting, which began on October 29th, nineteen
different events were decided, the greater number of them being
matches; only four races, indeed, were run which were not matches.
At the present time (1891), seven meetings are still held at
"head-quarters," they are as follows: Newmarket Craven, four days;
First Spring Meeting, four days; Second Spring Meeting, three days;
July Meeting, four days; Newmarket First October, four days; Newmarket
Second October, five days; Houghton Meeting, from Monday till Friday.
During the last thirty-five years, Newmarket has greatly flourished,
and is becoming every day of greater importance. At the time indicated
above it was a poor place, many gentlemen declining to send their
horses to be trained there, some of them would not believe its being
possible to train a Derby winner on the heath. For several years, no
winner of the Derby was trained at Newmarket. By 1860, however, fortune
had begun to smile on the place, which may be said, with the advent of
the Dawson family, to have commenced a career of prosperity which still
goes on. Mr. Joseph Dawson came first with the horses of Lord Stamford;
Mr. Mathew Dawson followed, and to that gentleman's care Lord Falmouth
entrusted his horses; Mr. John Dawson likewise took up his quarters
at Newmarket. Other trainers speedily blossomed into importance, and
Newmarket horses began to make their mark on every racecourse in the
kingdom, so that the town speedily became important as a great training
centre, the best training talent of the kingdom indeed became centred
at head-quarters, and from 1863 to the present year the town has
flourished exceedingly. Land has of late become so valuable that it is
difficult to procure a site for a house or a stable under an impossible
price. The numerous persons engaged in the training stables create a
large amount of remunerative business to the tradespeople, whilst the
building operations of the last twenty years have given employment to a
regiment of mechanics and labourers.
It is affirmed that the business of horse-racing is seen at its best
at Newmarket; but such a statement may be taken for what it is worth,
as the arrangements made at the gate money meetings are remarkably
perfect. It is quite on the cards that the racing tracks at Newmarket
will speedily be so enclosed that no outsider will be able to witness
the sport, various movements in that direction having already taken
place.