If dukes are conspicuous by their absence from the fame-roll of the St.
Leger, they figure liberally enough in the list of Oaks winners, the
"Garter of the Turf" on sixteen anniversaries of the race having fallen
to ducal subscribers. As for lords--"mere lords" as these members
of the Peerage were once upon a time designated by William Cobbett
(and later by Thomas Carlyle)--they would almost appear to farm the
race, especially if the baronets, who have been equally fortunate, be
included. On no less than sixty-four occasions has the heroine of the
Oaks been the property of a titled personage.
The Oaks takes precedence of the Derby by a year. Only fillies run
in the race. The origin of the stakes has been often told. The first
struggle for the ladies' prize took place in the year 1779. An Earl
of Derby of the period originated the race and conferred a title upon
it, and his horse Bridget, ridden by J. Goodison, won the first Oaks.
The race derived its name from an alehouse which existed at one time
on Banstead Downs. This homely haunt of humble wayfarers was purchased
by General Burgoyne, who, by the expenditure of a few hundred pounds,
managed to convert the public-house into an elegant hunting-seat. "The
Oaks" afterwards became the property of Lord Derby, who enlarged and
beautified the house, adding also to the extent of the grounds by
which it was surrounded.
The initial contest took place on Friday, May 14th, 1779. The terms on
which the race was run at the date of its institution were as follows:
"The Oaks Stakes of 50 gs. each, for three-year-old fillies, 8 st. 4
lb., one mile and a half." Seventeen subscriptions were taken for the
race, and twelve of the fillies came to the starting-post, those placed
being:
Lord Derby's b. Bridget by Herod, out of Jemima 1
Mr. Vernon's b. Fame by Pantaloon 2
Sir J. Shelly's b. Lavinia by Eclipse, out of Hyrmn 3
The winning jockey was J. Goodison, and the odds laid against the
winner at the start 5 to 2. The value of the stake would be 850 gs.
For the Oaks of 1782 the terms of competition were altered to 50 gs.
for each filly, with 40 gs. forfeit; the owner of the second received
100 gs. out of the stakes, which would leave very little for the
winner. The twelve starters would yield 600 gs., and the non-starters
would just add to the account the amount to be given to the owner of
the animal which ran second. In 1786 the rubric of the race underwent
another change; the following is a copy: "The Oaks Stakes of 50 gs.
each, 8 ft., for three-year-old fillies, 8 st. 4 lb., one mile and a
half." As will be seen, nothing is said regarding any provision for the
second horse, and whether or not the 100 gs. was continued the writer
is not able to say; in 1796, however, that sum was again bestowed on
the filly to which the judge allocated the second position. In the year
1787 the weight to be carried in the race was reduced to 8 st., at
which it remained till 1808, when it was restored to the former figure
of 8 st. 4 lb.; in 1842 the weight to be carried by fillies competing
in the race was increased to 8 st. 7 lb.
The progress of the Oaks towards its present condition of prosperity
was slow, but, it may be added, sure. It began, as has been said, with
seventeen subscribers, and once only fell below that number, namely,
in 1781, when there was one less; in 1795-6 42 fillies were entered,
but the numbers again fell off, and it was not till 1825 the entries
reached so many as 50, whilst fourteen years elapsed before the 100 was
topped. It was in 1868, when Formosa won the Garter for Mr. Graham,
that the highest number of entries was recorded, namely, 215; in two
other years the figures exceeded 200, namely, in 1867, when the race
fell to Baron Rothschild by the aid of Hippia (206 entries), and eleven
years afterwards when Lord Falmouth's Janette proved victorious, upon
which occasion 212 fillies were named. Since that time the entries have
been on the decline, as the following figures will show, namely: 189,
187, 182, 182, 145, 148, 144, 138, 142, 133, 112, from 1879 to 1889
inclusive, respectively.
The following averages afford a good idea of the value of the
Oaks Stakes: During the first twenty years, the average number of
subscribers was twenty-six, the average number of horses competing
being 9. In the second period of twenty years these averages increased
to thirty-three subscribers, but the field of runners underwent no
alteration. In the third twenty years the subscribers had more than
doubled, whilst the competing fields had risen to an average of 13.
The Duke of Bedford, who during the active period of his life was a
well-known _habitué_ of the turf, won the Oaks in the consecutive years
of 1790-1 by the aid of Hyppolita and Portia, while in 1793 his filly
Coelia proved successful in beating the nine competitors which started
against her. The next duke who comes upon the scene is "the Oaks Duke,"
_par excellence_, the Duke of Grafton. With Remnant in 1801, and with
Parasol in 1803, his grace had proved unsuccessful; but in 1804 his
filly Pelisse, beating seven opponents, won the Duke his first Oaks; in
1808, Morel brought him another victory. Music, Minuet, Pastille, Zinc,
Turquoise, and Oxygen followed in the footsteps of Morel in the years
1813, 1815, 1822, 1823, 1828, and 1831, respectively, giving his grace
eight winners in all.
On two occasions the Garter of the Turf was awarded to the Duke of
Rutland, who won in 1811 by the aid of Sorcery, and in 1814 his
grace's filly Medora took the prize. The Duke of Richmond comes next
in the list of ducal winners; in 1827 his filly Gulnare won the Oaks,
and again in 1845 his grace's filly Refraction credited him with the
stakes. In what may be called modern times (1886-7) the Dukes of
Hamilton and Beaufort have each scored a victory.
Coming now to "the lords," it has first of all to be chronicled that
the founder of the race was twice successful in his attempts to win;
first with Bridget in 1779--the year of its institution--and again in
1794, when Hermione won. Lord Grosvenor's Faith, Ceres, and Maid of
the Oaks gave that nobleman three consecutive victories in the years
1781-2-3, and in 1797 and 1799 his lordship proved again successful,
the winners being Nike and Bellina, followed by Meteora in 1805, making
a series of six victories. Lord Clermont was so fortunate as twice to
capture the Garter, namely, in 1785 by the aid of Trifle, and seven
years afterwards by Volante. Two of Lord Egremont's fillies proved
victorious in consecutive years, Nightshade in 1788, and Tag in 1789.
Other wins were scored by his lordship in 1795, when Platina proved
victorious, and in 1808 by means of Ephemera, whilst Carolina scored
for him in 1820, making five successes in all for Lord Egremont. Lord
Exeter's successes, three in all, were attained by the aid of Augusta
in 1821, Green Mantle in 1829, Galata in 1832. Lord Chesterfield
(twice), Lord George Bentinck, Lord Westminster, Lord Stanley, and Lord
Londesborough also secured the Garter of the Turf between the years
1838 and 1859. The late Lord Falmouth was fortunate enough to win the
Oaks on four occasions. Queen Bertha, 1863; Spinaway, 1875; Janette and
Wheel of Fortune in 1878 and 1879, were his lordship's winners. Lords
Stamford, Roseberry, Cadogan, Calthorpe, and R. Churchill have each
taken the Garter; likewise Count de Lagrange and Baron Rothschild, who
twice proved successful.
Only two fillies have scored the double event of Oaks and Derby,
namely, Eleanor in 1801, and Blinkbonny in 1857. It is not often the
case that mares are entered for the "Blue Ribbon," May being a bad
season in which to expect them to perform well along with the colts.
Winners of the Oaks, however, have several times proved victorious
in the St. Leger. Queen of Trumps, 1835; Formosa, 1868; Hannah, 1871;
Marie Stuart, 1873; Apology, 1874; Janette, 1878; and Sea Breeze in the
year 1888, were all credited with the double event.
Of jockeys who had mounts in the Oaks, the Chifneys may be mentioned
as having won the race on nine occasions, victory falling to the elder
Chifney four times. Buckle, however, the greatest horseman of his
time, takes precedence as having been nine times victorious in the
ladies' battle; Frank Butler six times landed his horse at the head of
the field, four of the races which fell to his prowess being run in
successive years, namely in 1849, 1850, 1851, and 1852, Lady Evelyn,
Rhidycina, Iris, and Songstress being the names of the fillies ridden
by him on these four occasions; their owners were Lord Chesterfield,
Mr. Hobson, Lord Stanley, and Mr. J. Scott. John Day rode five Oaks
winners; Scott rode the winner on three occasions; Lye also scored
three victories, as did Templeman.
Coming to what by comparison may be called modern times, we have to
credit that able horseman, George Fordham, with five victories; F.
Archer won the Oaks on four occasions, three of the wins being for Lord
Falmouth; T. Cannon has been twice successful in the race; that careful
horseman, John Osborne, has one Oaks win to his credit; Wood, Woodburn,
and Robinson have each had one turn.
For the long period of one hundred and eleven years the subscribers
to the Oaks ran for their own money only the Epsom authorities never
having contributed a shilling to the stakes; the winner at one time,
indeed, was charged £100 as a contribution to the police expenses!
It is really surprising that owners of horses should have submitted for
over a hundred years to contribute thousands of pounds to the exchequer
of a public company, who have never till lately offered one farthing
by way of _quid pro quo_. There can be no doubt, although the Oaks
does not draw so great a crowd to Epsom as the Derby, that the race is
highly profitable to the parties who work "the oracle." How the new
arrangement begun in 1890 will turn out remains to be determined, but
in the past history of the race, as can be seen from a perusal of some
of the old Calendars, many gentlemen have, year by year, entered from
two to nine of their fillies, and have in consequence incurred forfeits
to the extent of from fifty to two hundred and twenty-five pounds,
with no other result than that of enriching the Grand Stand Company
of Epsom, who, it is said, derive a profit of several thousand pounds
from the two great races which are run at their Epsom Summer Meeting.
A time is undoubtedly coming when it will be necessary for lessees of
racecourses to hand over to the men who supply the competing horses a
considerable share of the gains which accrue from the popularity of
the meeting; otherwise owners will take the matter more into their own
hands, and run their horses for their own profit.
Taken from beginning to end, the progress of the Oaks has probably
been less marked by chicanery than the other classic races. As was
said by one of the late Mr. Merry's grooms, a sedate old Scotsman,
"fillies are such kittle cattle that it does na dae to trust them ower
far," and the man was not far wrong in offering such an opinion. It is
a characteristic of their sex to be fickle, and the Oaks is run at a
period of the year when such horses may prove most unreliable; hence it
is that there is less gambling on the race than takes place on other
equine competitions. If a man thinks his filly good enough to win, and
is desirous of backing her, he delays his investment till he sees her
at the post.
Whispers of occasional frauds in connection with the Garter of the
Turf have, however, been heard, and every now and again it has been
held "as curious, to say the least of it, that fillies which ran badly
in the One Thousand Guineas should alter their form so much in the
Oaks," and _vice versâ_. Once or twice ugly tales have been told about
owners who were "open to conviction"; in particular, it was said a
few years ago, regarding a gentleman who "stood" to win, and did win,
a very large stake over a horse which he had entered for the Derby,
that in order to make sure of his being paid his winnings over that
race, he would "require" (so he was told by his commissioner, if we
may credit the story) to give up his chance of winning the Oaks, which
race seemed to be as like a gift to him as the race for the Blue Ribbon
proved to be. "Well," said an experienced racing man, "the story may
be quite true; one never can tell exactly how the undercurrents of the
turf are running, but you may be quite sure of one thing, and that is,
that no one connected with the little arrangement would ever open his
mouth about it to an outsider. Such doings can, at the best, be only
a matter of guess work, and, on the principle that a man may do as he
likes with his own, it is nobody's business."
That is one way of putting the case, and that "a man's horse is his
own and he can do with it as he pleases," has often figured as an
excuse for very flagrant instances of turf immorality; but, it has been
suggested that the Oaks has been less marked by chicanery than other
races.