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HORSE RACING

The Ancients had chariot races, the Romans raced riderless

horses, but real horse-racing had its inception in England, race

meetings were already held, records show, at Smithfield, in1174.

Henry VIII arranged for the first racing at Chester; James I

built a course at Newmarket in 1607 and during his reign the

three ancestors of all thoroughbreds; Byerley Turk, Darley

Arabian and Godolphin Arabian were imported from Arabia.

Charles I gave a cup to be raced for in Hyde Park. Charles II

instituted Autumn meetings at Newmarket and occasionally rode

in races there. Royal Ascot dates from the time of Queen

Anne, the first meeting being held on August 11th, 1711.

The Doncaster St. Leger, so called after Colonel St. Leger,

was first run in 1776. Three years later the 12th Earl of

Derby inaugurated the Oaks, named after his seat, " The

Oaks ", and the following year the same nobleman founded

the world's greatest classic, "The Derby", run for the first

time over a mile on May 4th, 1780, worth £1,100; the race

was won by "Diomed," who was later sent to America.

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