JOCKEY CLUB
—is a sporting establishment of the higher order, originally instituted, and still held, at Newmarket, composed of noblemen, gentlemen, and the most distinguished sporting characters in the kingdom, who are elected by ballot, for the better exclusion of such as may be thought improper persons to be admitted members of so honorable and eminent a society. The Jockey Club, in their collective capacity, are considered the only supreme court to which any SPORTING APPEAL can be made; and their award or decision is abided by as final, whenever solicited. All transactions within the official departments of the Stewards, the Keeper of the Match Book, the Judge, and every subordinate, is regulated by a system of invariable punctuality, equal to the first offices in the State; in confirmation of which, the following are introduced as well worthy of being known and admired (for the equity of their adoption) in every part of the world.
RULES and ORDERS.
Respecting Riders.—Every person who shall ride at Newmarket for PLATE, SWEEPSTAKES, or MATCH, shall be obliged to weigh when he comes in, allowing two pounds above the weight, and no more. Every rider who shall neglect to obey this resolution, is guilty of contempt of the orders of this Club, and shall be disqualified from RIDING hereafter at Newmarket; unless any gentleman, or his rider, shall declare, before starting, that the rider is above the weight allowed of by the aforesaid resolution.
Forfeits.—The forfeits of all bets shall be paid according to the proportion in which the principals compromise their matches.
Members of the Coffee House.—Any person desirous of being admitted into the Coffee Room, Newmarket, must be proposed by a Member of the Jockey Club, and his name put over the chimney and door the day before he is to be ballotted for; that there must be at least twelve Members present at the ballot, and three black balls exclude.
Horses entered for Two or more Prizes.—The owner of every horse, &c. entered to run for two or more prizes on the same day, shall, for the future, be obliged to declare to the Keeper of the Match Book, before eight o'clock in the evening, preceding the day of running, which of the said prizes he intends to start his horse for; and the said Keeper of the Match Book shall immediately declare it in the Coffee Room.
Annual Dinner.—To meet annually at dinner on the day preceding the King's Birth Day. That three Members of the Club shall be appointed Stewards, and to commence their office on the fourth of June annually. One new Steward to be appointed every year, on the third day of June, by the Steward who quits on that day, subject to the approbation of the Members of the Jockey Club then present. The senior Steward to quit his office on the third of June annually.
The Three Stewards, or any two of them, shall be vested with full power to make such regulations as they think proper, in regard to the Exercise Ground and the Course. The three Stewards, concurring, shall have it in their power to appoint such person, or persons, as they may chuse, to keep the Coffee House, Match Book, receive the STAKES, collect the entrance money, and all other FUNDS belonging to the Jockey Club. The Stewards are to be responsible to the Jockey Club for all the money collected, as belonging to the Jockey Club. The Stewards shall have it in their power to fix the hours of starting for each match, &c. but they shall be obliged to fix those hours of starting by eight o'clock in the evening preceding the day of running. The accounts are to be produced by the Stewards annually, on the third of June.
Watching Trials.—Any gentleman who keeps running horses, having cause to complain of any FEEDER, RIDER, GROOM, BOY, or other person employed by him in, or intrusted with, the knowledge of trials, or having discovered them, directly or indirectly, by betting, or wilfully in any other way, (unless so allowed to do by his master;) or if any person, as aforesaid, living with any gentleman, shall be discovered in watching trials himself, or procuring other persons so to do, or by any unfair means whatsoever, endeavouring to discover trials; on such complaint being carried to any one of the Stewards, that Steward is to summon a general Jockey Club meeting so soon as convenient; which meeting is to appoint a Committee of three Members, to examine into the accusation; and in case they shall be of opinion, that the person, or persons, is, or are, guilty, then the person so found guilty shall be dismissed from the service of his master, and the said person shall not be employed by any Member of the Jockey Club in any capacity whatsoever; nor shall any horse, &c. fed or rode by him, or them, or in the management of which he or they are concerned, be suffered to start for PLATE, MATCH, or SUBSCRIPTION. And the names of the persons found guilty of these offences shall be exposed in the Racing Calendar, and inserted in a paper to be fixed up in the Coffee Room at Newmarket.
Staking, Shewing, and Entering.—That a copy of all the stakes to be made for matches, subscriptions, and sweepstakes, and the day and hour of shewing, or entering, shall be fairly written out, and fixed up, by order of the Stewards, on the side of the chimney-piece, at each end of the Coffee Room, on the Sunday evening before each meeting; to continue there each day of the meeting, as notice for staking, shewing, or entering; and no other shall be insisted upon.
Entry of Stakes.—A day-book shall be kept by the person appointed by the Stewards, and continue in the Coffee Room, in which shall be entered an account of all matches, subscriptions, and sweepstakes, to be run for each day within that meeting; and as the different stakes are made, the payments shall be marked to the names of the persons so paying.
Stakes, how to be made.—All stakes shall be made in cash, bank bills, bank post bills properly indorsed, bankers notes payable to bearer, or bankers notes payable to order, also properly indorsed, and not otherwise, without the consent of the party or parties present, concerned in the MATCH, SUBSCRIPTION, or SWEEPSTAKES, on whose account such stakes are made.
Time when.—All stakes for matches, subscriptions, and sweepstakes, shall be made before starting for the same; and in default thereof by any person, he shall forfeit in like manner as if he had not produced his colt, filly, horse, or mare, to start; and shall have no claim to the stake or stakes of the MATCH, SUBSCRIPTION, or SWEEPSTAKES, should his colt, filly, horse, or mare, have started, and come first; and this to remain in full force, as an established agreement of the Jockey Club; unless such person has previously obtained the consent of the party or parties present, with whom he is engaged, to dispense with his making his stake as aforesaid.
Forfeits when to be paid.—All forfeits unpaid before starting, for any MATCH, SUBSCRIPTION, or SWEEPSTAKES, shall be paid to the person appointed by the Stewards to receive the same, at the Coffee Room, before twelve o'clock at night, of the day such forfeits are determined; and each person making default therein, shall forfeit and pay to the person so appointed by the said Stewards, after the rate of five pounds for every hundred pounds so forfeited; which shall be disposed of by the said Stewards towards such uses as they shall think fit.
Bets made from Signal.—And in order to prevent such frauds, notice shall be given, that if any person make any bet or bets, from signal or indication, after the race has been determined at the post, such person is not entitled to receive, or liable to pay, the same; as such bet or bets are fraudulent, illegal, and totally void; and that if any servant belonging to a Member of the Society should be found to have made, or to have been engaged in the making, any such bet or bets, he shall be dismissed his service, and no farther employed by any Member of this Society.
Forfeits and Compromises to be entered.—That all forfeits, or money paid on compromising any match or sweepstakes, shall BONA FIDE be declared and entered in the day-book, in order that all BETTORS may be put upon an equality with the persons who had the match or sweepstakes, and may thus ascertain in what proportion they are to pay or receive.
Age of young Horses.—The Stewards shall appoint some proper person to examine every COLT or FILLY, being of the age of two, three, or four years, at the ending post, immediately after running, the first time any colt or filly shall start for any plate, match, sweepstakes, or subscription, at Newmarket; and the said appointed person is to sign a certificate of such examination, and his opinion thereupon, which certificate is to be hung up before eight o'clock the evening of the said day of running in the Coffee Room at Newmarket. But for all plates, matches, subscriptions, or sweepstakes, where the colt or filly is required to be shewn before running, the examination shall be made at the time of shewing them; and the certificate of the person appointed, shall immediately, in like manner, be fixed up in the Coffee Room at Newmarket.
Time of Starting and Forfeit.—The hours of starting shall be fixed up in the Coffee House by eight o'clock in the evening preceding the day of running; and it is expected that every groom shall start at the time appointed; and any groom failing so to do, shall forfeit FIVE GUINEAS each time to the Jockey Club. It is also expected, that every groom will attend to the regulations and orders which the Stewards of the Jockey Club may give relative to the preservation of the Course and Exercise Ground.
Trials.—That no person do borrow or hire any horse, &c. not belonging to his avowed confederates, to run in a private trial, without entering the name of such horse, before the trial shall be run, in the book appointed to be kept for that purpose in the Coffee Room at Newmarket; and no persons to be deemed confederates, who do not subscribe this article as such.
Disputes.—All disputes relative to racing at Newmarket, shall, for the future, be determined by the three Stewards, and two referees, to be chosen by the parties concerned. If there should be only two Stewards present, they are to fix upon a third person in lieu of the absent Steward.
Winner undecided.—That if for any sweepstakes, or subscription, the first two horses shall come in so near together, that the judge shall not be able to decide which won, those two horses shall run for such prize over again, after the last match on the same day. The other horses which started for such sweepstakes or subscription shall be deemed losers, and entitled to their respective places, as if the race had been finally determined the first time.
Single and double Bets.—That all bets determined by one event shall be subject (as before agreed) to any compromise made by the principals, and paid in proportion to such compromise; but that all double bets shall, for the future, (on account of the frequent disputes which have arisen,) be considered as PLAY or PAY bets.
Weight, when not specified.—When any match or sweepstakes shall be made, and no particular weight specified, the horses, &c. shall carry eight stone, seven pounds, each. And if any weight is given, the highest weight is, by this resolution, fixed at eight stone, seven pounds.
Horses engaged, when to enter.—No horse, that is matched to run on the day of entrance for any plate, &c. shall be obliged to shew and enter at the hour appointed, but shall shew and enter within an hour after his engagements are over, provided such horse, &c. be NAMED at the usual time of entrance, which is to be between the hours of eleven and one, for all plates, subscriptions, and sweepstakes, where any entrance is required, and no other particular time specified.
Bets between two Horses void.—That all bets depending between any two horses, either in MATCH or SWEEPSTAKES, are null and void, if those horses become the property of one and the same person, or his avowed confederate, subsequent to the bets being made.
Challenge for the Cup.—That the CUP be challenged for on the Monday in the First Spring Meeting; and the horses named for it declared at six o'clock on the Saturday evening of the same meeting.
The Whip.—That the whip be challenged for on the Monday or Tuesday in the Second Spring or Second October Meeting; and the acceptance signified, or the whip resigned, before the end of the same Meeting. If challenged for, and accepted, in the Spring, to be run for on the Thursday in the Second October Meeting following; and if in the October, on the Thursday in the Second Spring Meeting. Beacon Course; weight, TEN STONE; and to stake 200 guineas each.
Five per Cent. saved in Forfeits.—The proprietor of any horse, &c. engaged in MATCH or SWEEPSTAKES, who shall declare his intention of not starting before eight o'clock on the evening preceding the engagement, to the Keeper of the Match Book, or either of the Stewards, shall be entitled to five per cent. and no more, of the forfeit.
Not Staking, a Disqualification in future.—No person shall be allowed to start any horse, mare, or gelding, for MATCH, SWEEPSTAKES, or SUBSCRIPTION, unless he shall have paid all former stakes and forfeits to the Keeper of the Match Book by eight o'clock the evening before starting.
Trial Ground.—That the ground shall not be engaged for trials, by the proprietors of any stables of running horses, more than two days in the same week.
Crossing and Jostling.—That when any match is made, in which crossing and jostling are not mentioned, they shall be understood to be barred.
Courses.—That when any match or sweepstakes is made, in which no course is mentioned, it shall be understood to be the course usually run by horses of the same age as those engaged, viz. if yearlings, the Yearling Course; if two years old, the Two Years Old Course; if three years old, Rowley's Mile; if four years old, Ditchin; if five years old, or upwards, Beacon Course. And in case the horses matched should be of different ages, the course to be settled by the age of the youngest.
Forfeits.—That all forfeits, declared or incurred for any MATCH, SWEEPSTAKES, or SUBSCRIPTION, shall be paid to the Keeper of the Match Book before twelve o'clock on the evening the race is run, under the former penalty of five per cent. to the Jockey Club; and persons making default herein, shall not be allowed the deduction for the timely declaration of such profits.
Entering and Shewing.—Horses, &c. entered for plates or subscriptions, shall not be required to be shewn, if such horse, &c. has before started at Newmarket; and the owner of each horse entered for a plate or subscription, shall declare to the Stewards, or the Keeper of the Match Book, the evening before by eight o'clock, or when the list is read, at half past nine o'clock, whether his horse is intended to RUN or NOT, which declaration shall be deemed obligatory, if in the AFFIRMATIVE, unless the horse be taken ill, or matched; and if in the NEGATIVE, his name shall be erased from the list.
Ten per Cent. saved in Forfeits.—That the owners of horses, &c. engaged in MATCHES or SWEEPSTAKES, in which the forfeits shall amount to ONE HUNDRED GUINEAS, or upwards, shall be entitled to a deduction of TEN PER CENT. if they declare their forfeits by half an hour past nine o'clock the evening before running.
Trials.—No gentleman shall try the horse of any other person, except his declared confederate, without giving notice of such trial, by inscribing the name of such horse, or horses, or their pedigrees, with the names of their owners, before or immediately after such trials, in the Book at the Coffee House.
Under a set of RULES and REGULATIONS so judiciously formed, so unanimously adopted, and so willingly acquiesced in, it is natural to conceive, every thing has been introduced, and every measure adopted, that could be thought equitable and necessary, towards shielding the property of opulent and eminent individuals from the depredations of those rapacious sharks, and determined adventurers, (as well in HIGH as in low life,) with which every avenue to the TURF has been infested for near a century past; and which nothing can totally prevent, but drawing such heterogeneous line, as will infallibly exclude those nefarious, well known pests from the superior, liberal, and unsuspecting classes of society, who do honor to their country.