The Sporting Dictionary and Rural Repository, Volume 2 (of 2) / Of General Information upon Every Subject Appertaining to the Sports of the Field

by William Taplin

SPEED

—is sportingly applicable to HORSE, HOUND, or GREYHOUND; and upon this depends (in a great degree) the estimation in which they are held. It is customary to say, such a horse has great action, or he is in possession of the gift of going. This is, however, considered applicable only to excellent TROTTERS and hacknies upon the road. Speed is always used in a superior sense, and intended to convey an idea of the greatest rapidity of which the animal is capable, and which enhances his value in proportion to his qualifications. In the art of TRAINING for the TURF, there are ambiguities of such magnitude, that it is averred by those who have made the practical part their study, that one training-groom (from judgment, experience, and observation) shall bring a horse to the post full half a distance better than another, although their speed was considered equal when placed under the racing management of their different superintendants. This is admitted so much, and so truly, an incontrovertible fact, that TRAINING-GROOMS have their lights and shades of reputation and celebrity, in an equal degree with the most eminent artists in the universe. Jockies also are admitted to possess their different degrees of excellence, and to so very great and discriminating a nicety, that when MATCHES are lost by some lengths, and for large sums, offers are frequently made to run the match over again for the same money, or to double the STAKES, provided the WINNING JOCKEY is permitted to ride the losing horse. Thus speed is not always the same, but is evidently dependent upon contingencies, which the utmost human circumspection cannot always either foresee or prevent. The increase of speed with RACE HORSES in this country, is very readily admitted to have been great during the last fifty years; and this is impartially attributed to the introduction of, and judicious crosses from, the Arabian blood with the best bred mares of our own: although the effect of these experiments were held in great doubt for some years, but are now universally acknowledged to have exceeded the utmost expectation, and cannot be supposed to extend much farther.

There are two modes of trial for SPEED, according to the present reformed mode of English racing: the one is to run a mile, which is termed running for SPEED; the other, of going off at SCORE, and absolutely racing the whole four miles, which is called running for speed and bottom. Flying Childers, whose speed was almost proverbial, went one third of a mile in twenty seconds. Firetail and Pumpkin ran a mile in a few seconds more than a minute and a half. Childers ran the distance of four miles in six minutes and forty-eight seconds, carrying nine stone, two pounds; he made a leap of thirty feet upon level ground; and he covered a space of twenty-five feet at every stroke when racing. It was formerly known that any horse who could run four miles in eight minutes, would prove a WINNER of PLATES: this is, however, very materially refined, by judicious crosses in blood, or improvements in training; as Bay Malton ran four miles over York in seven minutes, forty-three seconds and a half. Eclipse ran the same distance over York in eight minutes with twelve stone, though going only at his rate, without any inducement to speed.

The means by which the wonderful velocity of the greyhound can be ascertained are but few: there are, however, well authenticated instances upon record; and as they are again quoted in Mr. Daniels "Rural Sports," are entitled to credibility. In February, 1800, a hare was darted before a brace of greyhounds in Lincolnshire, and upon the distance being measured from her form to where she was killed, it proved upwards of four miles in a direct line; but there having been several turns, as well as some oblique running, during the course, it must have increased the length considerably: this ground was run over in the space of twelve minutes; and the hare fell dead before the greyhounds touched her; which serves to demonstrate the speed and strength of the former. It is known that horses are more distrest (if they keep up) in a moderate COURSE than in a long CHASE; of which an instance lately occurred in the neighbourhood of Bottisham, in Cambridgeshire, from whence the hare being started, took away for the Six Mile Bottom; and although two-and-twenty horses went off with the greyhounds, only one could make a gallop at the conclusion of the course. The hare (who had reached within fifty yards of the covert) dropped dead before the greyhounds; and they were so exhausted, that it was found necessary to bleed them to promote their recovery.

A few years since a hare was suddenly started at Finchingfield, in Essex, when the brace of greyhounds running at her came into contact with so much velocity, that both were killed on the spot. At Offham, in Sussex, a brace of greyhounds coursed a hare over the edge of a chalk-pit, and following themselves, were all found dead at the bottom. The high spirit, persevering speed, and invincible ardour, of the greyhound, not being universally known, (at least to those who have either few or no opportunities to partake of the sport,) it may not be inapplicable to introduce a singular circumstance which occurred in 1792. As Lord Egremont's game-keeper was leading a brace of greyhounds coupled together, a hare accidentally crossing the road, the dogs instantly broke from their conductor, and gave chase, fastened as they were to each other: the pursuit afforded an uncommon and no less entertaining sight to several spectators. When the hare was turned, she had a manifest advantage, and embarrassed the dogs exceedingly in changing their direction; notwithstanding which, she was at length killed at Pikeless Gate, after a course of between three and four miles. In 1796 a similar occurrence took place in Scotland, where a brace of greyhounds, in couples, killed a hare after a course of a mile with intervening obstructions.

Endeavours having been made to acquire some degree of information upon the subject of comparative speed between a greyhound and a RACE-HORSE of superior powers and celebrity, it was at length brought to a decision by absolute matter of chance. It having been previously submitted to the opinion of an experienced sportsman, which would prove to possess the greater portion of speed for a mile, or for a longer or shorter distance, he returned for answer, that, upon a flat, he had no doubt but a first rate horse would prove superior to the greyhound; unless in a hilly country, where he conceived a good greyhound would have the advantage. The information not to be acquired by any direct mode, was brought to trial by an incident which occurred upon the Course of Doncaster in 1800, and was precisely thus.

A match was to have been run between a horse and a mare for one hundred guineas. At the time appointed, the former not appearing, the mare started alone, to insure the STAKES; when, after having ran little more than a mile, a greyhound bitch (to the great admiration and entertainment of the company) took to her from the side of the Course, and continued racing with her the other three miles, keeping her regular line nearly head and head, which produced a most excellent match; for when they reached the DISTANCE POST, five to four was betted upon the greyhound; when they came abreast of the stand, it was even betting; and the mare won by only a head.

The speed of the fleetest and highest bred FOX HOUNDS, was brought to public proof in the well-known match made between Mr. Meynell and Mr. Barry, for 500 guineas a side, and decided over Newmarket in the month of September of the year in which it was run. The hounds of Mr. Barry's (called Bluecap and Wanton) were put in training on the first of August with the famous Will. Crane. Their food consisted only of oatmeal, milk, and sheep's trotters. The ground was fixed on at the time of making the match; and upon the thirtieth of September the drag was taken from the Rubbing-house at Newmarket Town end, to the Rubbing-house at the starting-post of the Beacon Course: the four hounds were then laid on the scent: at the conclusion, Mr. Barry's Bluecap came in first; Wanton (very close to Bluecap) second. Mr. Meynell's Richmond was beat more than a hundred yards; and the bitch never ran in at all. The length of the drag was between eight and ten miles; the time it was crossed in was some seconds over eight minutes. Some tolerable idea, in this instance, may be formed of the SPEED, when there were SIXTY horses started fairly with the hounds, and only twelve were up. Cooper, Mr. Barry's huntsman, was the first; but the mare that carried him was rode blind in the exertion. Will. Crane, who rode Rib, (a King's Plate horse,) was the last of the twelve who came up. The current odds at starting were seven to four in favour of Mr. Meynell, whose hounds were reported to have been fed upon legs of mutton during the time they were in training.

Merkin, a famous bitch, bred by Colonel Thornton, was considered far superior in speed to any fox-hound of her time: she was challenged to run any hound of her year five miles over Newmarket, giving 220 yards, for 10,000 guineas; or to give Madcap 100 yards, and run the same distance for 5000. She ran a trial of four miles, and crossed the ground in seven minutes and half a second. Merkin was sold, in 1795, for four hogsheads of claret, and the seller to have two couple of her whelps.

Madcap, at two years old, challenged all England for 500 guineas. Lounger, brother to Madcap, did the same at four years old: the challenge was accepted, and a bet made to run Mr. Meynell's Pillager for 200 guineas. The parties were also allowed by Colonel Thornton to start any other hound of Mr. Meynell's, and Lounger was to beat both; but, upon his being seen at Tattersal's by many of the best judges, his bone, shape, and make, were thought so superior to any opponent that could be brought against him, Colonel Thornton consented to accept a pair of gold dog-couples as a forfeit to the bet.