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.
| 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 |
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."