The races
appear to have been at that time conducted nearly in the same style,
as to essentials, as in the present day.
"They were then called bell courses, the prize being a silver bell;
the winner was said to bear or carry the bell.
"Regular prizes were now run for in various parts of England. The king
and his court, frequently attended races at Croydon and Enfield, in
the vicinity of London.
"The first match, upon record, in this country, was one against time,
which occurred in the year 1604, when John Lepton,[6] a groom, in the
service of King James I., undertook to ride five times between London
and York, from Monday morning until Saturday night, and actually
performed the task within five days.
[6] This should be John Lenton, and the year 1603,--See _Mirror_,
vol. xvii, p. 181.
"At this period, much attention was paid to the pedigrees of horses,
for the purpose of enhancing their reputation and worth. The training
discipline, in all its variety of regular food, clothing, physic,
airing, and gallops, was in full use; and the weights that race horses
had to carry were adjusted; the most usual of which were ten stone.
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