TURF PATRONS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4775, 12 November 1924, Page 3

TURF PATRONS.

PRINCESS MARY AN OWNER. ROYAL SUPPORTERS. The news that Princess Mary will shortly blossom into an owner of racehorses reminds one that the British turf owes no little to the ladies of our Royal House who have preceded her as its patrons. Queen Elizabeth was a true daughter of her father in his love of a horse, and did a good deal to popularise the sport of racing. She kept up the paddocks at Hampton Court, and founded other stables at Blackheath, while she added to the Royal, Stud a number of fine horses and barbs, found in the vessels captured from the Spaniards. William Ill’s Queen was eveu more enthusiastic than her husband in her passion for the turf. She founded an academy for riding, and gave plates to be raced for in all parts of the kingdom ; and she rani her own horses at Newmarket, often in rivalry to those of her husband, from 1695 to 1702.

But of all our sovereign ladies the turf owes most to Queen Anne, whose colours were seen on every racecourse in England. She not only started the Gold Cups in the North, but ran her horses for them. Her luck, however, was by no means equal to her enthusiasm ; for, though Pepper and Mustard made a gallant fight for the Royal Cup at York, neither horse was able to win the coveted prize for his mistress.

Her only real stroke of good fortune came too late, for on the very morning of the day on whicn her brown horse Star won Her Majesty’s first notable victory, the Queen was struck down by apoplexy, and died two days later, ignorant of her success.

Queen Anne, however, will always hold a high place in the affection of turf-lovers, for without her Ascot would probably have none of. its racing glories. One spring day, so the story is told, Her Majesty, cantering over its lovely common, was so struck with the idea that it would make an ideal site for her favourite sport, that she gave orders that a course should be prepared at once.

So impatient was she that, before the course was ready, the following advertisement appeared in the London Gazette of July. 12: “Her Majesty - Plate of 100 guineas will be run for round the new heath on Ascot Common on Tuesday, August 7 next, by any horse, mare, or gelding being no more than six years old the grass before, carrying 12 stone. . . ■” It was not, however, until four days later, on August 11, 1711, that the Queen, accompanied by a brilliant suite, drove on to the Common in state to inaugurate the Ascot races, and to applaud the winner of the very first race for a £5O plate. And, during the brief remainder of her reign, she not only attended every meeting, but took the whole world of rank and fashion in hettrain thus cradling her infant in the Royal pomp and splendoud which ever since distinguished it.