FORM OF A CERTIFICATE OF HAVING WON A KING'S PLATE. THESE are to certify, That his Majesty's Plate of a Hundred Guineas was won at the horse, To his Grace the Duke of Leeds, Master of the Horse to his Majesty. [The signature of the Lord Lieutenant alone is sufficient, but that can seldom be obtained without first producing to him a certificate signed by the Steward and Clerk of the Course.] N. B. The certificate, when properly signed, is payable at sight to the winner of the plate (or to any other person, if endorsed by the winner) at the Office of the Clerk of his Majesty's Stables, in the Royal Mews, Pimlico. The Plates at CHESTER and EDINBURGH, and the Hunters' Plate at Ascot, being given from a different Fund, the certificates are to be addressed to the Keeper of the Privy Purse, and presented for payment at the Duchy of Cornwall Office, Somerset House. Since the alteration in the Act of Parliament respecting stamps for receipts, the Clerk of the Stables requires the person presenting a certificate for payment, to provide a receipt stamp of the proper value, which at present is two shillings and sixpence. * If the Lord Lieutenant be officially out of the kingdom, the signature of the Vice Lieutenant is admissible. The certificates for the Ascot Heath Plates must be signed by the Master of his Majesty's Hounds, instead of the Lord Lieutenant. RULES CONCERNING HORSE RACING IN GENERAL; WITH A DESCRIPTION OF A POST AND HANDICAP MATCH. Horses take their ages from May-Day, i. e. a horse foaled any time in CATCH Weights are, each party to appoint any person to ride without weighing. Give-and-take Plates are, fourteen hands to carry stated weights, according to age; all above, or under, to carry extra, or be allowed, the proportion of seven pounds to an inch. A Post Match, is to insert the age of the horses in the article, and to run any horse of that age, without declaring what horse, till he come to the post to start. A Handicap Match, is A, B, and C, to put an equal sum each into a hat; C, who is the handicapper, makes a match for A and B, who, when they have perused it, put their hands into their pockets, and draw them out closed; then they open them together, and if both have money in their hands, the match is confirmed; if neither have money, it is no match. In both cases, the handicapper draws all the money out of the hat; but if one has money in his hand, and the other none, then it is no match; and he that has money in his hand is entitled to the deposit in the hat. The horse that has his head at the Ending Post first, wins the heat. Riders must ride their horses to the usual place for weighing the jockies, and he that dismounts before, or wants weight, is distanced. If a rider fall from his horse, and the horse be rode in by a person that is sufficient weight, he will take place the same as if it had not happened, provided he go back to the place where the rider fell. Horse plates, or shoes, not allowed in the weight. Horses not entitled to start without producing a proper certificate of their age, if required, at the time appointed in the articles, except where aged horses are included, and in that case a junior horse may enter without a certificate as to age, provided he carry the same weight as the aged. For the best of the plate, where there are three heats run, the horse is second that wins one. For the best of the heats, the horse is second that beats the other twice out of three times, though he do not win a heat. A confirmed bet cannot be off without mutual consent. Either of the betters may demand stakes to be made, and on refusal declare the bet void. If a party be absent on the day of running, a public declaration of the bet may be made on the Course, and a demand, whether any person will make stakes for the absent party; if no person consent to it, the bet may be declared void. Bets agreed to pay or receive in London, or any other particular place, cannot be declared off on the Course. At Newmarket, if a match be made for any particular day in any Meeting, and the parties agree to change the day, all bets must stand; but if run in a different Meeting, the bets made before the alteration, are void. The person who lays the odds, has a right to choose his horse, or the field. When a person has chosen his horse, the field is what starts against him, but there is no field without one starts with him. Bets made in guineas are paid in pounds. If odds are laid without mentioning the horse before it is over, it must be determined as the bets were at the time of making it. Bets made in running are not determined till the plate is won, if that heat be not mentioned at the time of betting. Where a plate is won by two heats, the preference of the horses is determined by the places they are in the second heat. Horses running on the wrong side of the post, and not turning back, distanced. Horses drawn before the plate is won, are distanced. Horses distanced, if their riders cross or jostle. All complaints of foul riding must be made before or at the time the jockey is weighed. A bet made after the heat is over, if the horse betted on does not start, is no bet. When three horses have each won a heat, they only must start for a fourth, and the preference between them will be determined by it, there being before no difference between them. No distance in a fourth heat. Bets determined, though the horse does not start, when the words "absolutely," "run or pay," " or play or pay," are made use of in betting. Example.--I bet that Mr Robinson's bl. h. Sampson, absolutely wins the King's Plate at Newmarket next Meeting; I lose the bet though he does not start, and win though he goes over the Course alone. In running of heats, if it cannot be decided which is first, the heat goes for nothing, and they may all start again, except it be between two horses that had each won a heat. Horses that forfeit are the beaten horses, where it is run or pay. Bets made on horses winning any number of plates that year, remain in force till the first day of May, which is the commencement of the racing year. Money given to have a bet laid, not returned, if not run. Matches and bets are void on the decease of either party, before determined. LAWS OF RACING. To prevent disappointment and unnecessary trouble to persons who may be inclined to submit any matters in dispute to the decision of the Stewards of the Jockey Club, we are desired to insert the conditions on which alone they give their opinion. The matter in dispute must relate to Horse Racing. The parties must agree upon a statement of the case in writing, request the opinion of the Stewards of the Jockey Club thereon, and agree to abide by their decision; and such agreement must be signed by the parties. -If the dispute should not occur at Newmarket, the reference must come through, or with the sanction of, the Stewards of the Races where it happened. Except the case arise at Newmarket, they decline giving any opinion where facts alone are in dispute: such as a complaint of foul riding, &c. All such cases are most effectually investigated on the spot, whilst the matter is fresh in the memories of the witnesses, where their attendance is most easily procured, and their credibility best understood. All communications must be addressed "To the Keeper of the Match-book, at Newmarket," and delivered free of postage. By order of the Stewards, EDW. WEATHERBY. NEWMARKET, 16th May 1816. Some disputes having arisen respecting the qualifications of horses to run for particular races, as well in regard to the time when the certificates should be produced, as to the person by whom the qualification or disqualification should be proved, the Stewards of the Jockey Club, in the hope of introducing a uniformity of practice in this respect, and with a view to prevent disputes, declare it as their opinion, that when the qualification of any horse is objected to before starting, it is incumbent on the owner to produce a certificate, or other proper document, to the Stewards, or Clerk of the Course, before the race is run, to prove the qualification of his horse; and that if he shall start his horse without so doing, he must be considered as disqualified; and further, that their decisions, on all cases referred to them on this point, will be regulated accordingly.-N. B. When the qualification of a horse is objected to after the race, it rests with the person making the objection to prove the disqualification. CASE I. July 4, 1776. A SUBSCRIPTION of 10gs each, for hunters that never won either plate, match, or sweepstakes, 12st. each; one 4-mile heat, &c. To be named, on or before the 1st of April 1777, to the Clerk of the, &c. &c. The Stewards of Newmarket were requested to give their opinionwhether a horse, having won a Subscription on the 23rd of April 1777, was qualified to run for the above? Answer. The Stewards are of opinion that a horse, being duly qualified at the day of nomination, is entitled to start. CASE II. The opinion of the Stewards of the Jockey Club was requested by the Stewards of Rochester and Chatham Races on the following case: For the Chatham Plate, the winner of a stake or plate in 1825 was to carry 7lb. extra, and the question was whether a filly who had won a plate subsequently to the entering for the Chatham Plate, but previously to the running for it, was to carry 71b, extra?-The Stewards of the Jockey Club gave it as their opinion, that she was not obliged to carry 71b. extra; and they stated that they were aware that conflicting opinions had been given on this question, but on mature consideration, they thought the better rule was, that a horse, being duly qualified at the expiration of the time of naming or entering for a stake or plate, should not be affected as to that stake or plate, by any subsequent event. CASE III. The D. of Rutland and Mr Wyndham, whose filly and colt ran a dead heat for a sweepstakes in the Craven Meeting 1822, afterwards agreed to divide the stakes; but it being deemed necessary for one of the horses to walk over, a doubt arose as to the mode of settling bets, and the following cases were submitted to the Jockey Club. 1st. A bets B 5gs on the field agst one of the horses which ran the dead heat. 2nd. A bets B 5 to 2 agst the other. 3rd. A bets B 3 to 1 that one of the horses which ran the dead heat, and Augusta in the Claret stakes, did not both win. The Stewards and Members of the Jockey Club decided that, in the first and second cases, the money betted must be put together, and then divided equally between the parties. And, in the third that the dead heat being the first event, the bet thereby be case, CASE IV. A, B, and C, run for a subscription, the best of heats. A wins the first heat, В the second.-C's rider, after saving his distance the second heat, dismounts between the Distance-post and the end, but remounts, rides past the Ending-post, and weighs as usual; starts, and wins the third heat, and weighs, without any objection being made. |