Nevotcreskask, May 9th.- The horse races which took place last year at St. Petersburg, between English and Cossack horses, suggested to some of our proprietors of studs, the idea of trying the strength and celerity of their horses by long races. The horses of Count J. Platoff had gained the prizes in all the races of ten and twenty wersts which had taken place for several years on the banks of the Don, but contrary to expectation, they were beaten by many others in a race of 63 wersts [42 miles] on the 6th of November. In order to re-establish the reputation of his horses, Count Platoff immediately proposed a longer race, which took place on the 28th of April.
    A piece of ground on the other side of the Don was chosen for the purpose, the length of the course was to be 60 wersts [40 miles.] Count Platoff offered three different prizes, with the understanding, that if either of the prizes was gained by one of his own horses, it would be given to the owner of the horse that immediatly followed. The ground, on being measured, was found to be 67 wersts, [44 and three quarters miles] and perfectly level.
    There were brought for the race twenty-five fine horses from the studs of General Hovaiski, and several other Tartar and Kalmuck horses; Altoyak, a horse of Circassian breed, belonging to the Ataman of the Cossack Makaroff, which gained the prize on the 6th of November, and five horses belonging to Count Platoff. Kalmuck and Tartar children, elegant-dressed, were the jockeys. All the horses started with the rapidity of lightning at 25 minutes past nine in the morning.
    While the spectators in the tents were discussing the probable result of the interesting contest, a cry of “they come” was heard, and the victor had already reached the goal. It was Jason, a grey horse of Count Platoff’s which arrived without being exhausted, followed at the distance of 130 sagines or 300 yards by a horse of the Crimean breed, belonging to the Ataman; the third and fifth horses also belonged to the Count; the fourth, of Circassian breed, to the Sotnik Persianoff, and the sixth to the Cossack Scheldoudiakoff. Jason had run the sixty-seven wersts in two hours and five minutes. If we compare this race with that of the 4th of August at St. Petersburg, we shall find that the English horse ran the 74 wersts [49 and three eights miles] in two hours and forty minutes, which is 231 and one-quarter sagines in a minute. Now, Jason ran 263 sagines in the same time; so that he would have beaten the English horse by twenty-one minutes. Jason and ten other horses arrived at the goal in a gallop, and are in good condition: but the excellent horses of the Cossacks, Makaroff, Parschekoff, and others, could not support so severe a trial, and died either during the race or soon afterwards.
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