SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



was shamefully distanced.' We found Mr. 

 Griffin at Lamport and Lady Longueville had 

 dined there. 



From time to time fiat races have been held 

 in other parts of the county, and a few ex- 

 tracts from notices that appeared in the North- 

 ampton Mercury during the eighteenth cen- 

 tury may be given. Most of these meetings 

 survived only for short periods, and at the 

 present time there is no racing under Jockey 

 Club rules. 



In 1727, at the Daventry races purses of 

 sixty guineas for the first, thirty guineas 

 for the second, and a plate of ;^I5 for the 

 third race were given. The thirty-guinea 

 race was 



free for Galloways, 9 st. the highest give 

 and take ; but the winner to be sold for 

 30 guineas, the second best to have the stakes. 

 In running for this prize there were but two 

 in either the first or second heat that made 

 running for the same ; but all the others 

 took up, and came easy in. The two that ran 

 for the first heat were Smi/ing Mo//y and Cuj>id, 

 and the mare won it. The two that ran 

 for the second heat were Dumplin and 

 Smiling Betty Bircher, and the horse won it. 

 In these two heats, the four last in the list 

 were distanced, Buck was lamed and drawn, 

 and the other seven started a third heat, 

 every one making all the running he could, 

 and came in as follows : Smiling Molly, first, won 

 the Plate. Dumplin, second, won the Stakes. 

 Cupid, third. Smiling Betty Bircker, fourth. 



Fanny Rock, fifth. Cripple, sixth. And Ifhy- 

 ask-ye was distanced. 



At Peterborough four plates were advertised 

 to be run for on 5, 6, 7, and 8 July, 1720. 

 The first was a plate of ;^20 for horses carry- 

 ing lost., the winning horse to be sold for 

 twenty guineas. For this race eight horses 

 were entered. The second was a ladies' 

 plate, the winning horse to be sold for ^Tao. 

 Two horses only were entered. The third 

 was a Galloway Plate of jTio carrying 9 St., 

 weight for inches, the winner to be sold for 

 ;{^io. Three Galloways were entered. The 

 last race was for a plate of the value of ;^40, 

 the winning horse to be sold for 80 guineas. 

 This race produced five entries. Seven years 

 later at this meeting the first prize was worth 

 ;^50, the second ;{^40, and the third ;^20. 

 The races concluded with a match. 



On the last day of this month of July, 

 Mr. Bainbrigge's chestnut gelding, Carlisle, 

 9 St. 7 lb., beat on this course oi Peterborough 

 Mr. King's bay horse Long John 9 st., 4 miles, 

 100 guineas. 



In 1720 races were run at Wellingborough. 

 Two horses were entered for the Galloway 

 Plate, four for the Wellingborough Plate, and 

 three for the gentlemen's contribution. 



On 29 September, 1720, a plate of ^T 10, for 

 which three horses were entered, was run for 

 at Towcester, and on the following day a plate 

 of ;^25, for which five horses were entered. 



STEEPLECHASING 



The sportsmen of the county appear to have 

 turned their attention to steeplechasing soon 

 after the first organized race of the kind ^ had 

 been run in Hertfordshire in 1830. The 

 Grand National Hunt Meeting and the Grand 

 Military Meeting have each been held three 

 times within the shire ; and other meetings of 

 more or less importance have been carried on 

 at various times. 



The valley between Brix worth and Cottes- 

 brooke has constantly been the scene of steeple- 

 chases, and several excellent races have been 

 run over practically the same course. 



On 23 March, 1 833, a race described as 

 * The Great Northamptonshire Steeplechase 

 for Twenty Sovereigns each,' took place 

 over this country. The race was won by 

 Mr. SoUaway's Daring Ranger. 



' For explanation of ' distanced ' see F.C.H. 

 Surrey, n, 493, note i. 



'V.C.H. Herts, i, 365. 



Squire Osbaldeston, the master of the 

 Pytchley, who fell before the first brook, was 

 the leading promoter of this steeplechase, 

 although the part he took in it ill accorded 

 with his usual success ; for he was at that 

 period the foremost champion of nearly all the 

 sports of the country. 



Some steeplechases were held at the village 

 of Bugbrooke in the years 1835 and 1836, but 

 were then abandoned. 



On 30 March, 1838,3 steeplechase of five 

 sovereigns, with forty sovereigns added, w.is 

 run at Little Houghton, near Northampton, 

 over a very severe course. The horses 

 ' placed ' were : — 



1st. Mr. Stevenson's True Blue 



2nd. Mr. Lebird's Gladiator 



3rd Lord Southampton's The Count 



The Rake was almost the only horse that 

 cleared the first brook, but he fell coming 

 home : most of the horses were dead beat. 



383 



