FAMOUS CHASERS AND THEIR RIDERS. 369 



finishing. Count Kinsky might have been riding a fast hunting 

 run over a stiff country, the silken jacket and surroundings of 

 the course apart, and he cantered in a dozen lengths in front of 

 the outsider of the party, an aged Irish horse of very poor 

 antecedents, with 10 st. 4 Ibs. in the saddle. Only ten horses 

 ran, the smallest number that had ever gone to the post for a 

 Grand National. 



The success of Voluptuary in 1884 upset a deeply-rooted 

 theory with regard to Grand Nationals. It was an article of 

 faith that no horse except an experienced 'chaser ever won 

 over the Liverpool course. It was held to be almost necessary 

 that he should have run at Aintree at least once before he 

 could be expected to win ; at any rate, that he must have had 

 much practice and a good deal of that in public. Voluptuary, 

 a son of Cremorne and Miss Evelyn, had been looked on as a 

 promising colt when owned by Lord Rosebery, and had in- 

 deed won some races three worth nearly 2,ooo/. as a three- 

 year old ; but he became uncertain, was weeded out, and 

 passed into the charge of Mr. E. P. Wilson, who soon perceived 

 that he had found a prize. He won a hurdle race at Leicester, 

 was beaten in another at Manchester, and then came out for 

 the Grand National. On one hand was the fact that so excel- 

 lent a judge as Mr. Wilson thought well of him and was to ride 

 him ; on the other, that Voluptuary had never run in a steeple- 

 chase at Liverpool or elsewhere. The Scot (the property of 

 H.R.H. the Prince of Wales), Cortolvin, Satellite, and Cyrus 

 were better favourites ; three animals started at 10 to i, Volup- 

 tuary, Frigate and Roquefort, and they finished first, second, 

 and third ; Voluptuary jumping with extraordinary ease and 

 certainty, never making a mistake and winning easily. 



The third in the race of 1884 was destined to do better the 

 following year. Roquefort had been in the Bishop's Sutton 

 stable, presided over by that admirable judge of everything in 

 connection with ' jump races,' Mr. Arthur Yates, who super- 

 vises the training of horses the property of himself and his friends, 

 one of his gallops being over downs at Alresford which were 



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