THE TURF 39 



Egerton's Astbury, four years old, eight 

 stone six pounds ; Mr. Mytton's Handel, 

 four years old, seven stone eleven pounds; 

 Sir William Wynne's Taragon, four years 

 old, eight stone; Sir Thomas Stanley's 

 Cedric, three years old, six stone thirteen 

 pounds. The following was the result : Of 

 the first three heats there was no winner, 

 Taragon and Handel being each time nose 

 and nose; and although Astbury is stated 

 to have been third the first heat, yet he was 

 so nearly on a level with the others, that 

 there was a difficulty in placing him as 

 such. After the second heat, Mr. Littleton, 

 who was steward, requested the Doctor and 

 two other gentlemen to look steadfastly 

 at the horses, and try to decide in favour 

 of one of them ; but it was impossible to 

 do so. In the third dead heat, Taragon and 

 Handel had struggled with each other till 

 they reeled about like drunken men, and 

 could scarcely carry their riders to the 

 scales. Astbury, who had laid by after the 

 first heat, then .came out and won ; and it 

 is generally believed the annals of the turf 

 cannot produce such a contest as this* So 

 much for a good handicap, formed on a 



