CHAPTER V 



PRINCE PALATINE AS A FOUR-YEAR-OLD 



Prince Palatine's first appearance as a four-year- 

 old was made in the Coronation Cup at Epsom, 

 a race which has almost invariably been contested 

 by horses of the highest class. The Derby on 

 Wednesday and the Oaks on Friday formerly made 

 the off-day on Thursday seem somewhat unattrac- 

 tive, and in the middle of the last century a race 

 called the Epsom Cup, for three-year-olds and 

 upwards, run over the Derby course, was inaugu- 

 rated. This continued for many years, when for 

 some reason it ceased to be popular, and in place 

 of it was substituted the Epsom Grand Prize of 

 ;!^iooo added to a sweepstakes of ^25 each, ;^io 

 forfeit, for three-year-olds, distance a mile and a 

 quarter — what is known as the City and Suburban 

 Course. 



This was for a while a favourite event with 

 owners; for the race in 1887 there were 201 

 subscriptions, but for some reason it waned, as 



certain stakes unaccountably will do. For a period 



60 



