Grand National — Gnosall Station. 49 



It will not be costly, and probably six hundred pounds a 

 year could be guaranteed him. There is I believe, a 

 better chance of foxes being befriended about Condover 

 next year, and altogether the prospect of having a stock 

 of foxes in the country is more hopeful than it v^as last 

 vear. 



FOUETEENTH WEEK-^anuaey 26 to 31. 



We have now before us the weights for the Grand 

 National Steeplechase, and are able to judge of the 

 chances of many of the entries. The conclusion I am 

 obliged to come to is that they are a seedy lot, and that 

 many could not win with two stone less weight 

 than is assigned to them. The following twelve I prefer 

 at their respective weights : — Zoedone, list 111b ; 

 Frigate, list 101b; New Meadow, list 101b; Zitella, list 

 91b; Sachem, list 61b; Azuline, list 51b ; Captain, list 

 21b; Eoquefort, list ; Ivanhoe, 10st91b; Sceptic, lOst 

 91b; Equity, lOst 51b ; Eatonian, lOst. Probably these 

 will be thinned out when the acceptances appear. 



On hunting, I have once more a full week on which to 

 dilate, and to glory in the departure of frost and east 

 winds. On Monday, the 26th, the Shropshire were at 

 their extreme (eastern) border at Chetwynd, near New- 

 port, where they found a fox that immediately took them 

 still further afield into the Albnghton country, very fast 

 at first, but soon slowing down until he could hardly be 

 owned as far as Offley Grove, where he was left. This 

 was a good line, and but for the interposition of a boggy 

 brook, which was considered unjumpable, would have 

 been more enjoyed. A second fox from Ellerton Hall 

 did not add much to the reputation of the day. 



The North Stafford, for some unaccountable reason, 

 disappointed their followers by not turning up at the 

 meet on Monday; consequently, several of them took 

 advantage of the Albnghton being at Gnosall Station on 

 Tuesday to swell the field there. A nice hunting morn- 

 ing, and many good men and true were there to do justice 

 to it. A trot away to Eanton, and a quick find in the 

 first covert drawn, soon put life into the proceedings. 

 For a mile or so it looked all over like a run, as hounds 



