56 STEEPLECHASING 



smashed into a gate and came down heavily ; The Flyer 

 belied his name at the last fence by tumbling down, but 

 as soon as the horses jumped on to the tiat, Cinderella, 

 Splendour, and Speculation were close together, Spicey 

 gaining on them rapidly. These four ran a splendid 

 race home, Splendour winning by a bare half length, the 

 others being so close up that all three claimed second 

 place with the advantage of saving stake. The umpire 

 decided that Spicey was second ; but the spectators 

 favoured Cinderella's claim to that place. Spicey had 

 been running in trouble for some distance over the 

 plough ; but as soon as Captain Becher landed him on 

 to the sound turf, his swinging action stood him in good 

 stead ; while, as his breastplate broke, and the saddle 

 slipped back, his must be esteemed a fine performance. 

 Captain Becher, it will be remembered, was objected to 

 not long before on the ground that he had gone on the 

 wrong side of a flag ; and he, in turn, objected to 

 Splendour, alleging that Mr. Sollaway, his rider, had 

 passed a tree on the wrong side, but he failed to sub- 

 stantiate his charge. 



After the race Prince Esterhazy and his party went 

 to the Turf Hotel to have some luncheon. At its con- 

 clusion Mr. Anderson, Splendour's owner, was sent for ; 

 his health was proposed by Prince Esterhazy, who 

 handed him the Cup, and when Anderson withdrew 

 with the trophy, he gave Coleman a five-pound note for 

 others to drink his health. 



Coleman's original idea was to hold his St. Albans 

 steeplechase towards the end of the hunting season, 

 before the horses which had been carrying their owners 

 to hounds had been thrown out of condition ; but, during 

 the last two years, earlier dates were fixed, and the 

 steeplechase, which in ordinary course should have taken 

 place in February 1838, really took place on the 21st 

 December 1837, so that there were two steeplechases 



