76 STEEPLECHASING 



of the race. "The defeat of Becher," it ran, "may be 

 altogether attributed to the groom, as, in consequence 

 of the way in which the curb rein was attached to the 

 bit, the rider lost all that advantage over the horse 

 w^hich otherwise his superior riding would have given 

 him," 



■ 837 



Steeplechasing having been once started at Aintree 

 was continued with considerable spirit, and the appear- 

 ance of the famous Irish horse, Dan O'Connell, lent a 

 vast amount of interest to the race. For weeks previous 

 to the contest he had been backed for pounds, shillings, 

 and pence, but, as will be seen below, his supporters were 

 doomed to disappointment. On this occasion there was 

 one flag only at each fence, on the right hand side of 

 which the riders had to jump. The course appears to 

 have been a modification of that of the previous year 

 (1836). The conditions of the race this year were that 

 it was a sweepstakes of 10 sovereigns each, with 100 

 sovereigns added by the town of Liverpool, for horses 

 of all denominations ; four-year-olds 1 1 stone ; five, 1 1 

 stone 7 lb. ; six and aged, 1 2 stone ; gentlemen riders ; 

 the course not to exceed five miles. There were 

 penalties for previous victories in steeplechases or 

 hurdle-races, and there was an announcement that 

 the ground would be shown to riders on the morning 

 of the race. 



The starters were : — 



Mr. Sirdefield's '-The Duke," aged . . . Mr. Pott . . . i 



„ Williamson's "The Disowned" ... ,, McDonough 2 



,, Sharratt's " Zanga," aged ,, Devine . . 3 



,, Knaresborough's ch. h. "Dan O'Connell" Owner . . . o 



Betting : — 5 to 4 on Dan O'Connell, 3 to i against The Disowned, 

 6 to I The Duke, 12 to 1 Zanga. 



