172 STEEPLECHASING 



Buridan and Fabius refused the second fence, by which 

 time The Liberator, Thornfield, and Cross Question were 

 leading. The Liberator fell at the first fence after 

 Valentine's Brook, but was quickly remounted ; Wood- 

 brook, who soon afterwards took the lead, was in front 

 as the horses took the water jump opposite the stand. 

 Going into the country for the second time there was little 

 change in the positions, but Regal improved his place on 

 entering the straight, where he became second. Wood- 

 brook, however, won in a canter by four lengths ; a bad third. 



The Empress of Austria, who had been hunting in 

 Cheshire, was present, but the weather was of the worst 

 description, rain, sleet, and snow falling almost without 

 intermission during the whole day. 



Woodbrook was another Irish horse by The Lawyer 

 — The Doe, and was bred in 1874 by Captain Kirkwood, 

 of Woodbrook, from which place the horse took his 

 name. Like Empress he first ran in 1878, and in the 

 next year won the Sefton Steeplechase at the Liverpool 

 autumn meeting, but was disqualified on the ground of 

 insufficient description. In 1880 he was fifth to Empress 

 in the Grand National, and this year he was successful. 

 He was subsequently sold to Mr. Oeschlaeger for ^1300. 

 In 1882 Woodbrook died at Newmarket. 



1882 



Lord Manners' "Seaman," 6 yrs., 11 st. 



6 lb Owner . . . i 



Mr. J. Gubbins' "Cyrus," 5 yrs., 10 st. 



9 lb Mr. T. Beasley 2 



„ Clayton's "Zoedone," 5 yrs., 10 st. Capt. Smith . 3 

 Twelve started. Betting : — 10 to i against Seaman ; 9 to 2 Cyrus ; 

 20 to I Zoedone. 



The other starters were Montauban, The Liberator, 

 The Scot, Wild Monarch, Eau de Vie, Mohican, Fay, 

 Ignition, and Black Prince. 



