NATIONAL HUNT STEEPLECHASE 241 



Rushlight II. bolted at the first obstacle, Torchlight 

 took up the running, but just below the stand ran out, 

 taking Ballyduff with him. Philactery then went to the 

 front, but in the next half-mile Torchlight resumed his 

 position, though at the bend for home, being beaten, he 

 was passed by Olive Branch, Princeps, and Philactery. 

 At the last fence but one Philactery headed the favourite, 

 but going wide at the turn, slightly lost his advantage. 

 Regaining it, however, at the last jump, he drew away 

 and beat Olive Branch by two lengths, a length and a 

 half dividing second and third. Five did not finish, and 

 Ballyduff broke down. 



.89s 



Twenty years previously (i.e. in 1875) Mr. Smyth's 

 Gazelle, ridden by Mr. Flutter, won the Grand National 

 Hunt Steeplechase in a field of nineteen at Sandown 

 Park, and in 1888 and 1893 the Committee had again 

 come back to their old love, but this year accident 

 assigned them the same locale. Hurst Park had been 

 originally fixed on as the place of meeting during the 

 preceding February, but frost had intervened and upset 

 all the arrangements, and so fresh plans had to be made, 

 with the result that Sandown Park was honoured with 

 an unexpected meeting on Monday, March 18. Fifteen 

 competitors took part, constituting the largest field, with 

 one exception, since 1879, and on this occasion the 

 placed horses were : — 



Mr. J. Arnold's " Fin-ma-Coul II.," 



5 yrs., 12 St. I lb Mr. F. B. Atkinson i 



„ T. H. Godsell's " Exodos," 



4 yrs., 10 St. 10 lb „ R. Gore . . 2 



„ A. Yates's "Olibanum," 4 yrs., 



10 St. 10 lb ,, A. H. Ripley . 3 



Betting: — 4 to i Fin-ma-Coul II.; 100 to 8 Exodos; 8 to i 

 Olibanum. 



Q 



