244 STEEPLECHASING 



beating Goldfish by two lengths ; a bad third. An 



objection to the winner for crossing was overruled ; 



but the stewards certified for a return of the deposit 

 money. 



1898 



Of the courses within the metropolitan circuit, as 

 it may be called, Sandown Park, profiting by the 

 longest existence, had been the scene of the race on 

 four occasions and Hurst Park on two, so this year 

 a third course was visited in Gatwick, Croydon's suc- 

 cessor. The management was liberal in the matter 

 of stakes from the first, and the inclusion of the 

 National Hunt Steeplechase of 1000 sovereigns in 

 its programme made but little alteration, for it merely 

 replaced the Tantivy Steeplechase of the same value, 

 though that race was for four-year-olds only. 



The number of starters (sixteen) for the National 

 Hunt Steeplechase was well above the average. At 

 Cardiff in 1889 six ran, and at Bogside in the 

 following year but four. Since then, however, double 

 figures had been the rule. What surprised one always 

 was the number of horses of six years and over 

 which were qualified by reason of having "never won 

 any steeplechase or hurdle race, or any description 

 of flat race," at the time of starting. One of the 

 competitors, Queen Bee, had gone so far as to finish 

 first in a race in Ireland in the previous September, 

 but she was disqualified for bumping. A couple of 

 American horses. New Hampshire and Manhattan, 

 were competing, and a third, Nantucket, would have 

 been out but for winning in the previous week at 

 Sandown. The four miles of country proved too 

 much for the greater number of the competitors, and 

 there were a surprising number of falls. Indeed, 

 of the sixteen, but five survived. The race all but 



