Early Days 127 



sight all the world over than a modern 

 steeplechase at, say either Liverpool, Man- 

 chester, Sandown, or Kempton Park ? 



The great drawback of the early steeple- 

 chase, run over a natural country, was that 

 so little of the fun could be seen by the 

 spectators — unless, indeed, they were mounted 

 on clever hunters, and prepared to do a 

 plentiful supply of fencing — and the same 

 objection, unfortunately, applies to the Point 

 to Point race of to-day. 



In the month of February 1836 was run 

 the first Liverpool steeplechase at Aintree. 

 Its conditions, however, varied very widely 

 from those obtaining in the Grand National 

 of to-day. " A sweepstake of ten sovereigns 

 each, with eighty added ; i 2 st. each ; gentle- 

 men riders. The winner to be sold for 

 two hundred sovereigns, if demanded ; " and 

 Captain Becher won this event with The 

 Duke. 



St. Albans, Aylesbury, Cheltenham, and 

 Newport Pagnell were all in a flourishing 

 condition just about this period, with their 



