Royal Ascot ^ 



more that she would eat a leg of lamb and drink two bottles 

 of claret into the bargain. Whether the lady fulfilled her 

 promises or not we are unable to state. 



In 1769 addition was made to the sport at Ascot by the 

 Members for Windsor, and also the Corporation, giving ^50 

 each : the first for 6-year-olds and aged horses, the other 

 " give-and-take," then so much in fashion ; both four-mile 

 heats. At this meeting Eclipse won the Noblemen and 

 Gentlemen's Plate of ^50, two-mile heats, beating Mr. 

 Fettiplace's Creme-de-Barbade by Snap. 



The sport in the next two years was very fair, and there 

 were a good number of entries, the racing occupying five 

 days and the prizes consisting of the usual ^50 plates. 



Taking up the race card for 1772, we find the meeting 

 is styled the Windsor and Ascot Heath Races, by order of 

 H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester, Lord Warden of Windsor 

 Forest, when a sweepstake of 200 guineas each, half forfeit, 

 was won by Mr. Vernon's Feather from the Duke of 

 Cumberland's Pompey. 



The first mention we find of a cup being raced for at 

 Ascot is in this year, when the Duke of Cumberland 

 instituted a race for 5-year-olds, the property of subscribers, 

 over a four-mile course. The subscriptions were limited to 

 five guineas, and the first subscribers were the Dukes of 

 Northumberland and Ancaster, the Earls of Ossory, Oxford, 

 and March, Viscount Bolingbroke, Sir C. Bunbury, Messrs. 

 Blake, Ogilvie, Pigott, and Vernon. Each subscriber who 

 challenged had to stake 100 guineas, and deliver to the 

 keeper of the match-book the name, etc., of his horse. In 

 the year of its institution it resulted in a walk-over for the 

 Duke of Cumberland's Maria, by Snap, out of the noted 



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