Royal Ascot 



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Perhaps the greatest race held during the century 

 on Ascot Heath was the Oatlands Stakes, which was run 

 on Tuesday, June 28th, 1791. The racing world went 

 mad over the event, and people drove down from town 

 in their thousands. Rich and poor, high and low, made 

 common cause in their endeavour to witness the contest. 

 The stakes were prodigious for those days. Forty-one 

 subscribers of 100 guineas each, half forfeit, and the sum 

 actually run for reached the total of 2,950 guineas, made 

 up as follows : — 19 starters, 20 paying half forfeit, 

 and 2 declaring forfeit in the preceding July, paid in 25 

 guineas each. The betting was fast and furious, and it 

 was estimated at the time that nearly a million sterling 

 must have changed hands over the event, the Prince of 

 Wales alone having won more than ^17,000 by his horse's 

 success. 



The course was two miles, and from start to finish the 

 race was keenly contested^ so much so that five out of 

 the nineteen who started were riding all together when 

 nearing the post, but young Chifney, who rode the Prince 

 of Wales' Baronet, by his skill and coolheadedness so 

 piloted his horse that he brought him in a glorious victor 

 by half a length, with Mr. Barton's Express second, and 

 Lord Barrymore's Chanticleer third. The time was 2 min. 

 33 sec, and the betting before starting was 20 to i against 

 Baronet, 100 to 3 against Empress, and 9 to i against 

 Chanticleer ; while 3 to i was laid against Vermin, who was 

 first favourite on account of the small weight (5 st. 3 lb.), 

 but the race was lost to him through the mismanagement, 

 so it was said, of the boy who rode him. 



After the race, the King rode up to his son and con- 



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