Royal Ascot <*" 



with two, four and six horses in each. Her Majesty and 

 the three Princesses were dressed in white Spanish 

 mantles — Princess Mary had on a black lace mantle, while 

 Princess Amelia wore a white lace scarf lined with blue — 

 and gipsy hats. 



On arriving on the course. Her Majesty was received 

 by the Prince of Wales, dressed in bottle green, and his 

 brothers — the Dukes of York, Cumberland, and Kent — in 

 the Windsor uniform. 



Naturally, the principal event attracted most attention. 

 The description was "a Gold Cup of loo guineas value, 

 the remainder in specie ; a subscription of lo guineas each 

 for 3-year-olds, 6 st. 12 lb. ; 4-year-olds, 8 st. 2 lb.; 5-year- 

 olds, 8 St. 12 lb. ; 6-year-olds and aged, 9 st. 4 lb,; mares 

 allowed 3 lb. The owner of the second horse to receive 

 back his stake." The distance was once round the course, 

 and the race was keenly contested. In the result Mr. 

 Durrand's Master Jacky, a 3-year-old, won by half a 

 length. 



In the following year the subscription to this race was 

 raised to 20 guineas, and was for horses that had never 

 won above 100 guineas at one time, 2-^ miles. This time 

 the Cup fell to Mr. Fermor's Brighton, a 4-year-old. 

 The Marquis of Cornwallis, Steward, was in the Judge's 

 Box on this occasion. 



In 1808 Queen Charlotte was present, attended by the 

 Viscountess Bulkeley and the Countess of Cardigan. 



It was about 1810 that the idea of Handicap Races 

 was first mooted in preference to the wearisome heats, and 

 the experiment was tried at Ascot in 181 3, when the 

 Wokingham Stakes of 5 guineas each for all ages was 



54 



