-») 



Reign of Queen Victoria, 1 837-1 901 



Mr. Oxley petitioned the Stewards of the Jockey Club, 

 who waited upon Lord Rosslyn, but his lordship asserted 

 his right to make what arrangements in connection with 

 Ascot he thought fit, and thus the unfortunate proprietor 

 was left without remedy. A minor result of the action 

 of the Master of the Buckhounds was that two cards were 

 to be obtained at the meeting. 



" The Royal Hunt of 200 sovereigns added to a 

 Handicap of 10 sov-ereigns each, for 3-year-olds and 

 upwards ; Old Mile," is the description in the Calendar of 

 1843, the first year the Royal Hunt Cup was run for. It 

 produced a big field, 24 horses starting, and was won by 

 Lord Chesterfield's Knight of the Whistle, 5-year-old, 8 st. 

 8 lb. (Flatman) beating all others by three lengths. When 

 his lordship's horse passed the post there was great 

 applause, and congratulations were showered on *' the fine 

 English nobleman" — a past Master of the Buckhounds — 

 who was the first winner of the Hunt Cup. At this same 

 meeting, in the race for the Ascot Stakes, 2^ miles, there 

 were ^y subscribers, and a field of 13 met at the ringing of 

 the bell. Mr. F. Millbank's Teetotaller (Riley), 4-year-old, 

 6 St. 6 lb. was the winner, Sir G. Heathcote's Pannakeen 

 (Chappie) dropped dead at the post. The fields at this 

 meeting were prodigious, 181 horses taking part in the 

 29 races, the stakes for which represented a total of ^10,620. 

 The following year (1844) the Race Card incident was 

 again to the fore. It was a case of Oxley versus the other 

 man, with Oxley as favourite. Handbills denouncing Oxley's 

 cards were freely distributed on the course ; every endeavour 

 was made to persuade and prevent the purchase of his 

 "Correct Card"; the Great Western Railway took up the 



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