Royal Ascot "^ 



forty-three subscribers four horses went to the starting-post. 

 There, in eettinof into hne, Sittingfbourne hustled The Reiver, 

 who, in his turn, retaliated by biting his opponent in the 

 crest. While this little contretemps was proceeding, the 

 starter's tlag had fallen, and Lord Exeter's two nominations, 

 Filbert and Nutpecker, cantered home. 



Lady Evelyn was the favourite for the Ascot Stakes, 

 but Lord Palmerston's Buckthorn, the betting against which 

 was 20 to 1, got home cleverly by half a length. On the 

 Friday Lord Exeter had great luck, he won three out of 

 the six races on the card, and would probably have won 

 the fourth had not Ilex bolted in Her Majesty's Plate. His 

 lordship during the meeting won altogether seven events, 

 and was second six times. 



The receipts at the Grand Stand for the four days of 

 this meeting were upwards of ^3400, £\'&S7 ^o^. being 

 taken on the Cup day, but Friday was a failure, the revenue, 

 it is said, reaching only the absurd sum of ,^40. 



A new road was made for the Royal Procession by 

 slightly increasing the distance between the Grand Stand 

 and the high booths, and this affected the value of the 

 ground, which was consequently put up for auction, and 

 fetched prices considerably in advance of previous years ; 

 thus, a frontage of 45 feet, which hitherto had yielded 12s. 

 per foot, was knocked down for 31s. per foot; so that a 

 sum of ^210 7s. 6d. was credited to the Fund as against 

 £c)i ys. in the previous year, a gain of ^119. The new 

 approach to the Royal Stand was the principal improvement, 

 but a new roof to the same building was noticeable. 

 The Jockey Club had erected an outside staircase to their 

 stand. 



120 



