Royal Ascot ♦' 



It was a favourite expression that the sun always 

 shone when the Queen went amongst her people. The 

 year i86c must have been an exception, for rain came 

 down in torrents, and the condition of the course made 

 going very heavy. As if in some measure to make up 

 for the inclement weather, the races were particularly 

 interesting. They began well with 22 starters for the 

 Trial Stakes, and then a diversion was caused in the 

 race for the Queen's Vase by Rupee bolting into the 

 fence. After the race her owner, Mr. Blake, who ran 

 his horse under the name of Hamilton, sold her to 

 Lord Stamford for ^2,000, and on the Thursday she 

 came in first for the Cup by a head. During this meeting 

 there were two or three game finishes. In the race for 

 the Cup, the pace from start to finish was good. Promised 

 Land ( A. Day) which had seemed for a while to have all 

 the chances, gave way up the hill to Butterfly and Rupee, 

 and the latter, who was grandly jockeyed by Grimshaw, 

 passed the post first by a head. It was only by a short 

 head also that Chaloner, on Horror, won the Royal Stand 

 Plate. Lord Strathmore this year had luck with Mouravieff, 

 winning the Ascot Stakes by a head from Mr. Payne's 

 br. c. Conscript, and also carrying off the Triennial with 

 the same horse. 



The Hunt Cup was won by Mr. Sargent's Crater, and 

 the result was received with great satisfaction by the 

 Ring, not so much because of the price, but because it 

 belonged to one of the most honest men on the Turf 



Mr. Henry Hibburd had considerable difficulty in start- 

 ing some of the races, owing to the large fields on the 

 T.Y. and Half-Mile Courses. Moreover, some of the 



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