-^ Reign of Queen Victoria, 1 837-1 901 



Delay was, of course, occasioned at the start by these 

 vaofaries, and even when the flaof fell and the others were 

 away the cry was, " Peter's left." So he might have been, 

 but before the Grand Stand was passed he was gaining 

 on his competitors. Then he evidently thought of his 

 performance of the previous day, and made as though he 

 would stop and kick, but Archer knew his moods, and, 

 humoured and encouraged by a gentle pat on the neck, 

 and a " Go on, old man," he went like the wind, quickly 

 headed Petronel, soon breasted Sword Dance, and won by 

 three-quarters of a length. Deafening shouts greeted the 

 final struggle, and Sir John Astley, as well as his jockey, 

 received quite an ovation in the paddock. But this was 

 not the last of Peter. He was entered for the Hardwicke 

 Stakes, worth over ^3000, and Archer was engaged 

 to ride him. As the starting post was just below 

 where Peter had stopped to kick on the Tuesday, Archer 

 got Sir John to approach the Stewards, and obtained per- 

 mission to take him down the reverse side, and arrlvino; at 

 the starting post as the flag fell, led him past his favourite 

 stopping place, and won by eight lengths. The Gold Cup 

 was won by Robert the Devil. 



Mr. J. R. Keene's Foxhall was the winner of the Cup 

 in the following year, when he met the Duke of Beaufort's 

 two champions, Faugh-a-Ballagh and Petronel, and managed 

 to capture the prize by a neck. The Cup was sent to Mr. 

 Keene at New York, but he objected to pay the 1000 dollars 

 demanded by the Customs authorities as duty, and it was 

 not until 1884 that he obtained permission to have the 

 Cup exported back to England without payment of the 

 duty. 



161 M 



