^ Reign of Queen Victoria, 1 837-1 901 



accommodation for saddling thirty horses. In the paddock 

 some of the trees were removed, and the old wooden palings 

 that had for so many years shut it in were replaced by 

 open iron fencing, and double gates for the horses opening 

 on to the course. In the weighing enclosure also the 

 jockeys' dressing-rooms were doubled in size, and a sub- 

 stantial refreshment bar took the place of the old booths. 



At the Hotel corner a bank was erected in 1878. 

 Previously there had been no boundary at this point, and 

 horses had often bolted. The bank, which was 4 ft. high, 

 was therefore a great advantage, and being planted with 

 lime trees, removed from the paddock, and surrounded 

 with stout iron railings, considerably improved the course 

 at this end. At the bottom of the New Mile a handsome 

 iron entrance gate, surmounted with the Royal Arms, was 

 put up in place of the unsightly wooden posts, to enable 

 the Royal Procession to enter at that point. A new lodge 

 was built in the following year, and the appearance of this 

 part of the course was further enhanced by widening it 

 60 ft. for some distance from the entrance. In 1881 the 

 Master of the Buckhounds' Stand was enlarged by removing 

 the Press Box and extending the building to the Trainers' 

 Stand. The raising of the lawn in the Royal Enclosure 

 also gave much satisfaction. 



There was a great array of rank and fashion at the 1883 

 meeting, when a new race was introduced. The King of 

 the Netherlands presented a cup, called the Orange Cup, 

 and valued at ^600. The conditions were similar to those 

 for the Alexandra Plate, with the stipulation that it was 

 only open to horses bred in Great Britain or Ireland, and 

 owned, ridden, and trained by British subjects. 



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