Royal Ascot 



<*- 



There were eighteen starters for the Hunt Cup, not 

 including Stewarton, who bolted and fell in going to the post. 

 The horses were well together for the greater part of the 

 race, but when the distance was reached. Knight of 

 the Thistle pulled to the front, and although Victor Wild 

 made a gallant attempt, he could not reach him, and was 

 beaten by three-quarters of a length. 



Only three times in the century were the Royal colours 

 successful in the Cup race. The Duke of York, brother 

 of George IV., in 1815 won with Aladdin, and six years 

 later the prize fell to him in a "walk over" with The Banker. 

 The victory of the Prince of Wales' Persimmon, therefore, 

 brought to its zenith the enthusiasm of the Jubilee Ascot. 



There were several good races in 1898. The Hunt 

 Cup was won by Mr. Leopold de Rothschild's Jaquemart 

 by a length and a half, and on Cup Day the Paddock 

 might have been a boulevard or the scene of a French 

 race meeting, so many Frenchmen were present. The 

 reason was that Elf H., the horse of M. de Bremond, was 

 favourite. He had run in the Hunt Cup, but was not 

 placed. His chances in the Gold Cup were therefore some- 

 what uncertain, and the excitement of the" French visitors 

 was tremendous when he was seen passing The Rush, and 

 eventually winning by a length and a half 



Eager won the Rous Memorial Stakes for the second 

 year in succession, and the Duke of Westminster was 

 fortunate in securing a prize each day, winning the Trial 

 Stakes with Collar, the Coronation with Lowood, the New 

 Stakes with Flying Fox, and the Hardwicke with Collar. 



The Ascot Meeting in 1899 was shorn of part of its 

 accustomed brilliancy by the omission of the Royal Pro- 



178 



