Royal Ascot <*^ 



Alfred Day, whose sobriquet of " Alfred the Great " 

 proclaimed his eminence as a rider, was the son of the 

 elder John Day, and enjoyed for many years an unsurpassed 

 reputation on the Turf. With his inherited predilection 

 for horsemanship, he became engaged, at an early age, 

 in the business of his life. In 184 1, he rode Shocking 

 Mamma, for Mr. Osbaldeston, in the Cesarewitch. His first 

 great success, however, was the capture of the Goodwood 

 Stakes, with Franchise ; and three years afterwards his popu- 

 larity was assured by the remarkable feat of winning as the 

 rider of The Hero, the Emperor's Plate two years in succes- 

 sion. The Ascot Cup was connected with another display 

 of jockeyship, which was esteemed one of A. Day's finest 

 achievements, when he so dexterously handled West 

 Australian in that race. Ascot was, throughout, a fortunate 

 meeting for him : he won there, in addition, the Royal 

 Hunt Cup, Queen's Plate, Ascot, Welcome, and Wokingham 

 Stakes, and the Ascot Derby, between the years 1844 and 

 1855. Hs l^^t invaluable aid to the development of 

 Danebury, and was, at one time, the chief support of that 

 establishment. 



A conspicuous place, among riders whose names were 

 once familiar at Ascot, must be given to John Day. 

 Amongst his wins at the Royal race meeting were the 

 Produce Stakes in 1843, and the Swinley Stakes on Lord 

 Glenlyon's Ben-y-Ghlo in 1844. Though a highly successful 

 jockey and trainer, he suffered, at certain periods of his 

 career, striking vicissitudes of fortune. Just before Canary 

 won the Royal Hunt Cup in 1862, his resources, and those 

 of others connected with his Danebury establishment, were 

 at a very low ebb. Fortunately, the horse's victory 



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