A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



Waterloo Hotel) are we indebted for the propitious 

 sport we enjoyed. The Union Coursing Cup at 

 the great Wiltshire meeting induced Lord Molyneui 

 to send Mountain, Medlar, and two or three others 

 of his long tails to compete with the ' Moonrakers ' 

 and, consequently, we were deprived of some of the 

 best of his stud, having with us only Magic, Merry- 

 man and Metal. But three brace of dogs contended 

 for the Sefton Stakes. They were won by Mr. 

 Hornby's Helen, beating Mr. Rigby's Reveller and 

 Lord Molyneux's Magic. The Croxteth Stakes 

 brought but a short field ; they were thus run out — 



Mr. Formby's Alderman beat Mr. Ebsworth's 

 Udolph. 



Mr. Alison's Mentor beat Mr. Hoghton's Stingo. 

 After this Mr Alison's dog was taken ill, so as not to 

 be capable of being again slipped, consequently 

 Alderman won the stakes without a second contest. 

 There were also as many as thirty matches run. In 

 these Sir Thomas Stanley's dogs greatly distinguished 

 themselves. Lord Molyneux's Merryman was beat 

 in fine style by Mr. Unsworth's Umpire, as was Mr. 

 Hornby's Hun by his Lordship's Metal. Next 

 season we are in great hopes of raising a Cup ; in 

 the meantime, Mr. Annals, pray drink success to our 

 new legion of longtails in yours and believe me to be. 

 Your well wisher, J. W s. 



At the November meeting in 1835 Lord 

 Molyneux's Milanie, the first winner of the 

 Waterloo Cup, won the Croxteth Stakes for 

 eight dogs, and though sixteen-dog stakes became 

 general at most of the meetings it was not till 

 March 1852 that there was a thirty-two-dog 

 stake. This was called the Members' Plate 

 and was won by Mr. (later Sir) Thomas 

 BrockJebank's Britomart, Sally Gray, the pro- 

 perty of the Earl of Sefton, running up. The 

 following March the Members' Plate, again 

 a thirty-two, was run for and won by 

 Mr. B. H. Jones' Junta, the runner-up being 

 Mr. Borron's Brighton. There seem to have 

 been no more Members' Plates, but at the 

 meeting in January 1857 a thirty-two, called the 

 Champion Prize, was run for and won by 

 Mr. G. F. Cooke's Athnalpa, Mr. Peacock's 

 Protest running up. In the succeeding March 

 the Members' Cup was won by Captain 

 Spencer's Seagull, Protest again being the runner- 

 up. From this time forward there have been 

 cups at each meeting. That run for at the 

 November meeting is known as the Altcar Club 

 Cup, while the cup offered in January is known 

 as the Members' Cup. For a good many years, 

 too, it has been the custom to add plate to the 

 Sefton and Croxteth Stakes, for dog and bitch 

 puppies respectively, run for at the Autumn 

 meetings. 



In past times a pair of silver couples or added 

 money went to the winner of the Veteran 

 Stakes, if there were a certain number of entries. 

 The Produce Stakes were instituted in 1852 and 

 reached high-water mark, as far as acceptances 

 are concerned, in 1867, when no fewerthan 121 

 of the 182 entered ran. This was a year 



famous for good greyhounds. Bcthcll and 

 Ghillie Callum were first and second for the 

 Sefton, whilst Brigade and Bab-at-the-Bowster 

 (sister to Bethel!) divided the Croxteth. In 

 1875 the acceptances amounted to 102 out of 

 181 entered, and since then the entries have 

 often topped the two hundred without producing 

 relatively any better acceptances. Mr. T. 

 D. Hornby used often to say that if the 

 acceptances were over seventy he was quite 

 satisfied, as with average entries in other stakes 

 a sufficient number of runners to make a good 

 meeting was assured. Mr. Hornby held for many 

 years the honorary secretaryship of the club, 

 which he coupled with that of the Waterloo 

 meeting. The present writer did the same 

 for some years, and Mr. J. Hartley Bibby now 

 fills the same position. It is interesting to 

 note that in addition to the three above-men- 

 tioned secretaries the club has only had 

 two others, Mr. Unsworth and Mr. J. W. 

 Swan. For president the club has had suc- 

 cessive Earls of Sefton except for the short 

 time when Sir Thomas Brocklebank filled the 

 position. 



In the report of a meeting in the season 

 1839-40 one reads: — 



the sport was truly excellent both days, and it was the 

 opinion of all present that the selection of greyhounds 

 was the most splendid the eye ever fell upon at Altcar, 

 Mr. H. Hornby's and Mr. Lloyd's in particular. 

 Fifty-four hares were killed in the two days' sport, 

 which for its prime character will long be remembered 

 by every spectator . . . The hares were abundant 

 and the arrangements on the ground, like the club, 

 ' slap up.' 



A few years later we find that in addition to 

 the meetings of the club there were two open 

 meetings during the season and a sapling meet- 

 ing, so that, including the Waterloo, no fewer 

 than six meetings were held over the Altcar 

 estate. Club and open meetings continued to 

 be held for some years ; and later, club meetings 

 only, one in November and another in January 

 of each season, have been held. It might be 

 thought that the holding of two club meetings 

 and the Waterloo over the estate was a sufficient 

 tax of its resources. Thanks, however, to the 

 liberality of the Earl of Sefton these resources, 

 coupled with those of his lordship's neighbouring 

 estate of Aintree, have also provided the ground 

 and the fur for the Ridgway Club to hold its meet- 

 ings during the past season or so, since that club 

 was unable to hold its meetings over the Lytham 

 estate (where it has been welcomed for many 

 years) on account of a disease among the hares 

 which almost annihilated the stock. This is not 

 the first time, however, that the Ridgway Club 

 has enjoyed such a privilege, as it is noticeable 

 that a stake begun at their February meeting 

 was completed at the Altcar Club Meeting in 



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