The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-05 00:00:00

ASCOT RACES.

THE CUP DAY.

If the late Derby Day wan made dull and dreary
by cold and cloud, by shower and slush, the Cup
Day at Ascot was made as pleasant and picturesque
as possible by as bright and balmy and beautiful a
day as ever the skyey influences vouchsafed to
earth. There is nothing more true than Words-
worth's line that "all things that love the sun are
out of doors." The first prospect of everyone look-
ing forward to a day of pleasure is towards the sky,
and on the augury being propitious or the contrary
it will depend whether thousands will leave their
homes or not. Even those who are determined, in
any state of the weather, to enjoy an " outing "
have their spirits brightened by the prospect of
sunshine. As on the preceding days of th 9 Ascot
week, the weather—that indispensable condi-
ment of all out-of-door enjoyment—was glorious,
and was the principal cause which con-
tributed to one of the largest meetings
that ever assembled on Ascot Heath. Other
causes no dodbt contributed to this result.
Thousands who were frightened by the asps t of
the last Wednesday m May from proceeding to
Epsom Downs, resolved to make up for that disap-
pointment by availing themselves of the cheerier
dawn of the first Thursday in June to visit
Ascot Heath. The knowledge also that the
Prince and Princess of Wales would honour the Cup
day by their presence was a preponderating motive
with vast numbers to go to yesterday's race. Nor
was the hope of pocketing a ' fiver "or a " toner"
on the favourite Tina Whiffler or Buckstone
amongst the weakest of the inducements
that caused such a crowd to assemble.
However, from whatever combination produced,
the Ascot Cup day of 1863 will be remem-
bered for one of the most numerous and brilliant
assemblages ever brought together on a racecourse.
The powers of the South Western line were tried to
the utmost. There were vast crowds trending to
the Waterloo terminus from eight o'clock in the
morning, but it was not till one or two hours
later that the influx of " fares" became excessive.
The arrangements at the terminus were most satis-
factory. There were several temporary boxes
provided for the issue of tickets, and there were
trains in readiness for the people as they came. The
number of trains on the line at the same time must
have been considerable, for moat of them occupied
fully two hours on the journey. The Great
Western line also brought down great numbers.
The private carriages and vehicles, though not so
numerous as on a Derby day, were abundant
enough, and with their delicate occupants glittering
in the gayest and brightest costumes, presented a
splendid and varied line along the principal points
of the course.
The Prince and Princess of Wales entered the
Stand set apart for the royal party shortly after one
o'clock, and before the first race was run.
This Stand, easily recognisable bythe royal banners
floating at its top, was the great centre of attraction
throughout the day. The Prince and Princess were
loudly cheered on their first entering the Royal
Stand—a compliment which was repeated several
times during the day. The Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge, Princess Mary of Cambridge,with other
distinguished visitors, were in the same stand. The
Princess of Wales wore a white dress and white
bonnet, with mauve-coloured ribbon. She looked
somewhat pale but seemed to take a lively interest
in the race and the entire scene around her. The
Prince of Wales also appeared to enter fully into
the sport. Amongst those immediately about the
Royal Stand were the Duke of Manchester, the
Duke of Sutherland, the Earl of Derby, the arl of
Chesterfield, Earl de Grey Viscount Sydney, the
Earl of Beasborough, the Marquis of Clanricarde,
Earl Grosvenor, the Earl of Cardigan, the Earl of
Powis, General Peel, Viscount Bury, &c.

It is now one o'clock, and the course has to be
cleared for the first race—a task that would seem
almost impossible of accomplishment. But it is
wonderful to observe how the people disperse
themselves before the well directed efforts of the
police—how speedily this liveried "nigger," who
is disposing his brooches with a " perfectlikeness of
the Princess Alexandra, now Princess of Wales,
set in real gold, at the cheap rate of Is. each ;"
that red-headed vendor of gold rings, "with a
sovereign riven in, which he has been commissioned
by the Archbishop of Canterbury to dispense for
the small sum of one penny," and hundreds of
other equally eloquent retailers of the most extra-
ordinary bargains, betake themselves and their
improvised rostra from the course to re-appear and
discourse as eloquently as before the moment the
race is run. One of the curiosities of a racecourse
would be a "correct card" of the amount of
money these fellows pick up on a eay of this kind.
Before the carriages, in which the ladies and gentle-
men are naturally good givers, under the influence
of good cheer, there is no end of the amount of amuse-
ment got up, from theoddeat of antics to the strangeet
of songs. What fair lady or pliant gentleman could
refrain from throwing a copper to the tawdry
Tamberlic of "The dark haired girl dressed in
blue,' or the painted Patti of " Billy Patterson" 1
And when song fails to extract the expected
La coin,
the imbiber of fitte or Moet is plied by some moral
maxim, half witty and satiricalt ouches " Live and
let live, your honour," and if this does not open
the purse occasionally some stronger remark is ven-
tured upon. But everything is taken in good part,
for to be merry seems the order of the day.
The two or three races that preceded the grand
one for the Cup attracted but little notice, although
very interesting to the "turf." Unfortunately
Fordham, one of the jockeys in the first race, re-
ceived a severe injury by coming in contact with
a horse that broke into the course during the race.
The race of the day was the one for the Cup. There