The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-28 00:00:00

READING STEEPLECHASES.-TELIIRSDAY.

Mr. W. H. Hibbard has done his best to promote sport
at Reading, and he has succeeded. Although he has much
local opposition to encounter, yet he has established a meet-
ing, which, if it had been appointed earlier, would have
been an immense success. The unfortunate clashing with
the last day at Lincoln prevented many persons whose
patronage was valuable from visiting the meeting, but those
who did attend were amused.

The Whitley Stakes (Handicap), of 5 soya each, with 30

added. Two miles and a half.

Mr. W. Holman's Sunbeam, lOst 41b.. (G. Holman) t w.o.
Mr. Francis's Corkscrew, lOst 41b (Gammage) t
The following also ran :—Marmion, Eheu, Ascot, and
Venision.

Betting-5 to 2 each agst Ascot and Sunbeam, 3to 1 agst
Marmion, sto 1 agst Corkscrew. Nightingale weighed for
Escape (10st 121 b), but the horse did not go to the post. The
start took place in the field beyond the stand, and Cork-
screw was the first to show the way, Marmion, Eheu, and
Venison following in the order named. On coming to the
first fence the attempts to get over it brought half the field
to grief, and only Corkscrew (leading), Ascot, and Venison
were seen in the race. Sunbeam, who had refused at the
awkward quickset fence, was soon in hot pursuit. The four
mentioned ran without a material change in position, Cork-
screw still going on a head. After jumping the fence in the
dip they took pretty close order, and on passing the stand,
Sunbeam was on good terms with the leaders. They ran thus
up the hill, but at the " awkward quickset" Venison fell.
The race was now left to Corkscrew, Ascot, and Sunbeam.
At the drop fence, a nasty " stubby" one, Ascot, who was
running at the heels of Corkscrew, blundered right into it,
and sent Salt out of the saddle. Corkscrew and Sunbeam, to
whom the race was, after that mishap, left, alternately led,
and raced together to the last jump (in a dip about a dis-
tance from home), Corkscrew clearing the obstacle slightly
in advance. A very exciting race in ended in a dead heat.
Ascot followed the leaders riderless to the last fence, where
he was caught, and only the two first passed the post.
Sunbeam afterwards walked over, and the stakes were
divided; the officials, who insisted on this arrangement,
thus wisely not adhering to the Carmarthen precedent, and
thereby preventing much misunderstanding.
A Selling Steeplechase of 5 soya each, with 25 added.
About three miles,

Mr. B. Land's, jun., Savernake, aged (£10), list 21b
(B. Land, jun.) 1
Mr. Land's Brine, 5 yrs (L 80), list 31b (Salt) 0
Mr. Beasant's Chatterbox, aged (X4O), list 21b
(F. Oliver, jun.) 0

No betting. Brine was out of the race almost as soon as
the flag fell ; Chatterbox led past the stand and up the
hill, when he refused a fence, after going about half the
distance, and Savernako completed the remainder of the
distance by himself and came in alone. The winner was
not sold.

The Berkshire Open Steeplechase of 10 soya each, li ft,
with 50 added ; the owner of the second horse to receive

back his stake. About three miles. (26 subs, eight of
whom pay 2 sous each.)
Mr. A. Yates's Playman, lOst
Mr. 11. Rumbolt's Broadbrim, 9st 41b.... (Mr. O'Kelly) 2
Mr. T. Horwood's Balzarine, 9st 101 b (Gammage) 3
Mr. S. Jacobs's Glautias, lOst 41b (Headland) 4

The following also ran :--Johnny, Longrange, Decep-
tion, Joey Grimaldi, and Levity.
Betting--2 to 1 agst Johnny, 3to 1 agst Levity, sto I
agst Glautias, 7 to 1 agst Balzarine, 10 to 1 agst Playman.
Salt weighed for Luff, and saddled and mounted. On taking
his preliminary canter, he cannoned against Johnny and
was unseated. Johnny jumped upon him, and Salt was re-
moved insensible from the ground. The horses descended
the hill towards the winning field in very straggling order,
?layman baying the lead, with Joey Grimaldi, Broadbrim,