The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-16 00:00:00

THE CUP DAY. AT ASCOT.

Yesterday the most interesting competition of the week
was decided, in presence, as usual, of a brilliant assembly.
The weather, if possible, was only too favourable ; the
gathering included all the elements that give to the Ascot
meetings their.peculiar charm; and to add to the normal
attractions of the scene, the international emulation
kindled by the French success at Epsom was heightened
by the fact that French horses competed here for all the
principal prizes. The foreigners present, of whom there
were many, naturally expressed good wishes for the
owner of Gladiateur. Many English ladies, too, always
admirers of deeds of daring. avowed their sympathy with
the nobleman who had been first to beat the English, in
their own sport, upon their own ground. But the great
majority, more heartily national in their aspirations,
wished, and wished aloud too, that what is peculiarly
" the ladies' race" might bring discomfiture to that terrible
Count do Lagrange.

Following hard upon its popular rival at Epsom and
holding out attractions of a very similar nature, it as asto-
nishing what widely marked differences exist between this
patrician race and the contest that has given its name to
" the Derby Day." Nearly all the points which, at Epsom,
form recommendations in the eyes of the mass of its fre-
quenters are absent wholly or in part at Ascot. It would
be too much to assert that proprietors of shooting galle-
ries, " Aunt Sallies," and other students of the science of
projectiles, street acrobats, negro melodists, jugglers,
card-sharpers, and other members of the vast committee
for imposing indirect taxation on the public were actually
wanting to the occasion ; but those who did attend ab-
stained from making themselves as conspicuous as appa-
rently is de rigueur elsewhere—their tone was subdued ;
and, moreover, there was none of that headlong rush-
ing to his own and everybody's else's destruction, which
proclaims the cockney rider. One really good trick
among many bad ones was performed; this was no other
than the famous rope-tying feat of the Davenport Brothers,
executed in broad daylight by a lithe, though not particu-
larly literate, performer, apparently an ex-member of one
of her Majesty's infantry regiments, who was never tired
of declaring that he had "no cabby-net, an' no sperrit, ex-
cept his own" to aid him. There was also a strolling com-
pany—an imitation, from a very great distance, of Christy's
Minstrels—conducted by a leader outrageously caricaturing
Mr. Punch in costume, whose collection of songs found
some favour, especially one, a piece of negro jubilation
called, " Ain't I glad I got out of the wilderness ?" with a
burlesque dance accompaniment. With exceptions such as
these, and the universal gipsies, who succeed in telling
fortunes even at carriage windows, an Ascot meeting is as
far removed in tone from the licence, turbulence, and so-
called "fun" of the Derby as are the local features of one
district from those of the other. Epsom, when reached, is
a beautiful plain, but nevertheless it is very metropolitan
in character. London is rapidly stretching in that direc-
tion, and the Downs themselves are held, as it were, in a
railway forceps. Ascot, on the contrary, lies remote in the
Royal and rural county of Berks. It is approached through
miles of lovely scenery, and the visitor on alighting steps
on a perfumed carpet of heather, gorse, and broom. True,
the foot may sink here and there in its sandy soil, but again
this affords a contrast to the hard chalky substance under-
lying the herbage at Epsom. The glories of the Derby
connect themselves with overwhelming attendance. Ascot
asserts its pre-eminence mainly in the unrivalled display
of beauty, aristocracy, and wealth which it never fails to
attract. And whether one looked yesterday at the occu-
pants of the long range of enclosures on one side of the
course, or at the living hedge that bounded it on the other,
it was impossible to 'restrain the feeling of pride excited
by the spectacle.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was expected
to arrive about half-past 1 o'clock, but fully 25 minutes be-
fore that time the scarlet liveries of the outriders and heavily-
embroidered jackets of the postillions were seen conduct-
ing the Royal carriages up the course from the direction of
Windsor. Three carriages formed the Royal cortege, in the
first of which were seated his Royal Highness the Prince
of Wales, his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, and
the Duke and Duchess of Brabant. The second and third
carriages contained the members of the Prince's household
usually in attendance on such occasions.

His Royal Highness, who was received with every mani-
festation of respect and cordiality, proceeded to the Royal
enclosure, and as soon as the course could be cleared the
races were entered upon without delay. The first, how-
ever, for the St. James's Palace Stakes, resulted in a dis-
appointment and a walk over, owing to the fact that one
of the three intended starters did not put in an appearance,
and with regard to the second a melancholy rumour got
abroad connecting him in some way with a railway acci-
dent. This was regarded at first as a not unnatural ema-
nation from the public mind, which at the present moment
would accept without question almost any intelligence of
fresh railway disaster ; or as a possible distortion of the
fact that a bad breakdown happened on the road to a drag
belonging to some officers of an infantry regiment. Later in
the day, however, tidings were received confirmatory of the
unwelcome report of the morning. The next prize was
one that attracted some attention, and also gave rise to
rather active betting, but in general the public mind was
directing itself by this time to the great event. General
Peel had been the favourite at an early hour, but eventually
more backers presented themselves for Fille de l'Air, whose
name floated through and above the assembly, and was in
all respects as much a pervading influence as her namesake
of the Scandinavian mythology might have been. The
ring, it is true, took strange liberties with her title ; in
the mouths of some she was " Filley-de-yare," of
others " Filley-de-hair," but their meaning was plain though
their speech might be ambiguous. It requires indeed a close
study of the forms of thought. and expression of these
habitues of the racecourse before an occasional visitor can
consider himself as on a footing of equality with them,
mentally speaking. In the first place, conversation will
probably open with an invitation to him to " put his money
somewhere," and should he not immediately rise to the
opening thus created for him, a long string of possible ad-
vantages, enumerated in some such form as this—" 500 to 1
against the field, bar one, bar two," will be submitted. One
of these benefactors to society kept walking about all day
yesterday, exclaiming in tones that admitted neither of
change nor contradiction, "On the field I'll bet." The ex-
citement of thesobidders, andof those whomthey succeeded
in inducing to accept their terms, in the area below the
grand stand, was in marked contrast to the repose pervad-
ing the royal enclosure immediately adjoining. There
might be seen, on the ground level, no inconsiderable sec-
tion of the peerage of England engaged in discussing the
prospects of the race, or other topics of mutual interest;
and just above their heads were well-known faces from
the House of Commons.

Shortly before 3 o'clock the first of Count Lagrange's
horses that are to run that day goes past in his preliminary
canter, and the hearts of many fail them when they reflect
that Fille de l'Air, presumably a better steed, has still to
make her appearance. The race is a most exciting one from
first to last; and actually till the horses have reached and
in the act of passing the judge's chair the majority believe
that either the French horse is the victor, or else that it
must be declared a dead heat. The judge, however, per-
ceives that by a nose Lord Stamford's Chibisa has the ad-
vantage, and declares accordingly. Still, Monarque is so
good a second that the odds in favour of Fine de l'Air
again make an advance ; and doubts are entertained,
now that Breadalbane is not to start, whether there is
really anything left to oppose her with success. In
this race the horses start at the Cup post, and run the full
distance of two miles and a half, passing the Grand Stand
twice in their course. At first Oppressor made such won-
derful progress that it seemed doubtful whether the other
horses could hope to recover the lost ground, and for a
moment, when a scarlet jaoket was seen rounding the cor-
ner to ascend the hill for the second time, Oppressor was in
every one's mouth. It was Ely, however, and not Op-
pressor, who was leading in this instance, and he continued
his lead well past the Grand Stand. Most of the horses
were quite close to him, and General Peel, who was nearest