The Sun.
London, England, 1836-02-15 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

TIIE AYLESBURY STEEPLE CHAC.ES.
(FURTHER PARTICULARS.)
The line commenced at a barn near the sixth mile-stone on the
Bicester road, and finished in a large field belonging to Mr. Sim-
mons, opposite the two mile-stone, the turnpike road forming the
boundary to the right, no flags being used except in the winning
field. The four miles were nearly flat throughout, with only a slight
rise and fall in the first mile, and again at Fleet Marston Chapel,
near the brook, about three fields from home. The country was
composed partly of heavy ploughed land, and partly of ridge and
furrow grassfield, all amazingly deep, with very severe double fences
and ditches, the brook, with railing at the side, from which it was
charged, being 14 or 15 feet across. The betting at starting, was
3 to I agst Rochelle; 6 to 1 agst Vivian (taken) ; 7 to 1 agst the
Pony ; 8 to 1 agst Yellow Dwarf ; and 10 to 1 agst Laurestina.
The signal being given by Mr. Davis, the fifteen got off and imme-
diately divided, six or seven going to the right and the others to the
left, the two lots lying so wide that it would be difficult to say which
was making running. All we could observe was that Jerry, But-
terfly (who lost a stirrup leather very early in the race) and Vivian
were in front. On getting into the fourth field the two divisions
joined, the same horses, with Rochelle, the Pony, Grimaldi, and
Laurestina being in advance. Grimaldi fell at the fence at the end
of this field, Laurestina lying so close behind him that Mr. Powell,
unable to stop her, jumped clean over man, horse, and fence. Vi-
vian was now leading, followed by the Pony, Rochelle, Laurestina,
the Yellow Dwarf, and Grimaldi, who had recovered hit lost ground
in double quick time. At this point Jerry took a line a little to the
left, several gateways being nicely prepared for him ; the ruck of
horses at this time were on the other side of a double fence which
ran parallel with the linet Beecher and Powell, with great presence
of mind, took this fence and followed Jerry's line, not a little to the
annoyance of the parties who had laid it out ; they went through
the gate, and the others about the same time taking the hedge at
the bottom of the field on the other side, they all met together in
the next. Vivian now made strong running, followed by Grimaldi,
Laurestina, and the Pony ; behind, or nearly alongside of them
being Jerry, Yellow Dwarf, Rochelle, Glasgow, and Butterfly,'
until about two fields from North Marston Chapel, where the Yel-
low Dwarf met with a tremendous fall in a second ditch. Vivian
now took a line of his own to the brook, which had four foot rail-
ing, and coming as it did, after three miles of hard running and
fencing, was no contemptible jump ; he cleared in superb style, and
was followed in a masterly manner by Grimaldi and Laurestina, the
Pony, Rochelle, Jerry, and Glasgow ; but Cannon Ball, the Yellow
Dwarf, and Jerry's " Pilot" met with a ducking. Vivian had now
a strong lead, which he maintained to the end, and won easily by
five or six lengths, Grimaldi being second,
.the Pony third; and
Laurestina fourth; the others were so mixed with the crowd on
reaching the winning field, thot we cannot assign places to then.
At the last fence (double) but one, the Pony, Rochelle, the Ama-
zon, and Rein Deer fell, and Yellow Dwarf met
i with a similar mis-
chance at the next. The distance was done n twelve • minutes.
The extraordinary success which has attended these steeple chases
must be attributed as much to the high character of the stewards,
the Earl of Errol and Sir Se3mour Blanc, as to the celebrity of
the horses engaged, and the peculiarly favourable nature of the
country over which they had to run. Too much cannot be said in
praise of the farmers in the neighbourhood; their conduct was in
the highest degree liberal and obliging throughout, notwithstanding
the injury which must have been done to their lands by the immense
crowds present each day.
In our list of the horses that started on Tuesday it was stated
that Mr. Patrick rode Saladin. It should have been Mr. Powell,
Mr. Patrick having ridden Red Deer.