The Sun.
London, England, 1832-03-14 00:00:00

STEEPLE CHASE FOR 1,000 SOUS.

This greet match originated in the Sweepstakes run for at St.
klban's last week. It will be recollected that Mr. Elmore';
loonraker came in first, and Mr. Evans's Grimaldi second by
bout half a length. So confident were Mr. Osbaldeston, Mr.
,vans, and several others, that the latter would have won if a
ittle more use had been made of him, that in the course of the
ame evening the first-named gentleman gave Mr. Elmore .-)01
o match for 500 sous. each ; the horses to carry 11 st. 71b. each,
.nd go four miles across the country ; it being understood, al-
hough not specified, that Mr. Osbaldeston would ride Gni-
naldi, and Mr. Seffert Moonraker. Harrow was fixed upon as
he quarter in which the four miles were to be selected. The
natch immediately became the engrossing topic of all the
Porting classes at Tattersall's and elsewhere; speculation was
irisk, as each of the horses had proved himself to possess qua.
ifications of no ordinary stamp. The snatch was fixed to come
'ff yesterday in the neighbourhood stated. Accordingly, at an
early hour, the little town of Harrow was actually taken by
itorm—carriages, gigs, and horsemen flocked in from all guar-
:ens, Insomuch that stabling and refreshments were speedily at
premium. About twelve o'clock it transpired that.tlie urn-
sires had selected Mr. Copeland's rick-yard, near tho seventh
rnile-stone on the Harrow-road as the starting, and a field oppo-
rite Mr. Hawkins's house at Harrow Weald as the coming-in
soint. Harrow was very shortly afterwards at a discount, and
sy one o'clock Mr. Hawkins's farm received an increase of live
stock much greater than he could either have wished or expected.
And here had many hundred persons to wait from a little after
me till nearly six o'clock in a muddy field, and a damp cold
sir, either of them sufficient to generate a " predisposition" to
cholera. While waiting in this agreeable neighbourhood we
were enabled to ascertain that the line of country selected by
,he Umpires was far from satisfactory to the Moonraker party,
u'd, in truth, it was singularly deficient in what is generally
considered to be the sine qua non. of a steeple chase, viz.:—
Fences there were very few, and these so insignificant that any
active man could have mastered them without much difficulty ;
at least so we collected from all those who had taken the
trouble to go over the ground ; there were two brooks of a
similarly " practicable" nature. In fact, if it had not been for
the dreadfully heavy state of the ground, it ought to have been
called a race, not a steeple chase. In this point, as well as in
general details, there was none of the tact and good manage-
ment discernible in the St. Alban's affair. Except to sporting
men it was tedious and disagreeable. The start was appointed
to take place at two o'clock. It was four, however, before any
symptoms of the race discovered themselves, and then they
were deceptive, for the riders rode into the winning field
without either Moonraker or Grimaldi ; their object being to
examine the ground, &c. ; and on this subject there was some
wrangling, Mr. Osbaldeston conceiving that his antagonist had
been rather too particular in his geographical observations.
Mr. Elmore complained that there were no fences, and that the
ground was short of four miles ; and Mr. Osbaldeston offered
to bet 500 even that he won. After a long delay they re-
turned to the starting point. The betting was of a very indefi-
nite character—sometimes even, then 5 to 4 on Moonraker, and
at one time 6 to 5 on Grimaldi, so that it would be no very
easy matter to say which fairly had the call. It appeared to us,
however, that at the start Grimaldi was taken for choice,
owing, no doubt, to Isis party looking upon the line of country
as unfavourable to Moonraker. A little atter five o'clock the
horses started, Moonraker leading at a stiffish pace for at least
three miles, or perhaps three miles and a quarter, at which time
Grimaldi was pretty well up with him ; they were now on either
side of a field, Mr. Seffert on the lett ; they went at a fence at
the same time, Mr. Osbaldeston on Grimaldi keeping straight
as soon as he cleared it. Mr. Seffert turned short to the left,
and went through a gate which was standing open ; he soon
discovered that he was out of the right line, and had to take a
fence to get into the field he had just left ; by this Mr. Osbal-
deston hail gained at least a hundred yards. Mr. Seffert made
a vigorous effort and got up with Mr. Osbaldeston, but his
horse was by this time beaten almost to a stand-still, and
could not stay with Grimaldi, who was going at a good pace,
and was still comparatively fresh ; in short, the Squire (as Mr.
Osbaldeston is called) now had it all his own way, and won
very easy by fifty or sixty yards with his whip in his mouth
and with his cap in his hand. Moonraker was terribly dis-
tressed, and would certainly have been more so, and with less
chance of success, if, as Mr. Etnore seemed to desire, there
had been more fences ; it is equally clear to us that Grimaldi
was better jockeyed than Moonraker. Mr. Osbaldeston has
had many years' experience in the field, and is more competent
that( any man we know to take advantage of circumstances in
going across the country ; his riding was admirable. The
match attracted many of the higher classes of sportsmen.
We observed on the ground the Russian Minister (Count
Matucewitz), Lord Errol, Lord Grimston, Lord Clanbrook, the
lion. Colonel Anson, Colonel Peel, Hon. T. Brand, and several
foreigners of rank. It was nearly dark before the majority of
the spectators could get from the ground.