The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-03-01 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL GRAND STEEPLE CHASE

Yesterday the first steeple chase ever run in the neighbour-
hood. of Liverpool, came oil' in the encloied grounds near the
Aintree race course. As it was anticipated,the novelty of the,
exhilarating-scene• drew together an immense concourse of
spectattirs, arid,- singular us it may appear to those who haie
witnessed the thotleY groups assembled on the course at the
races, the assemblage Was composed principally Of the middle
classes. There was, however,-no want or the mobility expe-
rienced, as there was an ample supply for any good purpose:
The innkeepers who usually attend the races had their booths'
fitted up lot the, convenience of sporstrien and the public, and -
the 'good -cheer provided was highly satisfactory. The country
chosen for the race, -wltieh was not to exceed five miles in dis-
tance, was so appropriately chosen by the noble umpire (Lord
Molyneux) to enhance the pleasure of the visitors, that It formed
a coin oleteamphitheao front of the grand stand, every spec—,l
tator having the adt'antage of viewing the-Whole of. the chase
with the naked eye. Those (and there were many) who fur-
nished themselves with telescopes, saw every portion of the
race, even to the most minute leap at the most remote distance.
The excitement that ptevailed touchhig the contest for "the, 't
.first Liverpool steeple chase," both lfrepre and en the day of
running, can only he conceived by the -supporters of, and those-
Particularly interested in field -sports. • Fur a considerable time oq
prior to to -the day, it was the universal theme of conyersatiort
anti spectilation in the sporting 610.42 with the exception of T
the Chester cup, 'on which latter almost as much Money has; di
been ventured as on any great St: Leger. Sportsmen, ama- I
teurs, ladies, and gentlemen appeared in great numbers front
various parts of the county, and lung before the time of starting
the main road, lanes, and avenues leading to Aintree were
thronged with pedestrianS, equestrians, and equipages of alt!'
sorts. Independent of the superior character of the treat pro,
vided; the auspieiouS appearance of -the weather was soffit:tent it
to chase :may sorrow front the most miserable hypocoodriac,,-
and to the beauty of the day,
.coupled with the fact that the
most renowned and daring riders were to coumuete, is to be ~2
attributed the large attendance. The line of road selected for
the chase was excellently adapted for the displ,y of the activity
of the horses, and the ingenuity and intrepidity of the riders,
being intersected with ditches, dangerous fences, and ploughed
fields. About one o'clock the whole of the company had -arrived,
on the course. ' The grand stand was filled in every story; as ti'
Was also Several others, -The lower part of the former had for 3:
its-occupants chiefly elegantly dressed females.
The betting on the first rave • rather fluetuated•from SaturdaY
to yesterday: -In the first instance, the udds Were sto '2 against
Laurie Todd, 4 to 1 aics't The Duke, 5 to I agst Percy, 6 to 1
iigst The-Baronet, 8 to I agst Gulliver, 8 to 1 agst Derry, 9 to 1,
agst Cockalt6cip, 10 to 1 agst Ward's Sweep, and 12 to I agst
k Cowslip, or an v. ether. -On Saturday nif.tht And up to est ercia •
meriting the odds were, 3 to 1 apt Laurie• Todd, and 3 to I ag,t
The Duke, and £soowere.laid- at evens. Polyanthus and Percy
' were at about Bto I; and lOU to 5 was laid agst the Sweep. As
the first race drew nigh the odds continued to change but in a
trifling degree, as will he seen by the statement at the start:
' Ten were entered foe the great race, and 'the prize was a sweep-
Stakes of 10 sovs. each, with 8t) added, for horseS of ail denono-,---•
nations, carrying 12st. each ; the riders to be gentlemen. The
second horse was to receive back his stake, and, as asguarante&i.:
that no horse should be entered Si' carry away the race withouCt
a contest, the conditions were, that,the winner shotild be sold for ;-1
2UO sovs., if demanded. The looses for the race were,
SirT. Stanley'sbgLatirie Todct,aged,purpletirerimsun(Powell)
'Mr Oswald's b g yellow and black Sleeves (Denton) ,
Me Kershaw's The Baronet, yellow and black stripe ( Kershaw)`-
Mr Ward's blk h The, Sweep, salmon colour (Patrick)
Mr Aspinall's Polyanthus. yellow ((`hristian)

Mr Sit'defield's ch g The Duke; Lilac and white (Capt. Benclier.
Mr Thomas's ch g Cockahoop, orange (Bret herton) -..., •.1455
Mr Webster's eh g Derry, purple crimson (Devine) •
Mr Speed's ch h Percy, crimson and white-(Tempest)
Mr Deine's Cowslip; straw colour (Martin) . ' . at
„
Previous to the start the betting was riot great, being all ine
favour of two horses, viz., Lau tie Todd and The Duke, who were 4
backed safe to win. Most of the animals had been hunted the
whole of the season, and the superior qualifications of the two,.
evinced by their exploits "in flood and field," rendered them the. I
lavenrites. Laurie Todd had the decided call, and it was sup-, •
wed nothing could beat him if he kept on his legs. The odds
mtnediately before the race Were, 2 to 1 agst Laurie Todd, 3 to
agst The Dnke, 5 to I angst Polyanthus, aim 6 to I agst Percy:
Nothing else was wasted a thought upon. About two o'clock
the horses, mounted by -their respective riders, caparisoned in •
the style mentioned, turned out for a start. The top of the
course was the place appointed as the rendezvous to meet and
be off tied the line of country was marked by flags being hoisted
at convenient distances, from the course down to below Seed's
farm. The turnpike road was then crossed, and a turn to the
left was then to be taken, where sixteen or eighteen fences had,
alternately to be leaped. •The run was then on the hanks of
the canal, and from thence to the lace-course coining in oppo-
Site the grand stand: this road was twice to take-course,
run over. The
whole lot came up well for a start immediately to the top of the
course, and the word " GO" being given by the umpire, off went
thy steeple chasers. Speed's Percy took the lead, Cockahoop
second, and The Duke third.. Powell,- on Lawrie Todd, kept
hie distance, apparently by design, and was contented with beteg,
last bet ohs in the start. . The first fence, in front of which wes •
a large ditch, some of the horses shyed at, but eventually all
got over, Captain Beecher and Percy being the first to cover
the ground. By this movement of the horses Polyanthus, Derry.
and Cowslip lost ground; the former, however, soon took up a
more favourable position. II a ving-leaped the sixteen hedges und
ditches, on rega:nine, the course the lirit time round eight only
were perceptible. The eight cleared the last taro hurdles.
Gulliver and Cowslip were distanced. The Duke now took
,the lead for the second time iound, the Baronet second, Ind
Cockahoop t hitd„Lanrie. Todd last but one, but still the favou-
rite, two to one being offered frceiy on him. When at the third
fence, Laurie came up and-ehalletteed the Duke. Considerable
anxiety was now manifested by the spectators, and nothing wag
heard but the offer of odds on. the Duke or Laurie. Previous
to arriving at the last fence, Mr. Powell, the rider of the last'
named horse, was suddenly thrown, in consequence of the im-
pediment of .a gate being suddenly and accidentally closed.
He was rising on the instant
.to remount, when Cockahoop,
ridden by Mr. Brethertou, passed close and again/threw hint.,
Laurie waeconsequently distanced, and the contest became bee.
tween' Percy, Polyanthus, the Duke, and Cockahoop. Tee
Duke and Polyanthus leaped the hurdles at the finale almost,
neck and neck, and in doing so made a complete road through.
them to the advantage of the other two.. The victory was now
evidently either the Duke's •or Polyanthus', and a beautiful
race from the hurdles ensued, four to one on the Duke, who.
secceedelin winning by about a length, his rider coming in:
with- the saddle on his horse's crupper. • It was a matter of:-
some +surprise and great pleasure to see Polyanthus' perform-
ance of such a first-rate character; •Fe* anticipated the result,:
and it is since ' the opinion of the sporting circles that he would
have Won had he not carried four pousetls extra weight. Cock-,
j ahoop came third. The misfortune oi, Laurie Todd was much
felt by those who had speculated their Money on him, and
,i. 04.
, appears they had every reason, as lie looked detemine •
win before the accident befell him: Dr. Griedrod was in
immediate attendance .on Mr. Powell. and
will
lovers of
of the chase, and other friends of that gentlealai,le,
to hear that he received no serious injuries, 11
in the chase was twenty minutes and ten seconds. ,
w'urnilebocchulpPre3d
is Was over the saute
line three milemal,
wiTthh2eo"Pddrne(til,sfinerephluercs-ehsaosef,afilotrkanosenleip,t,sttlolk: of .5 sties. each,
The nurses entered
the
woifognreortitnodi,eb
sold
distanceltdheihrio,
if
d‘evna,surniod
ed.,
Were Mr. Higg's Little,Ble,eikluDmlyt Diamond,
Ne
iarulu p
do,ye(llozsatonnd;lT,
(Paericlr ;) Mr. Oswald's Toth B
rheisacrear6ce4kwtrs' iWnhliktievour of
Webster's Ironsides, lilac (
Neel (Beecher;) IC,Ir. Whaley's Solicitor,
ixreen and white (Whaley;) , r. ucas eßeppottnurppelset.()Brer
other.l. mentioned. . From
Ironsides,
Capt. Beecher in the lila rare; and the fact
therrbtoerip;
the
'eaceutiStaiipnkegeerdoilsrione•
that he has recently won several; steeple chases in different
parts of the country, the turf speculators bet more upon the man.
excellentßeti po , and
riding• nariiii dmr
of Capt.
than the horse, and Ironsides was therefore first favourite at 2'
ee 1, 3 to 1 being laid afeetinSt Beppo, and the same against
I eacemaker. Peaceniaker Ind off in good style, the rest well
ae, and every one topped the f fence 11-* ' r ..
first ga aptly., )y- some
mishap however ari • e
sing% we uneerstand, from a hole having been.
recently stopped tat -b •i' oo • ) } se earth, Captain 13m-her Came down'
on Ironsidee Luckily he fell on his '
feet, and, speedily eegent-
ing the saddle, overtook the rest, and displaced Ileppoteas seamed
to Peacemaker; a beautiful race ensued betweee feeesidel'eael
Peacemaker from the turn of the eouise • Peaeernakee,4iteVeyer;
had the preference in the beanie, aud;;Juring a rievere reire,his,
owner offered to back him for £s it to win. Ile riot{' }'V aboutee.
length, and much praise is due to Mr. Tempest fur his superior
, riding. The races altogether Were of a very emits e e and seorts-1
. .
manlike nature, and appeared to .giie great satisfaction te the
spectators assembled. The Aintree police %vele .on She Areetia;
l Algrestireediekieallent errite.' -