The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-14
TURF ANNALS.
Interesting Facts About the Ascot
Races and English History

Races and English History.
1t was not until the celebrated Duke
Of Cumberland, the Butcher OF Col
loden," appeared on the scene, says the
London Telegraph, that Ascot races be-
came what they are today-the most
fashionable meeting in the United
Kingdom. Immediately after the sup
preston of the Jacobite rebellion,
known as the "Forty-five," the Duke
of Cumberland was appointed ranger
of Windsor Park, and almost stimuli
taneously the jockey club sprang into
existence. All lovers of turf litera-
ture are aware that horse-racing owes
more to the uncle of George the III
sport of kings has been so fortunate
as to attract. Until the last few years
of his life, when he became enormously
bulky, the dukes energy and activity
We're prOdigiOuS, and he is described
by Horace Walpoie as riding fither
and thither over the vast area, of Wind
/ sor forest, which was then surrounded
by wall measuring one hundred and
twenty miles in circumference, to find
| the best possible site for a royal race
course before he could make up his
mind that Queen Anne's selection could
| be amended. Upon the race meeting
|
expended no small amount of time and.
money; but, as the breeder of Eclipse
and King Herod-the latter being the
sire of Highflyer-he inscribed his name
more deeply upon the annals of the
turf than by rehabilitating Ascot races
and building the dukes stand, which
has now been pulled down, at New
market. Little could he have foreseen
that within less than a century and a
half after his death the race meeting
at royal Ascot would year after year
become the climax of the London
| season, the center of attraction round
which fashion at home and from
abroad would cluster. The royal meet
ing is fortunate in the date which has
been assigned to it by custom and pre-
scription, and to which no changes
in the jockey club list of fixtures
will ever disturb or uproot. In no part
of the world is there a wealthy patron
of racing to be found without a secret
ambition to see his colors borne to the
fronG at the end of a gallant struggle
for the Ascot gold cup. That historic
prize was selected by Nicholas, EN-
peror Of Russia, as medium for the
expression of his good will toward the
British nation, and even during the
Crimean war he was most DESTROYS to
Ills S1I WITHOUT lII6THlSSIOn
had not his offer been refused by the
; queen and English ministry of the day.
After the war the gift was renewed for
a few years by Napoleon III, emperor
of the French, but the princely reve-
nue. yielded by the four days of racing
at Ascot now enables the managers of
that royal meeting to endoW the cup
with a larger money prize than any
other weiSht-for-age race in the world
enjoys. Never was there a more bIase
man of the world than the late Mr..
Charles Grenville, when, at the age of
81, he won the Ascot cup with Alarm,
who, but for an accident, ought to
have won the Derby in 1916. Here, how
ever, are the reflections entered in mis-
celebrated diary to show that even
his cold nature was slightly moved
when the best horse that he ever owned
gained the most glittering of his many
victories He writes thus: June IA,
1876. All last week at Ascot at q
house of Lady Mary Berkeley's with
racing party. I won the emperors cup
with Alarm, but won little more than
e. 900 upon it; small compensation for
the loss of the Derby last year, which
would have made me Independent, and
allowed me to quit office and be my
own master. II was moment of ex-
citement and joy when 1 won this fine
piece of plate in the midst of thousands
of spectators; but that past, there re-
turned the undying consciousness of