The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-07-02
ASCOT ANECDOTES.
Some Stories Of a Famous Race Meet.
ing.

ing.
There is no more fascinating function
during the London reason than The race
meeting Al Ascot. although this year
ii win not be preeed By the presence
Of members Of the royal family. and
viii thus be robbed q much Of It's Dig
nifty. And IN view 81 the calamity
that has befallen the nation, one cam
not help recalling that the visit Of our
late monarch to Ascot Oh June l6, 1905,
was the hrst occasion upon which q
king on England bad appeared at the
enclosure since William " occupied the
throne. Queen Victoria saw William
Day win the cup for Lord George Ben
timex in 1898, ard she was present at
the opening Of the new stand in 1889,
whose foundation stone had been laid
the previous january by the Earl Of
Enrol master Of the Buekhounds. Up
on one occasion q lad won the Ascot
stakes after desperate struggle, and
had the honor Of being introduced to the
queen. Brought into the royal pres
ence by Lord Lichaeld and presented
with 4 flO note, little Bell was asked
what bis weight was, and replied,
Please, ma'am, master says as how /
mustn't tell anybody how much | weigh"
Ian answer which naturally created a
great deal Of amusement.
After the royal marriage the queen
and Prince Albert were frequent visit
ors to the Ascot races, but in the mid
die of the eighteenth century their sur
roundings were anything but royal, The
racing at that time was often OF a
rather meagre description, SO that va
rious other kinds Of sport then in high
favor with our forefathers were freely
INDUCED in. In the neighboring borough
Of Windsor there were cock ftghts and
wrestling matches. and prize fights took
place on the course, it being recorded
that in struggle between Woods and
Selway for f500 the latter was de-
feated and lost an eye Sometimes,
too, remarkable wagers originated on
Ascot race course. one Of the strangest
being made BY fashionable lady at
the meeting Of l76s. The bet appears
to have been actually made BY her
husband, the lady being backed to ride
a hundred miles in ten hours for f5t-
600. Her better half was SO enamored
Of the powers OF the spouse that he
offered to lay another f5,000 that at
the end of the performance she would
cat the best part Of a leg Of lamb and
drink two bottles Of elaret Unfortu-
nately history seems silent as to the
ultimate result of the wager
"A still better story recalled by this
fashionable sporting gathering Is con
nected with the famous Dr. Pusey, who
had a country house at Ascot A par
son interested in horse racing revisiting
Oxford during Ascot week inquired about
the famous Tractarian leaders health.
whom he had venerated when an under.
graduate. He was told by the censor
of Christ church that Pusey had gone
to Ascot. you don't mean to tell me.
exclaimed the clergyman, who was nat
ually asitomshed. that the dear OLD
doctor has gone racing at his time Of
lifel" well, he has not exactly gone
racing" replied the other, "but he GER
tainly is making a book And the
book that DIR. Pusey was making
proved to be his classis commentary on
the Minor PROPHETS which had OF
course, no connection with our modern
turf prophets.
But coming to the actual racing at
Ascot the most important event IS the
contest for the gold cup. established in
1907 the first winner being Master
Jockey, a Swear old. Il was the ambiL
ton OF George ". to win this race
an ambition that was never fulfilled.
His brother, the duke of York, however,
won the cup with Aladdin in 1915, while
six years later his banker was given
walkover. The cup day Of 1874 was
one Of the most notable in the history
Of the race, for Nicholas L. emperor Of
Russia, and the king Of Saxony wore
among the notahilities present The race
was won BY an unnamed colt. owned
BY Lord Albemarles who paid COM