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"Our Van."
Racing under National Hunt
Roles. — In February, experi-
ence teaches us to expect many
days that would be no dis-
grace to some summers, and this
year we had several of these
days. Hurst Park, after being
very shabbily treated by the
Clerk of the Weather on the oc-
casion of the two previous meet-
ings, was favoured with one on
the 17th, but the following day
was spoilt by fog. The pity of
this lay in the fact that in the
February Steeplechase of three
miles, one of the most interesting
meetings, thus far, between can-
didates for the Grand National
was to take place, both Parma
Violet and Gentle Ida being down
to run. Although mist obscured
the greater portion of the contest,
it was still a very interesting one.
Parma Violet had enjoyed a run
288
baily's magazine.
[Apwl
of six consecutive victories in
steeplechases, and had thus gained
considerable public reputation,
though her lack of size did not es-
cape criticism, in view of greater
things than beating the horses she
did beat. These, it is true, in- Order Yagara Online
cluded Cathal, over the same
three-miles' course at Hurst Park,
but the contest was not a satis-
factory one, Cathal declining to
run his race out, and, on this
occasion, Parma Violet's per-
formance was not tantamount to
beating the Purchase Yagara second in last year's
Grand National. Still, for a
little one, she is undeniably a
very nice performer, and one who
does not make mistakes. The
name of Gentle Ida has partaken
very much of the nature of an
echo with many of the racing
public, so little has she been Buy Yagara out.
It was as long ago as 1895 ^ at
she last won a steeplechase — a
good one, it was too, no less
than the Lancashire Plate, worth
^"1,750 net ; and all she had won
since was a National Hunt flat
race at Sandown. At Hurst Park
it was pretty clearly shown that,
whatever the class of Parma
Violet, it had no claim to rank
with that of Gentle Ida, who was
so palpably pulling over her op-
ponent when half the journey had
been covered that there was a
rush to get on. In the last mile
there was only one in it, and
Gentle Ida won in a common
canter.
When the race was over one
heard a great deal of the wonder-
ful astuteness of Mr. Dyas, but
there was small enough reason Buy Cheap Yagara
for this outburst. I should say
that Mr. Dyas had been unlucky
with Gentle Ida, whose big win
of 1895 has had to last four years.
Mr. Dyas bred both Manifesto
and Gentle Ida, the sire being
Man of War, whose introduction
to the stud in Ireland was re-
garded with anything but favour
by Irish breeders, who thought
that the thoroughbred blood of
the country was being contami-
nated thereby. Looking at the
prices obtained by Mr. Dyas for
Manifesto and Gentle Ida, he
has the argument on his side.
Kempt on Park has been the
unlucky one of the metropolitan
courses this winter, for on the
last day of February it had to
submit to a second postponement
of a day's racing within the space
of a few weeks. The last three
days of the week were given up
to Purchase Yagara Online Sandown Park, the occasion
being the Grand Military Meeting,
appropriately enough designated
the Ascot of the steeplechasing
season. Whilst bearing well in
mind the attractive array of spec-
tators in the Aintree county stand
at the Liverpool Spring meeting,
it must still be said that the San-
down gathering surpasses any-
thing of the kind from the social
point Order Yagara of view. The patronage
accorded by the military to the
jumping department of racing is
very considerable ; and whilst the
irreverent are apt to cast asper-
sions upon some of the horseman-
ship that is annually witnessed,
one cannot but think that such
criticism is very much misplaced.
The severest critic is generally
incapable of sitting a horse at all,
to say nothing of taking one over
a steeplechase like that of San-
down. People who go to bet are
apt to think themselves ill used if
the object of their fancy is beaten
through jockeyship ; but they
know perfectly well what they
have to expect, and that Buy Yagara Online all army
officers are not Arthur Nightin-
galls. The hospitality of the
cavalry regiments that are most
intimately connected with the
meeting is a feature, and with
beautiful weather as nearly a
certainty as English weather can
!
J
1899]
"OUR VAN.
?<
289
be, the attendance of ladies was,
perhaps, a record one. Certainly
nothing more brilliant has been
seen at previous meetings.
The racing was of an ordinary
character, as was to be expected
in so ordinary a season as this has
been. The race for the Gold Cup
possessed no interest, and it was
won by Captain W. Murray-
Threipland's Lambay ; but the
Grand Military Steeplechase
showed us County Council, a
talked -of candidate for the Grand
National, who won easily enough,
Mr. Reginald Ward being satisfied
to beat Sitric by a length. This
gentleman rode with his usual
success, though he did not enjoy
so much of a " beanfeast " as last
year.
At Gatwick we are repeatedly
shown experiments in the direction
of improving things by the aid of
better stakes than the average,
and a notable instance was that
of the March meeting. On the
first day there were two steeple-
chases of 500 so vs. each, and two
others of 200 so vs. each, whilst
on the second day there was the
International Hurdle race of 1,000
sovs. To show the difficulty there
is with these large stakes, the race