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Betting |
Bell’s Life and the Sporting Chronicle provided a detailed account of the race on Sunday 5th March 1854, the article forming the backbone of the information shown below.
On being given the signal right on time, the lot went away almost in line, and charged the first fence in a body, Crabbs, Maley and Burnt Sienna showing the way over it. With the exception of Crabbs and Burnt Sienna changing places as each fence passed, the order remained constant until Beecher’s Brook was reached first time round. La Gazza Ladra refused at Beecher’s, causing Geraldus, Pride of the North and Timothy to do the same. After rounding the extreme flag, Burnt Sienna put on the steam and led over Valentine’s Brook half a dozen lengths in front of Crabbs, a similar distance separating the latter from Lady Arthur. The only alteration in positions at the front was Crabbs, with Denny Wynne content to settle amongst the second division. Geraldus, who had previously refused, began to make rapid progress over the flight of hurdles in the training ground near the distance post. Lady Arthur and Burnt Sienna were in the air together over the artificial water jump before Lady Arthur took up the running.
At the post and rails fence before Beecher’s a chapter of accidents occurred when Oscar was upset and knocked Peter off his stride. As they re-crossed Beecher’s Brook Burnt Sienna was leading by several lengths and setting a capital pace, but there was no material change after the far turning flag, over Valentine’s until half way across the ploughed field by the canal side when Burnt Sienna’s lead rapidly diminished and he was joined by Crabbs, Bourton, Spring, Maley and Peter Simple. As the field entered the straight Bourton appeared full of running and strode away from Spring in the commonest of canters to win by 15 lengths, with Spring holding a 10 length advantage over Crabbs. Maley finished fourth, Lady Arthur fifth, and Half and Half claimed sixth just in front of Burnt Sienna and Geraldus. |
