Bell’s Life and the Sporting Chronicle provided a detailed account of the race on Sunday 2nd March 1851, the article forming the backbone of the information shown below.
The horses were mustered together in the grass field on the left of the usual starting enclosure because the normal field was sown with wheat. A few minutes after 4 o’clock the Earl of Sefton gave the word ‘go’ and they were off. Sir John, Hope, Half-and-Half, the Greysteel mare, Peter Simple, Tipperary Boy, Maurice Daley, Maria Day and Reindeer shared the early lead, running as a cluster over the first two fences and on into the plough where Sir John took up his position at the front and cut out the early work at a strong pace, with Hope and Peter Simple following him. At this stage of the race Fugleman, Volatile and Penrith brought up the rear. The challenging post and rails inclined the wrong way at the end of the ploughed section, causing Rat-Trap to refuse, although this caused little confusion to the remainder of the field. A division in the field started to emerge after this section, the gap increasing as they traversed the long enclosure beyond leading for the fences immediately preceding Beecher's Brook where Ryan on the Marquis’s horse continued in a straight line followed by Peter Simple, Tipperary Boy and Maria Day. Nearing the Brook, memorable from Captain Beecher’s fall, the field began to clash again, with Hope placing himself alongside Sir John, the couplet taking it well together until Mr Green’s horse showed the way over the bank fences beyond Beechers until his stirrup broke and he retreated. Sir John led round the extreme turn about 2 lengths to the good of Peter Simple.
It’s now over the John Hanmer in the Stands for the rest of the commentary which is shown below.

The field was in a pretty cluster as they came into Valentine’s Brook where Peter Simple emerged from the phalanx of runners to challenge the Irish crack and supplant him in the lead.  Approaching the lane leading onto the bridge and the racecourse proper the string were in much better order than has been invariably witnessed at this stage of the race, all being on good terms because the pace of the race was not good. Peter Simple was four lengths in front at the artificial water-leap opposite the Grand Stand and remained so at the distance Chair where Olliver brought Tipperary Boy to Sir John’s quarters and pushed by him to challenge Peter Simple for the lead. By the time they reached the artificial brook, which this year was increased to a width of 15 feet, Tipperary Boy cleared it in a very accomplished manner to gain a length lead over Peter Simple, with Sir John taking it in third about 4 lengths off Peter, with Mulligan in fourth and then Fugitive, Shinrone, Maurice Daley, The Victim and Abd-el-Kader. By the time the field reached Proceed’s Lane Tipperary Boy held a length and a half lead with Peter Simple in his wake, closely followed by Sir John and Abd-el-Kader who was progressing smoothly. In the plough and wheat enclosures, before Beecher’s  was re-crossed, Peter Simple retired from the contest leaving Mulligan to take second place just a couple of lengths off Olliver’s horse. At one of the nasty bank fences at the nethermost turn Mulligan rolled over, much to the chagrin of his party, and Fugitive also met with an upset at one of these fences. At the Canal fields Maurice daley was beaten, along with Currig, Sir Peter Laurie and Thrift’s mare, meaning the only horses left to race were Tipperary Boy, Sir John, Maria Day, Abd-el-Kader, Shinrone, Half-and-Half, Vain Hope and Reindeer. At the hurdles at the lower end of the course Tipperary Boy dropped away entirely, and the lead was left with Half-and-Half, Maria Day and Abd-el-Kader. Maria dwelt at the leap and was passed by Abd-el-Kader, although from thence to the homeward stretch the struggle was very fierce between the two. At the line Abd-el-Kader had about half a neck to spare as Maria Day tired at last, with Sir John two lengths back in third, followed by Half-and-Half, Vain Hope and Rat-Trap, beaten about 15 lengths. Other finishers were Mulligan, Shinrone, Reindeer and Tipperary Boy. It was a long, tiring and arduous race, little short of 5 miles, which was won in 9 minutes 59 seconds.

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses