THE ASCOT CUP.

The gold cup at Ascot is the most important of the English weight forage races, and invariably attracts to the funions heath a large and distinguished assembly. The Prince and Princess of Wales usually attend in semi-state, accompanied by the Master of the Buckhounds, aud in the Royal encf sure may be seen all the great and shining lights of London society. When the day is fine, (he ladies' dresses aic a thing to he remembered. For weeks beforehand tho Court milliners are engaged on elaborate costumes for famous andaristocratic beauties, who vie with each other iv trying to produce uovel aud occasionally rather startliug effects. The racing at Ascot is of better quality than cau be seen anywhere else. Each day boasts three or four events of the greatest possible interest to sporting men, the most notable of all being the timehonoured contest for the Cup. The Gold Cup was instituted iv 1807, but in 1845 the Executive, wishing to pay a compliment to the then Czar of Russia, altered the name to Emperor's Piatc. This title was regained till 1554, when the Crimean War broke out, and the old one was reverted to. The Cup has been won by many good horses, in fact it is not a race a bad thoroughbred can pull through iv. Looking down the listof winuersone comes across the names of such cq&inc celebrities as Touchstone, Tcddiugtoo, Fisherman, Thormauby, Gladiatcur, Blue Gown, Mortemer, Crcmoino, Boiard, Don.as.er, .Apology, and Petrarch. The result of Thursday's contest was :—

Thk Ascot Gold Our, value a 1000 so vs., added to a subscription of 2o soys. ea.; weight for a:i.e ; two miles and a-hulf.

Mr Grotton's be Isonomy by Sterling

Isolaßelli),syr_.; 94 slbs (T Cannon) 1 Lord Bradford's br c Chippendale, by

Rococo-Adversity, 4yrs; Bst lOlbs (Fordham) Count Lagrange's eh c Zut by Flageolet-

ltcgalia, 4yrs. ; Sst lOlbs (Goatcr)

The winner Isonomy is one of the grandest and apparently mo.t iuvincible Cup horses that ever trod the Turf. As a three year old ho only started for a single itice, the Cambridgeshire Stakes at Newmarket, which, however, he won pretty easily, (carrying 7st lib) from Touchot,La Mcrvcille and thirty-live others. The colt was not fancied at all, his price in the betting being 40 to 1.

Last year Isonomy made his first appearance in the Newmarket Handicap, iv which, to the surprise of everyone, he succunih.d to the American Parole. This, however,was destiued to be the colt's worst reverse. From Newmarket he went lo Ascot, and meeting Silvio (on whom odds of 9 to 4 were laid) iv the Gold Vase, defeated him easily by half a length. The victory led to Mr Grcttou's hoise being a good favourite for the Gold Cup on the following Thursday, and he justified the coniid.uca reposed iv him, by cantering iv two lengths in front of Insulaire, Tuuchct, and three others. At Goodwood, Isonomy wou the Cup, and in the Brighton Cup, a fortnight later, again proved successful. His owner then entered him for the Great Ebor Handicap, in which he was given the welter weight of 9st. Slbs. to cany. No horse had ever succeeded in winning the chief event at York under such circumstauces, but despite the fact, Isonomy started favourite, and to the surprise of everyone won easily by eight lengths. A victory in the Doncaster Cup followed, and the colt was then entered for the Cesarewitch. There were 28 starters, and Isonomy had to carry no le*s than 9st lO'.bs., yet he absolutely managed to get fourth. This remarkable performance ended (he horse's labours for tho

season

Chippendale ran tea times last year scoring six victories. At Ascot he won the Derby (worth £1325) and at Hardwickc Stakes (worth £3118), and the Newmarket Second October meeting secured the Csarewitch, beating Westbourne, Dresdcu China, Isonomy, and 25 others. The colt was backed for a large stake, but the public did not fancy him, and lie started at 22 to 1.

Zut ran 14 times as a three-year-old,scoring six victories the most important of which were the Poule D'Essai (French Two Thousand Guineas), and the Prix dv Jockey Ciub (Frcuch Derby) at the Paris meetings The latter was worth £3943.

It will bo seen by the above that all three placed horses in the Cup arc famous animals.