Related article: ances as a two-year -old, ivon the Imperial Produce Stakes at Kemp- ton Park, beating- VolodyoTski who was giving 131b- Her looks justified her favouritism, but she had nothing to spare over Flenr d'Et6, whom some actually pre- ferred. Aida's strong p>oints are her back and quarters, 'which wi£ bear criticism. Good looks car- ried the day, these two having the finish to themselves, Santa Brigida sticking to them as far as the Dip. Fleur d'Et6, I believe, pecked between this p>oint and the winning-post; I know she was beaten by a neck only in a fine finish. Chester.— Of Chester it has only to be written that it was a huge success, without any attenua- tion by "ifs" and "ans". To the reputation of the past has only to be added the determination of the present to make the meeting a notable one in the annals of racing, and the thing is done. The fact that the entries were much in ex- cess of those of last year might have given rise to apprehensions, for large fields are not precisely desirable at Chester, but there was not much to complain of on this score. Yet when seventeen start in a five-furlong race on a circular course some are bound to be left ; and one wonders how it is that on these occasions the best backed ones nearly always manage to get away well. How^ many thousands were wont to assemble on the Roodee before the meeting joined the enclosures, I have no idea. For Wednesday, May 8th last, the official figures were nearly 90I.] a OUR VAN^ ft 455 4,ocx) in excess of the Cup day in I goo ; and if many more were in the habit of attending I do not knovvr where they would put them. Although the circular course, a little over a mile in circumference, is Buy Asendin not an ideal one, it is easy to see wherein its attractions lie to the spectator. Those raised suffi- ciently can see every yard of the race, and when the distance is two miles and a quarter the horses pass along the straight three times. The course is one that brings out the pluck and resource of a jockey, for much is to be done in the way of finding openings and taking one's place. On Roughside last year Sloan gave a good object lesson on the art of shaving the rails, regardless of the heads that protrude, to be drawn back like a wave as the leader approaches. One trembles to think what might happen if pressure on the rails caused them to give way, and perhaps it would be wise if a second line of rails were erected a few feet inside the present one, along the finishing stretch. The waving of a newspaper by an ex- cited woman all but brought about a serious accident amongst the horses. Although carrying 14 lb. extra, Evasit was a good favourite, but the course did not suit him at all, and he and Johnny Reiff had a bad time together. Johnny's brother was on the back of David Garrick, who had taken a violent dislike to Maher, and his dis- inclination to race was not so pro- nounced as it had been in the City and Suburban, upon which occasion he was most obstinate in facing the wrong way. He was quite the pick of the field, and when he swooped past Stoccado and May Bruce, who had their Great Metropolitan tussle over again, and treated lightly the sub- sequent attempts of Lady Pen- zance to get on terms, it was ad- mitted that the race had gone to the best horse, foreign bred though he be. The social side of Chester is an important one, and this year there was sympathetic interest in the fact that the young Duke and Duchess of Westminster were taking up the pleasant duties of entertaining for the meeting which had necessarily received a tem- porary check. The county rallied in splendid fashion, and never has the county stand been seen to greater advantage. In this re- spect there is only one Chester. So much is the meeting enjoyed that some are clamouring for an autumn meeting as well ; but it is excellent counsel to let well alone, and this applies to proposals that have been made to move the meeting a few miles out where a greater extent of land is available tor the course. Some of the balance that remains after paying ten per cent, will, I hear, be expended in an extension of the improvements in the stands. The Kempton Park Great Ju- bilee Handicap.— Unlike several races with high-fiown titles that could be mentioned, the Jubilee Handicap (formerly Stakes) has always acted up to its name, and the success of this and the Eclipse Stakes shows that popularity awaits any happy hitting off of the need of the moment. Where the Great Jubilee has scored so is in being won by so many good horses, and it would take a long series of moderate years to efface memories of such popular favourites as Ben- digo and Victor Wild. But there is small sign of a moderate year making its appearance, and a splendid average of class was seen in the first of the series of the century, to say nothing of the record as to size of the field being passed. That the increase in the distance to a mile and a quarter 456 BAILY S MAGAZINE. n^s% is an improvement no one ever doubted, and it is a good sign that the number of starters should im- prove instead of fall off. Possibly there was not a Minting in the field, and the top weight was carried by Kilmarnock Buy Asendin Online II., whose connections were so satisfied with his chance that he became a firm favourite. But more than one party was ** going for the gloves," and there was plenty of choice amongst what are known as ''good goods," all of which cannot be regarded as otherwise than satis- factory. Whatever the result of this race there are always plenty of people able to show that, were it run over again, the result would have been otherwise. Those who argue this way consist mainly of the backers of the second and third, and with Santoi unexpectedly win- ning by a neck from Caiman, with Alvescot a good third, there were plenty to point out what bad luck each of them met with. We all know that there is a bend in