Last Friday was a day of records in the celebration of the festival of Scotland's patron saint. Jusd as the ball at night surpassed any previously given by St. Andrew's Dociety, so the race for the Ewo Handicap Challenge Cup was most imposing affair as compared. with earlier events. The Stewards of the Race Club kindly allowed the use of their course and any one passing between noon and 1 p.m. might have thought from the appearance of the Grand Stand and paddocks that a big race meeting was in progress. The stand and members' lawn seldom hold more people even on Champions Day and, with the Muckle Hoose dispensing the most liberal hospitality, it was @ very gay throng. Mr. Hung Donald-bain had provided an imposing array of haggis, seemingly sufficient for all Shanghai, but it was so very well made that it was finished to the last spoonful, despite the fact that a cold buffet also was well patronized. There also was a big crate of heather direct from Scotland's hills, which wat very quickly emptied.
At the rails there were' very lively scenes, for the small stand: were in possession of a group of amateur bookmakers, complete with the time-honoured appointments of grey bowlers, loud ties, white spats, satchels and even betting tickets advertising that they were perfectly honest, of long standing, strictly reliable and incapable of welshing. The latter would have been impossible, anyway, for the surrounding crowd was far too densely pack ed to permit even of an International Rugby forward getting through. The business done was small, for only the front rank people could move, but the fun was fast and furious.
Meanwhile a score of members of the staff of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson' & Ca. were weighing out, there being an extraordinary range of weights between 125 Ib. and 171 Ib. The ponies were a fairly level lot, and where the handicapper did not consider he could bring the various combinations of pony and rider together by an-adjustment of weights he attempted to do it by an allowance of yards in the start.
Mr. Hickling did not have an easy task as starter, but after a few breaks he sent the field off to a very fair start. The race was not exciting and it was obvious from the drop of the flag who would be the winner, for the handicapper had made one outstanding miscalculation. Ewvidently considering that 171 lb.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.