At the Start; and The Off

It is possible that the race depicted is the private meeting at Radcliffe, the estate of the Earl of Wilton, held on 24 August 1857. The race was won by T. Wright's Lazy Lass, from Mr. Thompson's Hindley, Mr. Osborne's Singleton Cock, and Mr. Bartholomew's Ruination. The colours of the owners are not recorded; however, the finishing order of chestnut, bay, grey, bay is significant, as grey horses at the time were very rare indeed, with in the region of only thirty running in a year. Also, Hindley was ridden by John Osborne, who was known for his exceptionally long sideburns. The winning horse was a filly, not a colt as in these pictures, however that may be an error on the part of the artist.