The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-19 00:00:00

TO THE ZDTTOB or TIM LiPIM.

Sia,—The last important three-year-old raoe of
the year was decided at Doocaster, sod, exciting and
iurrostiog as it was beforehand, it hardly calla for 001 n.
meet now, being in the oasis in accordance with the public
form of the competitors, as the first and second in the
Derby Ilniahed precisely in the same positions again, and Ely
I wearer as far behind the pair as at Epsom, the only dd.
(erre being that Cambrian improved hi position some
fur lengths, and thus ran up to the promise he gave as •
two-year old, when be always ran a superior horse to
Scottish Chief, who was third to Blair Athol and the Gemini
at Epsom. There is no questioning the fact that Blair
Athol and Camousra were the most improved horses that
ran for the St. Lager, General Peel having almost "stood
still" since Epsom (and thus contradicting the reports of
has vast improvement that had got abroad), and Miner goes
off since York, where, however, his triumph over Ely and
Blink Bonny turns out to be only • "fluke," for had Ely
been persevered with on Wednesday last he must have
given him about the 41b, beating those who only saw their
first race at York would give him the credit to be capable
of. That General Peel is a slightly overrated horse there
is now no question, for he 000 W barely beat Llippolyta (a
good filly nevertheless) in the Cup, where Miner ran worse
than in the St. Leger, and that Blair Athol is the best horse
of his ysar is equally apparent., and he should follow is the
footstimeof Flying Dutchman, West Australian, Touchstone,
and other Doncestee othibrities, if no accident puts • stop
to his career. He had • most narrow escape in the St. Leger
as, running just in the track of Ely, he would not get out
of the latter's way when he suddenly dropped back beaten,
and was struck into by one of his hind legs. The blow
checked biro for a second, but the effect. were not apparent
until he got home and cooled down, when the off fore leg was
found to be cut, and having swollen next day, be was
struck out of the Cup, which otherwise he would not have
lost. There was not a two-year-old seen at the meeting
good enough to beck for the Derby after he performed,
Joker, Bedminster, Brahma, and Barbarous', who had all
been freely backed for it, rutting up most indifferently, bat
no worse than Olmar, Ostregor, Lion, Siberia, and others
who bad been almost looked upon as celebrities ; and •
great deal of this year's runniog was turned tojay-curvy by
the overthrow of the quartette last named. lb* whole
I meeting was, however, but • chapter of surprises, for Zam-
ben so suddenly improved on his Goodwood and York
" form" as to defeat Orderers for the Champagne, which
was &I good • performance as his defeat of 'liming
at Ascot; and the older horses created just as
much confusion by their dregs, the triumphs
of Adventurer, Magnum Brum, and Battaglia asionishiog
ere their friends as much as the wretched performances of
Ear Lancashire, Caller Ou, the Clown, Ac., did their over-
fond backers. Master Richard ran a great mile horse on
two occasions ; and, by consequence, Victorious did the
same when finishing in such claps company with him for the
Fitzwillum, everything tending to show that as yet he rid
Wild Agnes are the only rivals of Liddiegtoo among the
juveniles of l:/64, so far as performances are wormed.
The many raco meetings of the present week are too unim-
portant to provoke attention, and the only great events
now to come off this season are the Crarewitch
and Cambridgeshire. the acceptances for which were
brought out at Doncaster, and the ball of speculation
sot rolling by them with unusual vigour, there being seve-
ral favourites selected for each race,• and bucked in
**roast too. But it is doubtful whether some case of
"forestalling" did not take place, although there appears
no doubt about, Gratitude, Fanfrehmbe, Retainer, and
one or two other favourites, being genuine articles, as
drier the betting that occurred before the publi-
cation of the weights the shove were all backed for no
little money, and their impost& must have been very satis-
factory to their friends. Adventurer, Battaglia, and Ale- I
blur are all well treated, too, on their Doncaster
fussing; but Adventurer bang an inferior horse,
and Battaglia • rank jade—especially with only
a boy in the saddle—they are not worth trust-
ing, and Alabama did or show anything like
• QUIMIIeI Plate form when running with Ely for the '
Doncaster Stakes. While on the subject of pert
those of Gibraltar, Cartsbrook, and Weatberboceer7roM
make them out all " well in," if wo were allowed to go hack
to their best ; but they have figured most ingloriously all
this season, and hence their lenient imposts. The medium
weighted lot, after all, may prove the most dangerous,
Baldwin, Suspicion, the Giant, and Catch 'sr Alive, having
fair average vances, from their looks or performers' ; and
it does not often happen that a moderate hone carries off
the Cesarewitch. nil Cambridgeshire is too hard to meddle
with for me to entertain the pretensions even of the most
tempting lookiag just yet • and it would be a verita-
ble prophet " that raid point to the best
of such a lot as have accepted, for there are many stables
with half-a-dozen or upwards mimed whose trainers do not
know the beet, and when they do • tad start may upset
their calculations, The Coariewitch result aid passing
erste may throw a faint light upon it, but up to the event-
ful day it will be one of the most open noes the entice ever
' studied, arid the chances of any cindidate coming to 5 to 2,
m Liniosina did last year, are remote indeed.— I am. &a,
METEOR.