The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-07 00:00:00

TO THE IMHOF OF TIM EXYZIOS..

Sra,—But for the turning-up of Blarney and
Carobs* at the close of the year, sad the excellence dia-
played by Ville de l'Air and Union Jack in their later ea-
thgementy. the two.yearelds that were out in 1863 would
have to be condemoed as being below the average stamp,
more particularly those engaged in the Derby, the favourite
for which. -Wettish Chief. inustaseurodly have bean beaten by
Blarney, Caroline, or Union Jack, as he was by Fills de
l'Air at i..;ood000d, had he been fated to meet them at any
time. One noteworthy fact in connexion with the juve-
niles' running during the past season, sod a further proof
of the mediocrity of the performer in the Derby,
• the general superiority displayed by the fillies
weer the colts, and for the first three mouths
Bippolyta. Molly Carew, Beeline, Light, and Fille
Is l'Air carried all before them, when anything like
hap fields met, nothing being deemed on an equality with
these until Scottish Chief and Birchbroom came out at
Ascot. The winter bad been so open that there were a
score ready for the opening two-year-old contest, the
Brock/eaby at Lincoln, where three fillies, Hippolyta, Lady
Nichol, and Faith, were first home, Lord Adolphus,
Tarlatan, Attraction, ad Starbeam, the latter of whom
was left at the post, comprising the pick of the remaining
seventeen ; but all these were eclipsed very soon afterwards,
although they supplied the filet sad reread for the Little
John Stakes at la ottiogham in Lady Nichol and Faith,
the nodal Virginia, Lady Mary, ice., the last named,
with Dawdle, having to succumb at Derby to Measure
for Measure, who was in superior coeditors, and ran kinder
than she did subsequently. At Liverpool a fresh lot came
eat in the Tyro, and Bypath proved the best, which only
shows how moderate they most all be, Redcap, who was
second to Hypatia, beaten a head, suffering an easy defeat
at Shrewsbury at the hands of Wthefield, who was always
one of the moderate stamp. The Hopeful, at Domestic,
brought out no better lot than the Tyro at Liverpool, Star-
beam conieensatiog her friends for being left babied at Lin-
eoln by beating the Area filly, the Sabra colt, Lord Adol-
phus, Ac., the latter finishing no nearer to her than he did
to Hitholyta, raising a discussion as to whether Starbeam
would not, have troubled the Baron's filly at Lincoln had
she got away, for Lord Adolphus next day ran a close
nos with Stockman at racing weights. But the
latter as the season advanced proved to be over-
Fated, and his lonlehip, it was said, had goes wrong
after running at Lincoln, and Starbesm's triumph over
Lady Nichol and Faith at Warwick goes for nothing, as she
sad Whitetield teemed) got all the best of the start, only
Lady Nichol persevering to catch them, sad abs got within
two lengths at last, after being half a dozen behind them
*nee. A: Warwick, \'andervelde came out and polished
eff Coimbra so easily an to be overrated when he met good
company ; but he and Lord Adolphus were still the best of
the oohs figuring at the early spring meetings, inferior as
they were to most of the Mika, of which klippolyta, Lady
Nichol, Faith, Starbeam, Whitefish', Tarlatan, Attraction,
Virginia, Larry Mary, and Dawdle, were the best. The
best five in the list, however, did not exhibit any quality
until the legitimate season had made some progress,
and the whole lot scarcely includes one first clue
Illy, for when Starbeam got home something
was discovered good enough to give her a lump of
weight, in Molly threw, who at Northampton made short
work of the Althorpe prk Stakes, although she met some
quality. Midnight Maim very fit, and partial to the half
mile, came off second beet, with Evelio& third, Echo and
Garotter among the next lot, sad the " backward" Verona,
Prociells, King George, and Practitioner "nowhere," so
that Molly Carew may be said to have done a good thing,
and people began to doubt whether anything would be die
covered for some time good enough to clip her wings. The
Whittlebnry produced nothing to compete with Fantastic
and Livingstone over the six furlongs, even at three dozen
pounds difference in the weights, Olivia being about the
best of them ; and Crouton-park was not graced by one two-
year-old, while the Newmarket Craven week afforded
Lot one juvenile contest, a 50f. plate, bringing together
Clairvoyant., Regina, Whitefield Mirage, and Rose
as the best of the lot, which was thus mode-
rate ecough, although the winner, Clairvoyant*, looked
Ike improving. In the North, Tbeotelda and Eola ruled
the roost at Durham, with Beldentone behind them twice,
this "tom" being beaten at Catterick Bridge, when Per-
mission defeated Claxton, Ostentation, ice. • andrat Think
the moderate Netthedge eclipsed both the Durham
heroines by his defeat of Fele. There was a rich stake pro-
vided at the Epsom Spring Meeting to tempt those who
were considered to powers chance of overthrowing Molly
Carew : but the lot opposing her was not of the elan she
defeated at Northampton, Diomed, Verbena, Tomfoolery,
and Ackworth being the best of them, and she won
with the greatest ease. Ackworth was considered to have
been eecoseLbeet in the race, although enplaned, and his
good looks made him a great favourite for the New
Tiro Year Old Stakes on the second day, the beet
performer moth his opponents being the blb-penaltied
&arbeam, who figured so ingloriously as to detraot
from the er,dile of everything that earned a reputation
before the Northampton meeting. Ackworth did not do
mach better, as he was but • bed third to two do:baronies,
Breeze and the Phemy filly, who never afterwards per-
formed more than decently, sed made Ackworth's Derby
friends appear very like lunation when they took 20 to
1 about him a month or two afterwards. Alabama made a
respeetoble first appearance in the Walton Stakes, as it was
something to his credit to beat Golden Dust over six tar-
bop; and astable companion, Rigolboche, made Garot-
ter gallop to win a Maiden Plate at Newmarket First Sprier,
so that with Clairvoyente's triumph in the Craven
week, Mr. Saviks youngsters were supposed to be of
• better calibre than they eventually turned out.
Garotter, in the Two-Year Old Plate, ran second
to Evelina with his blb penalty, which was
looked upon as good form for a roarer; bat the
Ally won easily, and the performance only tended to show
how moderate was thelot behind him, of which Rigolboche
Lady Hylda, the half-trained Hone Marine, and Alabansi
were the beat. At the York Spring Meeting, Tarlatan ex-
hibited an improvement by defeating Vanessa and Samosa
forth. Zethind Stakes, it being her good fortune to have
an advantage in cooditioa over both these, as Saragossa was
palpably of the better clam, but no more fit than was the
Cloth, when he in a handicap was beaten at two atone by
the Cornet. At Salisbury we saw the first colt that proved
his title to high honour in the Beaver, who very cleverly
overthrew relics, Blackfnar, Verbena, Tomfoolery, Lady
'Williams, and others; anti King George also showed
about the same form in another encounter, there being
everything to regret in neither being in the Derby, for they
are of so goods class as many of the present "cracks" for
that mach coveted prise. (Intl:aria also made a successful
first appearance hen, beating the promising Mulberry
moose others, of which Seaboy was the best. There True '
dearth of youngsters at Chester, Persuasion proving of the
best clew in the Morino, Although her slb penalty
enabled Loafer to beat her by a head. Fisherman's
Daughter jut beat Welbeck for the Biennial, her perform-
. thee not being considered a brilliant one, nor did any of the
juveniles seen on the Rhoades take the talent by storm
lentil the Doctor came out and won the Heaton Stakes.
Although he beat nothing better than the Calliope colt
and Virginia, he looked so much like racism and won
with Beth ridiculous ease, that there was route a rush
to get on him for the Derby, 1864, and he became
a favourite at once, no one suspecting him to be the rogue
he subeeqoeetly turned out. At Bath Crytheia,
and Blackfriar verified the troth of their Salisbury running
by finishing together for the biennial, the winner, Crytheis,
being fortunate in meeting Teddy and Birchbroote when
thither were ready, as the lest named must have won, his
after performances being of a decidedly superior stamp.
The Weston Stakes were coateeded for by a body equal in
quality to the field, that ran for the Althorn) Park Stakes
at Northampton and the Two Year Old Plate at New-
market, and one was found good enough to take the shine
eat of Molly Carew in Light, the former's 51b. penalty
causing her defeat by a head. Garotter was again in the
frost rank, and Vanua was improving so rapidly es to get
fourth place, Faith. I ',Toth. and Aunt Jody being unplaced;
and as Faith in the same week beat a large field at Metha-
don, in, iodine Algarsife (brother to Canoe). No Nem*
Black Deer, Lady Nichol, Attraction. sod Clairvoyant*,
Molly Carew's defeat could not be attributed to any falling
ell, her form being still the best out until the Emma
Sommer Meeting was held. Here she was beaten half a
length f"r the Woodeote at even weight., by Fills de "Air,
and the French filly bee since proved herself to be decidedly
the aeon :or of the two, although it is singular that Procella,
who was n:any lengthy behind Molly Carew at Northamp-
ton, cliould run her to a head for ascend place. However,
Pronlia may be better than she was ever given credit for,
ad I observes be one of the lot premised to be " repur-
chased" by Lord Stamford after his "sell" at
Newmarket on Thursday lot, when she was run
up to la guineas. Behind the trio there were Engin,
Cranbury, Alai:ems, Aunt Judy, Alcyone, War Dance,
the Count. At. ; the three last named failing to run up to
their good looks on this occasion ; still, the French lilly's
reform:one was oreloubtetily a first-class the, and too good
for her defeat by Midnight Main and Tomato, in the Two-
Year Old Stakes the tame week to be believed genuine, even
allowing then were on their favourite courses (half-a-mile)
and she was eneumbered with a i,lb penalty. Starbeam,
lady Nichol, and Golilylocks were unplaced in this com-
pany, the latter's uncertain temper causing her Mat to be
a meet diegreeeful use ; and how the managed to get be-
tween Light and Tomato at Aleut has always been a mys-
tery. At Radc:iffe the Clown accomplished the first of his
POLO) 'whiney. and in a style that did him every credit,
neither the Pretty Cirl filly, Greenland (not half-fit), nor
Wildman being goodenough to stretch his legs, and nothing
of hie quality was to be observed at the more important
Manchester meeting, where Fisherman's Daughter was in
good form, haying beaten Syrco, the Calliope colt, Cutaway,
Mantrap. Prc‘criptioo, &c., in one cese and in another runleseLend-head with Persuasion and Limiter while meeting
the pair with .11b the worst of the weight', which will make
her after doings appear very strange. Prescription in a
Nursery first proved herself useful, in certain company, her
victory streogthening the idea of Fisharmaa's Daughter's
excellence, and making her but little inferior to anything
that performed up to the end of May, the lest juvenile race
to that month taking place at Wye, which meeting was
graced by the presence of the Beaver, Faith, sad Mulberry,
the first-named insproviag on bb Salisbury form by running
home the easiest of withers.
But the 2-yr olds had been rasing from the 25th of
February until the cad of Mn, without introducing to the
wand anything better than Midnight Mass, Garotter. King
George, Ackworth, Beaver, The Doctor, Sadder:Kai, Cosa.

bury, and the Clown, among the colt", and of them the
Clown, King George, the Beaver, and Cranbury, were set
is the Derby, while Ackercuth and Birohbroom bad yet to
prove they were of the first clam The allies, ou the roe-
teary, had produced Bippolyte, Faith, Attractioe, Molly
Carew, Brehm, Procella, Buntiocit% CrYtheia, Feimmaioe,
Fisherman's Daughter, Light, No Name, Fills de
Tomato, and Syron. who looked so decidedly the superior
body that it was imposeible to believe the winner of the
Derby, 1864, had been men up to thug period ; and when the
So3ttieh Cnier came nut at Ascot it was very may to make
him a hot favourite, although, as I shall show in my next,
he did nothing that can now be boasted of.— I am, Icc.,
METEOR..