The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-15 00:00:00

THURSDAY

ter. Black Rock, who bad during the sawn been beaten all
over the country by most inferior horses, came into some
notice moon the outsiders by moons( at the late Derby
meeting, and there was a lingering toads:nes for him iu con-
sequeoce of the honourable turf policy always pursued by his
owner, the Duke of Beaufort, and the anoeurioemeut that
the popular and fortunate jockey of the day, Gawp Ford-
ham, was to be entrusted with the mount. Navin thus
briefly placed our renders is posessaion of the status of the
competitors up to the eve of the rue, we may Ist awe pro-
ceed to the ordinary narration of the features of the eighty.
ninth Si. Leger day. The rooms on Tuesday night were
crammed, and towards midnight it was almost impossible to
move, and the air, hot and oppressive, was rendered like the
black hole of Calcutta, nearly suffocating by the rank odour
of hundreds of cigars, and we mays t to the corporation
that some prohibition might bead upon smoking,
at all events on the important ocoasion when so much
business hes to be trarsactedL The betting at the close
was reported by telegraph in these columns yesterday, but
except helmets the two favourites, Blair Athol sad General
Peel, the amount of money wagered was by no mesas large.
Nine to four was taken to win many hundreds of pounds
about the Derb winner, sad Mr. Steel, a well-koown adhe-
rent of G Peel, accepted 5V to 200 about Lord Ghia.
gow's horse. In the course of the evening it was stated
that Wells would ride "the Geseral," and not Aldcrolt.
We understand that several letters of a scandalous nature
were sent to Lord Glasgow, cautioning him against the em-
ployment of Aldcroft, and that the noble earl showed them
to his jockey, and gave him the option of riding if be chose,
but that under the circurnstanoes it would be better to
allow Wells, as, if " the General" were defeated in the hoods
of his Ewen rider, all manner of harshkemarks would be
made. Aldcroft, who from the first had no desire to ride.
from the same reasons entirely concurred in the sound
views entertained by his lordship. Another dump in
jockey. was announced, inasmuch sa Mr. Naylor,having de-
termined to withdraw Coastguard, thereby released Chal-
k/oar, who was left free to ride Blair Athol; bat Mr.
PAamoe, as explained below, entrusted the mount to
yo sag Sisowdon. Doncaster emscarcely be said to have
slept all Tuesday night, aa the sound of people trapesing
the streets, and the noise of harsh voices, in
which the names of Blair Athol and General Peel
were co-mingled, disturbed the repose of those who had pru-
dently retired to root at an early hour. Wednesday morning
opened dull and cloudy, and shortly after the breakfast
hour rain fell freely, aod • wind portaging up, the state of
affairs out of doom was peculiarly unpleasant At day-
break the cry of " Cards wasted, gentlemen," awoke the
thousands of visitors to the fact that another St. Leger
would in a few hours be added to the turf walleyes. As
the morning advanced the shrill whistles of trains could be
heard all over the town, and at noon in the verse of Ma-
-1 outlay's lays,

" The horsemen and the footmen
Are pouring in amain,
From many • stately Market plies;
From many • fruitful plain.
The pavement either side of the street wee impassable, and
the swarms of people were compelled to stream up the
centre of the roads, or work their way in a zigzag mamma
between those huge three-horse omnibuses COllllllOO to the
large town of the north, many of which had been im-
ported for the occasioa from York, Leeds, Bradford, Had-
dersfield, Sheffield, and other' of those large manufacturing
towns which surround Dononster. From Sheffield, via
Rotherham, came all kinds of vehicles by road, loaded with
the dingy and stolid face of that hive of industry.
Around the betting-room an enormous crowd sa-
ambled, blocking up the stem Impeding the gangway
on the pavement, all eager shout Blair Athol and General
Peel, who by common consent were cossidered to have the
nice as much between them as if it was • match. The out-
eiders were only vaguely hinted at, as if their chinos' were
hopeless in the presence of the two Epsom hones. Settling
I on previous day occupied the attention of speculators during
the morning, and betting on the St. Leger, which was parti-
cularly inactive,
exhibited no change of tone from the pre-
violas night. Anything over 2to 1 was taken about Blair
Athol, 9 to 4 being accepted freely ; 6 to 2 was taken and
currently offered against General Peel. Miner, tiniest whom
there wee a growing disposition to bet overnight, was sop-
ported for small sums at 6to 1, which price was always oh-
nimble. Bto 1 was taken and offered about Baragah ; 16 to
1 was acrepted about Ely ; 20 to 1 about Genthaacan ; and
25 to 1 about Knight of Snowdon.
The first race, the Municipal Stakes, was appoined for 1.30,
the St. Leger at 2.45, and the last race, the Queen's Plate.
at 5 o'clock. To describe the scene in the tows within half
an hour appointed for the commencement of basin'se would
be impossible, the High-street being one move mass of
people, and vehicles of all descriptions streamed towards
the course. About tee o'clock rain began to fall heavily,
bat we were even then ill-prepared for the deluge which weal
to follow. Colliery to expectation the attendance was not
so large as had been sera on many former years, but I
thick lines of people thronged each side of the course I,
treble rows within two hundred yard' of the bend,
and the Grand Stead, ring, and enclosures were filled ; but
the necessitated overcoats. and thousands of umbrellas ren-
dered the spectacle anything but • cheerful one, and in this
aspect we were forcibly reminded of Macarom's " Derby
Day, but as the afternoon &deemed the wet was even
more unpleasant than on that comics, as a strong wind
sprang up and drove the ran before it with drenching
effect. In the betting-ring the book-makers shouted the
odds in as almost deafening manner, but the odds on the
commencement of business in the ring showed no variatioe
from that done at the rooms, 2to 1 was taken about Blair
Athol, sto 2 apt General Peel, while Ely and Cambuscan
met with some support at 16 to 1 each. The two opening
non were regarded with indifference by the vest multitudes,
and even the bookmaking fraternity, so eager to het os
anything, seemed impatient for the struggle which was
to decide definitively the relative merits of Blair Athol and
General Peel. Forty-five minutes were allowed on the card
for the proms" of saddling, and as there bad been mach
uncertainty as to the riders of the two cracks, an sager crowd
of the partisans of each surrounded the weighing room,
anxious to asoertain who had bees finally elected. The
appearance of Wells within twenty minutes of the
start, with the well-known crimson and white, determined
beyond question the rider of the General. Alderoft, on the
other head, weighed for Knight of Snowdoo, but Cinnabar
had no mount, owing to the withdrawal of Coastguard, and
Mr. l'Auson feeling it would be unjust to Snowdon to take
him off after being once retained, again entrusted the
steering of Blair Athol to young James Snowden, who had
ridden the son of Blink Bonny to victory in the Derby.
Twenty hones were coloured on the card, of which only one-
belt came to the post, the non-starters being No. 5
(Mader Richard), No. 6 (Strafford), No. 8 (Cary°.
phylus), No. 9 (Coastguard). No. 11 (Practitioner),
No. 13 (Farnham), No. 17 ( Figaro), No. 18 ( rahalathus),
No. 19 (Paris), No, 20 (Solon). The competitors were, as
usual, saddled at the stables in the rear of the Grand Stand,
and • greet crowd formed and ranged themeless in • lane
tlusugh which the horses passed on to the coune, General
Peel and Blair Athol (who was last out) being received with
such uproarious cheers as none not genuine Tykes know
how to enunciate. Baia, which bad increseed op to this
period, began to fall heavily, and directly the
horses bad gone through their preliminary centers
it poured in torrents, and the jockeys oolours be-
came indistinguishable from sheer sanaratios. The coons
at this period presented • most extraordinary eppesnoce,
innumerable umbrellas completely roofing each side of the
course, and the summit, of the stands were similarly
' covered. Mr. Marshall got the tan competitors to the
starting post in capital time, but the rain fell in such per-
fect sheets that it was doubted whether any attempt would
be made to effect • start in such • deluge. After one false
start, and when people had mode up their minds that the
strong wind and rain would cause some &by, s sudden
roar of "They're off" caused umbrellas to be
furled on the sta:Als, and the horse. were seen
in • compact body rushing towards the hill
but after they bad gone a few hundred yards it was im-
possible to tell what were the colours, although the crimson
jacket of Ely was observed in front. The excitement now
became intense, as it was impossible to reongnisedistanctly
hones or colours, and nothing could be athertained until •
quarter of a mile from home, when Miner, General Peel,
Ely, and Carnbuscan were nee to be is front, and the
white face of Blair Athol was made out at their quarters
on the Stand aide of the course. General Peel cams on
apparently folio( running, followed by Cernboaraut, cod the
former hone looked as if about to win in a canter,
when enthusiastic shouts for " Lord Glarive" were heard
on all aides At the distanoe, however, Wells was hard on
The C 1, and Cazubusean looked morueutarily formi-
dable, hut in • stride or two further youog Snowden called
upon Blair Athol, and the Derby winner, answering, in-
stantly rushed to the front, and amidst great excitement
won to • canter by two lengths from General Peel, the same
distance by which he landed the Derby, Caught's.= was •
good third, and the portion he secured justified the outlays
which bad been made upon him overnight by his party for a
place. Immense cheering followed the result, and Snowdon
and Blair Athol bad great difficulty in retuning
to the enclosure, as the crowds pressed forward
. to pat and caress the hero of the day. Mr. Jackson, against
whom iouendoes bad been thrown out in connexion with
the Derby was most excited at the issue, and Aldirroft's
character and professional fame completely vindicated, as
there can be not the slightest particle of a doubt that
General Peel, deapite his grand looks, has a "soft heart,"
sod lacks the stamina to stay over • distance of ground, as
he fairly died away to nothing when Wells endeavoured to
I get an effort eat of him. The Derby and St. Leger, it may
be mentioned, have not been won by the same animal
since 1853, when the two prizes of north and south were
borne away by West Australian. Immediately after the
grad race the spectators, many of whom bid their clothes
wet to the skin, began to disperse and to add to the us-
comfortable state of affairs ; the water had accumulated in
complete ponds, and to get from the course it was impos-
sible to escape without stepping ankle deep in wady slush.
The remainder of the day's racing, and the minor events,
will be found sufficiently described in the report given
below.

A Swnrwraaan of 10 sore. each, b ft, with 50 added,
for 2.yr-olda, 7ri ; three, Bst 10th ; 611wei sod geldings
allowed alb. ltd-hoagie in (5 furloup 142 yards.) (17
subs.)
Caplan White's My limy, by Winos di Varpy—lionity,
Sr. ll. Viltosh.ll 1
Marquis of Haatinp* Attraction. 3 yra I Yordham) 2
Captain Christie'. Priserinrien. 2 yrs rr. ?reach) 3
The
de followChaing also ran Mooney, Wimp of lb* Wind, and
Mew mps.
Covey weighed for Sister to Asehani, but baying re-
seised no authority to Mort, it did not go to the post.
Setting : 6 to 4 on Attraction, 6 to 1 each apt My Fagg
sad Montour. 8 to 1 eget Proseriptioo, and 10 to 1 opt
Wisp of this Wind. Attar several isoffooloal atiosipla