The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-22 00:00:00

TO ?RE_ morroa OF THIL Liruss,

Xls,—blsttera lookvery ominous just now with
regard to the Linoola Spring Meeting, which, to judge by
the fair amount of mamas that attended the fiat racing at
Chelmsford on Tuesday and Wednesday last, would have
been kindly supported by owners of horses but for the inter-
ference of Mr. Frost, who in 1860 and 1861 delayed the
comunooenient of operations long enough to spoil the affair
in • great measure, and this year threatens it with a similar
fate. Anyhow there will not be so many hones sent an
last year, for the winter has riot been each as to allow them
to be kept continually in work, sad most of the early 'wild
meetings will suffer from this circumstance, to which may
perhaps be attributed the tameness of speculation on the great
handicaps. Betting was never so dal before ; and beyond
Gardener, BlM:held, Dollar, and Sheridan, for the North-
amptonshire Stakes—Liston, Flying Fish, and Summerside
for the City and Suburban —and Blackdown, Change,
Anfield, Golden Pledge, Muezzin, and Accident (who has
gone amen) for the Chester Cup—no hones have been
backed for any amount of money. The Liverpool Steeple-
chase, which had such • great acceptance, seems the all-
engrcsaing topic among speculators, and the conkst this
year promises to assist in raisiug the fallen fortunes of the
sport, as extraordinary held being expected, as already
Emblem, Sinking Fund, Jerusalem Me&sa, Bantam, Wee
Nell, Serious Cos, Amy, Worcester, Portland, Ira), Real
Jam, Emblematic, Martha, Chester, and Leading Article,
i are n the first or second rank of favourites. The late
Birmingham Grand Annual did; not bring out another
Emblem, as ut year, although Charnels won as easily as
Lord Coventry's mare did, for she does not happen to be
among the acceptors, having declined her Import. But
there is a prospect of the jumping at Lincoln influencing the
complexion of affairs, with Portland, Rubioou, Malta,
Emblematic, Rook the Gardener (a greatly improved hone',
Cadet, Miss Maria, Miss Emma, and Baron of Avon, in the
Grand Steeplechase, and Sinking Fund, Rockley, Tolurno
Real Jam. West End, Bares of lAvoo, Lady of the Ides:
and Miss Emma in the Hurdle Race, all these being in the
Grand National. There are two other jumping events at
Lincoln, and seven nem on the flat, of which latter the
Trial, Brockleeby, and Linoolnahire Handicap are of some
importance, although I dare not touch upon the Brockleby,
in consequence of its being for 2.yrokia, whose pretensions
must remain dark until the saddliug bell has rung.
The Trial Stakes, one mile, is a weieht-for-age race, the
thres-yesr.olds being originally ordered to Tat Jib ;
the fours, Bst 10lb ; the fives, t/st 51b ; sod theolder hones,
94 10lb ; with mares end geldings allowed Jib ; but what
with the penalties end allowance stipulated to be taken,
enly four of the seventeen candidates adhere to these im-
pose, and the following are the weights to be carried :
Age at 113 Age st lb !
Argonaut
Ferri= (French' .. 5 5 ledespV
Benjamin ;French; 5 6 Guerilla
Doombrook
Flying Fish
Ittvenaworth
The Vedette gelding 4 ' 0 Mall Train 3 6 10
Biatmlnater
Boatload

The majority of the above are in the Lincolnshire Han-
dicap, wherein the two Frenchmen are in reosipt of 131 b
and 271 b respectively from Argonaut, and Donnybrook,
Flying Fiah, Buckland, Anglo-Saxon, Redcap, Guerilla,
Dovedale, Mail Train have also to meet Benjamin
on from 'Mb to 2293, and Partisan on from 161 b to Sib,
worse tenni, which may deter Benjamin from showing in
the TriaL Taking the Handicap as a standard, Mail Train,
Rocidend Donnybrook, Flyiog Fish, and Anglo-Saxon,
have the best of the weights here, and in the order named ;
but from the amount of money put on Anglo-Saxon we are
bound to suppose he has been treated too leniently, although
I shetdd always doubt his ability to give 31b to Mail Train
when W. Day's gelding is •• wanted." The latter is cer-
tainly the beat horse in the Trial, at the weights; and even
in his absenos Anglo-Saxon night have to succumb, if the
Buckland divisioo play in earnest.
The Lincolnshire Handicap, over the same course ea the
above. must be affianced by the! result ; but the two
Frenchmen, Partisan and Benjamin, who represent separate
interests, are, in my opinion, more threatening than either
of the favourites, Anglo-Saxon and Suburban. It is, of
course, a crest advantage to be allied with three bosses that
have been backed in earnest, for they moat be "wanted,"
and the threatened postponement is pretty certain to pre-
vent the attempted bringing a of many other "good
things" there may be in the race ; and at this writing it is
impossible to say whither Neophyte, Donnybrook, Merry
Hart, Joco, Redc.,p, and Guerilla, who so take my fancy,
will take part in the fray, or I should book them
to be pretty nearly on a par with Partisan, Beejarnin, Anglo-
Saxon, and Suburban. As it is, Poetise]) or Benjamin may
beat the two cracks, and if Partisan were in as good form as
he showed at two 'cars old, I should have confidence in his
ability to give the weight to his countryman. The City
Handicap precedes the event under dismesion, and in that
case, not knowing how many of the host entered for the two
events will be reserved, prudence forbids my noticing it.
The kluogarford meeting, following immediately on to
the heels of Lincoln, will give the professionals some
work, for it is worth attending, being in the neighbourhood
of the most extensive training quarters. and has a better
chance of achieving success than when held in the summer, a
continuance of the frost being ell that is feared. The
principal handicap, however—the Berke and Wilts Staked',
two miles and a distance—is only poorly patronised, the
quality of those left in being se indifferent es the quaatity,
only the top and bottom weights—Costs, 5 yrs, Set 1211 s,
and Signalman, 3 yrs, fist alb, with Verbena, 3 yrs, fit P.2b
—having shown respectable form. Of these I have no great
opinion, unless Costa is in better form than he showed last
✓ummer, for hen giving Turn of Luck tab, Land it it well
known the mare can stay. Of the other events, I shall
only notice the trial, which is at the mercy of Lord Bur-
leigh, who has but to beat Mr. Parr's colours.—l am, &e.,
METEOR.

LONDON BETTING.—SArraDAY.
LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE.
10 to 1 apt Emblematic (t
10 to 1 Butt= It 11 to 1)
too to 8 Wee Noll (off )
20 to 1 Real Just (t)
20 to 1 Amy (t)
20 to I Serious Cass (t)
30 to 1 31artha (t)
'2O to 1 Wotoonter(t and off)
20 to 1 Emblem It 23 to 1/
25 to 1 Jerusalem (t)
25 to 1 Portland (t)
31) to 1 Rockloy (off )
ryW to 74 A
rbary (t)
200 to 3 Ramo of Avon (t)
100 to 1 Jealousy (off )
LLNCOLN HANDICAP.
7 to 1 apt Anglo-Saxon (t)
t. to 1 Subtle:ea (t)
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STABF-9.
11 to 1 apt Gardener (t)
TWO THOUSAND.
6to 1 apt Pans off)
6to 1 Cambi(um° (t 100 to 13)
6 to 1 Fills do l'Au. (off)
DERBY.
13 to 1 Cos.st Guard (8 to 1001.)