The Express.
London, England, 1862-09-15 00:00:00

.sPORTING INTELLIGSNCE.

THE MEETING AT DONCASTER.

TO THI aDITOIt OF Ilia IMPIISaIt.
Sra,—The striking out of Caractaeus has left the
St. Leger still an open nice, and there are so many other
great events in the programme of the Doncaster Meeting, '
that we shall be iti one continuous whirl of excitement
from Tuesday to Friday next The stakes to be contested '
are of immense value, the added money alone amounting to
2,37 n sues. ; and with eight raced on Tuesday, seven on Wed-
nesday, eight on Thursday, and ten on Friday, professionals
Lest needs be busy to get through their work, icr at no
other m*eting of the year do we witness so much heavy
betting at the post. There are not above half a dozen
" btt,e raw" in the list, which is made up of
two-year old, weight for age, three-year-old, two
and three year old, and monster handicap stakes •
and an impetus is sure to be given the Derby
betting of 1862, by the n.eetiog of the juveniles, while the
Ceterewitedi and lambridgeshire acceptances, the handicape
for which have given universal satisfaction, will appear in
plenty of time fur speculation to commence in earnest upon
them, ituniedLtely the great event is decided.
On 'fue*day, the Great Yorkshire Handicap will maintain
its character as a most important feature, and " the
admiral" has made a truly successful hit in the north as a
biotin:sipper, for it is probable we shall have one-half of
them left in at the starting post, and unless Dulcibella is
the grand thing the market would indicate, it will puzzle
the knowing ones to discover the winner. The Makeless
mare. Moorhen. Doefoot, Cowley, Conundrum, and Myrtle,
that have all shown good form at times, have been Battered ;
and yet there is danger in the heavily weighted Investment,
who has not been fortunate in the Cesarewitch, despite
his running at York. Haddington is said to have done
a good thing at home, and Bedouin and Victor were always
promising horses; but I do not forget the good looks of
Myrtle, audit' they do not reserve her especially for the Ce-
sarewitch and Cambridgeshire, she or the Makeless mare
might prove a little too good for Dulcibells. Cowley I
would rather stand upon for the Newmarket events. The
Champagne Stakes, for 2-yr-olds, nearly six furlongs, will
provoke another interesting struggle on the first day, as
Lord Chide!) will have to meet Armagnac, the Wasp colt,
Early Purl, and Tom Foul for the first time ; and the Beau,
Huguenot. and Homanoff are all supposed to make a dibut
here. the reputations of the trio being rather startling. His
lordship's stable companion, Trojanus, is under orders for
Doncaster, but may not opposes him in this race,
arid eonaequently the task of upsetting Lord Clif-
den must be left to the Beau, if such a diffi-
culty is to be accomplished, this horse being greatly
liked at home. The Filly Stakes Cerintha has not
much to fear in, if in her York form, and the Wasp
colt may only find Ace of Hearts difficult to dispose of for
the Glasgow Stakes. The Revival Plate, on the same six
furlongs as the above three events, is at the mercy of lady
Clifdeu, and it would not surprise me to see Wadlow's
'table win a third race—the Doncaster Plate, one mile—
with Olive Branch, although she might be kept for the
Portland Plate.
On Wednesday the St. Leger is of course the trump
card, and unless there should be some more "scratching.
before the day (it is just possible there are other " safe uns"
in the race, seeing the long time Caractactie was bolstered
nri) the field should include moat of the following :
Ace of Clubs— . Hurricane
Amateur
Argonaut
Bert ha
Blundell,
Buckstone O. Ifordham. I Old Calabar .. W. Boyce.
°Lowell
•r, Kok
Clarosa colt ... Bullock. I The Stockwell
Costa 'or Knave; Lynch. colt
Eschequer ... J. Adams. Warminster
Garibaldi . J. Osborne. Welc.me—
Harlequin J Coster. I

I have not attempted to find jockeys for the doubtful
starters, sad will not vouch for the correctness of the above
list, as • mishap to one of the favourite. might cause many
changes. The Marquis and Hurricane are both prominent
favourites, although located in the same stable, and there are
sceptics who now doubt which in the better animal of the
two. Politic running is undoubtedly in favour of the crack,
who was only beaten once throughout his career, in better
company than Hurricane ever met, sad J. Scott must have
another Imperiouse if he can win with the filly, who was '
hsatee very easily by Cariabrook at Ascot, it must be recol-
lected. The Marquis's friends have most cause to quake at
Carisbrook's performance., as he easily defeated two or tine.
of the lot immediately following the favourite in the Derby,
and it would be hard to separate the pair. Argonaut, again,
ran forward at Epsom when in anything but prime condition,
and Buckatone was disappointed when coming up the dis-
tance, eo that Merin. A. B. and C. have a host of friends
confident they can give the crack every trouble. Bertha
and Bimodal's are suspected sot to like a distance, although
I cannot perceive why the former should not stay ; and
the mine suspicion —a very strong one too—attsclies
to the doubtful starters, Ace of Clubs and Bird-
hill, while Caiman's and the Clubs& colt's best perform-
ances were over a mile. Exchequer has proved himself •
good horse after two nice distances, three-quarters of a mile
and one mile three furlaugs, but does not appear in much
better odour than either Johnny Armstrong or the Stock-
well oolt, that have not advanced one point in the betting,
after the decline of several prominent favourite., although
from the time they have been in the market and the money
put on them 10 to l each would be about their legitimate
prices. The Stockwell colt is • St. Leger horse all over,
and if they only bring him to the post in good condition I
shall take but little notice of the market, for those connected
with his stable ars good at "choking off" the public, and
seldom win when they make a favourite. Buckstooe's de-
cline in the market there are various rumours to account for,
one being( that he has the Caractacus complaiut,but the most
reliable is that his trial was not satisfactory. Whatever
the cause may be I have no idea of his ever being
so good a borae as the Marquis, who fairly beat him on
Epsom Downs, cad has done much better at home of the
two horses since. Argonaut has been peppered more than
once since be took up a position in the market, and at this
writing be is a worse favourite than ever, the blow being
struck at such a time that it must be taken cognisance of.
Imperatrice's defeat at York I take but little heed of, as she
always ran " in and out," and it is not impossible for her to
repeat the performance of her sister lmperatrice, who,
beat= like her at York, went to Doncaster and overthrew
two such pots ea Blink Bonny and Ignoramus, inclusive of
Tournament and other cracks. Old Calabar, I am afraid,
will never be himself again ; and supposing there are cogent
reasons for Argonaut's decline at such • critical time, the
St. Leger must now lie between Buckatone, Bertha,
Oariabrook, Exchequer, Hurricane, Imperatrice, Johnny
Armstrong, the Marquis, and the Stockwell colt. The
Marquis looks all over a winner on paper, sad yet the St.
Leger so seldom falls to the best performer that be may be
bowled over, and three such outsiders as Cerisibrook, Ea-
chequer, and Johnny Armstrong do him out of a place, my
fancy being for this trio in the order named. The Corpora-
tion Plate. over the nilleT.Y.C. Interduca, 3 you, Set 131 b,
must run well for, the diatomite being a little too far for
Neophyte and Keane, that are equally "well in;" and
C.arnerioo, 4 yrs, Sat 21b, might beat all the others. A
Handicap Sweepstakes, nearly sir furlongs, is scarcely out
of Brother to Morocco's compass, with the lenient weight of
Bst, and Oakapple. 7st 71b. is another fair performer well
treated, with Herdsman, 7st. The Municipal is the ooly
other stake closed, and Tassel having won her race at York
solely through her superior condition, Sir Joseph Hawley's
Walden has only to equal his reputation, and he will win.
On Thursday there is • grand feature in the Plate of 300
save, with a 10 vers. Sweepstakes of 35 subscribers, which
will bring the prize up to 65Uf. in value. The entry is much
better than can be expected for the great Cup, but would
have brought out a better field had there been penalties for
this year'. Cup winners as well as the Derby and St. Leger,
for Tim Whiffler and Asteroid now look certain to beat all
their opponents between them, and their meeting may be
attended with the sane result as at Ascot, when the young
one won. The Egliutou Stakes, for two and three-year-olds,
one mile, have the Pilot, Wingrave, and Zetland for the
only good old ones engaged, and they are all penalised,
so that it will he better to trust the juveniles, of which
we have seen Golden Dust aid Cairncastle go
three parte of the distance and win very cleverly. The
Orphan has shown thorough gameness at times, and she
is the only one I can perceive likely to beat the pair,
for those that take the allowance of 71b must have been
beaten four times, and under them, circumstances they can
hardly he expected to beat such good performers as Golden I
Dust sad The Orphan. The Portland Plate, nearly six fur-
longs, Neophyte, 6 yrs, Sat 71b, and Keane, 3 pm. 7st 31b,
are suited in, as regards the distance ' • and if 'sten:lnca,
3 yrs. Cat, can show any form in the Corporation Plate, she
will be again formidable here. The others I have the
greatest fancy for comprise Mire Penbill, 3 yrs, fist 41b Ace
of Clutel,3 yrs, 7st 121 b, Biondella, 3 yea, 7st 10Ib, Olive
Branch, 3 yrs. Tat 71b, and Egyptian, 3 yes, 7st nb. The
Cleveland Handicap, one mile, Vancouver, 4 yrs, 7st Mb,
could easily pick up, if in his spring form, and the weights
will prevent his being kept for the Newmarket
handimpe, wherein Conqueror, 4 yrs, 7st 61b, is
much better treated than here, or I should couple
the two. The Scarborough Stakes, for three-year-
olds, one mile, will suit both the Knave and
Brahmin. of which 1 prefer the former ; and the Zetland
Stokes, rem mile and a-half, ought to be won by Garibaldi,
as I doubt Lacydes's staying, which Lord Zetland's colt
can ',sorely fail in. AlO son. Sweepstakes. foe 2-yr-olds,
one mile, must almost be settled by the Champagne, as
we have only Avenger, Villafnuica, and Ace of Hestia en-
gaged, in addition to the cracks therein, and the most likely
one to he reserved for this is Twisting, in consequence of
Lord Clifden having incurred a llb penalty.
The Doocaater Cup entries having yet to be completed,
and the St. Leger and other events certain to throw • strong
light oe the Doncaster, Dog and Park Hill Stakes, my
observations on the last day's bill of fare most be deferred
for RfeW days, sad they will be forwarded in time for your
Tlluredsy's impreesion.—l am, Ite., METEOIL