The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-02 00:00:00

TO THI MOTTOS OP THI ZLPRIPB.

SlR,—Small fields, indifferent plating, a great
quantity of welshing, and occasionally some strange " per-
formances," have been the characteristics of the half dozen
holiday meetings held since my last, which have not
touched upon the St. Leger in any way, nor any other great
race forthcoming, supposing a Tibthorpe were abroad
woring for the admiral's autumn handicaps, that are to
make their appearance next Thursday. Very few will
dare to perform at Warwick on Tuesday and Wed-
nesday with an eye to these latter, and hence the
current week will be another dull one, unless something
serious should happen to the St. Leger favourites or the in-
ventors of canards are in the humour for work. Already,
to enliven the " dead season " (peculiar to the honey as
well as the outer world), we have had faint rumours of
frightful catastrophes, the favourite "place" investment
for the northern blue Abend, Julius, and even Achieve-
ment, being set down as the victims, fora few brief hours,
of the ills horseflesh is heir to at hard times. But they are
going on with Hermit just well enough to keep all others
from dreaming of running in the first three, and much
better than Vauban or Challenge, who are each taking a
rest that will not be good for those standing them to do
the trick on the 11th of St. Partridge unless they
can go into strong work Instanter. Poor Plaudit
is in the sale list, Marksman and D'E.tournel are
both very " dicky," and Taraban is not to be trusted,
consequently there areonly Fervacques and Van Amburgh,
after Achievement, Hermit, and Jdius, to talk about se-
riously, and I am greatly afraid his lionic majesty, for all
is now breathing the same air as Surplice did, will not be
so fit as at Doncaster hero ought to be. His trainer knows
his business too well to rattle a horse of his frame along
if there were twenty Bellinger, in perspective, and Van
was so backward at Goodwood and Brighton, that without
he could stand severe work, his case was hopeless. Such
as he and Challenge, or Vauban, or Julius, or perhaps
Marksman, may make • " sensation" at Warwick one way
or the other ; but in these fast days operators need not
wait until a race meeting before they " cooper
a favourite," and their doings under the wing of Mr.
Samuel Merry will only be of the " bull" and " bear"
kind, supposing no brnik down or defeat in a trial should
actually happen on either day. Penciller, will have quite
enough to do to operate on the event, in the programme,
• bakers' dozen of the sixteen advertised having already
come to a head, and it will be sharp work to " tumble" to
some of these, though the paddock is so handy to the ring
that any one can see for himself what horses are fit and
well, or merely out for an airing. These are ticklish
times, nevertheless, for a poor " prophet," when the
weights for so many race, fortunes can be won over are
just due ; and to add to the difficulties of dealing with
the principal feature of the week, the Leamington Stakes,
there are two trainers with lota of five each, among the
acceptances. John Day's string all belong to the Marquis
of Hastings, whose Lecturer is handicapped with old
Moulsey, as though the Brighton and Bath Cup results
should be set at naught, at the seine time that John Davis,
Redcap, Mir Havelock, and Red ltiband are all " well in."
The latter is of no account, and Redmp, must stay better
than he did with Opoponsx at the meeting by the
sea" to carry home even his light impost, whilst
Miss Havelock might be in keeping for the Cesarewitch
if her Lewes defeat is to be ignored ; so that, John
Davis having done quite enough this season to make him
stale, it is hard to say what will carp the red and white
hoops. Alexander Taylor's five consist of Mr. Payne's
Bradasnante, Pintail, and Safety, with Lord Ailesbury'm
Whalebone and Lord Paramount ; and we may have both
colours represented, Whalebone and Pintail sawing good
reason to cry content. The mare is really favoured, and if
in form will be an awkward antagonist for the champion
of John Day's, even should Miss Havelock carry the heavy
metal. The latter is receiving 13 lb from Beeswing, who
appears to be Mr. Heathoote's representative, in prefer-
ence to Monitress at over two atone less ; and Rama gives
her 121 b, too, a feat so difficult for him to perform after his
Lewes running, that Mr. Chaplin should depend on Mail
Train if he hopes for nooses. The pair are both in the
Cmarewitch, with Blinklioolis, and until the weights are
issued for that their owner may not expose one of his good
horses; but should Mail Train be wanted here, he must
about win, being almost as well in at 7st 71b as Regalia is
at Bet 2lb on her best form, and this is good enough for
anything. Retrousse has not been out all the year, and
whether he is fit to run I know not, no more than I do
whether Lord Westmorland's lighter weight, Thalia, can
stay, or Broadlands is the good horse some people set
him down. Dr. Syntax or the Lizard are bound to
run well for Danes Inn with their light weights ;
aevertheless, on this year's best form Pintail looks
like beating all the turned loose old crocks, and
she might tnumph if Mail Train is not to start, as neither
Beeswing nor Miss Havelock may be able to give her the
weight, supposing they do perform, and Regalia will
always be too uncertain to trust implicitly over • long
course now. Mr. Ten Broeck will be there" in all the
minor handicaps of the first day, and with following
every time his colours are seen ; and he will not be idle
in the second day's, though Drum or Delby may be too
much for Batthyany in the County, and Mr. Angell or
Confederate in the Grand Stand Plate Mr. Bayley,
again, having Mariner nicely in the Nursery. The
weight for age items are not vastly important,
Veda having only to dispose of the Earl
to win both the Castle-park and two and three-year-old
sweepstakes, and the Cup being certain not to attract
more than two or three of the good horses entered,
the most likely one to do the trick being Beeswing. The
Welter Cup, either Redcap or Black Prince can quaff,
though the first day's results may almost spoil the race,
and at the same tune throw • great light on the Mem-
bers' Plate.

Margate natives and visitors have their " bit of fun"on
Monday and Tuesday, and I pity those who may run up to
Shottendane for a quiet day, if the gentry who patronise
the cheap excursion train are anything like the
gang who " dial" Yarmouth and the Ipswich
refreshment room on their way dorm—last Tuesday.
The racing will be lees than insignificant, and the two
meetings that follow on to Warwick, occupying Thursday
and Friday, will not be far removed from plating form,
though there are some good animals in the Trial and prin-
cipal two year old event at Abindon. Orion is in both,
and may cleverly win the Abindgdon Stakes, unless
Formosa has thoroughly recovered from the illness she was
suffering under at Goodwood, albeit Volunteer must
" tie him up" ;or the TriaL The principal handicap is a
dead failure, so overdone are we just now
with little races, and the minor ones must
not be looked at until the curtain falls
on the Warwick proceedings. These will have a pretty
considerable say with reference to the events in the
Leicester bill of fare, upon which I can remark no further
than that Lady Highthorn should win tho Skeffington
Park Stakes, and Success prove himself well-named in
the Leicestershire Handicap, unless his party mean busi-
ness with East Lancashire instead, neither of Mr. Chaplin•
being quite so formidable as he is, much as little Bartle
may like the mile and a half.
One or two very " small potatoes" help to swell the
current week's list of fixtures, that are not worth even
naming, professional racing men not saving themselves
for Doncaster having enough to do to assist first at War-
wick and then at Abingdon or Leloester.—l am fie.,
➢LKrEOR.