The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-05 00:00:00

*potting futtlligence.
THE SPRING HANDICAP ACCEPTANCES.

TO THE EDITOR Or THE EXPRESS.
Sta,—lt is evident that Vewmarket will not be
allowed to rest in pewit with its Two Thousand and Derby
cracks, the fire of the sharpshooters having, for the last
two or three days, been diverted from Richmond's be-
loved Plaudit, and directed against the vaunted champions
of " head quarters." The Rake and Hermit are peppered
most persistently and unmercifully (Dragon. too, has lung
been under a cloud), and if Plaudit is really on the sick
list (!), there is no telling what may happen before the
two events are decided. Just now, they are about as
puzzling as the handicap races that last Wed-
nesday presented themselves ripe for speculation,
and concerning which handicappers took such
pains to give equal chances to all, that it is
very like presumption to attempt to point out the
probable winners, especially before the private trials at
home and abroad are brought off, and "the money" put
on. However, let me endeavour to place before your
raiders the sayings and suspicions with reference to the
animal., fancied by the " knowing ones," and then, if
they will invest so early, at the risk of " forestalling"
the poor injured innocents who are sometimes obliged to
wretch their horses at the last moment, they can judge
for themselves what is best to do. Already backers of
horses for the Chester Cup are discovered with " dead
money " on their books, the sly investments upon
Ackworth, Treasure Trove, Scarborough, Rococo, Nu-
trition, Lady Vane, Sportsman, Othello, Ike., before the
handicap was framed, and upon Strathconan, Miss Her.
riette, Honitress, and others afterwards, being all gone, as
thew are among the forfeit paying lot. But I Muted in
my last that Monitreu too well in," and perhaps
backers have got the best of the bookmakers at preeent,
for nothing beyond those named pegged out after being
backed. John Day's lot of wren, all pronounced
favoured, are among the acceptances; yet they each have
prior engagements, with the exception of Redcap and the
• dark " L nets, and it is not improbable we shall see The
Duke at Lincoln, and John Davis in the Northampton-
shire Stakes, where they have very excellent prospects, in
the event of which it may he for Lecturer and (Miners to
do the honours over the Rhoodee. The Cesarewitch
. . . .

winner is treated with the greatest leniency—quite as
much as Moulsey, if we take the line through Aetna, and
it cannot be doubted which is the better stayer. This
Moulsey is one of six at Wadlow's„ where there might be
one to take his place in the market some day,
Mrs. Allan having long been whispered as a good
filly. Like Lecturer, l'roaerpine has been tenderly
handled by the handicapper, and the pair's both running
into a " place" for the Chester Cup, as they did in the
Cesarewitch, would be no surprise. Rama was in the
Newmarket race with them, but overweightmh and he
will not be beaten so far in this enoounter, if he is the
best they have in the stable, a question rather doubted,
some having it Gilead, and others Foresight will be " the
one." But all three are engaged in previous long races,
there being more unlikely circumstances on the cards than
Rama and Gilead shining at Epsom and Northampton.
The next best Chester Cup " lot" is Price's Barrington,
Leases, and Scipio, being set down as better than Wright
or flinty makes them out, whilst Quick March, and Mdlle.
Cleopatra have not weight enough, looking at their hest
doings. It is not improbable that Mr. Graham's and this
lot will trw in the same boat, Caithness, AlOrroft,
- • " • ' •

and Chepstow composing a trio thit can do good help in
• trial spin ; and should it tuns out that Scipio and
Aldcroft are the good horses rumour state* them to be,
they will become " warm." They have each three other
engagements, however, to meet first, so that it will
hardly do to invest upon them yet for Chester, wherein
Caithness stands alone, at a very fair impost. I cannot
see Jollity's chance, nor the Amanda colt's, Golding
having only another ally, Dutch Admiral ; but we must
look after the Yorkshire Dawson, when 7st Sib was
not good enough for Rococo, Harrogate taking my fancy
not a little, though they say Bracken and Weather
Star are the best of the Middlebam string. Rich-
mond will have it that Newland can settle all the
host in the north, an idea with which I rather coin-
cide, as the horse invariably ran stout and well last
year, when never quite up to the mark. The
three-year-olds were very strangely handicapped by Mr.
Topham, as he did not make more than 71b difference
between the 47 placed before him ; still he got mere than
two-thirds of the number to remain in—a plain indication
that there must be some flyers among them the world
knows nothing of. It will take a first-rater to win, never-
theless, seeing how well The Clown has slipped in, and
also Skirmish, who might stay the two miles and a ,piarter
and then win, as he assuredly would do were the distance
a mile less. Surney appears to be more in the Liverpool
Steeplechase line. and A11(.11111", has yet to prove that he
can stay, if he is the good horse reported, his owner having
put him in all the three short races, consequently the
Epsom division may have to depend on Mr. Heatheote's
horse at Chester ; and what • coup it would be if they won
for the fourth time ! Dalby is away from his old neighbours
now, and will have tobe a "clinker" toget home with set 101 b,
giving 3-yr-olds like Newland, Bracken, and Harrogate
some three stone. no foregoing trio are good performers
enough to stand on against all the youngsters, for all the
whispers about Scipio and Weather titer ; and we have
the good performing Lecturer Rama, Caithness, Moulsey,
Skirmish, Oomera, and Proserpine to oppose the myste-
rious division of elder horses (such as The Clown, Aber-
geldie, and Aldcroft) that have been kept so long for some-
thing. Still it often happens that the Chester Cup is won
by a horse whose previous doings were not recommenda-
tory Dalby (first time), Flash-in-the-Pan, Tim Whiffler,
and 'Leamington (first time) to wit, so that I must not be
too sweet upon my Primerpine. Lecturer, and Rama,
formidable as they will be if "well and wanted " on the
day.
Mr. Topham's steeplechase proluction, the Liverpool
Grand National, has not given such satisfaction, the entice
wanting to know why a lot of strangers quite unknown to
fame should be conceding weight to Clansman, Surney,
Clairvoyante, Doctor, Columbia, Shengarry, Shakespeare,
and the Plover, whose jumping abilities are shown, or
strongly suspected by the million, to be good. Mr. Studill,
who did the trick with rialamiusda last year, has three
good chances with Clansman, Shangarry, and (they say)
Despatch ; and Mr. B. J. Angell is not to he denied with
his Alcibiade, Columbia, and Rhodomontade, Columbia
being • particular favourite of mine ; consequently the
two strings are bound to produce two great " pots," only
Surney seeming so " well in" as their champion. Lin-
coln will have a great steeplechase, but not 'nth a " great
event" as the Lincolnshire Handicap, wherein the
Duke of Hamilton appears to be on the road
to victory, his Beadle having very little to
fear beyond Christmas Carol's legs being sound,
Vigorous being in the humour, or a Treasure Trove
turning up from among the three year olds. Epsom
will probably supply a " good thing" in Vigorous or Ayles-
bury ; and it will be as well to follow them on the home
ground, too, seeing how nicely Brown Tommy and Ales-
bury are weighted for the City and Suburban. In this
event, however, we have Wallow as formidable as at
Chester, what with Sportsman, Anchorite, and three
others, and it will never do to overlook a turned-loose four
year old like the Mayonaise filly, nor Clarice, Scipio, or
'Weather Star, suppusing the two latter really are good
colts. What will wake up the Northamptonshire Stakes
field must depend on how things go off at Epsom, where
there is the Metropolitan besides the City to conic off. I
notice many homes, too, in both the long races, and until
it is determined what game will be played with ficelskin,
Rams, Tounnalin, Othello, the Amanda colt, Gilead, and
Weather Star (Othello ought certainly to prefer the
Metropolitan), no one should plunge on the Northampton-
shire Stakes, unless they went for John Davis, Flatcatcber,
Nutrition, or the Splitvote colt, a quartet with no prior
engagements.—l am, Lc., METEOR.

CARMARTHENSHIRE HUNT STEEPLE-
CHASES. -Tummy.

Homis ARlLlVEL.—Merrimac, Flyfisher, Daisy. Meer-
schaum. Trapeze, Garus, Whitehall, Mulberry, Ballet
Girl, Milford, Aprilis, Pensioner, Seucebox,
Jack o' Newbary, Newton, Knit*, The Fawn, Moonbairn,
Ealyfox, Zephyr, Arleaeott, St. Maximum, The Nun, Robin
Adair, Hazard, Hoplas, The Captain, Sir Anthony, The
Thane. Many others are expected us the morning.