The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-18 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE Ezra/2m

the victims of Soiled Dore are not
fairly sentenced yet, the investigation at Tattersall's on
Monday hist, and consequent order for the readjustment
of accounts, being protested against by one of the principal
sufferers as illegal. Mr. Chaplin's manifesto is quiet and
to the point, and he makes his plea out of pure love of
" justice to the backers" of the luckless impostor ; yet his
championship of the oppressed is not likely to be of such
service to the poor " punter," as was his remarkable
withdrawal of Purchase after the dead heat with
that tremendous favourite, &shy, at Newmarket,
last October, as under any circumstances it can
only be a case of sentence deferred. But fur
this mild sensation, steeplechasing would still be
all the rage in racing circles, the legitimate business at
Chelmsford having poisesed far leas interest than the
bulletins front Croydon—where, after two postponements,
they managed to make a start on Saturday afternoon, to
the pecuniary disadvantage of the followers of Cortolvin.
The Grand National hero went so short and bad that he
was incapable of beating the useful Sir Bobby over three
miles, and it is a question whether be had not better
withdraw from the steeplechase to-day (Monday), if not
the Warwick Grand AnnuaL One of the Liverpool
" dead'uns," Doctor, won the Croydon Hurdle Race so
easily sa to hold out the hope that he may do for the
Surrey Open Steeplechase, for all the ilb penalty.
However, the Duke of Hamilton has Slyfox to do
battle in place of Cortolvin, and I should not be surprised
at his winning, Hornet (a rood horse, no doubt) having to
give him a stone, and the course not being so suitable to
Sea King, perhaps, as' that at Aintree.
A dozen other rucetings have to be held during the week,
at all of which we shall have steeplechasing, three-fourths
of them being devoted to that description of sport ; never-
theless, whatever interest the metropolitans may take in
Margate and Bromley, the only important proceedings on
the tapir are in the Warwick bill of fare. This extends
over twenty-eight items, which have to be got through in
three days, and some of are worth contending for,
though the best prize on the firm day's card will be the
Willoughby Handicap, one mile. Herein the Duke of ,
Hamilton stands with three, and he appears to possess an '
excellent chance of carrying off another race with The
Beadle, badly as Vandervelde ran at Chelmsford, for
if they do let Life Guardsman run the stone may
not quote bring them together. Sultan does not appear
good enough to contend against Moulsey for the Trial
Stakes, Lord Batemait's horse having more to fear from
Radon, who ought to give the weight to the three-year-
olds, considering that one of the lot may be ready or
wanted. Mistletoe is handicapped leniently enough in the
five-furlong Plate, Queen of Trumps having to give her
251 b, and she is not to be despised ; but Lord Westmor-
land having three entered, and the old Queen's party the
same number, the event is scarcely ripe for discussion
now' The Hurdle Race is in even a worse predicament,
for Mr. Carew owns at least four, Lord Paulett three, and
several gentlemen a couple each, of the party—two
entered, and it is bard to tell yet whether there are
better things than Jacob and Benazet in their re-
spectiee interests. As the Stand Plate may not be
good enough for the two top-weights, last year's winner,
Gordian Knot, might do the trick again, supposing his legs
have not quite gone, Her Ladyship being about the best of
his opponents. There is nothing tempting in the 23 move.
Sweepstakes for 2.yr-olds, the thrice-defeated Eau-de- Vie
—who will not improve as he advances in years, or rather
months—having only Lady Barbara, the Lampada colt,
and Haymarket safe on paper, all his nine other oppo-
nents being "dark." There is nothing else in Tuesday's
list worth looking at, and I can only deal with a couple of
Wednesday's races, the two minor handicaps depending on
bow things progress previously, though Queen of Trumps
will always look dangerous for the half-mile spin. The
Two-Year-Old Stakes, like The Sweep, is over three fur-
longs only, and hence the 4lb penalty on Ninny's back will
not be a serious hindrance to her, seeing all the other
winners—Ma.sderwen, Substance, and Pyrenees--are
similarly penalised, and the only one that has a chance
against her of the whole public lot engaged is Maesdsrwen,
who will shine better over " three-quarters " than three
furlongs. The Great Warwickshire Handicap, one mile
and a half, is little more than a question of health for
Blonitress, failing whom—and her most recent perform-
ances last autumn were dreadful—my vote must be divided
between Pintail and Wandering Minstrel, after Skirmish's
retreat from the Liverpool Cup. Colonel Knox has three
in the two-mile Steeplechase set for Thursday, including
the promising Stiff ; and he will not have many to dispose
of, in my opinion, beyond the Cutler, Marble Hill, and
Oscar. The Grand Annual Steeplechase, four miles, is
as big an event, oo paper, aa the Grand National,
the race being so open that there would be nothing asto-
nishing in a field of twenty facing the starter. Columbia,
The Doctor, and others not wanted for the Liverpool, swell
the acceptances, and the mare will be dangerous if allowed
to run, the galloping being just what she will like ; still
many wo aaw run forward fora long
'way on Wednesday
week last will be served by the good going" here, and
Shakespeare, Sea King, Tennyson, and King Arthur may
carry their owners good money again. Now that things
look so bad, too, for Cortolvin, we should have Shangany
and Fan in the front again, Mr. Studd undoubtedly pos-
sessing two good horses, besides Shangarry, in Despatch
and Clansman, his fourth string, Sensation, being also
ungaged. Add to the above-mentioned Astrolabe (who
fell at Liverpool), Meanwood, and Hornet, and we shall
have a sufficient number of horses whose form is known
to be good now to make up a big field from, Grace
Darling, again, being a light weight, whispered about as a
pretty fair jumper. Looking carefully through the handi-
cap, Hornet is best "in," having run fifth to Globule at
Croydon, carrying list. albs., after a fall, whilst he once
beat Astrolabe fairly enough at a stone ; nevertheless,
the French mare will be so much at home on the Warwick
course that she must be written dangerous, and there is
no certainty about Fan beating her again if the Hornet
can. The only other event to be dealt with is the six-
furlong Plate, wherein Effervesence appears the most
troublesome opponent of the two heavily-weighted flyers.
—I am, &c., METEOR.

CROYDON SPRING STEEPLECHASES. --SATURDAY.
This meeting, after having been postponed from Thursday on
account of the inclement weather, commenced to-day. The
morning opened beautifully flue, and though there had been •
severe frost overnight, the general warmth of the sun had
moistened the geound considerably prior to the opening of the
proceedings, and rendered the course, though somewhat heavy,
very falrgoing, everything considered. The attendance did nut
appmach by many hundreds that of the autumn meeting, yet the
gatekeepers must have taken no despicable amount during the
day. There was plenty of accommodation on the stand for any
number of visitors, which, no doubt, will be fully appreciated on
Monday If the weather keep fine, with the various otherimprove-
meats which redound tothe creditor theindelstlgable committee.
The racing began with the Open Hunters' Stakes, for which Maure-
pas and Lincoln darted, and which the young Duke's horse won
anyhow ; Lincoln knocked completely out of time, falling a
couple of fences from home. The Steeplechase Cup produee4 a
field of four, and resulted In a rare turn-up for the fielders,
Cortolvin's chance, from his performance In the Grand National,
was considered such a foregone conclusion that the odds of 6 to
2 were freely laid on Man, but he was never "In the hunt,"
after going a mile. As he took his preliminary canter it MUM,
have been apparent to the merest tyro in racing that It was not
such a good thing after all ; he galloped like a Hampstead-
heath donkey, and looked as little like the winner of the Leer-
pool event. Let It not he supposed for a moment, however, that
Sir Bobby did not earn his laurels as gallantly many little hone
In the world could; he ran throughout like the sound game
hit of horseflesh he is, and Jumped his femme like neat. Consi-
dering that he is really no bigger than • sheep's heal order •
microscope, this is a wonderful performance, but we still have
our doubts whether It is not too good to be true. He led detest
from end to end, and Torn Ablett had as much as he couki do to
pull at him. The most important contest of the day was the
Grand National Hurdle Ras*, for which a dozen made their ap-
pearance. The Doctor, who was backed for lumps both at the
pod and all over London, kept in the front range from start to
finish, and event won cleverly by a length. Fortunatus
looked particularlydangerous all through, but swerved all over
the course at the finish a most unaccountable manner.

Tim OPI3 liciTaits' STAKES of 6 eon. each, for hunters, at
lbt each : gentlemen riders, proleselonals extra. About three
miles. (10 rubs;
Duke of
) Hamilton's Ileurepas, aged, 12st
(Mr.7lb 71b
extra Crawehaw) 1
_ . .

LW!. oln alao rim

Betting opened at 6 to 5, but closed at evens on Lincoln.
Tag Clion:0011 971S.PLECHASZ CUP, value 100 soya, by sub-
scription of 10 sova. each, b It, with 50 added for 4-)polds and
upwards : weight fur age, with penalties and allowances. About
three miles. (17 subs.
)Ii J. Daily's Sir bobby, by ffutchia's Hercules—dam by
David, aged, 12st 914 .inc. Sib extra)
Duke of Hamilton's Cortolvin, aged, 121 t 12Ib (Inc. 7111
extra; (J. rags) I
_

o others raa.

Betting : 6 to 2 on Cottol;in, 5 ti; 1 apt Sir Bobby, and 10 to 1
"bar two.-

A Biii.lllo BTIZPLACITASI of Sion. each, with 00 added, for
4-yr-olds and upwards; weight for age, with selling allowances.
About two rullea
Mr. Williams's St. Maximum (A3)l, aged, list 71b (=lion) I
Mr. Williams's Monitor (LSO), 6 yrs, list (J. Knott) 2
Mr. Dalley'a Atalanta (1.30). aged, lilt 7lb (T. Ablett, 3
Betting : g to 4 on St um, and t to 1 agst Atalanta.

THI °RAND NATIONAL HANDICAP HCADLN HACH otl6 DOM
each. 10 ft, and 3 only U declared, with 200 added, second to re-
ceive 30 move. About two miles and a quarter. ($5 muba ,17 of
whom pay 3 nova each.)
Mr. W. Mytton's The Doctor, by The Cure—Margaret of
Anjou, aged, Mat (Wheeler
Mr. Carew 's Fortunate', mod, 11mi 121) ..(11r. Crawshaw
Mr. H. Rlckard's The 6 yrs, list 101 h (Alekardsi 3