The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-13 00:00:00

- THE GREAT ST. LEGER DAY.

DONCASTER MEETlNG—Wroitzspix.

Attempts have often been made to institute com-
parisons between the great summer meetinp in the
mouth of England and the racing " Carnival" which is
annually held on the Doncaster Town Moor. All such
efforts fail in the meat signal and unmistakable manner,
for there is nothing in common between Epsom and Don-
caster, or between the thousands of people who congregate
to witness the Derby and thew who flock to note the final
struggle between the three-year-old cracks of the season in
the St. Leger. The exuberant and uproarious " demon-
libation" of the masses on the Surrey hills, the refinement
and elegance of Ascot, and the Luxuriance of Goodwood
have no like in the county of broad acres where the love
of horses is the predominant trait of the na-
tives, and is manifested so early that the first
and favourite lispings of young children are the
names of the Flying Dutchman, Blair Athol, or the
other heroes of " t' Leger." The Yorkahireman is
a hardy, and it might also be said stern sports-
man, pursuing his pastime from the innate love of its
object and results, while in the south of England it must
be admitted the great days of the turf season are cele-
brated amidst surroundings of meaningless vulgarity, or
the opposite extreme of flaunting fashion and languid effi-
malmsey. Take for instance any one given holiday-maker
at Epsom, and ask him a few questions concerning the
breeding or performances of the competitors, and you will
find him intensely ignorant or indifferent on the subject.
Rehm enjoyed the Derby-day according to his own notions
In • van where a beery musician plays incoherent tunes,
be has decorated himself with dolls, and, in an excess of
Cockney humour, he has even donned his wife's bonnet.
Moreover, he has exhausted the capacious stone bottle of
its contents, and at an early portion of the afternoon has
become a highly appropriate subject to fill in Mr. George
ffiruiekshanks picture of the " Worship of Bacchus."
Nothing can be mare dissimilar than the conduct and de
portment of the Yorkshimman bent on witnessing the
issue of the Bt. Leger. To him it is an absorbing and
serious business, and he has studied the performances as
carefully as • University undergraduate " crams" for an
examination. He can not only tell you all the antece-
dents of the cracks, but he can expound upon equine pedi-
gree unto the third and fourth generation, and enliven
his narrative with a hundred little anecdotes of
famous owners, trainers, and jockeys. A Yorkshireman
never journeys to Epsom on the Derby day without show-
ing his extreme contempt for the fripperies and the jollities
prevalent on that occasion ; and were a batch of Cockneys
to invade the Doncaster Town Moor on any St. Leger day,
and attempt to introduce any of their extraordinary con-
comitants of fun, they would, we almost think, be immo-
hated by the infuriated Tykes on the sacred ground of
t'Dutehman and Blair Athol. Much of the dissimilarity of
Doncaster and the summer meetings of the south arises
from the opposite periods of the season at which the meet-
ings are held. In the months of May, June, and July, the
costumes of both sexes are light in texture, and gay
of colour, but in September the change of material is
particularly observable, and the Town Moor in
consequence bears an almost sombre appearance when
contrasted with the effect of the southern courses. The
thousands and thousands of foot people on the course are
chiefly of the artizan class, among whom the " Sheffield
grinder" is always conspicuous, busily engaged in discuss-
ing the chances, and talking over the latest fluctuations in
the betting. In fact the spectators at Doncaster have not
visited the course to parade their own vanities, or to make
the occasion an excuse for much eating and drinking, but
to see the St. Leger run, as • matter of absorbing inte-
rest from the questions involved. Notwithstanding the
indifference with which the St. Leger was treated until a
few weeks since, its approach revived all the old
curiosity and excitement, not only in sporting circles,
but with the more general public. The race has
been for many years remarkable for its totally
unexpected results, many of our best horses, Ellington,
Thormanby, Kettledrum, and Blink Bonny to wit, having
been compelled to lower their colours in the St. Leger,
after having immortalised themselves as Derby winners.
When indeed the race has appeared • " moral certainty"
for some particular horse, judged according to his perfor-
mances, an outsider has " dropped from the clouds," as in
the case of Caller Oa and Kettledrum, when the mare
beat the Derby winner by a head, and 100 to 1 was laid
against her when the horses were actually within half-a-
mile of the winning post. Still the favourites, Marquis,
lard Clifden, Blair Athol, and Gladiateur have secured
the St. Leger for four years in succession, and the pro-
found " prophets," or rather fatalists, prognosticated that
the charm would this year be broken, and that one of the
outsiders would bowl over the almost invincible Lord
Lyon, the winner of the Two Thousand and Derby, who
was set to emulate the triple triumph of West Australian
and Gladiateur, and " sweep " the three great three-year-
old stakes of the year. Mr. Sutton's colt had greatly dis-
tinguished himself in a most brilliant two-year-old career,
the running a dead heat when unfit in the Champagne at
this meeting last year, and afterwards winning the Troy
Stakes and the Criterion in • common canter. During
the racing interregnum he was one of the most popular
"winter favourites," and justified the expectations of his
admirers by winning the Two Thousand in the style of a
consummate racehorse. No greater proof can be adduced
of the estimation in which he was held than in the
fact that in • field of 26 runners for the
Derby odds of 6 to 5 were absolutely betted
on him, an honour and confidence which backers
of horses had never bestowed on his illustrious prede-
cessors, West Australian and Gladiateur. The most
astounding affair was that the "certainty" was only
brought off by a bead, and this close contest, rested with
the great public performer who bad hitherto proved his in-
vincibility and a dark horse, who was best known as the
`• Bribery colt," and own brother to that exceptionably
grand animal St. Albans, with whom Lord Ailesbury won
the St. Leger in 1860. The " near thing" it became be-
tween Lord Lyon and Savernake engendered a eerie:7 of
diverse opinions, but the supporter, of The Lord have
always maintained that he would have won the Derby far
more easily had Custance not been suffering tram a dis-
abled arm, and being compelled ..o ride at the finish with
one hand only. The partisans of Savernake insisted that
he ought to have won, and that " too much use" was
mrde of him, although it is but right to say, in justice to
young French, who by a singular caprice of fortune has
ridden the second horse in the last two Derby', that he
rode in strict conformity with the " orders" fie had re-
ceived from both the noble owner and the trainer of the
" Bribery colt." Still, the desperate struggle between the
pair at Epsom was sufficient to render their second anta-
gonism most interesting and exciting. Most unfortunately
for Lord Ailesbury's colt he went amiss for some time after
the Derby, iu consequence of which he was compelled to
be withdrawn from stveral highly valuable engagements
at Ascot and Goodwood, which he could not otherwise
have lost. The St. Leger, then, according to all proba-
bilities, became a mere question of health and fitness for Lord
Lyon ; and it was presumed that Savernske's chance bad
been extinguished by the eventualities of training. For
some mouths comparatively long prices were laid against
Savernake, on the obvious presumption that he was no
longer formidable, but he rose like " a Melds from
his ashes," and was so steadily supported in the
market that he reached as little as four to one. On
Friday last, however, he was reported to have been beaten
in his trial by his stable companions Bradamante and
Pintail, and was once more driven to 10 to 1, offered. In
the opinion of most of the best judges his case was con-
sidered hopeless, as some of Lord Ailesbury's intimate
friends and advisers forthwith "hedged " their money.
Curious enough the horse, whose position was most mys-
terious, underwent • strong reaction, and since Saturday
he bad been rapidly rising, and on Tuesday night a noble
lord, and one of our most extensive owners, backed him for
6001. et as little as sto 1 and 9to 2. It may also be men-
tioned, that when galloped on the town moor on Tuesday
morning, his appearance and style of moving won him
fresh friends, andumuistakeably strengthened his position
in the market. Chailoner was some tame since retained to
ride Savernake, so that the horse had in the engagement
of the famous " Macaroni jockey," the services of one of the
first horsemen in the country, and no excuses could be ten-
dered for his defeat, and nothing was wanting to insure
his victory. An entirely new phase was given to the pros-
pects of the race when Rustic defeated Lord Lyon at
Ascot. Gut the backers of " the Lord " have ever since
ignored that performar.ce, as being no indication of the
horse's actual form. It was alleged that Lord Lyon bad
been " eased " between the Epsom and the royal meeting,
and that in addition he was suffering from cracked heels,
and conceding 61lis (plenty of weight) to Rustic, over the
severe Ascot course, with its trying and often fatal hill to
Amish on. Said further surprise was manifested when
Rustic succumbed in the Great Yorkshire Stakes
to Stratliconan. a despised outsider whom Lord
Lyon had defeated almost " out of sight" in
the Champagne when • 2-yr-old, and again in
the Derby. Strathconan's triumph, however, tickled
the pride of the Yorkshiremen immensely, as they
saw a prospect by no means remote of the " blue riband of
the north " being carried off by one of the county stables.
A St. Lager without " Scott's lot "freely mentioned in con-
nection therewith would be like the play of Hamlet with
the Prince of Denmark omitted. The Melton trainer had
a couple of animals is Westwick and Knight of the One-
cant, who even in the face of the favouritism of Lord
Lyon and Siwernake, were backed for considerable sumaof
mousy both to win and • piece, a highly popular method