The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-01 00:00:00

TO TRZ zorrom or TRZ Z rRZM,

Slit,—Three great steeplochases :it Warwick and
Cheltenham, and numerous exciting races at Epsom, have
kept followers of turf and field sports on full swing
since my last, and well lined the pockets of those knights
of the pencil who stick to their figures. What with % es-
pesian, Loogdown, Wild Agnes, Thalia, Aldcrufc, John
Halifax, Leases, Brown Tommy, Seamew, and other cyst
favourite* for the City and Suburban, being morally and
physically defunct before the meeting had well commenced,
and the frightful havoc played among the backers, by
Abergeldie, Endsleigh, and several lets( r luminaries, it is
shuddering to think how one-sided the settling must be ;
and certainly the refunding business over the everlasting
Soiled Dove could not be ordered at a worse time than
now, though I suppose the committee of Tattenall's—who
have complimented Mr. Chaplin by accepting his protest
that their resent censideration of the subject was not
exactly in due form—will dispose of the case for ever as
woe as possible. Apparently there were no two animal;
so " defunct " as Ahergeldie and Endshigh when the Hag
fell for the City and Suburban and SI etrojeditan both having
been privately beaten by their stable companions, De-
fiance and Douro, in • style to warrant any amount of
money being put upon these, the latter being booked an
especial good thing by one of the shrewdest men on the
turf. I ant not in a position to vouch fur the assertion,
but it is whispered that Douro lost a lot of ground at the
awkward turn into the Derby track, and if this
were the case Mr. Brayley must be found " not
guilty" of making a foolish blunder, albeit it strikes
rue that had he gone ou backing his lot as he
commenced to do, be would have got on both his represen-
tatives to win his( just as much money as Douro would
have done (between 30,000/. and 40,00 W. no doubt !) with-
out standing to lose more. However, the Littleton people
have no excuse for their mistake, which will probably
have the effect of stalling the public off H. Boater•
good things in future ' • and the three-card tricks played by
certain parties with W. Goater's trio may make them
dread this quarter for some time, too, particularly after
the wretched figure the " right pea" cut when it was dia.
covered. Thus Forsight was out of the race some distance
from home—as was also all the other favourites at the
same tune, and Lewes and Croxton told us what dreadful
errors hail been committed over Lord Westmorland's
colt and Clarice. To further prove how wretched
last season's mares were, the Mayonaise filly, close
up for the Oaks, ran no better than a 50/. plater
in the " City," whilst Tormentor herself was beaten all
the way for the Metropolitan ; but the latter will see a
better day again, many others we saw at Epsom being in
the same happy condition, particularly Fits-Ivan and
Jasper. who are in one or the other of the great three-
year old races coining off at Newmarket and Epsom
Summer. Farther I shall not remark upon the running of
the past week, for it was so contrary to anything we might
have expected that it must in many cases be upset as the
season advance, the numerous surprises being purely the
result of the bail-trained condition gentlemen were coin-
palled to bring out their horses in, owing to the long
winter. The two-year olds, nevertheless, are deserving of
mention, either for their performances or promise, Grim-
stun and Suffolk having accomplished great things, whilst
the Forest King, liatchment, Songuer, Judy M'Oree, and
others, raise the supposition by their appearance that they
will wore than pay their way during the season 18117.
We shall probably have the two crack youngsters meet
at Northampton in the Althorp Park Stakes, many"sither
interestine contests having also to come off there on Tues-
day and Wednesday, as not one of the events already com-
pleted has been interfered with detrimentally by the
Epsom doings. If the Trial Stakes and Queen's Plate only
obtain their usual entries, the proceedings will be vastly
interesting, some good three-year-olds being in the Whit-
ticbury and Racing Stakes, and the sixteen items in the
Prograiume comprising no more than five handicaps, three
of which are as popular with the public as they are
with owners of horses. First of these is the Northamp-
tonshire Stakes, a two-mile race in which there are Dun-
many, Tourtualin, Endsleigh, Douro and l'roaerpine, who
played prominent parts enough in the Metropolitan to be
worth pulling out again, though the latter inight give way
to Salpinctes, and wait from now for the Chester Cup, as
she requires some more training before a victory will be
oa the cards. Very few candidates are backed in earnest
yet, the heaviest speculations having concerned the Mar-
quis of Hastings's pair, John Davis and Lecturer, who
almost put one in mind of The Redcap and Mr. Pitt busi-
ness for the last Chester Cup. Both have I eon supported
with heavy metal by two distinctive commi,,ioners, 5001.
on last year's Northampton winner, and I d n't know how
much en the little Cesarewitch hero, being " turned in"
to headquarters, according to the man in th.• street (Wel-
lington), and I should not like to nay wi.ich is " the
wrong one," unless it is Lecturer, who, like Defiance and
Douro, won his trial. But Lord of the Dales
having gone to Danebury since the Metropolitan (which
he ought to have just about won), they should make
no mistake t here, and Lecturer is undoe btedly as great • glut-
ton as Jelin Davis, if he is not so" well in." To tight the pair
there are Mr. Itnsyley'a two, Dunsany. Tournialin, Regalia
or Scipio, Rama or Gilead, Miner, Apsley, Mies Harriette,
Flatcatcher, Nightwateh, Tacitus, Chippenham, Wild
Briar, and the Splitvote colt, according to " market indi-
cations," and as we may have Sealskin trying his luck
spin, and one or two others, a good field is ensured.
Should the llama and Regalia parties be in earnest, Lec-
turer must look to himself, the pair being just so good class
hones, and having no worst of the weights with him ; and
Mr. Begley has only to back Douro again for it to bevery
doubtful that the favourite has all the Metropolitan lot
(including Endsleigh) safe, as he is presumed to have
through Lord of the Dales. There is also Miner—a first
class horse once, and returned to his form, they say—run.
sling Lecturer at more than a stone advantage in the weights,
as do also Flatcatcher, Tacitus, Chippenham, and the
Splitvoto colt, a quartet it is impossible to condemn, for
we never saw the first or last named good-looking colts
quite fit to run, and the other two only performed once
each, when victory was impossible unless they were
"clinkers." I would rather trust John Davis against such
• lot as this than Lecturer ; but as the market will not let
me stand the old Danbury horse, my vote must be for
Miner anti Chippenham. There is no juvenile in the
Whittlehury, • six-furlong spin for twos and threes,
talked about as likely to do for such as Bismarck, Flying
Scud, Commissioner, and Leading Suit at only 231 b. for
the year ; and Wroughton, Virishs, Atalanta, Chignon,
and Lady Hester are all fair class animals, though V iridis
cannot run, and Wronghton perhaps will not. Vs'hen han-
dicapping last season's best two-year-olds, after my
review of them, I put the above-named (except-
ing Leading Suit, whose good qualities, if he pos-
ses* any, are only known at home) at such weights
ea give Flying Scud and Bismarck all the best
of it here; and though Atalante may have improved
more than either during the winter, one of the two ought
to win, the Flying Scud having slightly the best
of the " near thing." Of the first day's minor
events, it is only necemery to look at the Selby Stakes and
Stand Plate, which Lord Westmorland might win with
Veda and Lady Lambton ; and Wednesday's Racing Stakes
should go to Bismarck or Flying Scud, the probabilility
being that the one having to add 121 b. to his weight for
the Whittlebury win will retire in favour of the other.
One of the brace of two-year-old races is the Althorp-park
Stakes, wherein Songeur must have a chance at half a
stile against the 71b. penalised Grimston and Suffolk,
the latter, however, being of too good a stamp for
me to desert. Grimston has an easier task set
him in the Sweepstakes, Ninny being the best
of his opponents there that has been in public.
The St. Liz Handicap is dependent in a great measure
upon how Flatcatcher and others figure in the Northamp-
tonshire Stakes • still, the Stanton division have only to be
in earnest with bhristmas Carol or Monarch of the Glen
for one of them to be worth plunging upon, even if Vio-
lent's thirtl in the City and Suburban —,howing her to be
about the equal of Endsleigh—is not, and Usurper may be
discovered a good horse souls day. The Elul Spencer's
Plate is contested over only half the SL Liz distance, five
furlongs, and is no more thaw a gambling seramblingaffair
sensible people should look on at, and enjoy. Neverthe-
less, those who will try • long abet way do worse than
follow Cmropo, Vespasian (or their respective perties),
Huntsman, Skipper, Sleet, Commissioner, or Lion, last
year's winner, Vespaman having • very fair chance
afforded him of doing the trick again. The Waterloo
Gorse Stakes bad better be left till the gentlemen riders
are mounted; and I have nothing else to do with the
week's business now that Windsor has been swamped
again, important as is the Grand National Hunt Meeting
to be held at Bedford on Thursday and Frida next
I am, &c., R.

BELTING AT MANCE
NORTIIAIIPTONI
5 to 1 eget lecturer It r
100 to 6 Was &midis

RESTER.-BATURDAT.
SHIRE STARER
20 to 1 apt Winer I)
20 to 1 Dummy 3)
to to 1 Apiley (t)
20 to 1 Chlpponharn,t)
33 to 1 Ootoert (off)
100 to 16 Mr. Stiviere
lot 3.)

100 to 6 Rama 's)
100 to 6 Endsleigh'tead

off)
103 41 6 Dour fog)

100 to 0 John Darta(ofr,
After 10 to 1
had been If)
TWO Till
bi to 20 aaa

IMPIAND.
xi Plaudit kt,)

BETTING IN LONDON.--SAToaDAT.

There was a numerous ememblase at the dabs to-day, and
some important movements especially on the Northampton-
shire Stakes, took pima. When business opened John Davis
was apparently the favourite, 10 to 1 being taken but on a sud-
den 00 to I was offered against Min, and the wnaequenee was that
Lecturer became tbe favourite, and slimly was he ked, and for
each' lams amount of money, that his price gradually decreased
until u little as 4 to 1 was taken, and even at this point hackers
'petard u desirous u ever to set on. Subsequently fl to S and
to 1 were laid, but the extraonlinery favour la which the home
was held was proved by the fact that up to the last moment 100
to 6 "bar one "gm offered. PAW% found occasional support at
10) to e, and some seven or eight others were backed at 20 to 1,
'Met among whom were Ansley and Chippenhiun. who were
pretty freely supported at the odds mentioned. On the Karl
Spencer's Plate there appeared to be no great desire to
speculate. Chapel Royal, Huntsman, lion, King Victor,
and &inlet were each backed for • trifle ; hut there
me no demonstrative movement in favour of any par-
ticular candidate. The little speculation that took place on
the Two Thousand showed Plaudit to be In a still improving
position :5 tog was the highest offer against him, whiles to'l
would have been accepted, and 4 .0 t. NO wee taken with a start.
Hermit was also In favour, and found blends at 10 to 1. Per the