The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-30 00:00:00

*parting lEntriligenct.

CHESTER DOSALISINGSBURY , AID
THE ASCOT AND
MEETING&

TO Tall TOMS 01 MI 1/141128.
Sig,—Every week we see the Derby becoming
gradually reduced to • moodier compass. The deprecia-
tion of the form displayed at two-years-old by Student,
Janitor, The Primate, Auguste, Magician, &c., and the
failure of Apaley, Mammal's, the Peer, War, Westwick,
and others, to sustain their private characters when they
emerged from their obscurity leaving the two divisions—
the public and the dark horses—but poorly represented.
It is true Ceylon end Knight of the Crescent each made a
respectable debut at Newmarket, where, too, we
saw Lord Glasgow's colours and Monarch of the
Glen in a much more favourable light than was
expected, after what they did last year ; but Ceylon
happens to be in the same interest as Rustic, and the
only one that appeared to seriously jeopardise the chances
of the two favourites after the Two Thousand was decided
was Delight, who came to such sad grief at Chester. The
Rhoodee Cup would have been the St. Albans and Petra
race over again, that many looked forward to had
Delight stood up, the only difference being that Dolby
would have proved the Petra in place of Redcap ; and yet
it must always be doubted whether the young one would
have beaten the five-year-old, the opinion to the contrary
entertained by the jockeys riding in the race not-
withstanding, for Dolby pulled up surprisingly fresh.
Had Delight finished but second to him, and got
through the effort without breaking down, he would
have done very well for the Derby, • glance at Dalby being
all that was necessary to convince anyone what a very
different horse he was to the Highflyer's dam colt of last
year, when he could only beat Buokfoot • neck at 711, in
the Chester Cup, and ran so badly at Shrevrsbur7 in the
autumn. Always appearing a colt that wanted time,
from the date of his showing in the Ebor Handicap of
1864, his party had the patience to give it him, and he is
now not only a horse of no little quality, but, what is
better, a sound one, that may long remain on the turf
to perpetuate the fame of Daniel o'Rourke. Redcap,
perhaps on acoount of the bard ground, failed to run up to
his trial with John Davis, whoseperformanosat Northamp-
ton, however, always had a very strange appearance, and
I have • strong suspicion that more of those in the field he
scattered went for than against him. Moulsey ran • good
horse.under the weight, still there was nothing startling
in his performance, seeing that Treasure Trove (fourth)
was once nearly down, Honesty (fifth) ran very mode-
rately next day, and the broken-down Delight was not far
off. Many of the others fell lame, broke down, or met
with mishaps of some kind, Bangs& breaking his leg, and
Saladin having part of his foot literally torn away with the
plate ; whilst Burney and Sandal, when lying very for-
ward, were seriously disappointed, with Kingfisher (a
better horse than many think) and others. The
Lion, Buckfoot, and Blithfield, who swelled the
lame list, would have been better at home, for the
two first named were in the same interests as Treasure
Trove and Dalby, and it was always impossible to train the
six-year old ; anti Clown was only started to make running
foe Redcap, which he did moat effectually, the race being
one of the fastest on record, and the time—which beats
Blair Athol's and Kettledrum's 2 minutes 43 seconds, in
the Derby—the best ever made at Chester. It was thus
no wonder that, with the ground so hard, there should be
many breaks-doyen, and the Delight party have every
reason to regret not saving the horse for the Derby, which
I believe they seriously thought of just after he won the
City and Suburban. But, as with the unlucky
Yellow Jack, whose severe race for the Chester
Cup lost him the Derby, they attempted too much,
to the benefit of the backers of Lord Lyon
sad Rustic. The Cup, since the decline of the Dee Stakes,
is the only Cheshire event that is worth talking about
afterwards; and for the features of the minor races we
have to fall back on the clever " double" performed by
the Marquis of Hastings with Pantaloon and Professor
Anderson on Thursday (though he might have made a
" declaration" which would have justified the wrong one
being pulled in favour of the right, and many thought the
same " party" might also have scratched Mr. Pitt for the
Cap earlier than they did, after making him such a great
favourite) ; the shabby trick played with Life Guardsman
in not running him for the Dee Stakes after his jockey
was weighed, for which many suffered ; and the
blunder committed in letting • winning horse,
Lucifer, run as a maiden in the three-year-old
Beaufort Biennial. The conditions for this latter race
were certainly badly framed, but if the original advertise-
ment of the event had been consulted the error would not
have been fallen into, as that said the race was " for two-
year-oldsin 1865 . . . . and to be run at three years old in
the following year ; winners in 1865 of 100 soya. at any one
time, 31b ; two or 200 soya , 51b extra ; winners in 1866 of
200 soya. of not less than six subscribers to carry 51b
extra ; maidens in 1866 allowed 81b ; to run at two years
old, first day, three-quarters of a mile ; and at three years
old, no day fixed, one mile and a quarter." The intention
is here quite apparent, that maiden three-year-olds shall
take an allowance and maiden two-year-olds not, which is
all right enough, as a horse that has been training sixteen
months without winning is entitled to some advantage ; but
those who let Lucifer run with 81b off quite misconstrued
both the epirit and the wording of the conditione, and &school-
boy could have told them, sitar reading the fourth rule of
racing (" a maiden horse or mare is one that has never won
• plate or sweepstakes in any country "), that • winner last
year could not be a " maiden in 1866." Reading the con-
ditions even as the partisans of Lucifer do the horse will
be found to have carried the wrong weight for they sti-
pulate that winners in 1865 shall carry extra, and if Lord
St. Vincent's colt took an 81b allowance as a " maiden in
1866," he should certainly have put up • penalty at the
same time as a " winner in 1865." But the blunder all
hinges on the transposition to two or three words, and
were the " in 1865 ' and the last "in 1866" of the above
quotation to come after the words " extra " and " 81b,"
we should have—so plainly that everybody would under-
stand it—what was palpably the meaning of those who
framed the conditions of the Beaufort Biennial.
The first Spring Meeting ever held at Ascot takes place
on Tuesday and 'Wednesday, and must attract plenty of
both horses and visitors,for stakes representing about
5,0001. are to be picked up during the two days. The
Duke de Brabant Handicap, one mile and five furlongs
the richest, and is left very open by the Chester Cup run-
ning, for Dalby did not accept his get 131 b (had he done
so he would have been formidable, for all the 51b penalty),
nor Redcap his 9st 41b. The best we saw at Chester that
are left in comprise Sandal and Monitress, of whom the
former has the beet of it, seeing that Treasure Trove beat the
young oue on the Rhoodee quite as easily as he did the old one
at Epsom, thus making Scandal to appear capable of giving
Monitrese 40Ibs instead of 341ba. Spht the Difference has
run badly this year, and the 'best of the opponents of
Scandal and Monitress may be found in Mr.
Eating or Sealskin, and Lord Westmorland's Auditor or
Brahma. Mr. Savile's selected is sure to stay, whatever
it may be, and if beaten, as is to be expected, by Sandal
or Auditor, who have almost as much the best of the
weights with • as Monitress, it will not be far off.
One of the best 100 • youngsters ever seen on New-
market heath, Friponnier, is in both the first day's two-
year-old races ; but he is pretty certain to prefer the
richer one, the Grand Stand Plate, five furlongs,
as the best of the public performers against him,
burring his stable companion, The Rake, who
may not run, are penalised Cellina 61b, and
Achievement 31b. It will require • flyer to beat the
last named ; and if Marksman and Knight of the Garter
are up to the mark they too will trouble Friponnier, on
whom, however, I must stand to defeat the pair. I rather
doubt his ability to beat Opoponax or Cellina for the half-
mile First Spring Biennial, as these have no extra to
carry; nor may Knight of the Garter, Problem, Verulam,
or Rescue be capable of clipping the wings of the two vic-
torious Epsom fillies. The Sunninghill Stakes, half-s-
-mile, comes off on the second day, and at present
it looks very open, with Problem, the Rescue,
Misfortune, Verulam, Hippie, and Cellina pena-
lised 51b, and Blush Rose, Knight of the Garter,
and several dark ones of whom favourable mention
has often been made, allowed 31ba. However, the first
day's racing must throw some light upon the probable re-
sult, as all but the magnificent Hippie and Misfortune
have to perform. The Handicap Plate of 100 nova, half
• mile, may be won by Steamboat or Cedric ; and Sydnion•
ton looks all over the winner of the South Western Plate ;
the 3001. Plate, over the Cup Course, likewise appearing
within his compass, although Mr. Savile has four to choose
a champion from that can all stay. The other events are
either incomplete or not worthy of attention.
At Salisbury, which will lose nothing by following
Ascot, there are three decent 2-yr-old prizes awaiting,
Misfortune being the best performer in the Salisbury
Stakes, as are the Daneburyites, Prodigal and Lady Hester,
in the Wilton Park and Langford Castle Stakes ; but I have
no ambition to attempt anticipating any of the events in
the programme, a certain clique having as many as a dozen
engaged in some of them, and all will depend upon bow
their money is invested at the poet.—l am, &c.,
METEOR.

BETTING AT THE VICTORIA CLUB.—BAruariet.

The " facers" which the ring have received at each succesilve
meeting slum the commencement of the " legitimate " racing
season at Northampton, have been the means of bringing them
seriously to think of the responsibility and consequences of
Incurring fresh liabilities on the Derby, seeing that the favourites
have had it almost all their own way hitherto. There was •
tolerable muster at the Victoria-club to-day, but speculation was
at • dead lock until Just upon S o'clock, when there was some
show of a disposition to bet on the Derby. Lord Lyon was again
the hero of the hour, 1000 to 400 being sought for in vain, while
to 2to any mosey could have been procured about Rustic.
When the excitement had partially subsided, • commissioner
who had Just stepped Into the room offered to lay 90 to 40
twice against Lord Lyon, which, after • little quiet talk, was
accepted But with that transaction there was an end of any
hostility against the favourite beyond offers of 2to 1. Vespa-
Mtn was frequently inquired after, and when Sheen "ponies"
had been put down, 1,000 to 70 was laid twice, and at the
latter odds Sedan (whom many think is the only one "In the
hunt besides the Lyon"), would ham been supported for
several hundred pounds, one inluential agent having been only
able to secure 1,000 to 70 once. The Bribm7 mit be-
gins to show up, but despite the great things said
to have been accomplished by this son d Bt. Albano
"at home," he was friendless at 10 to 1, while
one or two Inquiries about The Blabber were met sash time by
an emphatic " settler" of 1,000 to 40 from Mr. waswho
Crto have " the knife" In this horse. Blue in
am boat, and from Wee we lamp to the extreme outride
dtelaket, wines ragged pretemlows wain mite *Metre shoats