The Express.
London, England, 1859-04-04 00:00:00

THE SPORT AT NORTHAMPTON AND
THE SPRING HANDICAPS.

TO TILE IDITOII, OP TILE ZXPEWIS.

811,—The return of the spa.% at Northampton,
ad in your impressiou of Wednesday and Thursday
?atlas of such a character that any examents from me as
to the neat of the support the mane received would be
superfluous ; it is suMesent fat me to report that the Mend-
nos of company and the stand inept& wore pealsr than on
any preview occasion, and the number of quadrupeds greatly
in noses of theaverage for previous years, the Northamptoa-
shire Stabs boasting the largest Bad of there on mooed, mad
the Earl Spencer's Plate the largest by half a down. A
gloom was, however, cast over the latter part of the proceed-
ings by the report of death of that pattern of British
aportmAm, the Marquis of Watigkel, it bride all
the more regretted that ho met bib death while In-
dulging in the sports which he so mush loved ; sed bet kw
this the miserable weather on Wasinesdajr would
not have had half the effect on the siitotaters. The minis-
lend crisis detained many in town, etched been illige.ketly
awaiting the opening of the legitimate Swan • bat bare
were manylof the "old school" to to ene,noverthelesn'and a
more successful Northam and Pytehley Hunt Meeting
has never yet bean
The contests, although but three &testate fneetitie yea
daring the two days, were not runarkabis fee their exciting
character at the blab, one of the fleet draggles bens that
Rea the first ovate, the Trial Stakes, between Litilmat sad
Shafto at rasing weights. The Eing-ateAnes was made the
favourite, die manner in whin lea jlehjogjigaigkill
Warwick apparently justifying the conadenee'-llitail eV, It
be a meet cowardly manner inn having all the best of the
=AIM reaching the distance. This left Shaft° with a
lead, and on Zoyder Zoe who looked formidable up
to net peat, soon afterwards giving way, it looked "all over
but shooting;" but Lifeboat crept up along the rails with ex-
traordinary pmeness, and, collaring Shaft* at the stand,
Andy heat him in the final struggle, Withinaton handling
Male a most meanly style. Nothing des wee near the
tar:, considering that Fisherman, Tournament
Za der Zee, and Roman, were among the
let, the performance was • brilliant one. It is but fair to
oil Piehmman, however, to state that he was anything but
▪ sad soother month or six weeks will work wonders with
later dorm, there being every probability that he will maintain
belevallys of his name daring the season. The Stand Plate
Mos wee with such ease by Soothsayer, that Skirmisher was
brought into the nuke for the Northamptoaddre Stakes, a
change taking place is the position of nearly every hone in
the market when it was knows that Newcastle wee to be an
absentee, Little Agnes advancing to as little as 4to 1, while
Gladiolus, Beaoao,llsvis, sad Bine Jacket, sock improved a
couple of points--the latter In despite of hle stable compa-
nion Tournament having received such a dthat in the
Trial. It appease strobe Met so hint nook' have been given
until the wising preceding the race that the nomination of
Neweestle by "Mr. Craven" (a name usemed by his owner)
woe void in °unequal:x*of there being some brine doe from
hammed greet blainatteebestesoomparty, for thehomeshould
never have been ineinticd In the oMclal list of acoeptsamis,
the rule distinctly stating
_that "No yenoa whoa sname
shall appear in the published Frefeit List shall be mantled to
enter or ran a horse for any plate, sweepstake', or suborip-
tics, either in his owe 1241320 or in the name of any other pe-
en until he shall have paid up all the forfeit', in respect of
which his name appears in the list." The mistake arose from
Mr. Robinson supposing he had a balance in his favour at
Weatherby's, and when the nomination was sent in, had the
least hint been given, all arrears would have been paid ; but
it was a decided blunder to include the horse among the so-
entors if this were too much trouble' and it is to be hoped
that such a case will not be allowed to near spin, as it
created a great deal of dhs defection and ill-feeling, the
backers of Newcastle, thinking they were dons out of a
" pod thing," while the " bookmakers" suffered a heavy
=e ry mattering bat little to them whether Bevis, or New-
er Gladiolus., or any other favourite, won; but, em hie,
they have to pay over the winner, while they are not en-
thled to receive over enact the most beavily-backed horses in
the race. I have an opinion that it was fortunate fur his
backers he was not allowed to start, foe, wall
asks Inked, there was nothing to alike me believe he ceald
have given a stone to Bevies, or even to }tension. As re-
gards looks, Little Agnes was fairly entitled to the position
of first favourite, for she was in tiptop fettle, and not so
email as many would imagine et tint eight—a low lengthy
animal like her, generally deceiving the canal 'observer.
Gladiolas exhibited as much improvements. was expend on
his early sprieg form, sad the wretebel-looking Beam we
eaw at Goodwood Last July was hardly. recognisable hare.
Blue Jacket hoe also grown into a magnificent animal, and
over a comes that will better serve his sweeping stride he
will do a "gce.d thing" yet. The backers of the Bald-
fated Stag have nettling to ow:imbue of oa the score of
matinee, and Bliley stick to him it is pretty certain he will
make up their looses, for he is undoubtedly Ia reserve for a
great event. The same may be also said of
Precious Stone, decidedly more in condition than
her stable companion, Harratoa, who was so in-
ferior 11, to Bevis In that particular that nothing
but defeat could have been expected when they got together
for a tussle. There is none too much at Bevis, but he is
just the horse for the Chester Cap, although with flat his
party cannot be sanguice, and it is not improbable that little
Adams will tool Ran Avis for their money in that en-
counter. The race was not an exciting one at the finish,
although several changes took place during the early part of
it. Paul Jones and Precious Stone mede running, and at
such a pee that it could not have been for themeless; Pan
overpowered his rider soon after starting, and kept them
company, the three being immediately attended by Little
, Agnes and Hairston, with Bevis, Gladiolus, Yellow Ron,
and the Courier well up, Blue Janet running on by himself
dear of tho ruck, the moat prominent colour in the front of
which was the cherry of Sir J. Hawley. The pirate axe
through
tclear of his companions, and made such hot work of it
the dip and up the hill that the tall began to
stretch at an alarming rate, the only animal who appeared
capable of materially improving hie position in suck a slaugh-
tering pace being the Beacon. Paul Jobs had does his duty
by the time the kill was fairly mounted, end on his retire-
ment Precious Stow, who had been steadied on ascending
the kill, again got to the hem the enshrine still respectable,
considering bow they bad been going it from the commence-
ment. Little Agnes non pulled herself alongside Precious
Stone, and close to the latter wen Harraten, evidently "in
&Undersea," Season and Pan running on about even terms
with him, with Bevis, Blue Jacket, Yellow Rose, and Courier
sleety laid up, there being nothing else in the race. Oa they
came up the straight, Precious Stone maintaining her lead
till shout two distance. from home, when she retired pi e-
elpitataly. Little Agnes and the Beacon, who had berm left
in trout for ea instant, being immeele by collared and shaken
off by Hatratres, end then retiring beaten. Herndon now
looked like cowing in alone, for he Increased his lead at every
stride; but Bevis came up to him with • wet mall, gad at the
Stead had decidedly bested him, all Daley's desperate efforts
failing to get him to make another effort, so that Bevis
won with case at last, "Third" place was obtained
by Gladiolus, If a horse beaten slaty yards is entitled to such
an honour • but It was at least gratifying to me to ass a No.
S placed against his name, for it made my selection of Harre-
l= to be first, with Gladiolus and Little Agnes next, worthy
of being noticed, as I then placed the second and third
horses with the assistenoe of an outsider" and a favourite.
In my analysis of the Spring Handicap acceptances, some
two months back, I also made a most happy selection of a
lot to beat the field, the following being my summing up In
reference to the Nerthamytonabre Stakes : " Bevis being
the only acceptor of W. Day's Nottbampton lot, he must
become a favourite for that event if pulled out, theca being
many who cling to him so the beet even of hie Classier Cup
lot—and, if to, the Northamptonshire Stakes may prove
too tempting a bait for him to despise. He would prove
a formidable opponent to the Meldleham teans,whlch is very
string—J.ollx.rtie having Little Agars; T. Dania. Precious
Stone sod Barret= ; and W.Oates, the strapOng Gladiolus.
Between these the race apparently rests, unless the good-
looking half-aister to Yellow Jack, Yellow Rise, impress oce
her last yell's performance, which is not at all improbable."
The above lines were petted at • time when theqoailty of the
animals weathered was but little suspected, for they were nil
disgracefully beaten last neon, with the exception of Pre-
clone Stone, and for Om bat four in the race to be thus sup-
plied is • fact to which I caa point without beam awned of
egotism. Future Imadieaps have been materially mitered by
the result of the race, end of the twenty.three starters no
fewer then a score are engaged in ono or mote of the Great
Northern, Metropolitan, City and Suburban, Newmarket.
and Cheater Cup liandions, and fair following compariroa of
their weights will beet meow how much thiir chancre ere
affected, dm numbers at the head et each column diatiosuiah-
lag affected,,
d in she order named above :

Nort. 1• t• 3. 4. 3,
44 lb el lb A lb rt lb ,A lb Alb
Devi.
i "
Bunko 1 1 iit
...„ ..
.... 4.!
1
01v1140•4
T.low 4 0 .. 4as 4im I .. 41
1 TsiouTaress
relies ******** —...:::: 4-4 I-A •66• 6. 6 416
yls4,Ag.oB 4 a 4
T •
.. • • • • ..
"'"l".4BUg •'' '''.. ******** ill 1.4 .:
:: /.8
Blue Jacket. $ .. II I 1.1 4 5 ..
lhawe ***** .•• .....
Old r.thi .... ........
•1 1 .. {/ .. i• 4 4
P= 4. -0 - " -
0111rmlaser
Border for
York.l,lr4 GMT
E.14.1d 4 , 1 .. .. .. . 0
1110044er
_ll 1
1•
.. .. •iS 414
Psol Je•~
'• • •

Old Polak Bamako' Cliploo-
Yorkddso thay, !ItsVeke,