The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-05 00:00:00

TO THE =MI OT THI LIPREBB.

81a,—Weather-prophets have had too bad a
time of it this year, so far, for a seer in any other line to
het reviles of prognosticating which way the wind is
likely to blow. It is, in fact, quite appalling to think of
&ships with the " great spring handicaps," no fewer than
night rf which were completed last week, as if the threa-
tened frost should come after all aoy present ealcalstions
would be signally upset. The visitation would be a sore
blow and sad discouragement to the earlier meetings, but
which, without it, will meet with unparalleled success,
judging from present appearances, the number of horses in
liaising being immense, while the facilities for getting
them ready have been such as will ensure a grand coin-
menowneut at Lincoln, and a busy time of it right op to the
Derby week. It has been generally remarked that the accep-
tances just placed before the w orld are most encouraging, and
the reception the Lincolnah re Handicap met with must
be peculiarly gratifying to the executive and Mr. Johnson,
when only twenty-six out of the aeventy-seven operated
upon elected to pay the smaller forfeit. Of those that
bare declined the Duke and Cranford were as well tr. atel
as anythieg, and the fast of their knocking out must be
takes as an indication that the Day stables pommies some-
this% infinitely superior in Mail Train, Historian, Perfumer,
Copeohageo, Kangaroo, or William Pitt. The three fires
'areal ere is the Woodysates division, end there is no cer-
tainty whether Historian or Perfumer will do battle ; but
ist the Dansbury trio Copenhagen is the only likely " good
thing." The Goatee interests are equally strong, Henry of
Littleton being pretty certain to kick up • dust with
Mephistopheles, Junius, or Filbert, whilst William of
linden has Idler, Provisor, Sidewind, and Lady
Sophie to coquet with ; and if Mephistopheles
should mean mischief, he will take, as is usual
with the old gentleman, • deal of besting. The cream
id the remaining forty-six candidate' may turn up in
litancinger (or his stable companion, Wild Bee), Tonight,
she is not quite used up, Lucky Star, Knight of Snowdon,
King George, Catalogue, Valiant, and Advance, who should
all help, with moat of the heavy weights, to swell the field
to such a size as will make the issue very difficult to fore-
see. The contest, after a postponement from Wednesday
to Saturday, did net result at all gaily lestyear, there haring
been only a fortunate few on CarroU's first winning mount ;
and those who can hit the bull's-eye this time may pot be
more numerous, although if it should be the Day's cis,'
there will be myriads in the swim. To find one to beat
them, with Copenhsgeo, Historian, and Perfumer so nicely
haodioapped, will be very difficult; and the man who Can
accomplish the fat must appeal to his Lucky Star or call
the Devil to his aid.

Not pretending to sorcery, I must leave the money to
settle the Greed National, with its fifty-eine jumper., as
from performances alone it is impossible to draw any de-
ductions now, L'Africein, Emblem, Alcibiade, Hall Court.
Lighthesrt, ibex, Hornet, Mistake, Merrimac, Balder, and
Old Osweetry last year, and Jerry, Reporter, Thomeatewn,
Oinking Feed, Creole, lac., in previous years, having done
excellently well for their owner', in addition to which there
ere so many new lights is clever hands that we may det-
ester at the last moment there are some fifteen or twenty
"going for the mosey.' Most of the events coming off at
the " legitimete" Northampton, Newmarket, Epsom, and
Chester meetings are in the IMMO predicament ; still, 1 must
say that the 5-yr-olds look worth searching among for the
winters of all of them except the City and Suburban, though
they are but eight-and-thirty strong. Mall Train, Lord
Megan& and Valiant, in the Nortbamptoushire
Stakes ' • Bacchtm, Valiant, and Perfumer in the St.
Liz ; Lord Zetland, in the Newmarket Handicap
sad Metropolitan' '
and Ackworth DalIV, Redcap,
Jhadareante, Sandal Lord Zetland, Ghillie Callum, and
Helen in the Chester Cup, are particalarly deserving of re-
speet, Mail Train and Lord Zetland being. perhaps, " best
is" of .11 the led horses that say "aye" for one event or
another. That the horses of this age were all well treated
is apparent in on'y eleven (not • fourth of the whole) de-
clining altogether, whilst two-fifths of the 6-yr-old and
aged horses, and one-third of the 4-yr-olds, have pegged out.
The 3-yr-olds, tbacka to nearly fifty of them being left in
the City and Suburban or Chester Cup, or both, muster
just as Arose as the fours ; and the reputations of the Czar,
Lochiel, end Hawthorn, who are engaged more than once
at nice wetghts, hays only to be dowered for them to be
worthy of some consideration, the Czar especially. 81i11,
even the feathered division have little the best of the im-
posts with some high class 5-yr-olds, Mail Train having to
met them at exactly weights for age is the Northampton.
shire Stakes, as do Ackworth is the Chester Cup and
Copenhagen in the City and Suburban at only 31b disad-
vantage; whilst Lord Zetland gets a pull over them of from
fib to a stone in he four eapgements.
The Chester Cup is entitled to be first dealt with in detail,
for it still excite. • greater amount of speculation than
say rival, sad consequently affords the longest odds being
sirtainable. That it is • good handicap the 86 accepting
of the 154 Mr. Topham tried to bring together affords
etroog testimony, although it strikes me very few of the
30 3-yr-olds are in the race, simply from the feet of the
fear heaviest weighted of them— Xi, Mr. Pitt, Blue Ribend,
sad the Primate—having to meet the four "top-weight"
0/r-olds—John Davis, Monkey, &mph, and Ackworth
at • considerable disadvantage. It reaches 41b in the most
favourable case, that of the Primate versus John Davis and
Monkey ; whilst as concerns Xi, Mr. Pitt, and Blue Ribacd
versus Ackworth and Baragah, it extends as far as
Eblb, and is never less than 121 h. A. horse of
Bumph's temper may not be exactly suited to the circus-
business of the Chester Cup race, whilst Mouleey's doubt-
fa staying powers will partially justify his being allowed
to run • second-rate performer (bat • splendid locking
gentleman) like Xi with Blb the beet of it ; but for two
>Yones that each ran • good third for • Ceearewitch, when
meeting the winners at • 21Ib or 251 b disadvantage, to give
71b or 141 b less than weight for age to Xi and Mr. Pitt, it
must be presumed Mr. Tophsm hasalmost too high an opinion
of that pair of yoangsters. Ark worth (Bst 51b) on his Cesare-
witch performance has the best of Mail Train (list 51b), even
taking the letter's "bolting" into consideration, for he
pre him 41b ; and with Planet (7st 111 b), who was but
fifth to his third then receiving 71b, he has quite a 71b
advantage. The first of his age, in fact, that looks
like competing with Ackworth is Redcap (7st 61b).
who is in his own stable, with Lord Zetland
(7st llb) ; but when we come to Sandal (7st 51b),
a mar that was within • length of Planet
when he won the Metropolitan last April • vastly improved
horse, Ackworth'a equal at the weights, or very nearly so,
Is discovered, and to beat her for certain Daeebury must
have something better than fact yaw'. favourite. If they
pieces his superior my impression is that it is Lord Zet-
knd, who teceiees 181 b from him, and proved himself at
three years old, when the Voltiseurs are never at their best,
a good sewed-rate horse. The Clown (7st 61b),Bradantente
(Tat 31b), Ghillie Callum (7st 11b), and Helen (Set 61b), are
the pick of the other five-year-olos ; hut on the latter • best
public form she is no match for Redcap or Lord Zeeland,
the threethat finished berme ber it last yeat'sCbasterOop all
having luta so indifferently afterwards as to show the never
could have a betteekbaoce of winning a meat race. The
Clown, ia the same interest' was never a stayer, and yet he
may get round the Rhoodee with his light impost,
Mr. Barber being foituaate if he an find a sups-
zior to him is his team of five. Brailazuante is • Dios
mare for the Cheater Cup course, and is not out of the
race by any means, though env inclinations are more in
favour of Sandal, if a five year old is in the race superior to
the champion of John Day's Lord &tilted, Red se, or
Ackwortb. The elders all receive from the 5-yrokle ;
Blithfield (6 yrs. 7st 131 b), who as • 3-yr-old ran a respect-
able finish for the Cesarewitch. whilst ere, ting the wiener,
Lioness, with 171 b the worst of the weights, having all the
appearesee of • second lAamiogton if he hes not dete-
riorated. But he was too infirm to be of any service lest
season, and those who invest xi, on him thus early must
content themselves to be on thorns up to the last. Fantail
(6 yre Tat 51h) ran so badly last autumn that she is
scarcely worth trusting; and of the other old ones net
see ever had pretensions to win the Chester Cup—
at least old Brewer has had none for the last saves
years or so. The best of the 4-yr-olds, Elithem
(Bst 51b). is meeting the juveniles on the same terms
an do John Davis and Moulsey, and consequently at an
advantage with Mr. Pitt and Xi, for it was shown be could I
May ia the Derb where, however, be scarcely gave • 121 b
beating to Todlebon (7st 71b), who till he went amiss last
year made a very good show among the great , and ran
like a stayer to boot. Thus it is quite possiblgunse for J. Day
to possess the best four-year-old in the Cheater Cop am
well as the best five, Victonous (7st 91b) being the only one
that ever outshone Tedleb-n, and hie legs have been
"dickey" for • loeg time. Harry Brailsford (7st 11b) is
deemed • good horse by many, and from his deed beat with
Windham at Newcastle last June, he may be of just about
the same calibre as Elland. Scarborough, Don Basilic (6st 131 b
each), and the Treachery g, (fist 31b), also come under the
heading of " suspicious," the latter having to be only half
the horse his owner must have thought him once, when be
entered hint in three four-year-old stakes for which the
forfeits amount to 2251., to beat the three-year-olds, even
if there is a Derby horse among them. This latter body,
considering there are only • dozen of their elders, that eves
the feathers do not meet at • disadvantage, are quickly dia.
paled of ; and after Pluton, the Czar, and Rococo, there is
sot one that seems to possess the remotest chance of trim-
ming. The two-last named row in the same boat as Harry
Brealsfone which fact adds to the difficulty of arriving at say
definite conclusion as to where the actual winner might
come front. Before doing this, it will have to be
determined whether Lord Zetland, Redcap, Ackworth,
or Todleben is the best of J. Day's ; or the Czar,
Harry Brailaford, or Rococo of T. Dawson's ; and, although
my opinion inclines to the Czar and Lord Zetland, in
the bee of the market, it is impassible to •roogl)