The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-12 00:00:00

THE SPORTING PROPHETS ON THE WINNER

OF TIIF, DERBY.

As the great national race-day approaches the
sporting journals, as usual, descant on the merits of
the various hones which are likely to run, and
prophesy with more or less confidence as to the
probable winner. Bdt's Life, after describing the
merits and performances of the best amongst the starters,
Lord Lyon, Rustic, Redan, Vespasian, Monarch of the
Glen, Knight of the Crescent, Lord Glasgow's three colts,
Abergeldie, Stabber, Strathconsn, Laneret, &c., regards
Lord Lyon, Rustic and Redan, as the crack favou-
rites, and sums up with the declaration that
there is no just cause or impediment to
its looking for the winner in Lord Lyon, and
that "if Rustic does not come in second and
Redan third, anything may get a place." The
Fidel believes that the runners will amount to about
20, and will not exceed 25. Like Bell's Life it
analyses the previous feats of the hest amongst them, and
answers the " momentous question," 'What hone will win
the Derby? as follows :—The contest for the blue riband
reads like a trial of strength between Lord Lyon and
Rustic ; but, having no wish to select a brace of favourites,
the Field awards the decided preference to the unbeaten
Lord Lyon, and, at his present price, Vespasian is the
horse it should select for a place. _ .

The prophet of the Era has no hesitation in naming
Lord Lyon as the winner, placing Rustic second, and
Monarch of the Glen third.

The "Augur" of the Sporting Lift-pronounces boldly fcr
Lord Lyon or Rtdan as the winner of the Derby, in spite
of any performances on the part of Rustic.

METROPOLITAN VOLUNTEER REVIEW.-(THIS
DA Y.)

The first brigade field-day this season of Metro-
politan Volunteer Corps will be held this afternoon, at
Bushey-park, under the command of Col. M'Alurdo, the
late Inspector-General of the Volunteer forces.
The Volunteers who will be present will consist of the'
following regiments :
22nd Middlesex, Queen's (Westminster) Volunteers,
two battalions, commanded respectively by Earl Grosvenor,
M.P., and Lord Gerald Fitzgerald.
21st Middlesex (Civil Service) Rifles, commanded by
Lieutenant• Colonel Viscount Bury.
11th Middlesex (St. George's) Volunteers, commanded
by Lieutenant-Colonel Hon. C. H. Lindsay, M.P.
23rd Middlesex (Inns of Court), or the " Devil's Own
Rifles," commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Sargent.
The City of London Rifle Volunteer Brigade.
The 26th Middlesex (Her Majesty's Customs) Rifles;
the Kingston Volunteers, &c.
The Inns of Court will parade shortly after 2 o'clock,
and will leave the Inner Temple, attended by their band,
for Waterloo, where a special train will be in readiness.
They will be followed by the St. George's and Queen's
(Westminster); the latter corps being under orders to
assemble at the Waterloo station at 3.43. .

Another train will be despatched at :1.53 conveying the
London Ride Brigade, and the last train will convey
the Customs corps.
The line will be formed in Bushey-park, at 5.30, and
the display will then commence. It is expected to ter-
minate about 8 o'clock.

VOLUNTEER REVIEW IN HYDE-PARK.
(THIS DAY.)

The South 'Middlesex Volunteers will be offi-
cially inspected this afternoon in Hyde-park by Colonel
Erskine, C. 8., Inspector-General of Volunteers. Viscount
Kanelagh, the lieutenant-colonel of the corps, will be in
comm ind. The volunteers are under orders to assemble at
Knightabridge-barracks at half-past precisely, with the
bands and pioneers, and the inspection will commence at
6 o'clock.

HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA.—At a meeting of the
regatta stewards at Henley-on-Thames on Thursday the
races were fixed for Wednesday, the 20th of June, and
following day. As the Oxford commemoration is on the
13th and Cambridge term ends on the lame day, it is ex-
pected that the two universities will muster strongly on
this occasion. Generally speaking, their terms are so far
apart that the greatest difficulty occurs in making a fixture
so convenient to both parties.
A WILD Br; la- —On Saturday night an exciting
chase took place on the Great Western Railway after a
wild bull. The animal first knocked down a watchman,
when two of the porters followed it along the line to en-
deavour to get it off. But in this they were unsuccessful,
and upon hearing the up mail train coming, when opposite
South Stoke, they left the representative of the bovine
tribe to its fate, and. as a matter of course, it was ki'led
by the engine coming in collision with it.—B,rka Climnie/r.
TRAFFIC RECEIPTS. —The traffic receipts of rail-
ways in the United Kingdom, amounted for the week
ending the sth of May, on 12,343 miles, to
692,505/., and for the corresponding week of last year.
on 12,075 miles, to 657,226/.. showing an increase of
268 miles, and of 35,779/. The gross receipts
on the following 14 railways amounted in the aggregate
on 8,873 miles, to 575,500/., and for the corresponffing
week of 1865, on 8,646 miles, to 549,8791., showing an
increase of 227 miles, and an increase of 25,621/. The in-
crease on the Caledonian amounted to 1,9661. ; on the Great
Northern, to 1,308/.; on the Great Southern and Western,
to 259/. ; on the Great Western, to 2,3471.; on the Lan-
cashire and Yorkshire, to 6,0461. ; on the London and
North Western, to 5,3041.; on the London and South
Western to 7711. ; on the Manchester, Sheffield, and
Lincolnshire, to 2,2061.; on the Midland, to 4,6631.; on
the North British, to 1,9534. ; and on the North
Eastern, to 5,0701.—t0ta1, 31,8921. But from this
must be deducted 4,141!., the decrease on the
Great Eastern, 951!. on the London and Brighton, and
1,1791. on the South Eastern, together 6,2711., leaving
the increase as above 25,6211. The goods and mine-
ral traffic on those lines amounted to 331,3081., and for
the corresponding week of 1865 to 306,7461., showing an
increase of 245621. The receipts for passengers, parcels,
/cc., amounted to 244,1921., against 243,133/., showing an
increase of 1,059/. The traffic receipts on 52 other lines
amounted, on 3,470 miles, to 117,0051., and for the cor-
responding week of last year, on 3,429 miles, to 107,3471.,
allowing an increase of 41 miles and of 9,65/1/. in the re-
ceipts. The total receipts of the past week show a de-
creme of 6,1201. as compared with those of the preceding
week, ending the 28th of Apra.