The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-17 00:00:00

*parting Inttittrsta.

THE LATE DONCASTER hG•

TO THII Etyma or TSB Wass&
S—Surprises one after another greeted the
in
Conn at the late Doncaster Meeting. not only
in connexion with the actual events that mime off on the
Town Meer, but in the doings behind the scenes, the fact
of a horse ostensibly belonging to the Duke of Beaufort
Proving the St. Leger " dead 'un" of 1866 rather startling
thou who had been led to believe his grace had same con-
sideration for the public at large, and was not one of the
upholders of the tbeory—more lust than generous—that
a gentleman can do anything with his own. It was
not asserted, course, that Rust% was delibe-
rately " milked;" and it was pretty well known both
before and after the race at York, that the Duke had
oven out be had no confidence in the horse, and did not
believe he could stay ; nor was his right disputed to defer
the scratching until he made sure the two he bad no
earthly chance with were " fit and well, and running for
the money," more particularly as his grace had backed the
brute some time ago; but what people looked at most was
the large amount of money offered or betted against the
Rustic by one of the influential of the Danbury stable
for weeks before the race, and who backed Lord Lyon for
tee times the money Mr. Sutton did, and as it is hinted
he had an interest in the animal, it is naturally thought
the Duke of Beaufort ought to have bad his eyes opened,
and4tected his good name by striking Rustic out of the
St. r the instant the York running proved to him the
horse ' could not stay and had no cheese." There was a
talk of a split in the cabinet just about that time, and the
cutthroat game played with Vauban and Ines on the
Knavesmire did much to confirm the rumours; but it was
never said that Rustic was a bone of contention, or that
his starting, little as his grace thought of him, was
even doubtful, and I should not be astonished to see the
Duke of Beaufort's and Lord Hastings's horses trained in
different stables before long, which would be as bad as
breaking up " the Danebury party " altoget her it having
been rumoured that the last-named noblemanintends to
sell off nearly all his horses next month. That Rustic
had no chance for the St. Leger was fully shown when
Severnake on Friday gave him 51b, and best him far easier
than he did Knight of the Crescent for second place, and
it must be at least doubtful whether he would have been
one of the first three on the longer course had he started.
It is shown, too, that his defeat of Lord Lyon at Ascot was
only a " duke," es must also have been the latter's over-
throw for the Doncaster Cup, as Rama gave him a good
141 b beating, having galloped him almost to a stand-still a
quarter of a mile from home. It is just possible, at the same
time, that be did not like the distance—half as far again as
the St Leger ; and that had Chaloner not been so tender
on Savernake he would have run him down in the great
struggle of Wednesday. However, the latter had been so
hurriedly prepared that the Caller On hero dared not ride
him in the least " jolly," and the Marquis of Ailesbury
certainly possesses a most unlucky horse, that, with good
health, should have won as much money as Achievement
by this time. Lord Lyon's defeat can only be accounted
for by supposing he had been indulged—as just before his
overthrow at Ascot—and was stiff and sore after his great
exertions on the Wednesday, and it is a pity Savernake
is
not in against him for the Grand Duke Michael at New-
market, wherein his lordship has to give 12lb to Knight of
the Crescent across the flat,and it is very doubtful if he can
do it. Rustic has a chance of meeting him over six fur-
longs in the Houghton week, and a race between the pair
at such a distance would be vastly inteiesting. Lord Lyon's
disgrace, with 5 and 6 to b 1
on him, was not the only sur-
prise of the week by many, very few first or second
favourites pulling through during the four days,
and I should not like to have to settle some
of the accounts of the " gentlemen," who had one of the
meet disastrous weeks recorded against them that I can
remember. But for the succession of " turns up, the
racing generally would have been rather tame, for" very
few " Derby" colts contested the many two-year-old races
that came off, and those that did show were proved immea-
surably inferior to Achievement. There is, however, the
making of three good horses in Grand Crus, Star of India,
and the brother to Ascham ; and it was quite a pleasure
to see the colours of three such noblemen as possess thee
borne to victory by youngsters that promise so well as
regards the future. That the calibre of this year's fillies
is most wretched was fully displayed when Tormentor
was distanced for the Queen's Plate by Regalia,
who appears to be running into her old form, and as the
latter's owner is also in possession of Caithness, who won
the Great Yorkshire Handicap so easily, beating Rama
among others, Mr. " Palmer " must be looked after for the
Cesarewitch, for all the weight carried by his pair. Little
was done during the whole week, notwithstanding ,to spoil
either of the two handicaps that are to wind up the great
events of the season ; and after the " scratching" of
Thalia (another " gentleman's horse"), the best that can
be done with them is to hold off until the last moment, as
the " milking" threatens to be something fearful, and I do
not feel partial to one of the present favourites, the " play-
men" being not unlikely to secure the two prizes. Nor are
any of the meetings set for the current week worth enter-
ing into, they being got up chiefly for the amusement of
holiday folks, and not for the sake of promoting the
national pastime.—l sin, he., METEOR.