The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-11 00:00:00

TO THi mmoa OW THE TIPREML

SSlit,—Closing as it began, the season 1867 has'
afforded another surprise, or mistake, or whatever people ,
may like to call the result of the Liverpool Autumn Cup.
A more bitter lesson was never rend turtites than the doings
on this event have taught them from the time the weights
came out with Regalia, Beeswiog, Ackworth, and Caith-
ness thrown in (so said the critics), and one of them " sure
to win, if wanted." There can be no doubt that, theore- i
tiadly, this view was pretty correct ; but the Epsom pair
were not to be let loose this autumn, and the Lincoln
Handicap being a more tempting Gait for the clever I
Caithness party, his advantage in the weights was lost,
when there was only Regalia left to " spoil the handicap." I
How she did this has been fully discussed since Friday last
by her disappointed adherents, and they had the chagrin
to see or read of her cuttitg up a ranker jade than
ever, and beaten away from Caithness, who, I
according to those who should have known beet, had
no earthly chance with her. Besides, Regalia did touch to
prevent Caithness actually win the race, penalty and all.
as when beginning to "cut it" she hung so much as to
shot the gelding out from a good place he was about to
take, and after being thus stopped he was only beaten a
length and a half. The race, however, afforded quite a
series of mishaps; and were it to be run over again, the
result would probably be very different, Day, Moulsey,
Corporal, Honesty, New Guinea, and Tribune being all
"disappointed," one way or another, in addition to Caith-
ness. So were the food backers of Knight of the Garter
when they saw his owner deliberately stop him by putting
up 41b. extra weight, just as though 7st. filb. was not
" smasher" enough for a three year old in such a handicap.
But it is only adding bitterness to gall to dwell on such an
unfortunate error, which was in some degree excusable
—far more so than were the headstrong tactics
pursued with Caithness, who wasverynesrlylosing his own
1 ' party" a fortune. It seems singular they did not know
what a good horse they had got, especially as they have
I had the gelding from the time he was a yearling, and his
publit performances have been so good. Regalia may, it
, is true, give him lumps of weight at home ; but latterly
the has cut up a rank jade in public, and I am afraid this
grand mare is at last spoiled, by having been in too many
hands to train and do for. The Dawson party must be
acquitted of having made a "mistake" when transferring
their affections from The Corporal to Mandrake, consider-
ing the former was deprived by • serious accident of the
opportunity of showing whether their trial was correct ;
and they must rest satisfied to have a very lucky horse in
Mandrake, who only landed them their cup at York by a
" fluke," end cannot be set down a very good horse when
Knight of the Garter, improved horse as he is,
could concede • stone and run him to a
neck. The other events of the Liverpool Autumn Meet-
ing only possessed a passing interest ; and I am not re-
quired to dwell upon them, nor any other matter beyond
the Shrewsbury Meeting, which commences this day (Mon-
day) and extends over Friday. It is hard to say whether
the many dishes in Mr. Frail's bill of fare will be enjoy-
able, the elements having so much to do with such a point
in fogu November ; yet it can safely be asserted that
many of them will be exciting, only half the celebrated
horses entered already—there are nineteen completed
events—having to show to invest the sports with an im-
portance quite unusual at what would once be styled an
illegitimate gathering.
It is difficult to handle the principal items in the
Shrewsbury broad-sheet, on account of such • host of good
animals being thrown up until next spring, and even in
the inferior races the task of "selecting" becomes • tire-
some one, because certain stables have three or four re-
presentatives in each. In Monday's Nursery, the Car-
nival, Mr. Chaplin and his confederate have Inspiration,
Lord Palmerston, and Splendour, and when the best of
the three is disovered there is something more to do
to find the pea, Alex. Taylor's trio—Picnic, the Frailty
colt, and Citron—being another puzzler. Splendour and
Citron may have to do battle, and my respect for the
latter will be great if he is cked, as Janet Raweliffe
may stay the mile ever so well and only corms off second
best. Failing the latter's getting the course, Lictor would
be about the best antagonist to pit against the champion
of the light weights. Elegance will trouble the best of
the strong Newmarket division—even Confederate—in
the Wynnatay Welter, wherein all must beware of Ambi-
tion ; and there is Captain Kidd to swamp the two
Liverpool Cup performers that look so well in
the Stewards' Cup, Caithness and Scipio. The Cleveland
Plate is a mere scramble, wherein Liddington, Huntsman,
and Sir Oliver ought to shine ; nor is there much to choose
between the matched pair, Moose and Ainsley, unless the
lad that is on the latter can "get her out," when she will
win cleverly enough. On Tuesday, we have the half-mile
Wrekin Stakes, for which Liddington would probably beat
even Cecrops, if he cut in ; and after the Battlefield,
I wherein Indigestion may put a stopper on Ambition, them
is the great Shrewsbury Cup. The interest of this is added
to by the scrimmaging contest at Liverpool, for their
owners can now see, if they like, whether the mishaps
that betel New Guinea and Honesty had much to do with
their defeat, though Mandrake, with Dabs. additional on
his back to their one or two pounds, should decline to meet
them again, Tynedale or King of the Fairies being better
representatives of his stable. I like Tynedsle, but have
also plenty of respect for poor old Moulsey,
with Rama, War, Scipio, and Seville ; and with the
money on the latter should look no further for
the winner. The Cup result must influence the pre-
tensions of Aetna, Honesty, Scipio, and others for the
Column ; still, my ideas in favour of Corporal and Skir-
mish are very strong just now, and only Captain Kidd may
I prove capable of beating the pair. Thermometer for the
hlonkmoor, and Janet RawclifTe and Chivalry for the
I Copeland Nursery, are all " selections" that may be in-
fluenced by previous running ; and it will be much better
to discuss the Shobdon Cup when the @tarters are an-
nounced, as it is a question how many will dare to face
Bounceaway—perhaps neither Hermit nor Knight of the
carter, as only the latter of the twain could trouble her.
Liddington is only giving 61b. for the two years, but may
not like the five furlongs so well as Bonneeaway, whose
exact distance it is. Knight of the Garter will be better
served in the Newport Gold Cup, nine furlongs, on Thurs-
day, as he is in receipt of Bilb. for the year from
lAneret, and may frighten him from the poet,
the greatest diner being then in Viridts. The
Caldecot Nursery, about half • mile, Lemnos could not well
be handicapped out of, and it is doubtful if 8.0. 121 b. will
prove an effectual stopper, though there is Coup d'Eclat—
and Janet Rawcliffe again, with others that have prior
engagements—to gallop very hut, anal if I made any choice
just now it should be the turned-loose Patrician. Skir-
mish and Indigestion are both well in the Hawkstons
Welter Cup ; but there is the running of the three preced-
ing days to prophesy for this, and the fates must dispose of
the four jumping races, fancy as one may Marie Louise in
her two engagements over hurdles, and Meanwood and
Benaret for whichever cross-country contest they may par-
ticipate in.—l am, A.c., METEOR.