The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-21 00:00:00

' CHELTENHAM RACES.

FIRST DAY, WEDNESDAY.
It is not often that races so young as the Cheltenham
hive improved in so rapid and extraordinary a manner.
It is generally the work of many years to give meetings of
this description any sporting celebrity, but in this instance
they have attained, through the spirited and liberal exer-
tions of the townspeople, a maturity to which every year
gives additional strength, and which is confirmed by the
willing co-operation of the highest sporting characters in
the kingdom. The very short period that the Cheltenham
Meetings have been established has placed them on a level
with the most celebrated, and there is little doubt that a
few years will rank them as superior to most of those which
have hitherto been considered as the best and most attrac-
tive. The presence of Royalty is not wanting to shed a
lustre over the Races; his Royal Highness the Duke of
Gloucester having, with his accustomed affability, given
them the sanction of his presence.
The same rapid improvement which is obvious in the
Races may be also noticed as applicable to the town itself,
which is every year getting into greater repute, from the
salubrity of its air and the virtues of its mineral springs.
As a proof of its rising popularity, we have only to men-
tion, that nearly a thousand houses have been erected in
the course of the last twelve mouths, and many others are
in the edurse of erection.

At an unusually early hour this morning, the note of
preparation was sounded, and the company began to pour
in from Bath, Gloucester, Oxford, and the different plates
adjacent to Cheltenham ; so that by ten o'clock the streets
were crowded. To the large number of visitors the great
northern sporting towns, besides Newmarket and the me-
tropolis, futnished their quota, there being a fuller attend-
ance of the betting gentlemen than we have seen at country
races for many years.
The road to the Downs is perhaps one of the worst in
England, being steep, rugged, and dangerous ; so difficult,
indeed, is the ascent, that it was found necessary to station
relays of cart horses, to enable the innumerable vehicles
journeying towards the course to accomplish their object.
Upwards of one hundred were provided for this purpose,
and in fact nothing could have been more necessary ; for
more than one carriage was turned back, from the utter in-
capacity of the jaded horses to surmount the difficulties
which presented themselves, We observed four horses
affixed to one gig; nor were'stage coaches (which took
passengers the fearful distance of four Miles, for the trifling
charge of los. inside, and 7s. out) exempted from this dis-
agreeable necessity. .At one o'clock the Downs were lite-
rally covered with vehicles of every description, which,
added to the amazing number of booths and shows, orna-
mented with flags of every colour of the rainbow, formed
a tout ensemble which Epsom itself could not have sur-
passed. There must have been, at least, fifty thousand
spectators.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester arrived
about half-past one o'clock, on horseback, accompanied by
some Officers of his Regiment of Guards, and attended by
a single groom. His Royal highness remained till about
five o'clock, when he left for,Ahe Crescent.

There were also present—
The Marquis of Bute; Lords Stradhroke, Dun wich, Chet-
wynd, Dormer, Dowses; Sir J. Packingion ; Generals Bell.
Capel, Bowser; Colonel Hall, Majors Mundy and Gore; Cap-
tains A. Berkeley, Standen, Croft, Raevin ; Doctors Wade, Bay-
nell, Cornwall, Burney, Xerr, Sec.
The day's sport was excellent, and went off as follows:
The Great Gloucestershire Stakes, of 25 soy. each ; l5 *deft, and
only kif declared, &c. Two miles. 69 subscribers.
Mr. Yates's Gin, 4 yrs., 7st. 91b.
r.J. Browne names Burgundy, 4 yea., 7st. 101 b. -
Mr. Mytton's bt. c. Flexible, 1 yrs. Oat. 31b. .
The following also started, but were not placed :
Mr. Toraca's Sir Gray, ft yrs. Bst. 101 b.
Major (lore's. the Moor, 4 yrs. 7st.7lb.
Lord Warwick's Double Entendre.: S yrs., list. 91b.
Mr. Payne's Barytes, 4 yrs., est. 31b.
Mr. F. Craven's Cricketter, 4 yrs., Bat. lib.
Mr. Page's b. c. by Muley, 4 yrs. Tat. Mb.
Capt. Berkeley named Phantasma, 4 yea. 7st- 71b.
Lord Palmerston's Lugborough, 6 )ra. 131 b.
22 paid 15 soy forfeit, and 33 paid 5 soy.
The betting on this stakes, both at London and Chelten-
ham, has been very heavy for several weeks past, and has
fluctuated considerably—Sliakspeare and Euphrates were
backed freely at first at p p. ; but when it was known that
they would not start, and that Lugborough had won the
Somersetyhire stakes at Bath, he got up and kept first
favourite. The odds were as follow at starting:-
2 to 1 agst Lugliorough 110 to 1 agst Flexible
to 1 agst Cricketter I 20 to I agat Muley colt
8 to 1 agst Phantasms 20 to 1 agst The 31oor
10 to 1 agat Cain 20 to 1 agst Burgundy
9 to 1 agst Sir Gray •
About two o'clock the horses were got together, and at
the usual signal they went off; but it was a false start, and
they had again to assemble at the Judges' chair; after a
delay of ten minutes a good start was made, and a fine race
ensued. Cricketter took a slight lead at starting with
Lugborough, Flexible and Cain well laid into him; thus
placed they went on at a tremendous rate to the turn, when
Cain got in front, Burgundy, Flexible, the Moor, and Sir
Gray being close at Litt. A very severe and rattling race
followed, without any material variation in the places; hut
it was clear that Cain had the race in hand throughout,
winning it cleverly by half a length. Sir Gray came in
fourth, and The Moor fifth ; Double Entendre, Phantasma,
and Page's Muley colt, were the last. The winner was
rode by Spring, Burgundy by A. l'avis, Flexible by T.
Whitehouse, Lugborough by John Day, Sir Gray by H.
Arthur, Double Entendre by G. Dockeray, Cricketter by
Sam Day, Barytes by W. Lear, Muley by Barnard, and
The Moor by Farlow.

Sweepstakes of 5 goys. each. and 3d added. Heats one mile; 3 yrs,
fist. ; 4 yrs, Bst. 41b. ; 5 yea, list. 11lb. ; 6 yrs and aged, 9st.
Winners extra.
.
Mr. Day's Miss West, 4 yrs . 3 1 1
Mr. B; Davies's b. m. Minna, 6 yrs - 1 2 2
- Mr. West's Mystery,i 3 yrs .. 2 dr
M-- '•. - ..

r. Mockford's Scamprr, 3 yrs 4 3 dr
Ist Heat.—Behring 6 to 4 apt Scamper, and 3 to 1 agst Miss
\rest. This was a short run race, and not remarkable for severity.
Minna made all the running, with Mystery close at her heels, and
won cleverly by a length.
Second Heat.-6 to 4 agst Minna, and 2to 1 apt Miss West.
Miss NVest made all the running, and won cleverly by a goad
length.
Third Beat.-3 to lon the winner. A beautiful race, won by
half a neck. The winner rode by Pavia, Mystery by J. Day,
Minnt by Calloway, and Scamper by J. Chapple.

Sweepstakes of 1.5 soy. each and 20 added. heats, two miles.
Mr. Dolphin na. Lottery (Mr. Molest . . 1. 1
('apt. Berkeley na. h. m. by Bustard (Capt. Berkeley) 3 2
Mr. Dolphin ns. Trooper (Mr. Hicks) . - 2 3
This, like most gentlemen's races, is not worthy of comment.

The provincial papers bring accounts of the cutting of
barley having commenced in the low districts of the coun-
try. A few fields of oats have also been cut.—Edi nburglt
Clime? v'r.

On Monday, the both inst. a field, about twenty acres,
of the new " Georgian oats" was commenced cutting on the
property of W. Long W'rey, Esq. at Thornhill, in the
county of Carmarthen • the crop being a very heavy ohe,
and without being at all injured by the late drought.
LINEN ManweacreßE•..—An account has been printed
by order of the House of Commons, of the quantity of flax,
hemp, and linen, imported into the United Kingdom, and
of the quantity of linen cloth exported from it to all parts
of the wothl ; together with the real anti official value of
the latter, anti the amount of bounty paid on its manutlse-
ture, in the year ended the sth of January last. The
quantity of hemp impot ted amounted to .595,090 quarters,
the value of which was .503,415/. Nearly the whole of
this quantity,—namely, 561,9.54 quarters came from dins-
' sia. The quantity of flax, dressed and undressed,
amounted to 1,012,956 quarters, the official value of
which was 2,092,7681. More than half of this amount,
or 656,772 quarters, was imported from Russia. The
number of yards of linen cloth exported to all parts of the
world was 52,080,181, of which 35,993,038 yards were of
British, and 16,087,146 were of Irish manufacture. The
whole of this immense export, however, took place from
Great Britain alone, with the exception of about 2,500,000
yards. The official value of these exports was 2,676,295/.
But though Ireland does not export to foreign countries,
the quantity of linen imported into England and Scotland
amounted to 52,560,926 yards, anti the value is estimated
at 2,893,018/. The Irish linen, therefore, imported into
Great Britain, and retained for home consumption, after
deducting the quantity re-exported, amounted to upwards
of 36,000,000 of yards. The bounty paid on British and
Irish linen exported amounted to within a trifle of 300,0004