The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-06 00:00:00

THE OFFICIALS IN A FIX.

The recent necessary postponement of meetings has
completely interfered with the plans and upset the ar-
rangements of race officials. The annoyance, however,
which has ensued is likely to be only of brief duration,
and will be quickly dispelled by the stirring business of
"the season." Although according, to the strict letter
and spirit of racing law, the engagements at meetings
whose fixtures have been altered are unquestionably
void, yet the majority of them will doubtless stand and
be promptly met. The added money will in every in-
stance be given, and those horses already entered will be
allowed to contend for it. The only difficulty which
really exists is in respect to forfeits, which cannot be
claimed for any horse tbat does not start.

The clerk of the course at Nottingham exercised 'a
wise discretion by again altering the days on which to
hold his meeting, thereby avoiding an injurious clashing
with the gathering at Aintree, and consulting alike the
convenience and interest of the sporting fraternity. The
success of both meetings will ba materially promoted by
this new arrangement.

Mr. Tepham has been somewhat severely cen-
sured for what is termed an unceremonious post.
ponement of the Liverpool Meeting. The accusa-
tions, however, which have been brought against
him were unthinkingly made, and the suspicions with
which his motives were regarded were as unjust as they
were unfounded. Reports recently received from Ain-
tree inform me that it would have been almost imprac-
ticable to celebrate the sport at an earlier period, and
that Mr. Tepham had no other alternative than to post-
pone the meeting. Indeed, snow is now still visible
under the hedge-rows, and the ground is deep and
rotten in consequence of the late severe frost. After all,
too, the sole responsibility of postponing the meeting
attaches to Lord Sefton, who was perhaps as much jus-
tified in altering the fixture by the state of the ground,
as by the " bread riots" which only a few-days ago pre-
vailed in Liverpool.

The progress of speculation, the postponement of the
meeting, and other circumstances, have tended to
strengthen the arguments which were published in The
Sun of the 26th of February, relative to the Grand
National Steeplechase. The opinion which I then ex-
pressed I still adhere to, and have merely, therefore, to
reiterate it. If Trout be destined to defeat, then either
Miss Mowbray or Needwood will be the winner. Strange
rumours are circulated respecting Trout, but they must
be received with caution. The report of his " queer
understandings" is now little 3redited, but a suspicion
was excited towards the end of last week that his party's
money was, or would be, on Miss Mowbray. The
movements at "the Corner" this (Monday) afternoon
has, however, somewhat lessened, if not entirely dis-
pelled, those suspicions.
Miss Mowbray has been under the care and manage-
went of John, Scott ; and her owner has, since her loca-
tion at Mahon, paid weekly visits of inspection to the
north. It is said that he is well ratisfied with the mare's
preparation and condition, and believes her capable of
achieving success. His money is, however, yet to be
invested. Some people assert that he has been fore-
stalled in the market, and is not likely to "get on."
Not being in his confidence, I am, of course, unable to
determine the truth or falsity of this assertion.
Needwood has received much benefit by his removal
to Hoylake, where, during the frost, ho was enabled to
take steady exercise on the sands. The old General
looked so fresh and performed so well at Oundle last
Saturdsy that reasonable expectations aro entertained
that his owner will be enabled to bring Needwood to the
post on Wednesday in equally blooming condition. No
one would be more delighted with the good fortune of
Ben Land than myself; for, despite his little eccentri-
cities of conduct, he is a good fellow at bottom.

Dangerous, an animal , belonging to the "Crabhs
party," has been much talked about. Some people cal-
culate with certainty upon his success. I don't. Still
he has been supported in the betting with a spirit and
eeterminatii,n which forcibly direct attention to his
chance. Of the outsiders, The Nugget and Janus have
of late been mentioned with much favour.

To extend my remarks to °ther probable starters
would be merely to recapitulate those which were made
at length on the 26th ultimo. As a guide to the reader)