The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-25 00:00:00

MAY 25, 1852.

SPORTING NOTES.
No. CCXXXIIL
FINAL REMARKS ON THE DERBY OF 1852.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—At last we are beginning to have a clear view
of the mysterious drama that is to be enacted on the
Downs to-morrow. The majority of the horses engaged
have at this, the eleventh hour, been brou,Aht before the
public eye, whereby I am enabled no lungcr to speak in
the doubtful, but in the positive mood.
Among those who have taken their gallops sa-
tisfactorily, I plaee prominently Alcoran, Little
Harry, Kingston, Claverhouse, Bobbie Noble, Chief
&iron Nicholson, The Surveyor and King Pepin.
The mysterious Hobble Noble, though not alto-
gether the picture of perfection in condition,
is in good enough form to stand a first-rate chance of
disposing of all his rivals but one, and he may also
knock him over too. Little Harry is quite up to the
mark, looks and goes well, and will be about the bulls-
afetty. ei
d.,
je- o served
rlp a
i ve oe Claverhouse,drilaeonirvf
overran
rhsi
let
hapbel
aemhc
neoi
hill,
t,sw
bhnceeoei
rrtnet
being
nopd
tegttuoro el
iKattotri,bnl
gawi y
a aphlterevupdemlalf ecai
re:
l
of
Homebrowed starts only to serve his stable companion.
Alfred the Great will finish in the foremost portion of
the rack, with Augur by his side. Stockwell and Am-
brose will beat more than beat them. Orelio will shut
up before reaching the distance. - Chief Baron Nichol-
son. shall be my " outrigger" . on the occasion ;
a better one I believe I could not have.
Maidstone, Marinello colt, Surveyor, Treasurer,
Northman, Convulsion, King Pepin, Barbarian,
Youeg Hammond, and Poodle will. form that delightful
portion of the field called the ruck. Daniel O'Rourke
cannot obtain'it place. Missive, all Olong reported to be
a wonder of some sort or other, I anticipate will.give up
the gbest -long before reaching 4lie stand: Vertex runs
merely to assist Little Harry. The " leggy" Nabob
will find the course as well suited to him as it was to
Bolingbroke in 1850. Womersley will finish forward,
but not run into a place. Harbinger has a neat stride,
and bowls away merrily enough; I shall not be sur-
prised,. and indeed expect, to find him in a place not
very remote from the winner.
The field it is now supposed, will consist of the fol-
lowing:—Hobbie Noble (Whitehouse), Little Harry (A.
Day), Alcoran (Bartholomew), Harbinger (Nat), Clever-
house (Marlow), Kingston (G. Brown), Joe Miller (W.
Day or Wakefi- 1d), King of Trumps (T. Lye), doubt-
ful; Alfred the Great (Bumby), Homebrowed (S. Mann),
Stockwell (Norman), Ambrose (Boyce or J. Mann),
Augur (S. Rogers), Orclio (Pearl), Chief Baron Nichol-
son (Kitchener), Maidstone (Pettit), Surveyor (J. gar-
son), King Pepin (Charlton), Womersley (Templeman),
Hyacinth or Marinella colt (Holmeos), Daniel O'Rourke
eesrr
wl )5,0)0, Vd
yoorortue
nßxga
r(
n1S1) at
Theo n)
Hammond Nabob
Ca(
bDnoi
bvc
ku(lecsni
hos
oan
pn
p)re
)Nb, doßar ltaehr):,
(F.mPoodleßutler),
ht
barian (H. Bell), Treasurer, Missive, Hierarchy, colt
by Hettnan Platoff, Hampton, and perhaps Kingfisher.
The diversity of opinion amongst the seven writers to
the sporting press is this year, on the Derby, less than
usual, the general predilection being for Little Harry;
and their opinions are based by them on his private, not
public performances. For instance "Argun," of the
Morning Post, awards the race to Little Harry; " Touch-
stone," of the Era, gives Rio Little Harry or Kingston;
and "Priam," of the Racing Times, to Little Harry or
Chief Baron Nicholson; while "Pegasus," of Bell's Life,
goes for Harbinger; the Sunday .Times for Hobble
Noble or Alcoran; and " Votes" for Bobbie alone.
The estimation in which I hold the catdidates for
the ensuing Derby is in the following style:—
ROBBIE NOBLE,
or Little Harry S

•• • 1

ALCORAN - _
... ••• ••• z
CLAVE R HOUSE ... ... 3
KINGSTON ... ••• ••• 4
CHIEF BARON NICHOLSON ... 5
AUGUR, HARBINGER, ALFRED THE GREAT, and
WOXEASLEY, heading the ruck.
I am, Sir. yours, &e.,
THE SPIRIT OF THE TOR F.
May 25, 1852.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
TATTERSALL'S—MONDAY.
DERBY.
3 to 1 agst Mr. Merry's Hobbie Noble
9 to 2 aget Mr. J. Arnold's Little Harry—take 5 to 1
10 to 1 agst Lord Orford's Alcoran
10 to 1 egst Duke of Richmond's Harbinger
14 to 1 agst Lord Eglinton's Claverhouse
16 to 1 agst Lord Ribblesdale's Kingston
18 to 1 agst Mr. Stebbing's Alfred the Great—taken
25 to 1 agst Lord Exeter's Stockwell—t tken
25 to 1 agst Mr. S. Hawkes's Womersley— taken and
afterwards offered
30 to 1 agst Mr. Harrison's King of Trumpa—
friendless
30 to 1 agst Mr. J. M. Stanley's Orelio
30 to 1 aget Lord Zetland's Augur
30 to 1 agst Mr. Bowes's Daniel O'Rourke
40 to 1 agst Mr. Dorrien's Chief Baron Nicholson
50 to 1 agst Lord Ribblesdale's Nabob
50 to 1 agst Mr. Barton's The Surveyor
Filius and Father Thames were declared not to start
yesterday.
Great eagerness was shown to get on Little Harry,
and large sums were laid out at an average of 5 to 1;
not a fraction above 9 to 2 was obtainable at the close.
This movement affected most of the other " first-class"
favourites, and very little was laid ont on them. We have
quoted the highest offer against Hobbie Noble-7 to 2
would have been taken. He reached Watford between
ten and eleven in the morning, and was sent thence by
van to Epsom. Next to Little Harry the run was chiefly
on Stockwell and Womersley; both left off at an im-
provement on the prices previously quoted. The King of
Trumps, Augur, Orelio, and Chief Baron Nicholson,
were friendless.

OARS.
6 to 1 agst Duke of Richmond's Red Hind
6 to 1 agst Mr. John Scott's Songstress
7 to 1 apt Sir C. Monk's Gossamer
15 to 1 agst Mr. Wright's Bird.on-the-Wing
Flirt is declared not to start.
The above quotations aro made from offers—the race
is almost a dead letter.
EPSOM RACES.

The following horses, in addition to those mentioned
yesterday, have reached Epsom :—Bordeaux, Gossip,
Desdemona, Senorita, Plot, and Lord Chesterfield's Oaks
filly, by Hetman Platoff, out of Infidelity.
The King of Trumps passed through York yesterday
en route for Epsom.

AQUATICS.
CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE THAMES.
The championship of the Thames—the first of the
three great sporting events of the week—was contested
yesterday, and so extraordinary a boat race was never
seen. After the most gallant struggle ou record, from
the first to the last, over a course of nearly four miles
and a half, the champion of the Thames and Tyne, the
hero of nearly half-a-hundred desperate conflicts, the
pride of the Thames, sustained a defeat—
" Sic transit gloria mundi."
It had been thought that he was as good as ever—that
nothing in the shape of humanity could wrest from him
his " mastery o'er the flood;" and so sanguine were the
expectations of his friends, that Robert Coombes, of
whom Re speak as he who held the proud distinction,
was, at the moment of starting, absolutely backed by
many at 2 to 1; and a very large amount of money has
changed owners upon the result, which was certainly un-
expected by the very best judges of aquatics.
Some notion may b 3 formed of the interest the match
created when we mention that no less than ten steamers,
some densely crowded with persons, accompanied the
match, to say nothing of the thousands of persons ranged
along the course and in every description of craft. It
was a great prelude to, with all the excitement of, a
Derby day, and amply repaid was the vast concourse by
the unparalleled struggle for superiority.
The match was for 2001. aside, besides the honorary
distinction we have before mentioned; and the competi-
tors, Robert Coombes, the champion of many years'
standing, and Thomas Cole of Chelsea, who aspired to
that honour. The formor has een before the
extraordinary
üblic for
the last twenty years, and earbned such
reputation for pre-eminence in this art, th at many, de-
spite his being,
in his 43d year, considered him invincible.
lie had, step by step, ascended the ladder of tame by de-
feating the greatest men of each succeeding year, until
nobody was left to beat. In the course of last seasons he
had occasion to impart some of his principle and pr-
tice of training to his yesterday's opponent, who was
at that time taken under his charge to
be got is
tan
condition against Robert Newell, and the
pupil, ae
result has shown, was superior to the preceptor. Of
Cole but very little was known, so little that hundreds
did not scruple to impute to himself and backers a pretty
Considerable share of arrogance in supposing that he
nould contend, with any chance of success, against so
formidable a rival. Cole had won Doggett's coat and
badge four years ago, and had since
and beatenith C
little
On record to recommend him as a doer,
it can scarcely
be wondered that the circumstance of a private gentle-
man backing him, purely for the love ot aquatic sport,
was considered a bold step. The match had been about
since the early part of the winter,
and both men had
paid the most scrupulous attention to their training, the
result of which wsa, that they both came to the starting
post yesterday in the most beautiful condition. Coombes,
who has in his time beaten eleven-stone
and men
his , air as we
have already said, in his 43d year, wing
weight was 9st 11b. Cole is 25 years old, and is half
a stone heavier.
The distance contested was from Putney-bridge to
Mortlake, and the attendance of spectators was the
greatest we ever saw at such a race. Betting was brisk
at 6 and 7to on Coombes, and in some instances en-
larged to 24 to 1.
At a little after five o'clock both men rowed to their
stations, Cole having the choice, and taking the Mid-
dlesex side of the centre arch. Royal was umpire for
Coombes; Salter for Cole; and Mr. E. Searle kindly
officiated as referee. Coombes dashed his sculls in the
water with almost the rapidity of lightning, and took a
lead of something like a quarter of a length, which he
retained but for about twenty yards and then
were scull and scull, and no two rowing menthey
ever so
ably displayed the perfection of style, while their pace,