The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-30 00:00:00

are gradually hardening in puke, and the best kinds
are a shade higher than last week.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,

NORTHAMPTON RACES,

Time was when the gathering at Northampton was re•
garded as the proper and legitimate commencement of the
lacing season; but the few past years have materially
altered its position. We plunge now with such avidity into
th a pursuit of the national pastime—so many so-called
" Spring Meetings" held in the midst of frost and snow,
put forward their claims to notice, that Northampton has
lost much of its former prestige, and (has to share with
many rivals the first fruits of the racing year.
Still, the Northamptonshire Stakes are a tower of
strength, holding their own as the most important among
the early handicaps, and this year absorbing a good deal of
the rather languid speculation that has characterised the
course of events at " the corner." Not that betting on the
Stakes has much varied in its characteristics from that on
similar events. Favourites have been promoted only to be
deposed, and outsiders have come at the last with a rush
which has become proverbial. Lioness and Blithfleld hav-
ing through the winter held the premiership, gave way,
the last 10 days to Lord Zetland, who on the strength of a
satisfactory trial, took the lead, and with Gardener as se-
cond favourite maintained it to the moment the flag fell.
The Trial Stakes were signalised by the defeat of Lord
Burleigh, and the Whittlebury by the victory of Soumise,
who won in a canter, and disposed of Evelina, Mousley, and
Attraction, along with the good-looking Jezabel, very
easily. Isoline made a promising debut for the season in
the Queen's Plate, which she carried off after a good race
with Guerilla.

The great race which had engrossed the attention of the
ring all the afternoon brought 18 to the post, all looking in
first-rate condition, more especially Lord Zetland, Gardener,
Fairwater, Gibraltar, and Wingrave. All, however, found
admirers, the two favourites being very firm at their quoted
price. But the hopes of the Danebury stable were doomed
to disappointment, and Dollar carried off the prize. The star
of the French stable is in the ascendant. They began suc-
cessfully at Lincoln, and have well made a great and unex-
pected coup here. 25 to 1 might easily have bean obtained
about the winner a few minutes before i he start.
The other events call for no especial comment. There
was a good finish bet seen Lady Abbess and Musk for the
Pytchley Stakes, which the former landed by a head ; and
Vigil made a race of it with Poetess for the Delapro Han-
dicap.

There was a very large attendance of the leading families
of the county, in addition to the well-known habitues of

the Turf. The weather was most inclement.
Trial Stakes of 10 sovs each, with 50 added ; for 3-yr-olds

and upwards; weight for age. One mile. 6 sues.
Mr T. Parr's Glendusk, 3 yre, 7at (Covey) 1
Mr B. J. Angell's Lord Burleigh, 5 yrs, 9st llb
(Custance) 2
Duke of St. Albans' Sea King, 4 yrs, Bst 91b (S. Rogers) 3
Sir F. Johnstone's Johnny Armstrong, 5 yrs, 9st llb
(J. Gower) 4
Mr G. W. Morris's Siva, 3 yrs, 7st (Carroll) 5
Marquis of Hastings's Tippler, 4 yrs, Bst 91b ....(Judd) 6
Betting-5 to 4on Lord Burleigh, and 6to 1 agst
Glendusk.

At the second attempt they got away in close company,
Johnny Armstrong, however, after running a few strides
went to the fore, having Siva, the favourite, and Glendusk
as his immediate followers, round the lower turn, where
Lord Burleigh quitted his position and assumed the com-
mand, having as they ascended the hill Glendusk and Sea
King on his extreme light. On reaching the distance Mr.
Parr's colt got upon better terms with the favourite, and at
the enclosure headed him, and won very cleverly by three
parts of a length, Sea King finished a bad third, and the
others at wide intervals, as placed by the judged.
The Whittlebury Stakes of n sovs each, 5 ft, with 100
added ; for 2-yr-olds, to carry 6st 81b, and 3• yr-olds, Bst
Sib; fillies and geldings allowed 31b ; winners extra, with
certain allowances. 37 subs. Three-quarters of a mile,
straight.
Count F. de Lagrange's Soumise, Sat 51b (A. Edwards) 1
Lord Bateman's Mousley, 3 yrs, Bst lllb ....(Custance) 2
Baron Rothschild's Evelina, 3 yrs, Bst 121 b (in. 31b ex)
(Wells) 3
The following also ran :—Dawdle, Lady Bohun, Attrac-
tion, Deerstalker (late Black Deer), Auclacieuse, Brother to
Manrico, Sympathy, and Jezabel.
Betting-4 to 1 agst Soumise, 9to 2 agst Evelina, sto 1
agst Attraction, and 8 to 1 each agst Mouseley, Lady Bohun,
and Deerstalker.

An excellent start was effected, after a short delay. Sou-
mise next the rails, with Attraction, Evelina, Mousley, and
Lady Bohun on her right, got away in advance, but as
they reached the brow of the hill Attraction went to the
front, and came on with the running to the distance, when
the French filly came again, and at the enclosure got her
head in advance, and won very cleverly at last in a canter
by six lengths. Evelina, who was stopped, finished a bad
third ; Attraction was fourth, Lady Bohun sixth, Dawdle
sixth, and Deerstalker and Brother to Manrico side by side
next. The last three were Audacieuse, Jezebel, and
Sympathy.
Her Majesty's Plate of 100 guineas and upwards for 3-yr-

olds; weight for age. Two miles.
Mr Naylor's Isoline, 4 yrs, 9st 71b (Challoner) 1
Mr Saville's Guerilla, 3 yrs, 7st 91b (Morgan) 2
Mr Caxton's Edward the Confessor, 3 yrs, 7st 91b
(Carroll) 3
The following also ran :—Bally Edmond, Dunkeld, Tou-
rist, and Argonaut.
Betting— 6 to 4 agst Isoline, 5 to 2 agst Bally Edmond,
and 5 to 1 agst any other.
The race was run in a heavy hail storm, which quickly
rendered it difficult to discern the colours of the riders, but
as near as we could make out Arganaut was the first off,
and made the running, followed wide on his right by Ed-
ward the Confessor, Guerilla, Tourist, and the favourite,
Bally Edmond bringing up the rear, until they reached
the mile post, where the latter got upon better terms with
his horses, and as they came along the bottom he, in com-
pany, drew up with the leaders and rounded the turn
together. Shortly after Argonaut was beaten, which left
Edward the Confessor with the lead, who half way up the
hill was joined by Isoline, Bally Edmond and Guerilla, the
four running together to the distance, where Bally Edmond
dropped back beaten, leaving the favourite and Guerilla to
fight it out, the former winning at last by half a length ; a
bad third, Bally Edmond trotted in fourth.

Stand Plate of GO sous (handicap), for 3-yr-olds and up

wards; Winners extra. 20 subs. Ore mile.

----- -
Mr Trench's Lapidist, 5 yrs, 7st 131 b
Lord Westmoreland's Naxos, 3 yrs sst 91b (C. Barrett) 2
Sir J. Hawley's Columba, 4 yrs, Bst 21b (For6ham) 3
Mr 'Farling's Le Marechal, 4 yrs, Bst 121 b (Ccx) 4
Mr J. Smith's Birdlime, 4 yrs 7st 91b (C. Gray) 5
Mr Craven's Fla; 4 yrs, 7st '9lb (Morgan) 6
Mr Egerton's Waveney, 3 yrs, sst 71b (J. Grimshaw) 7
Betting-5 to 2 agst Waveney, 3to 1 agst Columba, and
7 to 2 agst Lapidist and Le Marechal.

Lapidist jumped away with a clear lead, which he held
for the first 50 yards, when he was headed by Waveney,
who in company with Le htarechal and Naxos came on