The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-11 00:00:00

THE RACING SEASON OF 1863,

(Front the Saturday Review.)

It is a common error to exaggerate the importance of con-
temporary events, but if the racing season of 1863 has not
been of superior interest to many preceding seasons, it must
at any rate be allowed that, at the present moment, it is more
vividly remembered. It is always difficult to determine
whether the best horses of any particular year are excep-
tionally bad. Facts may be adduced in support of either
opinion, and thus, while one party insists upon the merit of
Lord Clifden's performance in the last St. Leger, another
party asserts that he had a very moderate lot of horses to
contend against. It will, however, scarcely be contested
that one event of the last season deserves to be classed among
the most remarkable which the Turf has known. The dead
heat between Buckstone and Tim Whiffler for the Ascot
Cup, and the deciding heat in which Buckstone was victori-
ous, afforded a spectacle never to be forgotten by those who
witnessed it. In spite of complaints that racing, as at pre-
sent managed in England, does net conduce as much as
might be desired and expected to the improvement of the
English breed of horses, it must be owned that the produc-
tion every year of two or three horses of the quality of Buck-
stone is a result which justifies a very large expenditure of
time, trouble, and money. That the result is appreciated
abroad is proved by the eagerness of foreigners to purchase
English horses which have attained to the highest reputa-
tion in their respective years. If, in order to produce a
small number of first-rate horses, it is necessary to make many
experiments, it follows that encouragement must be given
to breeding, and the best of all encouragements is to provide
plenty of stakes to run for. A justification is thus found
for the system of handicapping, which is designed to give
everybody a chance, and for two-yr-old races, which are in-
tended to offer what breeders of every kind of stock demand
—viz„ a prospect of some early return for capital expended.
It is perhaps doubtful whether the development from year
to year of the existing system of horse-racing is attributable
to its soundness or to that growth of wealth and population
which has introduced larger figures into many branches of
statistics. It is, however, certain that the number of horses
entered for the great races increases every year; and the
number of races, great and small, has become so large that
in eight months of incessant activity, extending from March
to November, it is scarcely possible to get through the
business of the regular racing season. The comparative
quiet of the four winter months is devoted to discussing
the results which have been arrived at, especially with re-
ference to the two-year-olds, whose recorded performances
are anxiously compared in the hope of attaining some in-
sight into the chances of the ensuing season. Already the
newspapers contain regular returns of betting on the Two
Thousand and the Derby of 1864. The French Fille de
l'Air !s first favourite for the Guineas, and if she were en-
tered for the Derby she would doubtless be first favourite
for that race also. In her absence, the first place in the
Derby betting is occupied by Scottish Chief, making the
fourth horse of Mr. Merry's that the public has elevated to
that position in the last five years.
Stceplechasing,imixed with a little flat racing,was carried
on pretty steadily all through last winter and early spring.
The racing season proper may be taken to have commenced
at Northampton on the 24th of March. Even at this early
period of the season, two-year-olds run, and are watched
with interest only inferior to that excited by horses a year
older. The meeting at Northampton brought out that
splendid five-yr-old Asteroid, and one or two other veteran
performers of high merit ; but at this moment the most
interesting fact recorded as occurring at Northampton is
that the two-yr-old filly Molly Carew beat Midnight Mass,
an undeniable good colt of the same year, with tolerable
ease. The Newmarket Craven meeting, which began on
the 6th of April, was marked by two events which attracted
perhaps more, and a third which certainly attracted less,
attention than it deserved, The French mare Stradella
beat, in different races, two of the best horses of her year—
Buckstone and The Marquis—and thereby acquired a re-
putation which proved disastrous to those who backed her
afterwards I.e. the Chester Cup. Macaroni, who was then
little regarded, won a three-yr-old stake with great ease,
and thus afforded a hint of his quality which only the dis-
cerning few turned to profitable account. The Epsom
Spring Meeting showed Molly Carew to be the best two-
yr-old then out. On the 21st of April, the race for the Two
Thousand Guineas taught the public what Macaroni really
was. He won this race rather easily, but it can scarcely
be doubted, aft.er subsequent experience, that he had
a moderate lot be hind him. The four days' sport
at Chester next claimed attention. That meeting did
not result in the discovery of any unsuspected prodigy of
a three-year-old, but the race for the Cup was one of the
most interesting of the season. It was won, after a fine
struggle, by Asteroid, carrying over that severe course the
crushing weight of 9st 4lbs, and giejug nearly 2st for a
year to Stradella, who at Newmarket defeti:ga The Marquis
at nearly equal weights. At the same meetinj. however,
Asteroid failed to give Ist fur a year to Buckste‘uot who
beat him very easily by a length. The nearly appree.."thag
Epsom meeting now absorbed all attention. It will be re.'
membered that Lord Clifden had held the place of first
favourite from the very commencement of the betting,
although at one time the French horse Hospodar came to
nearly even terms with him. The reputation of Hospodar
was founded on his having won both the Clearwell and the
Criterion stakes in the previous autumn, and it was de-
stroyed by his utter failure for the Two Thousand Guineas,
It is remarkable that Fille de l'Air, like Hospodar, has won
the Criterion and become first favourite for the Guineas.
It is justifiable to regard Hospodar as something of an im-
postor, but whatever may be the result of next year's racing,
Fille de l'Air has done this year several things which leave
no doubt of her genuine quality. Indeed, if one were called
upon at this moment to name the best two-year-old out, it
would be difficult, upon public running, to look anywhere
but to the French filly. But, dropping the prophetic, and
returning to the historic vein, let the mind revert to that
most miserable of holidays which Londoners endeavoured
to enjoy on the Darby day of 1863. The rain, the mud,
and the umbrellas--these features of that dismal festival
are remembered almost as vividly as the figure of
Challoner bringing up Macaroni to overhaul Fordham and
Lord Clifden. There is no need to tell how that Derby was
won by a short head, and how the ring and Mr. Naylor and
his friends triumphed, while the public generally lamented
with Lord St. Vincent. The weather on the Oaks day was
as fine as on the Derby day it was wretched. The result
of the race was a surprise, even to many of those who ought
to have known something about the winner. Queen Bertha
was scarcely backed for a farthing, and 40 to 1 was offered
against her before starting. She was guided beautifully by
Aldcroft into the first place, defeating, among other com-
petitors, Isoline, who afterwards won the Goodwood Cup,
and Borealis.

From Epsom tho scene changes to Paris, for now those
who make horse-racing a business attend meetings in France
as well as in England. Horses cross and recross the Chan-
nel with far greater facility than a few years ago they
found in moving from Surrey to Yorkshire, although the
most enthusiastic admirer of Mr. Cobden could scarcely
ascribe the opening of this branch of trade to his diplomatic
labours. The greatest international race-meeting hitherto
held was that which witnessed the contest for the Grand
Prix de Paris on Sunday. May 31. Then, for the first
time, did a quiet orderly French race-course resound with
all the babel of an English ring. " Parlez- vous fran9ais ?"
inquired an excited Yorkshireman of a native, " Oui,
monsieur," was the polite reply. " Then I'll lay agin the
mare to a monkey." It will be remembered that La
Toucques, " the French Blink Bonny," as she was called,
from having won both the French Derby and Oaks, was
the first favourite for the Grand Prix. Lord Clifden was
the next best favourite, but he was so evidently amiss
after his Epsom exercises, that his going was aptly com-
pared to that of a cat upon hot bricks. The race fell to
The Ranger, who had shown some form in the early spring,
and, as his friends averred, had been disappointed in the
Derby when Saccharometer and King of the Vale fell and
he had to come round them, The French mare sustained
her reputation by running second, and she afterwards in-
creased it by a performance upon English ground. It may,
perhaps, be interesting to notice the reasons adduced by
Viscount Daru, in a letter to Admiral Rous, for holding this
race on a Sunday. It appears that this arrangement had
been objected to in England, and the writer, " desiring
greatly to find an amicable solution," declared that "the;iw
habits and social necessities of his country" did not allow
those with whom he acted to arrange otherwise.. France,
racing has not acquired the importance w
' 'lllethitilition, useful
Only for a small minority is it " a serious institution, it deserves.
it is only an
to public interest." For the greater number
will give a holiday, but
agreeable spectacle, to which
for which they will not make one. Niv: would be an illusion
Parliamentary adjournment for
to hope to see in France Palrn
the Derby.social If a week-day
"In he
chosen for the races, they
France, the eve and nil-
will attract no spectators,