The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-01 00:00:00

SPORTING NOTES.

The races at Epsom, last week, brought out some good
fields. The first event decided was the Trial Stakes, which
was contested by Twilight and Birchbroom, the latter of
whom, though with much the worst of the weights, opened
the favourite at 6 to 4, but the odds gradually veered round
on the old mare,who justified the movement by winning in
a canter, Lord Westmoreland's horse being in trouble after
rounding Tattenham Corner, at which many an even
"pony" was dropped by those who jumped to conclusions
too hastily, from a notion that Edwards was hard upon
Twilight. The announcement of 14 starters for the Riker-
man Plate looked more like business, and afforded plenty of
employment in the Ring, where short prices—averaging 4
and 5 to I—were at first taken about Poodle and Romola,
but both were superseded at last by Hesper and The Gem;
and after the latter (who, with Romola, Joss Stick, Bay
Leaf, and Litt) e Jess, caused most of the false starts, which
occasioned a belay of half an hour at the outset) had run
the course through, the old horse was backed for more
money than anything, in spite of his "steadier" of lOst.
101 b. Brilliantly though he wound up the season last year
(in the course of which he started no tewer than twenty-
three times) by winning a half-mile handicap at Shrews-
bury, carrying 9st 101 b (giving 3st all but 21b to Lady
Bohun, 3st llb to Balornock, 141 b to Attraction, 13Ib
to Welland, &c.) Hesper, though a roarer, surpassed all
his previous triumphs, as well as those of Miss Julia,
Nutbush, and other half-mile celebrities, on this occasion,
by winning with the welter weight of 10st 101 b, after a
slashing finish with Mr. Saxon's filly, to whom ho gave
4st 21b ! The field for the City and Suburban was the
smallest for several years past. The betting underwent
several fluctuations after mustering on the Downs, when
5 to 1 was offered on the field, and 13 to 2 " bar one," The
Grinder having the decided call of Accident, next towhom
separated by a "widish gulf," stood Paris, at 100 to 8. The
latter soon evinced symptoms of further improvement,
however, and coming all of a sudden after Hesper's race,
he soon became as hot a favourite as at Northampton, giv-
ing the go-bye to both the Lewes horse, who was very
" fishy" at last, and The Grinder, notwithstanding the cir-
cumstance of Grimshaw, who was engaged to Mr. Smith
for Swordsman, being given up to Lord Hastings, and Mr.
S. contenting himself with Carroll for the quondam
Northampton " crack." The Grinder was not only affected
by the advance of Paris, but by the support awarded to his
stable companion Master Richard, who, though the top
weight, had plenty of friends amongst the cognoscenti,
who will back a race horse in moderate company.
The same remark will apply to Argonaut, though
there were three better favourites than Sir Joseph
Hawley's horse in Columbia, Connection, slur-Friday ;
whilst Menace (who has been purchased by Mr. Ten Breech
since she ran third in the Spencer Plate), went " clean out"
after the Parisian demonstration ; and Agatha, although
strongly fancied by the Littleton stable, likewise declined
on the previous day's quotation. Columbia, about whom
there was such a furore for the Cambridgeshire last year,
has been trained at Findon for her present engagement,
and though the trial ended unsatisfactorily, owing to
Aurelian breaking his leg therein, she again had a host of
supporters. An old handicap favourite, whose name has
seldom been heard in connection with any event this sea-
son, to the unaccountable astonishment of the bookmakers
made his reappearance somewhat unexpectedly, as his name
was omitted altogether from the cards. We allude to
Muezzin, now the property of Mr. W. Robinson, who ran
so forward right into the distance (havingraced with Con-
traband to Tattenham Corner), as to lead to the impression

that the "good thing" he has so often been backed to bring
off would be landed by his new owner, as some sort of re-
compense for the loss of Kangaroo ! But the Muezzin had
tolled his own knell, and though the horse managed to
"catch the judge's eye," the fourth place he obtained was
barren both of honour and emolument ; the "place betters"
in particular getting a rare turn on the race by a couple Of
outsiders like Argonaut and Swordsman both securing
"berths." The latter had nothing to do with the victory it-
self, which was gallantly fought out by Argonaut and The
Grinder, though the former was more than a length first oppo-
site the Stand, the young one overhauled him so rapidly
when called upon, that, coupled with fears of the old horse
refusing to struggle home the utmost excitement prevailed
until the hoisting of Argonaut's number proclaimed another
Epsom triumph for Sir Joseph's popular " cherry" jacket
and Wells, when loud cheering burst forth on all sides.
Sir Joseph Hawley, IVO believe, backed Argonaut for £lOO
only at 25 to 1; but all the bookmakers laid against the
winner. The field for the Metropolitan greatly exceeded
expectation, and the announcement of nineteen starter;
(within one of the short race) is a most gratifying sign of
the times. Blackdown, who ran untried, carried a deal of
good money notwithstanding, and left off decidedly second
favourite; and Breeze, who had done a "good thing" at
home with Wingrave, trod closely upon the heels of Planet
at last ; whilst Renfrew, against whom an unfavourable
prejudice existed, declined to 100 to 6, and was superseded