The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-07 00:00:00

SPORTING NOTES.

A DIP INTO THE FUTURE.

The future of the turf, so far as the coming season is
concerned, is plainly perceptible. A. glimpse at it gives
cheering encouragement to sporting men, and promises
many months of pleasant employment. During the
week the nominations for the principal Spring Handi-
caps have been published in The Sun, and from the list
of them it will be seen that time and competition have
neither impaired their numerical strength nor altered the
character of the nominated competitors. First in the
dear love of metropolitan turfites is the Epsom Spring
Meeting, which this year gives the most unequivocal in-
dications of a widening popularity and an increasing
prosperity. Notwithstanding the powerful attractions
of the Great Northern Handicap, Chester Cup, and
other spring events of a like description, the Metropoli-
tan Stakes has obtained its full complement of entries,
whilst to the City and Suburban Handicap there is the
largest number of nominations on record since the esta-
blishment of that race. And no wonder, considering
the labour which is exerted to insure the success of those
events, and the liberal amount of public money which is
annually added to them. Last year the number of sub-
scribers to the Metropolitan was 120, this year it is 112;
to the City and Suburban it was 84, now it is 108.
This statement shows the increasing popularity of the
last-mentioned event, and the probability that it will
ultimately engross much of the interest which at present
attaches to the Metropolitan.
In the number of subscribers to the Newmarket Han-
dicap there is a diminution of thirteen, but in that of
the Northampton Stakes there is an increase of ten.
Owing to the stoppage of railway communication be-
tween London and Chester, I have not yet received a
complete list of nominations for the Chester Cup. To
the same cause, I suppose, must be attributed its omis-
sion from the official Racing Calendar, published on
Thursday. The diligence of the gentleman who " does"
the sporting intelligence for the daily press has already
enabled us to judge of the probable numerical strength
of the entries, from the list of them which has already
been some days before the public. That list is, however,
necessarily imperfect, the names of few of the northern
horses being included in it.

The comparatively scanty muster of entries for the
Liverpool Steeple Chase has occasioned some disappoint-
ment, and is a significant indication of the approaching
decline of the " cross country sport," as aepresent con-
ducted. Tne Miss Mowbray mania still continues ;
eight fifties were booked about her on Thursday, the
taker wishing to be accommodated with nine fifties more.
Still, hints and inuendos are freely dropped respecting
her party's intentions, which are said to be unfavour-
able to her supporters. "Whether these suspicions be
well founded, it is bard to say. People have speculated
freely about the probable 'estimate the handicapper will
form of her chance, some arguing, with a good show of
reason, that she will be weighted at about lOst 71b, and
others maintain, with equal plausibility, that her im-
post will bo a little under, if, indeed, it does not exceed
list. The shortness of Miss Mowbray's price in the
betting would, however, seemingly warrant the suppo-
sition that her weight is already known.

In the aggregate, the stakes✓which closed on Monday
last have, with few material exceptions, obtained large
and satisfactory entries. Among the nominators the
name of the Marquis of Exeter figures with pleasing fre-
quency, thus rendering his retirement from the turf,
which was once reported, a matter of remote proba-
bility.
Friday Night.

A FRESH MAN.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

BETTING AT MANCHESTER.-YESTERDAY.

The entries for the spring handicaps, which were fixed
for the 2d of January, did not come to band in due time,
the delay being caused by the stoppage of the different
trains by the snow. A complete entry for the Chester
Cup has been the most difficult to get, and the list of 218
(the greatest entry on record), published to-day, must
not yet be considere•l a perfect entry.
The betting to-day only to make m•re manifest the
disposition to back Miss Mowbray for the Liverpool
Steeplechase-1,600 to 200 was taken twice, and 400 to
50 twice, all by one gentleman, who was' willing to go
on at the same figure ; 700 to 100 was afterwards offered,
but 8 to 1 being the taking price, it met with no re-
sponse.

- Virago would have been backed for the Chester Cup at
1,000 to 30, and Cat's paw at 1,000 to 15. 3,000 to 100
was offered agst the former, and 5,000 to 100 against the
latter. Newminster, who has been backed to win a
great stake, is firm at 50 to 1, takers.

LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE.

50 to 1 agst Miss Mowbray (taken to win 4,000).
CIIESTER CUP.
30 to 1 agst Virago (take 1,000 to 30).
40 to 1 agst Newminster (take 50 to 1).
40 to 1 agst Torn (take 50 to 1).
50 to 1 agst Cat's-paw (take 1,000 to 15).
50 to 1 agst Typee (take 1,000 to 15).
1000 to 15 agst Black Doctor (take 1,000 to 12).
500 to 5 agst Pelion (taken).
500 to 5 agst Duchess of Lorraine (taken).
Nothing else done.

DONCASTER SPRING
NOMINATIONS for the DoN,
St. Leger
Yrs
Lady Vernon 4
Florist 4
Jack Leeming 6
Andromache
St. Andrew 4
Alonzo a
Radcliffe Hero 4
Blakeley
Colsterdale

1 MEETING—MARCH 7.
TOASTER HANDICAP STAKES.
T Course.

Bird-trap
Lord Fauconberg 4
Captain Cornish 4
Needlewood
Lucio
England's Glory
* Adine
Penitent
The Marchioness a

King of Trumps 5
Windsucker 5

Jacqueline ...
Communist ...

3

Criterion
Midsummer 3
Diligent
Cleveland 5
Antonia
Songstress
Daniel O'Rourke
Ammonia 5
Heapy
Brocket
The President...
Streatlam Fairy

Lerrywheut
Janey
Vixen
King Alfred 3
Lady Napier
Village Lass
Ireland's Eye 4
Feversham
Pauline
Ptolemy
Caliph
Baalbec

5

El Dorado
Jack-the-Giant-Killer 4

Pearl
Maid of the Tees 3

Little Fawn
Monimia,
Jetty Treffz
Cariboo
Charity
Eulogist
Dove
Light of the Harem

Toggerty
Ethelbert 4
Bridekirk 3
Hungerford 6
Miss Peddie 4
Sister to Aphrodite 3
Mr. Sykes
Little Davie 5
4 j Maria,

5
3
3
4

Pebble
Candlewick
St. Clare
Morning Star

'1