The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-31 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

SPORTING NOTES.—No. CCCCXXXI.

A RETROSPECTIVE AT THE GREAT EPSOM
MEETING, WITH ITS EFFECTS UPON THE

FUTURE.

The past, meeting, the greatest ever celebrated at
Epsom or' elsewhere, has not passed away without leav-
ing behind it many reminiscences of its existence, and
some most telling effects upon the future. It is to these
last I intend to turn my sole and undivided attention, as
being of considerable service to the turfite.
Tile running for the Craven Stakes shows that Joe
Miller's star is on the decline, and that considering Har-
binger is a mile horse, and the distance was only a quar-
ter further, his defeat shews him to be a fit companion
for Joe. Grapeshot, the representative of Osborne's
stable, if not handicapped too heavily, will be ready to
do a good thing in the course of the autumn.
The winner of the Woodcote, Mr. Rowland E.
Cooper's ch c by Cotherstone, out of Empress, is a
smartish animal, but has not the smallest pretensions
for the Derby of next year. Between now and then he
has not a single engagement. I fancy not one of the
lot in the rear of the winner will ever distinguish them-
selves in any great races, unless carrying very light
weights.
I last week glanced at several incidents connected
with the Derby, so shall now merely add that I have
not the slightest doubt the race was won by the best
horse, and that Sittingbourne was the second best. Mr.
Bowes' victory with West Australian will affect several
of the horse's future engagements. I believe he runs
for the Fourth Triennial Stakes at. Ascot, which, of
course, he will win. He is also engaged, in the North
Derby Stakes at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for which, how-
ever, I should say ho will not start, it being dangerous
to trust good horses upon such a hard soil as that is fur
small stakes. At Goodwood he is engaged in the
Drawing Room Stakes, where, however, he is not likely
to put in an appearance against his rival of the other
day, Sittingbourne. He is also entered in the second
year of the second Bentinck Memorial Stakes, which I
should book a certainty for him. At York he figures
among the entries for the Ebor St. Leger, and also in
the Great Yorkshire Stakes, for both of which he
will have to carry penalties; therefore it is somewhat
doubtful whether he will put in an appearance. At
Doncaster he is in the Great St. Leger, which, if he
keeps well he is sure to win. He is also engaged in the
Doncaster Stakes, in which, I presume, he will decline
starting ; and in a sweepstakes of 200 sovs. pier the
St. Leger Course, with his stable companion, Umbriel,
as his only opponent, and he going merely to save his
stake, the value of the stake being 2,200 sovs. The same
day he figures in the Don Stakes, but has Pelion, Vindex,
Cineas. and Orestes—all more or less good mile horses—
are engaged against him, it is probable Mr. Bowes will
think discretion the better part of valour after his pre-
vious races. The Triennial at Newmarket will, of course,
fall to him ; and I see no reason why the Grand Duke
Michael Stakes should not likewise. Thus, it will be
seen, if all goes on right, West Australian's career will
be a bright and profitable one.
Sittingbourne, who ran so excellent a second to West
Australian, has no less than fourteen engagements, the
first of which is at Ascot for a 50 sovs. sweep, which he
will walk over for. The second is for the Welcome
Stakes, also at Ascot, in which he will probably have
to meet Pelion. The third is for the Triennial, in which,
I presume, he will not show, as West Australian runs.
At Stockbridge he has nothing opposed to him worth
mentioning for the Fourth Triennial Stakes. At the
same meeting he is engaged in the Steward's Plate, for
which his running is very dubious. At Goodwood he
has only two rivals of any note for the Gratwicke Stakes
—Pharos and Umbriel. Notwithstanding a 41b penalty
for running second in the Derby, he will probably start
and win the Drawing Room Stakes. His starting for
the Second Bentinck Memorial Stakes I doubt. His
running is also dubious for the First Biennial Stakes at
Brighton. From penalties previously incurred he will
most probably decline going to the post for the Ebor St.
Leger at York, but his opponents being of a very ordi-
nary description, with the exception of Vindex, he might
be tempted into the field. His next appearance will be
at Doncaster for the St. Leger, where he cannot expect
to play anything more than second fiddle. He will pro-
bably he the winner of the Doncaster Stakes, without
Catherine Hayes should bowl him over. His last two
engagements are for the Grand Duke Michael Stakes and
Fifth Triennial, about which I need say no more than
that West Australian is entered for both.

Cineas and Rataplan will run uncommonly well in
their future engagements ; and Orestes will do good
during some of these days when he is a little less fractious
than at present.
Umbriel, as I long ago remarked, will prove himself
to be a second Uriel.

The Two-Year-Old Stakes brought out a very pro-
mising Derby colt, 'yclept Dervish, by Cowl, the pro-
perty of Lord Derby. He won his race so out of hand
that he stands an equal favourite with Ruby at 20 to 1
for next year's great engagement.. The animal bids fair
to be a large, flashing creature, but I should hesitate be-
fore I backed him at 20 to 1 a twelvemonth before the
race. The field behind him, with the exception of Lady
Audrey, were a not particuliarly brilliant lot.
Catherine Hayes, the splendid daughter of Lanercost,
notwithstanding she has ran five races, is still unbeaten.
She won the Oaks easier than I anticipated. She has
five engagements, the first of which is at Ascot for the
Coronation Stakes, which she will carry off easily enough,
disregarding the penalty. Her next is at Goodwood for
the 50 sovs. Stakes, in which figure, the names of Pharos,
Vindex, Pelion, and Ninnyhammer. At' Brighton her
starting is very doubtful for the Biennial Stakes, on ac-
count of the accumulative penalties she will have to
carry. Her next engagement is in the Doncaster
Stakes, at Doncaster; and her last in the Fifth Triennial,
at Newmarket. Her chance for either lam not enabled
to say anything about.
The settling 0-night, it is expected, will be tolerably
good, considering the heavy amount lost.
The only meeting of any note this week is that at
Newton, which I shall touch upon to-morrow.

THE SPIRIT OF THE TURF.