The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-21 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE 'SUN

SlR,—The second spring meeting at Newmarket, has
passed away without having thrown much light on the
" crack race" of the year; the Rowley Mile Plate, which
in days of yore produced favourites for the Derby, and
in one instance the winner, was this year won in a can-
ter by Colonel Peel's Vasa, a horse not within a stone of
Tadmor, beating Abd-el-liader (2d), Dolly Varden
(3d), lenalvon (4th), General Sale, Carbuncle, First
Chance, St. Denis, Nina, Tiresome, Newport, and
Fleece. This race, directly or indirectly, annihilates
the chances, for the struggle of Wednesday next, of
Abd-el Kader, all Exeter's lot, General Sale, First
Chance, Rochester, Landgrave, Flambeau's dam colt,
Tiresome, Honeycomb, Osterley, Newport, Vatican, and
several others of inferior note.
.As I anticipated, Essedarius and Legerdemain were
in the front for the Suffolk Stakes, the former being first
and the latter fourth; Legerdemain would have been
second had she not lost a great deal of ground by taking
a very wide sweep at the turn into the Bunbury Mile.
It is now four years since I made my debut in the
columns of The Sun as " sporting counsel" to your
readers, during which time I have experienced an
amount of success far exceeding my anticipations, par-
ticularly so, on the great race of the year, so soon to be
decided for the 70th time on the Downs of Epson. My
first essay on the Derby was in 1845, when I pulled
through with Forth's outsider, The Merry Monarch,
and Pantasa, the former being placed first and the latter
fourth. My second prognostication, in 1846, was in
favour of that stout son of Epirus and Fortress, Pyrrhus
the First, who defeated Bill Scott on Sir Tatton Sykes
by a neck. My third essay, in 1847, when I stood on
Day's couple, Cossack and Conyngham, came off tri-
umphantly in favour of the former, the latter running in
seventh. My fourth essay, last year, with Surplice and
Springy Jack, was equally successful, my especial fa-
vourite Elastic John running " the crack" to a short
neck! And now, I trust, my fifth attempt may surpass
the others, and enable me to place the leading trio for
one of the heaviest betting races on record.
The Epsom Carnival commences at two o'clock on
Tuesday with the Craven Stakes, to close and name this
day.
For the Woodcote Stakes about eight will run, to be
selected from the following:—Ballet Girl, Countess filly,
Lampoon filly, Michael Brunton, The Swede, Countess,
The Secret, Le Beau, and Casteriere, or Valentine. I
presume The Swede sad Michael Brunton will show the
rest the way home, Lampoon filly and Countess being
third and fourth.

A Match for 200 sous between Mr. E. R. Clarke's Old
Commodore, Bst 71b, and Mr. Ford's Eunuch, Bst 41b,
will end io favour of the former.

On Wednesday, the far-lamed " Derby Day," business
will commence at half past two with the Derby Stakes,
of 50 hors, each, h ft, for which a field of from 18 to 23
will run, to be picked from the following.—Tadmor,
Flying Dutchman, Elthiron, Nunnykirk, Chantrey,
*Henry of Exeter, The Knout, Vanguard, *Uriel. *Sir
Launcelot, Old Dan Tucker, *Langton, Chatterer, Hot-
spur, Vatican, •Glenlyon, Due de Brabant, Thibault,
I)rakelow, *Glenalvon, Landgrave, *Souvenance colt,
*Lepidus, Montague, John Bull, *Sauter le Coupe, Abd-
el-Rader, Flambeau's dam colt, Honeycomb, The Old
Fox, *Woolwich, *ldle Boy, Westow, and one of Sir G.
Eleathcote's, Normanton, or Brother to Campanero. The
most dubious as to starting I have asterisked.
Tadmor, by lon, out of Palmyra, "reared in an in-
stant" from the rank of an " illustrious obscure" to
that of a prominent favourite for the Derby by his easy
defeat of Honeycomb (2d), Belus (3d), Canada filly,
Rochester, Vanguard, and Jelly Fish, for the Ham
Stakes at Goodwood, is every inch a Derby horse, hav-
ing great power, fine easy action, and a long sweeping
stride, what is more, he can mount the bill at Newmar-
ket at a rattling pace with ease, and so far as I can
judge, is a shade better than any other horse of his year,
tor the peculiar course at Epsom ; if the new Derby
course was flat, I should at once without any more
ado, give the race to The Flying Dutchman, but the hill
—the hill, the stumbling block to many a trial—alters
the case materially.
The unbeaten son of lon, having defated Honeycomb,
upon whom they laid 3 to 1, for the Ham Stakes, he was
immediately introduced into the Derby market at 20 to
1, at which price he was freely supported. At New-
market in the F.O.M. he walked over for the Bucken-
ham Stakes; same meeting, won the First Triennial
Stakes, without an effort, beating the Highland Fling
(second), Elthiron (third), Goodwood, Do-the-Boys,
Fleece, Nina, Bon-Bon, Traitress, Mecca colt, Cacus,
Hotspur, Paquita, Herbert, Letitia, Memento, Fire King,
and Rhuabon ; he also won a Sweepstakes, value 200
soy., in a common canter by two lengths, beating Sobraon
(second), and His Excellency (third).
In the S. 0. M. he received 275 sovs. forfeit in a Pro-
duce Match, from Lord Glasgow's six nominations;
and walked over for a Post Sweepstakes value 300 sort.
This year he has only started once, for the Column
Stakes, when he won with most ridiculous ease, beating
Grace, Bst lib (second), and Angela, 7st 13Ib (third);
he has since been backed at as little as 5 to 1, and from
the confidence placed in him by his friends, which
" Each putter on at five to one, will bring us
Good warrant of."
They (myself included) consider that he ought and will
" Just clear the post,
A neck, before his swift antagonist."
The Flying Dutchman, by Bay Middleton out of
Barbelle, is a remarkably swift horse, probably the
fastest of this year, and for a mile without au equal ;
his public running last year was first rate, winning all
his races very easily; he came into the market at Ascot
at 25 to 1, and after winning the July Stakes became
first favourite, which position he has retained ever since.
He won the July Stakes, by a length, beating Qui-
nine (second), the Jester (third), Turban, Touchy, Ca-
nadian, Francesca, and Oqui.,tos. Same meeting, won a
sweepstakes value 400 sovs. in a canter, beating Cracow
(second), and Chicot (third).
At Liverpool, won a Sweepstakes value 1,2001., beat-
ing Esralade (second), Canada filly (third), and Snow-
storm (fourth).
At Doncaster, won the Champagne Stakes, in a canter,
beating Ellen Middleton (2d), Cigarette (3d), Raillery
(4th), and Imperatrix (last) ; also at the same meeting,
won the Two Year Old Stakes, beating Garrick (2d),
Velox (3d), and Raby (last).
Nunnykirk, by Touchstone out of Beeswing, is the
best bred horse in the race ; he has only appeared in
public twice ; in the Craven Meeting, he won a sweep-
stakes value 930 sovs. cleverly by a length, beating Fire
King. Sir Launcelot, and the Velveteen colt ; and in
the First Spring Meeting, he won the 2.000 Guineas
Stakes, Rowley Mile, in 1 min. 49 secs. by half a length
cleverly, beating Honeycomb (2d), Vatican (3d),
Index (4th), Garrick, Fire King, Do the Boys, and
Oqu4tos.
Elthiron and Vanguard have both much improved on
their last year's form, are doing good work, and will be
very forward in the race.
Old Dan Tucker is to have Sim. Terapleman up ; he
will finish in the van of the ruck.
The monster importation from Ireland, yclept The
Chatterer, is to have the assistance of Alfred Day ; if
size can accomplish any thing he'll do it, considering be
stands sixteen hands and a half, but I'm thinking he'll
find the pace severe enough to settle his pretensions.
The van of the ruck will, I opine, consist of Elthiron,
Vanguard, Old Dan Tucker, John Bull, The Knout, and
The Old Fox ; and in the rear will bo found Chatterer,
Vatican, Drakelow, Chantrey, Hotspur, Landgrave,
Montague, Westow, Honeycomb, and any other. that
may start, the before•mentioned alone excepted;
opinion of this rear lot is so poor, that ifarlybut
from
,
win, I'll not perpetrate the Bunbury dinner feat,
"I'll break my staff,
Bury it certain fathoms in the earth,
And deeper than did ever plummet sound,
I'll drown my book."
In conclusion, I see no reason why I shouldne alter my
prediction as expressed some eight months g; there-
fore to Tadmor or The Flying Dutchman I shall look
for 'the winner of the Derby! taking Nunnykirk for a
cockboat, and placing them thus:—
TA DAMN (Rogers or Nat) 1
TIIE FLYING DUTCHMAN... (Marlow) 2
NUNNYKIRK ...(F.Butler) 3
Elthiron (Prince), Old Dan Tucker (Templeman), and
Vanguard (Holmes), well up!
On Tuesday I shall finish my review of the Epsom
meeting, with the latest "moves" on the Derby, the an-
ticipated fate of the Grand Stand Plate, and Oaks, and