The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-07 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

- -
SlR,—The sporting season for 1847 may be said to
have commenced at Northampton, the two previous
meetings of Coventry and Warwick not being of that
attractive metal likely to draw thereto the sons of the
turf, and only forming a sort of prelude to the com-
mencement of the regular business of this season. The
Handicap, wonderful to relate, was won by the top
weight, a rarity now-a-days, and proving the superiority
of that celebrated son of Freney, Wolfdog: Bst 11Ib is
no joke to carry two miles against a couple of even mode-
rate feather-weights, for such are Halo and the colt by
Euclid; Magnet with 7st being a tolerable fourth. This
animal ran very gamely at Croxton, beating that very
tough nag Rough-and Ready easily, for the Granby
Handicap. From this, as well as from the rest of the
running, both at Northampton and Croxton, there is
nothing to be deduced which will throw any light upon
the Derby and leading handicaps now in the market.
The speculators at the Corner have been rather wide of
the mark in their fancies this year, and I aminclined to
think are so still us far as regards the Two Thousand
Guineas, Chester Cup and.the Derby. For the Oaks I am
very confident they are on the right scent (some portion
of them, at least). For the Derby I may as well remark
that the chances of Philosopher, Lunedale, Pavilion (a
second Clear-the-way), Black Dwarf, Mr. Martin, Chris-
topher, Sister to Cobweb colt, Horn of Chase, Conyng-
ham, Epirote, Glontilt, The Liberator, Allertonian,
Bingham, Cossack, War Eagle. and Oxonian, are
rather obscure ; and the Planet is not likely to shine to
much advantage on the Downs, though he may do so at
Newmarket. The first favourite (Van Tromp) and the
field for my money against those enumerated above.
Should the Liberator, by any manner of accident, win
the Derby, he will indubitably swamp the ring; his
owner alone stands to win with him about 70,0001.; but
notwithstanding the Liberator being a fine animal, and
in the most splendid condition imaginable, he can no
more face the Epsom hill than he can fly ; at the road the
Liberator's chance of the " rint" will he gone—vanished
into thin air will be all his owner's golden dreams. he
same critique will apply to Bedlam, and fit enough would
be the building in St. George's-fields for any man mad
enough to back such a thorough brute as Bedlam.
During the present week the pretensions of Epirote,
War Eagle, Halo, Bingham, Red Hart, Clarendon, and
some half-dozen others, including Planet, to Derby
honours, will be set at rest, or confirmed, as the case
may be; in ten cases out of twelve, I consider the former
will be the case, and a nice case many will have made
of it.
On Tuesday one of the great events of the week will
be decided, in the shape of the Newmarket Handicap,
for which a field of twenty may be counted on. From
the light weights I select Discontent, from the middle
weights Queen Anne, Tern Tulloch, Due- an-Durras, and
Best Bower; and from the top weights Footstool, Lady
Wildair, and Sting. As the last three row in the same
boat it is guineas to pounds on Footstool against the
other two. With this nag, Tom Tulloch, and Discon-
tent, I hope to pull through, reserving the Best Bower
for my sheet anchor in case of a storm.
On Wednesday the Column Stakes, one would fancy,
ought to be a certainty for Epirote; but the field, I am
afraid, he will find difficult to stall-off.

For the Port Stakes on Friday Sir Tatton Sykes, if
quite in trim (dubious), will be first past Mr. Clarke,
with lago and Sting following close; if the baronet is
queer, then, in my humble opinion, it is a toss up be-
tween the honest gentleman and the son of Echo, and
Echo returns a stinging answer.
It is my purpose every Monday to comment upon
those doings of the past which are likely to have any
influence upon future events, and to endeavour to peep
into the womb of futurity.—l am, &c.,
April 5. THE SPIRIT OF THE TURF.

THE WINDSOR GRAND MILITARY AND AN,
NUAL STEEPLE CHASES.-FIRST DAY.
WINDSOR, MONDAY EVENING.

This day, being the commencement of the Newmarket
Craven Meeting, led many persons to expect that
these annual races would this, their fifth year, be shorn
of a great portion of those celebrated sporting charac-
ters who, upon every former occasion, have taken part
in the sports and pastimes of a Windsor steeple-chase.
Although the attractions at Newmarket caused the ab-
sence of several who had heretofore been present, yet in
point of numbers the steeplechases of 1847 wore quite
as well attended as they have been during the past sea-
sons. No exertions have been spared by the stewards
to render the sport as attractive as usual ; and, we may
add, Mr. J. Thompson, the indefatigable clerk of the
course, upon whose shoulders have rested the carrying
out the whole of the admirable arrangements, has ex
erted himself for several weeks past most industriously
4, render himself deserving of the thanks of the stewards
and the public. The attempt which was made by a
Rev. Gentleman of Windsor (the Rev. Mr. Gould, the
assistant curate) to put a stop to the spirt, by endea-
vouring to obtain signatures to a document for its aboli-
tion, not only most signally failed, j)ut induced those
who were in its favour (not only in Windsor, but else-
where) to redouble their exertions to promote and add
to the subscriptions, and thus increase the value of the
various stakes to be run for on each day. A great
number of carriages were on the ground, filled with
elegantly dressed females, and the grand and other stands
had their fair complement of visitms.
Amongst those who were present were the Marquis of
Worcester, Viscount Drumlanrig, the Earl of Strath-
more, 14Qrd Cecil, Sir Edward I'oore, Colonel Mickle.