The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-02 00:00:00

THE TURF.

Front the Newmarket Correspondent of the Racing Times.
Croydon Steeplechases may now be set down as one of
the best meetings of cross-country sports in the kingdom,
and, indeed, Mr. Verrall has done wonders for the Cock-
neys. It will, I have no doubt, in time be louked forward
to by them with almost as much pleasure as the Derby
Day. Beautiful weather, good management, and a good
amount of added money, could not fail to bring together
large fields and the largest Ringl have seen at any country
meeting this year. The course is ono of the best in Eng-
land, as all the fences can be seen from the Stand, and they
are quite largo enough to try the merits of the best steeple-
chase horses in the world ; indeed, in my opinion, we have
but few jumpers at the present time that would care about
leaping any more severe fences than those at Croydon.
The sport commenced on Tuesday with the Selling Hurdle
Race, and Roving Maid pulled her backers through, and
won in a canter ; Maria Louise, from her splendid per-
formance at Liverpool and Shrewsbury, was made a
rattling favourite, and I have no doubt she would have
won in a canter had she not broke down. As the winner's
performance on the flat has only been very moderate,
Endsleigh would, I have no doubt, have beaten him
had she kept on her legs. The success of Steamboat was
only the forerunner of Lord Coventry's success. During
the meeting Comberton justified the confidence reposed in
him by winning the Stewards' Plate, and backers got the
money back they lost on the Hurdle Race. Stiff was made
a rattling favourite for the Selling Steeplechase, but the
running of the winner, Ace of Trumps, at Liverpool, must
have been overlooked by the talent, where ho ran second
to Benazot, and got before such horses as Reporter and
Knave of Trumps over a severe course like Aintree.
Racing commenced on Wednesday with the Stand Plate,
and Flyfisher from his splendid appearance was made first
favourite ; but some time before the flag fell ho receded to
10 to 1, and it was evident, from the betting, that his
backers were no better off than if they had invested the
money with a Welshman instead of on a Welsh horse.
There is nothing more foolish than to talk, as a correspon-
dent of a contemporary does, about Flyfisher having a
rattling gallop on Wednesdan and that he invariably runs
better the following day ; what rubbish to tell the public
that three miles and a half over a severe steeplechase
course would improve a rank roarer, but some writers do
" excuse the thing they hate for the advantage of
him they respect." The name of a Welshman
on an English race-course does not smell very sweet,
and the suspicious running of Fly fisher on Wednesday,
and Laura's running on Tuesday and Thursday, will not
tend to improve the odour of the Welsh horses, as no one
in his senses would believe that such a horse as the Niger
could have got before Fly fisher on Tuesday if ho had been
wanted. There is ono thing worthy of remark that the
Croydon bookmakers that yelled and hissed most at Pope
after he rode Laura on Thursday never said a word when
Flyfisher was beat on Wednesday ; but it made all
the difference, as Flaudrin, who beat Laura, was first
favourite, and had Laura won the bookmakers would
have " skinned the lamb." The Epsom b'quire lost
a raker on Monitress for the Hurdle Race, as
be considered it a good thing for his mare in such
moderato company. What a rip to back for the Leam-
ington Stakes and Yorkshire Handicap at Doncaster, and
wind up her last performance of this year by being beaten
by such a bad horse as Foxholes. There was a splendid
race for the Cup, and it is really surprising what could be
tha motive of Mr. Powell to run Flyfisher in such moderate
company on Tuesday when ho bad the Cup in prospective
on Thursday, and could beat such horses as Benazet and
Farnane in a canter; it was a great performance after what
we saw Lord Poulett's horse do at Liverpool. The French
horse Flandrin won the Selling Steeplechase, and wound
up this splendid meeting with a regular row, whizh re-
minded one of a let of infuriated backers after a welsher
that had run off with their money. Laura's running, to
say the least of it, looked very suspicious; she was most
certainly only out for au airing, with a view to better