The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-17 00:00:00

SPORTING NOTES.

THE DERBY AND THE OAKS.
" I've dip't int,) the future, far as human eye
could see—
Seen the vi-ion of the race and all the wonders
that will be.".

After the eternal " What's to win ?" the question
most frequently on people's lips is—" Shall we have
a wet Derby ?" The skiey intleencA are not pro-
pitious. They engender forebodings &f a rainy
Wednesday, and many persons are seriously eon-
tempi at ing countermanding their open conveyances.
The demand for closed " traps" Is increasing, and'
many " fair women and brave men " already
feel the pangs of disappointment at the pro-
bability of not being able to glisten in what
the stern parient of the ill-starred Miss Dinah
called " gorge-ous array." My hopes of a fine
Derby Day are, however, not destroyed by the
lowering clouds and the dull atmosphere, and I
anticipate that we shall have an opportunity of
realising on Wednesday the truth (barring the
gaming tables) of Mr. Frith's elaborate picture.
Preparations at Epsom ate progr?ssin4 rapids to-
wards completion, and stands and booths have
sprung up in one night like Aladdin's Palace. The
work is almost concluded, the carriage places have
been marked out, a wider range having been taken
than formerly, owing, it is said, to the increase in
criuo'ine, the " pitches" for knock'ern downs and
stalls have been distributed, and the course and the
stands are now quite ready for the reception of
the multitude of pleasure folk.
Speculators have been busy during the past week,
and whilst-backers have been employed in the task
of "getting square," bookmakers have used their
utmost endeavours to " get round." The changes
in the daily published list of quotations have been
numerous, and th-s have at last imparted a little
w briskness to the betting, which had previously been
remarkably dull,- "Scratchiugs" have • reduced
the field, but the most important of the
recent declarations of forfeit wore those
in reference to Clydesdale, Cock -a- doodle-
doo, and The Grand Secret. The last-men-
tioned animal had been liberally supported
by the public ; for what reason it is difficult to con-
jecture, for the horse had never left the D tnebury
training ground, which is as inacessible to people
as was Rassolas's Happy Valley, and the very exis-
tence of the horse was, for ought that was known
to the contrary, a myth. Perhaps the name had
something to do with the horse's unaccountable
popularity, and people may have imagined that the •
" Danebury division" were in nality destined to
astonish the natives on the Derby day with a Gram!
Secret. Whilst the field has been reduced by scrateh-
ings, the operations of the " Knocking-out Club"
have placed many animals virtually hors de combat,
and the probability is that the number of competi-
tors will not reach 25. In the following lot of pro-
bable starters I have endeavoured to state, as
accurately as my information will enable me, the
most likely riders :

Lagrange

East Langton G. Oates'.

The Hadji
Tex )pholitt
Ethiopian ..
Deceiver
Beadsman
Fitzßoland

Flatman.
Ashmall.
Hampage.
J. Mann.
Wells.

&bps@ A. Day.
S dbury Fordbam or J. Goater.

Kelpie ..
Batea.
Happy Land W. Day.
Mentmore 1). Hu,Thee
• •

The Ancient Briton Mr. Eiwarb,

Brother bßird-on-'.he-Wing...J. Osborne.

Dumb ies..

Jordan
Physician
Ditto
Bravissimo

Kendall.
Charlton.
Bumby
Bray or S. Rogers.

Toxopholite and Lougrauge retain their relative
positions in the betting with seeming firmness.
Both Lave been backed for a "mint of money,"
and that portion of the public that cannot distin-
guish between a horse and a hen, and that only
speculate once a-year .on a race-7--the Derby—pins
its faith to the Premier's candidate for the blue
ribaud. Independent of the real or supposed merit •
of the horse, another cause for the popularity of
Toxopholite is found in the actual skill and repu-
tation of the trainer. Mr. John Scott and the
Derby are inseparably associated in the public
mind. Longrange is regarded with some suspicion
by racing men, who mistrust him because, despite
the large sums of money which have been
invested on him, the horse either sticks at his old
quotation or recedes a point or two in the betting.
That Longrange proved himself to be a superior
animal last year, all persons must admit, and if he
had been out this season he might have obtained
the prece fence of Toxopholite iu the betting. These
two horses have never been tried together, and their
t rainer can only formhis judgment of theirrespective
merit from the style in which they do their work.
I have had no opportunity of seeing Longrange,
,but I am informed by persons who have " taken
stock" of him at Leatherhead that, although he
is a nice long horse, he has neither grown nor filled
out. Toxopholite was temporarily driven from his
position on Ssturday, but the opposition which
was commenced against him in the city during the
morning was not well sustained at the Cn•ner in
the afternoon. Still the hostility which he encoun-
ters in certain quarters has scarcely diminished, and
the shots which are continually fired at him may be
effective and drive him from the position of second
favourite.
No very decided exception can be taken to either
the style of going or the appearance of Toxopholito.
He, however, seems to me to be deficient in those
propelling powers which are necessary for the
climbing of the Derby hills. That Toxopholite has
great speed is undeniable, and as a " miler," at
least, he may establish a reputation equal to that
acquired by his sire Longbow. lie has won all his
engagements with ease, and although the animals
were of a very inferior calibre, yet a Flying Childers
could do no more with them than Toxopholite has
done. The doubts which I have expressed respecting
the ability of "Tox." to stay are derived from the fact
of his sire's inability to go a distance. His trainer
and noble owner have, we believe, no fear of his
powers of endurance, and, therefore, although I
fancy Longrange would prefer a shorter range than
the Derby course, yet Toxopholite may be. ab'e to
hit the mark.

People are puzzled to determine which is the
better of Sir Joseph Hawley's two—Fitz-Roland
or Beadsman—and before starting there is a pro-
bability that these two horses will be shifted back-
wards and forwards into each other's places as fre-
quently and imperceptibly as the gentlemen
shuffle the three cards, and turfites will be per-
plexed to tell which is which.
This morning in the City 6 to 1 was betted
against "Fitz," but his slight retrogression may be
attributed to the advance of Beadsman: Fitz-
Roland's reputation is solely founded on his Two
Thousand success, and, despite what may be urged
to the contrary, he won that race in gallant
style. He ran, too, just in the manner in which
I should like to try a horse,--for I should like the
pace to be strong from end to end. It is asserted
that Fitz. is only a little better than Beadsman,
andthat Sir Joseph iotends to stand the two. I biliove
this report, and I shall not therefore be surprised
to see Eclipse but both Beadsman and Fitzßolan,
for Eclipse ought to have beaten Beadsman cluveriy
at Newmarket, instead of making a dead heat with
him. That he is a good game horse abundant proof
has been afforded and his undeniable stout.nesswill
enable him to make a good race of it over the
the Epsom hills. Ho has quite superseded Se&
bury in the betting—.a movement for which I pre-
pared the readers of The Sun in my last communi-
cation—and I shall be much disappointed if he do
not prove Mr. Howard's best on the day. &dimity
I do not understand. At the Wostend Club on Satur-
day night 40 to 1 wai b-tted against him, and at my
present writing he is friendless in the market. I
have already stated my belief that he is inferior to
Eclipse, and to this opinion I shalt adhere until the
Derby running proves its fallacy.
The fondness of the Ancient Briton party
increases, and although Sultan is the only
Cotherstone that has shown decidedly good
trim, I am not disinclined to share the
partiality which the "confederacy" evinces for
their horse. Still the running of the Briton
last
year was not exactly good enough to build upon i
t
expectations of his Derby succcess. He has grown
into a fine colt, and he has convinced. his pariy that
itiii,
he possesses considerable racing merit. hill,
en
so
Messrs. Barber and Saxon's horses La. ye e
mu
the Ancientchoutefform Briton.oflate, that I am
trust disinclined to
I a
re dakice a s
,ict
t i n gthee resulto,m o ofmore
aatlit,f
eiraLccet,o ty however,toih
cannot make
self than the following:—
1
TOXOPHOLITE
2
ECLIPSE
FITZ-ROLAND 3
For TUN OAKS I shall at once jump at a conclu-
sion,and place my confidence in SUNBEAM and
ATuNST LL MAID.

A FRESh MAN.

DEATH OF M. AIIRIOL, THE FRENCH CLOWN,--We
are sorry to announc3 the death of the celebrated clown
Auriol. For some time past he has been at the bead of
a travelling circus, and was lately performing at Ver-
sailles, where, two days ago, a bill was posted up an-
nouncing the " last representation of Auriol."The
statement unfortunately turned out only too true, for
after the evening's performances he was seized with a fit
of apoplexy and instantly expired.