The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-28 00:00:00

S.PORTLVG NOTES.

PAST AND COMING EVENTS.
The lull which precedes the St. Leger storm has corn-
mecced. The meetings last week were marked by little im-
portance, but backers of horses are not likely to forget for
some time the dressing which they received at Egbam.
They could not go right, and the fielders were quite up-
roarious at the turn which fortune had taken in their favour.
The most Interesting gathering of the week was that which
was brought to a conclusion yesterday at Stockton, for the
fields were large and the two-year-old races most important.
The announced sale of Lord Derby's horses has created a
deep sensation, but it is yet doubtful whether his lordship
has determined to retire permanently from the tor
whether he be about to dispose of a" draft" from his stable,
with the intention of infusing some new blood into his stud.
The sporting world can ill afford to lose a patron possessing
the position and influence of Lord Derby, and genuine
turfites regret the secession of a nobleman whose name has
been long connected with the National Pastime of the
people of this country. Lord Derby's turf career has not
been marked by great achievements. He has yet won no
Derby, and if our memory serves us aright no St. Leger has
fallea to his share. Many great two-yr-old races, and
valuable produce stakes, have been carried cff by horses
sporting his colours, and with Longbow, the sire of Toxo-
philiTe, be won many important engagements,
including the Great Yorkshire Stakes. Longbow was a
grand-looking horse, and was perhaps the fastest ‘
miler" that ever ran on an English race-course.
His greatest coup of late years was winning the Two Thou-
sand with Fazzoletto, who, however, failed to follow up that
achievement at Epsom. Lord Derby's disappointments have
been many and vexatious, and how Dervish, Boiardo, Acro-
bat, and others deceived him must be still fresh in the
memory of my readers. John Scott shared the chagrin of
defeat with his abbe employer, for whom be has long striven
to win a Derby, and to that end has exhausted the mysteries
of his art in preparing and managing the horses under his
charge. This year his hopes seemed about to be realised, but
he was doomed to see the black jacket and white cap
no nearer than second, and the blue riband snatched from
him by an animal whom he certainly had, prior
to the race, no just cause to regard with uneasiness.
If Lord Derby be about to finish his racing career,
he will, perhaps, bring it to a close with a St. Leger vic-
tory. The pressing cares of office, the demands which the
business of the State make upan bis time'and: attention, may
be the main causes for the retirement of Lord Derby from
the turf. The late Lord George Bentinck, than whom a
more ardent lover of horse-racing did not exist, found an
active political life incompatible with an engagement in
turf pursuits. Long may it be, however, before the name
of Lord Derby, as an owner of horses, be erased from the
calendar.
The meetings which are appointed to take place next
week will be of minor importance, and the great event of
the next six days will be the publication of the weights for
the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire.

An attempt which, according to the programme, w
only be attended with a mitigated success, has been made
to get up a military meeting at Ascot. The scheme, I be-
lieve, originated with the officers encamped at Aldershot ;
but they evidently lacked the material, in the shape of horse
flesh, to put their plans into successful execution. The
entries are meagre, but as the South-Western Railway Com-
pany have announced special trains, at reasonable fares,
many people may be induced to have a pleasant " out " on
Monday.
The attractions at Lichfield will be powerful enough to
draw the holiday folk of the neighbourhood to the course,
and the racing will doubtless command the attention of many
professional turfites. Indeed, the meeting has been quite
resuscitated by Mr. J. Sheldon, jun. Should old Fisherman
go to the post for the Staffordshire Stakes, I should, despite
his steadying weight of 9st. 111 b., be inclined to trust him.
My next " fancy" is for the colt by the Flying Dutchman
out of Gala. Thornhill may win the Copeland, and the
Tamworth Plate will be, perhaps, placed to the list of
" wins " belonging to either Chantress or My Niece. For
the Shenstone Plate I shall stand upon Old Tom. The
Dutchman's Daughter seems to me to be as trustworthy as
anything amongst the nominations for the Nursery Handi-
cap. On the gold Cup it would be absurd at present to ex-
press an opinion.
The Newmarket trainers use Yarmouth as a holiday, and
they are satisfied if the meeting be only "jolly." Margery
Daw may secure the Nursery, Vulcan or Tame Deer the
Norfolk and Suffolk Handicap, and Chance the Borough
Members'.
The list for Derby is at least respectable, and the meeting
will be well supported. Odd Trick and Cockatoo ought
to be as close together in the race as they are in the
list of entries for the Tradesmen's Plate. Either Indifference
or Volcano will show in the first place for the Chesterfield
Stakes; for the Members' Plate, Yellow Rose and Helia
are the most trustworthy. Lady Kingston, with all her
weight, may pull through for the Juvenile Stakes.
A FRESH MAN.