The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-10 00:00:00

SPORTING NOTES.

The " lovers of the leash" had a rare little day's
sport in the Home Park, Hampton Court, on Tues-
day. Hares were abundant, and some of the
"courses" produced quite a stir and an excitement.

The morning was deliciously fine, and upwards
of 700 persons, sportsmen and Cockneys " out for a
day," watched the manoeuvres of the dogs. Every-
thing was admirably managed, and passed off in
the pleasantest possible manner. The Home Park
is one of the very best places of its kind for coursing
in England, and in all probability the Champion
Club meeting, which occurs next Tuesday and
Wednesday, will be quite a triumph.
Amongst the spectators were a few well-known
racing men betting for the nonce to shillings and
crowns. Some of the dogs were made prodigious
" pots," and it was wonderfully amusing to notice
the backers diving about and exclaiming, " I'll lay
seven (shillings) to four on Chivalry Dame." The
racing men made " books," but it must have been
a bad game, for the favourite flag was hoisted after
nearly every course. David Hughes was amongst
the turf notabilities present, careering about on a
little brown pony, with no traces of the leg in-
firmity which kept him so long out of the saddle.
Little Reeves, of Epsom, and his father, the trainer,
were also scampering about after the dogs, the former
mounted on a pony scarcely big enough for
" Barnum's Tom Thumb," and looking quite a pic-
ture of a light weight. Between the courses the.
Liverpool Cup chances were canvassed among the
turfites. Epsom thinks " Gorschill can't lose,"
while others were quite frantic in pleading the
cause of the unaccountable Target. By-the-by, I
may take occasion to state that the first number of
Mr. W. H. Langley's Coursing Record opportunely
made its appearance in the park, and copies were
eagerly snapped up by the coursers. The book
is exquisitely arranged, while the compiler's
position, as turf and coursing editor of Bell's Life,
will ensure its being an indispensable autho-
rity. The first day's racing at Liverpool
was not brilliant ; the fields were weakish,
and the encotrnters not interesting, but the
performance of Blue Jacket for the Welter
Cup has induced people to pay additional
attention to the probability of a repetition of his
success on Thursday. Opinions are somewhat
diverse as to the merits of his Tuesday's perform-
ance, but sixteen pounds for his year to Satin-
stone, and an easy length, looks almost good
enough to win. Blue Jacket has been backed for a
deal of money, and if he is in the " form" when he
made that enormous sensation at Epsom by beating
Gemma di Vergy in the Craven Stakes, and sent
people wild about his stable companion Tourna-
ment for the Derby, he ought certainly to carry
off the Autumn Cup. My " advices" from Liver-
pool inform me that the horse looks and goes as
well as a horse possibly can, and that his
party are sanguine to a degree. In city circles
" the Jacket," has become the " rage"—not more
than " sixes to -one" being obtainable about him
this morning. As he will have the advantage of
George Fordham's masterly jockeyship, it would
be perhaps difficult to select a more reliable cham-
pion. Special Licence, it is confidently believed,
will repeat his last year's success, but the mysteri-
ous doings of his " party" relative to Blanche of
Middlebie and the Cambridgeshire make one very
cautious in dealing with the nominations of that
clique. The horse is well enough in, and bear-
ing in mind that he last year won in a com-
mon canter, he is, on the strength of that
performance alone, entitled to his position as
first favourite. Target, if her exhbition of
yesterday as accurate,'will not surely be sent to the
post. Underhand is much fancied by some people,
but I conceive the " elegant• little horse" will find
the weight too much. Gorsehill does not occur to
me to be of sufficient calibre. The French people
talk very loudly of the chance of La Maladetta, nor
are their hopes without some good foundation.
Running at even weights with Sunbeam at Ascot
she was beaten easily, it is true, but by no more
than half a length. As the Leger winner gave 71b.
and beating to Eurydice before the Cam-
bridgeshire, the Sunbeam " line" appears to be most
reliable. Still it is averred that Sunbeam was
" not herself " at Ascot, and that for that reason the
French mare " won't do." At Baden Baden, how-
ever, La Maladetto. gave 51b. to Goelette, and beat
her a head over two miles. Now, as Goelette was
a good fifth for the Cambridgeshire, I am inclined
to think that the achievement in Germany is not to
be despised. In fine, my convictions are in favour
of BLUE JACKET and LA MALADETTA.
A FRESH MAN.