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

SPORTING NOTES.

THE DERBY AND THE OAKS.
" I've dip't into the future, far as human eye
could see--
See❑ the vi,ion of the rare and all the wonders
that will be."

After the eternal " What's to will ?" the question
most frequently on people's lips is—" Shall we have
e% wet Derby I" The skiey influences are not pro-
pitious. They engender forebodings of a rainy
Wednesday, and many persons are seriously con-
templet 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 pcture.
Preparations at Epsom are progressing rapidly 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
crinoline, the "pitches" for knock'ern downs and
stalls have been distributed, and the course and the
standa 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 they have at last impacted a little
briskness to the betting, which had previously been
remarkably dull. " Scratchings" have reduced
the field, but the most important of the
recent declarations of forfeit wore those
in reference to Clydesdale, Cock -a- doodle-
doe, 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 Denehury
training ground, which is as inacessible to people
as was Rasselas'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 reality destined to
astonish the natives on the Derby day with a Grand
Secret. Whilst the field has been reduced by scratch-
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 fallowing lot ofpro-
bable starters I have endeavoured to state, as
accurately as my information will enable me, the
most likely riders :
Leogrange Templeman or S. Rogers.

ELstiLlngton

.G. Oaten.

The Etadji

.Aldcroft.

Tie Thofite

-Fi3truar.

Ethi,pian
Duceiver .•
Bradiman

Tlurop4ge.
)tacr.

F.tzßolawl..

.Wt DR.

Eclipse A. Day.
S-Albury Fordbatm or J. Goater.
Kelpie Bates.
Hsppy Lind W. Day.
Mentinore D. Hughes.

The Ancient Briton Mr. RI wards.

Brother toßird-on-the-Wiog...J. Osborne.

Dumfries
Jordan

..Kendall.

Poysician
Ditto

_Charlton.
. Bumby

Brivissimo

.. . Bray or S. Itogerg.

Toxopholite and Longrange retain their relative
positions in the betting with seeming firmness.
Both have 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—the Darby—pins
its faith to the Premier's caedidate for the blue
ri hand. [ndependent of the real or supp sed merit
of the horse, another cause for the popularity of
Toxopholite is found in the actual skill and repu-
tation of the trainer. Mr. Jelm Scott and the
Derby are inseparably as-ociated in the pubic
mind. Longrange is regtrded 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 stEcks at his old
quotation or recedes a point or two in the bAting.
That L ngraege proved himself to be a superior
animal last year, all persons must admit, and if he
hail been out this season he might have Otained
the prece hence of Toxopholite in the betting. These
two horses have never been tried together, and their
trainer can only forinhis judgment of their, respeetive
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
stuck" 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 S iturday, hut the opposition which
was commenced against him in the city during the
morning was not well sustained at the C irner 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 he
effective and drive him from the position of second
favourite.
NO very decided exception can be taken to ether
the style of going or the appearance of Toxopholite.
He however, seems to me to be deficient in those
propelling powers which are , necessary for the
climbing of the Derby That Toxopholite hes
great speed is undeniable, and as a "miler,"at
least, he may establish a rf putation equal to that
acquired by his sire Lobgbow. He his wen 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 Texopholite has
done. The doubts which I have expressed respecting
the ab'lity 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 Lonerange would prefer a shorter range than
the Derby course, yet Toxopholite may be able 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 awl 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," hut his slight retrogression may be
attributed to the advance of Beadsman. Fitz-
Roland's rerutation is solely founded on his Two
Thousand succesP, and, despite what may he urtud
to the contrary, ho 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,
and that Si rJoseph intends to stand the two. I believe
this report, and I shall not therefore be surprised
to see Eclipse beht both Beadsman and Fitzßolan,
for Eclipse ought to have beaten Beadsman cleverly
at Newmarket, instead of making a dead heat with
bim. That he is a good game hot se abundant proof
bas been afforded and his undeniable stoutness will
enable him to make a good race of it over the
the Epsom hills. He has quite superseded Sed-
bury in the betting---..a movement for whici I pre-
pared the readers of The San in my last communi-
cation—and I -shall be much disappointed if he do
not prove Mr. Howard's best on the day. Sedbury
I do not understand. At the \Vestend Club on Satur-
day night 40 to 1 was betted 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 shall 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
ye tr was not exactly good enough to build upon it
expectations of his Derby succccss. He has grown
into a fine colt, and he han convinced his party that
he possesses considerable racing merit. Still,
Messrs. Barber and Saxon's horses
d have bee
lined n. to
much out of form of late, that lam isiv.:
trust the Ancient Briton.
In predicting the result of the:raaccet,lriipi;etvocuir,y-1-
cannot make a sAection more satisfo
self than the following :
T 2
EOCXLIOPPSHEO.I.J.I.
'''''
...............................................
FITZ-ROLAND .......... .........
For
jinn mspuastßaEAcmonacliatid-
sion,
and
drE OplaacKes I sh
nveaol
TUNSTALL MAID. Inalitde°lliicce e

A FRESH MAN.

riArTn OF
an Mo
.outtle,rtitOhLe,d'reHatEh
oFflltEhNeCelleleCbLrOaWtel.c—lo‘wVn
i e
Aurio . For some time past he has been at the head of
a travelling circus, and was lately performing at Ver-
areseoyto
s3il!eF, where, two days ago, a bill was posted up an-
nouncing the "last representation of Auriol." The
statement unfortunately turned out only too true, foi
after the evening's performances Ira Ras stiz'!tl with a fit
of apoplexy and instantly expired.