The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-14 00:00:00

SPORTING NOTES.

Racing in November does not belong exactly,
"like pigtails," to the past. Although persons who
style themselves legitimate turfites strongly depre-
cate it, yet in the old " calendars" may be found
records of meetings which were hold at Newmarket
long after the period which is now considered the
real close of the season. Even the outcry which has
been raised by individuals whose turf experience
I is derived from modern times, and who are practi-
cally ignorant of sporting affairs, against yearling
races, is not only unjust, but it calls a description
of sport an " innovation" which was no novelty in
the times when the Dukes of Portland, An-
caster, and Cumberland, and a Prince Regent, were
the leading patrons of the turf. No wonder, then,
that sporting men were not wearied with their
work during the Houghton Meeting, and that
now, amidst the dank and murky atmosphere of
November, the difficulties through which they are
compelled to pursue their avocations have scarcely
diminished the ardour with which they engage in
their game of speculation. Last week a sufficiency
of racing was decided which would not only have
made a July day as short as November, but which
would also have given full employment and occupa-
tion to betting men in the height of the season, and
have interested those persons who follow the sport
merely for its own sake. Business commenced at
Hereford on Monday, and terminated at Liverpool
on Friday. At the first-mentioned place a meeting,
as remarkable for its sporting success as for the ex-
cellence of its arrangements, was celebrated. Mr. J.
Sheldon is now entrusted with the management of
affairs in that locality, and the experience which
he has acquired at Birmingham, and by a long
initiation into racing matters, served him well in
his undertaking of last week. The meeting was
not remarkable for any important incident, Broad-
, lands won the principal race on the first day, and
proved that his supporters were quite right in
placing faith in his Cesarewiteh running. Pacto-
lus won the hurdle race, as racing men familiarly
term it, in a walk; but his success created no sur-
prise, for all persons seemed prepared for it, and
seven to four was freely betted on him just before
the flag dropped. Remunerator cantered in for
the Hunters' Stakes on Tuesday, was bought in for
100 guineas, and is likely to prove a good thing at
Shrewsbury next week. But of this more anon.
Longford's performance for the Steeplechase evi-
dently disgusted his owner, who, despite the im-
pertipent remonstrances made by Punch, seems to
enter with increasing ardour into a sport which has
originated in our fox-hunting country, and which
is only very feebly imitated at La Marche and in
the vicinity of Compeigne. Longford, through
some misunderstanding, was sent to Liverpool, but
his owner, with his customary discrimination, found
Ghika to be the better horse of the two, and to him
he trusted his interest. The result of the race proved
that he acted judiciously, for Ghika not only ran a
good horse, whose victory was snatched from
him by a very little thought of animal, who on the
previous day seemed incapable of winning a trum-
pery race over hurdles, but who possessed mettle
enough throughout a race which, before the degene-
rated condition of the'sport, would have established
for her a first-class jumping reputation. She has,
however, experienced many of the ills that horse
fle-,11 is heir to, for like the poisoner Palmer's Gold-
finder, and like St. Lawrence, both of which
won the Chester Cup in their time, she stood a
chance of being degraded from the race-course to
the cab rank. Last year a " fiver" was offered for
her, but a suggestion was made that a " tenner"
should be her price. " I'll toss you whether I give
you five pounds or ten," said Mr. Godby, and im-
mediately they went to business. Mr. Godby los-
ing his toss, was compelled to give ten pounds for
the mare, but George Stevens relieved him of his
bargain by giving him fifteen pounds. Mr. Godby,
however, repented, and got the mare back again,
imparted to her the requisite qualifications, started
her on the Wednesday in a hurdle race just to show
her the way which she should go (which was not
on that occasion first past the post), and who was
satisfied by the ability she then displayed, not only
to back her himself for the steeplechase, but also to
pat his .riends on. Perhaps it would be as well to
make as few comments as possible upon the perform-
ance of Anatis ; she did not go well in the ring or in the
race. Her success in the preceding week, however,
made the good easy public place great trust in her
ability. She, however, as it has been reported in
the columns of The Sun, suddenly declined in the
betting from sto 1 taken to 20 to 1 offered. She
jumped into a ditch, and put her backers in the
hole. Escape has destroyed his reputation, fort
unless turned absolutely loose, he seems to have no
chance with modern steeplechase horses. Old Dog
Tray was, as usual, " ever faithful" to his standing
character, for he would never go down at the most
awkard leap ever discovered over a Devonshire or
Welsh country, and quite disdained ever to jnmp
the slight hurdles, the thin gorse fences, and the
puddles which were called brooks, which were the
obstacles that he encountered at Aintree. Physi-
cian did not appear to be a "game boy;" he ran
into a ditch, from which he was only extricated by
ropes. Although Mr. Barber declared to win with
Old Dog Tray, he undoubtedly meant mischief with
the Friar of Apshall, who, taking advantage of his
light weight, made the most of the running until, as
The &c n report stated, Nightingale, with his usual
propensity for getting home in a hurry, raced with
him on Chance to some rails beyond Beecher's Brook,
at which point the Friar of Apshall, disliking her
company, swerved, and both preferring turf to
timber, jumped over the embankment to the right of
the flag; their chance was of course destroyed,
because it would have been absurd for them to have
turned back and gone over the flimsy obstacles
which served for post and rails. Curlew
was twice successful during the meeting, and
the quartette of victories which this horse
has recently achieved, Rot only proved that
he was the " good thing" which I stated when I
selected him to win the Nursery Handicap at New-
market, but that he has also justified the good
opinion which I have always expressed respecting
him. His performances at the Houghton Meeting,
and subsequently, showed that Lord Stamford did
not commit any great error of judgment in giving
£5OO for Paleface, who, it may be remembered, gave
Curlew 191bs for the Nursery Handicap at New-
market in the Houghton Meeting, and ran him to
a head.

The Autumn Cup was won by Meg Merrilies,
Mr. Merry thus securing Mr. Topham's gift three
years in succession. Lifeboat ran third. Julia
proved herself to be the bad mare which I said she
was before she ran at Doncaster, and for her de-
feat on this occasion not even an excuse of a twisted
plate could be made. The Woodyeates party
thought Rara Avis was in full feather, but to me
she appeared to be very light, and more adapted to
a circus than to a race course. Polestar, on the con-
trary, never appeared in better condition ; she
seemed full of muscle, and although she did not
seem healthy in the market, many people were
induced to throw a trifle away about her. As I
have frequently asserted she has lost all heart, and
as, it was proved by her Cesarewitch.running, she
seems to have no courage to finish• a race. Like
Nancy, her racing career terminated with a broken
heart. Polestar, it will be remembered, belonged to
poor Cooke, and several strange incidents on the
racecourse and in the experience of sporting men,
have again brought his career to the memory of
turfites. Goldfinder who won the Chester Cup in
1853, is now running in an Islington omnibus, and
stranger still, in a race ati.iverpool,in which only
four horses started, one of them was ridden by
Smethurst and the other by Palmer.

The bungle which was made respecting the
Helier Skelter Stakes was occasioned by an official
attempting to discharge double duties. Mr. John-
son was too much engaged in the weighing-room to
have an opportunity of getting to his chair in time
to see, the horses pass the post. Altogether, Mr.
Tophatn, under the most discouraging difficulties,
brought the meeting to a most successful termina-
tion.

The past must now give place to the future, but
the coming events at Shrewsbury have not yet cast
their shadow before. The acceptances for the prin-

cipal stakes, and the weights for several handicaps
were not published until very late in the week.
Mr. Frail is working with his usual energy to
ensure the success of his meeting., a statement which
is hardly necessary, and one which will imply that
success will be attained. Julia may compensate
her owner for her bad running at Doncaster and
Liverpool by winning the Shrewsbury Handicap,
and either Brandy Ball or Nuffield may win the
Corporation Plate. Despito her 141bs. penalty
Maria Agnes still posse.ses a chance of carrying off
the Hurdle Race. Of the yearlings I trust nothing.
I have merely limited my remarks to the first days
racing.

A FRESH MAN.

SHREWSBURY RACES.

Tho following horses have left Liverpool for Shrewsbury:
—King William, York, Squire, Creeper, Jim, Timandra,
Mutineer, Romeo, Broadlands, Maria Agnes, Vilikins, Tom
Grabby, and Donizetti.