The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-01 00:00:00

SPORTING NOTES.

The Northampton Meeting, which commences to-morrow,
will no doubt bring together a large number of sporting
men. Eight races will be decided each day at Northampton,
and they will bring out horses that are merely known to
fame by rumour, but whose debut is anxiously anticipated,
and others whose re appearance is awaited with much inte-
rest and curiosity, on account of the promise which their
performances last year afforded of their achieving consider-
able turf celebrity. Expectation on these subjects is not
likely to be disappointed, for amongst the animals entered
are many that have important engagements in the great
three-year old and handicap events of the season, and which
have played principal parts in the "doings" at the Corner.
Of the items in to-morrow's list three are yet unclosed, but
they are likely to obtain a satisfactory number of entries.
The weights for her Majesty's Plate this year will be in
accordance with the new and judicious scale of weights
ordered by the Master of the Horse, who is, by the way,
one of the stewards of the meeting.
The most important item on the card will be the North-
amptonshire Stakes, which, out of 126 subscribers, only
commanded 47 acceptances. About 20 competitors will go
to the post, selected from the following :—Moorcock, 5 yrs,
Bst 71b; Lady Trespass, 4 yrs, Bst 51b; Horror, 4 yrs, Bst
41b ; Avalanche, 4 yrs, 7st 131 b ; Bevis, 5 yrs, 7st 121 b ;
The Rap, 4 yrs, 7st 91b ; King of Diamonds, 4 yrs, 7st 91b ;
Scent, 5 yrs, 7st 91b ; Moorhen, 4 yrs, ist 71b ; ?lumper,
4 yrs, ist 71b ; Benbow, 5 yrs, ist 71b ; Merrimac, 4 yrs,
ist 41b ; Industrious, 4 yrs, ist 41b ; Ambush, 5 yrs, 7st ;
Doefoct, 3 yrs, ist; King of Kent, 3 yrs, 7st ; Oliver, 4
yrs, Est 1 llb ; Danae, 4 yrs, Gst 91b ; Balham 3, yrs, Est 61b ;
Sycophant, 3 yrs, Get 31b ; Nativity, 3 yrs, Gst 21b ;
and Sister to St. Albans, 3 yrs, sst 131 b. Horror,
if in anything like his last year's form, should keep
all the heavy weights safe. He has been knocked about in
the market for the last two or three days like a shuttle-
cock on account of a rumour that the owner had been fore-
stalled. On that account I should not be surprised to see
him an absentee. Fordham was specially engaged to ride
him. Rattlebone, 4 yrs, Bst, has been backed for this race
occasionally, at shortening prices, but Alec Taylor has also
Plumper, 4 yrs, 7st 71b, Sister to St. Albans, and the colt
by Wild Dayrell, out of Intimidation, engaged. Sister to
St. Albans, last week, saw a short price, but I expect the
stable will be represented by Plumper, who ought to be in
the front at the finish. The Rap seems now to be gone,
but if he comes again I wont be against him. King of
Diamonds, after a favourable trial with Giraffe and Mag-
num, has been freely invested on, but I prefer King of
Kent, with all his weight, and coming from such a stable
as Godding's, who has such fine tackle to try his horses
with, he must be kept harmless. Moorhen would be a great
favourite if a demonstration were made in her favour by
Sir Joseph Hawley. Her performance will be watched with
interest on account of Rouge Dragon. Moorcock and Lady
Trespass are John Osborne's two, and to the former I
give the preference. Avalanche will run better here than
she did at Shrewsbury, and may obtain a situation, for,
according to public running, wherever Horror is she ought
to be also. Merrimac was never half trained when
he started last year, and four of his five defeats
were in the best of company, while on the fifth
occasion (at Reading) he was running up to his hocks
in mud ; consequently, he could never be set down as a bad
horse, and from the tackle he went though the mill with
last week, I am bound to consider him more than mode-
rate, several stables that have horses of their own in the
race " going " for this gentleman in preference. Danae
only started twice last season, having won the Warwick-
shire Handicap so very easily that she became a great
favourite for the City and Suburban and Metropolitan
Handicaps ; however, she met with an accident in the first
of these races that kept her at home for the rest of the year,
and she was almost forgotten, until a heavy commission
was introduced into the market on Saturday last to back her
for this stake. Like Merrimac, she has been tried under
the auspices of the most dangerous " talent," and while
meeting everything that opposes her with the best of racing
weights, they can scarcely make a mistake. The most
formidable lot are Merrimac, Lady Trespass, Danae, King
of Kent, Avalanche, Plumper, and Moorhen ; and I anti-
cipate seeing the Northamptonshire Stakes carried off by
MERRIMAC or DANAE.