The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-04 00:00:00

SPOR7ING OPINIONS.

(From the Telegraph.)
During the past season the Turf gained an acces-
sion in the Earl of Jersey, who is now only in his
twenty-second year, and has just left Oxford.
This youthful nobleman had previously distin-
guished himself as an amateur pedestrian, and
was known to be thoroughly imbued with genuine
sporting instincts. Although his lordship assumed
the name of " Mr. Jay" in .all his racing
transactions, he ran his horses in the family,
or Bay Middleton, colours, " buff and purple
stripes." Among the animals which he purchased
was the well-known horse Grand Cross ; and it was
thought his patronage would be extended, inas-
much as at the Danebury sale he paid a large
sum for the Derby colt Mameluke. In the Shrews-
bury week his lordship purchased nine horses from
Mr. Brewer, and he had also " gone in" freely
for yearlings at summer auctions. Altogether
Lord Jersey's stud by the end of the season
assumed very considerable dimensions ; and the
animals were placed under the charge of Fred Bates,
a young but very able trainer in Berkshire. Not-
withstanding the reports that " family opposition"
was very marked to the turf, it was believed that
Lord Jersey's patronage would be permanent. The
racing public have, therefore, learnt with surprise
and regret that it has been suddenly determined
to sell by auction all his lordship's recently
formed stud, and the advertisement of the Messrs.
Tattersall as to the sale of a " nobleman's" horses
on the 17th is doubtless a reference to this disper-
sion. it must not be inferred that his lordship
was any " plunger," or addicted to gambling. To
my mind the step about to be taken is a most wise
and judicious one, as young noblemen scarcely out
of their Eton and Harrow days are, it must
be confessed, little able to undertake such a hazar-
dous enterprise as a racing stud of forty or
fifty horses. Probably when this young noble-
man is more matured and experienced he
will return to the turf, where his urbanity and
sportsmanlike spirit had already won him many
friends and established his popularity. The coming
sale is not, as insinuated, to be a " weeding out,"
but is an utterly unreserved sale—a noble and ex-
perienced relative having the entire matter in hand.
With years and knowledge the retiring nobleman
will be able to hold his own, and probably initiate
a successful weer in the sport to which he is ob-
viously attached.

(From the bportsnaan.)

What a hackneyed expression it is in the
racing world, when any one is hostile to a horse's
chance for a particular race, that he vows he will
" eat him if he wins." The thing is looked on
as an impossibility, but from the present aspect
of affairs " pottei favourite " may become an
epicurean dish to its enthusiastic backers. The
hippophagists announce a day to themselves at
the Langham Hotel this week, when horse flesh
may be tasted in every variety. We have
often read and written the old schoolboy text
that " the horse is a noble animal, and very
useful to man." His use we were accustomed to
think was a beast of burden, but it seems that
after toiling for years we may eat him, and judg-
ing by the price charged for the dinner tickets,
which are 31s. 6d. each, the flesh must be a
great delicacy. The only objection, after all, to
the horse is that he has not a cloven foot. To
me it is a source of great satisfaction to know that,
after the ignominious defeat of a horse I have "gone
for" in big letters, I may assist at eating him ! A
steak off Caractacus would to me be as great a deli-
cacy as would a rib of Plaudit be to "The Special
Commissioner."" Augur," I fancy, would not object
to fillet-of-Hermit, and Dr. Shorthouse would, I dare-
say, wash down with his old port a whole carcase of
Voltigeur or anything else that possessed the Black-
lock flavour. A piece of Chattanooga stewed would,
I have no doubt, be as acceptable to our good friend
" Jeames" as would the undercut of the sirloin of
Tarragona be to " Argus." " Cedric the Saxon"
would fly back to Ma/pessa, and as he likes something
" gamey," I can imagine with what relish he would
appear at the " Old Cheshire" with the prospect of
making a dinnerfrom the carcase of his old favourite.
How the eyes of " The Outsider" would twinkle if he
could only get his knife into The Rake, and with
what pleasure " The Druid" would garnish a saddle
of Kettledrum with a hair of Touchstone's tail.
And the bookmakers too. When a hot favourite
which had "landed" was served up to them, what
a number would assist at the ordinary !

SPORTING ACTION.