The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-14 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

(From the Newmarket Correspondent of the Racing. Times.)
The appearance of the entries for the Spring Handicaps
indicates the near approach of the racing season, and as
soon as the handicappers have cut out the work for the
prophets, touts, and tipsters, they will all have cer-
tainties for their subscribers, indeed several of them can
already prophesy the winner of the Chester Cup ; but I
think the flats are not so plentiful as they were some few
years back, when bookmakers were able to get some
hundreds on a Chester Cup book long befcre Christmas.
My advice to backers of horses is to wait and
not throw their money away, and when the weights
are out not to be tempted by the allurements held
out by those who pretend to have the winners of all the
spring handicaps ; and I promise the readers of the Racing
Times to keep them from backing a lot of worthless horses,
if they will only follow my advice, and I think the public
will give me credit for speaking out very freely last year,
telling them plainly that such and such great favou-
rites had no earthly chance of winning, and it never
came off once against me all through the
year. Mr. Topham will, no doubt, be first
in the field with his Chester Cup Handicap; he
has 140 horses to put together, so as to give them all
an equal chance of winning, and I don't know a man more
capable of performing such an arduous duty. There are
very few Newmarket horses entered at Chester, as I can
only count fifteen from all the large stables at head-quar-
ters. Blanton has three—Tormentor, Duke of York, and
Demonstration; the two former were going to win races
all last year, but did not. Tormentor was never a first-class
mare, although she won the Oaks ; but there were a lot of bad
ones behind her, and time gave us proof that they were a lot
of rips. The Duke of York is a delicate horse to train, and
not at all suited to the Chester course. Demonstration will,
I have no doubt, pay his way this year, as he can stay, and
will make a useful handicap horse, but more of him anon.
Bloss has Blinkhoolie and Knight of the Garter. The
latter could not get the Chester Cup course with any
weight, a mile and a half being quite as much as he likes.
Blinkhoolie is a useful horse, but not such a clipper as
his Cesarewitch backers made out, when they took seven to
four about him. Indeed I heard Mr. Chaplin tell the
Admiral that he laid a bookmaker seven hundred to four
against him, but, of course, it was hedging money.
Joseph Dawson has Numa Potnpilius and. Knight Errant
engaged. The former was first favourite for the Good-
wood Stakes last year at one time, but he is a bad horse,
as I told your readers before the race, and his
trial with the Peer makes him a worse horse than
I thought him to be. Lord Stamford's horse was tried
with him before the Liverpool Cup, and won his trial so
easily that his lordship backed him for a large stake, but ho
ran just as I told your readers he would do—nearly last.
Knight Errant is a useful horse, but I think a mile and a
half is about the distance he likes. Mat Dawson has only
two in—not three, as we are told by a contemporary—as
Prince Regent has joined Fred. Bates's string long since ;
therefore he has only the Northampton Stakes winner and
Contempt. Miss Havelock is about the worst mare that
ever did win the Northampton Stakes, and Mr. Wood sold
her well when he got 1,500 guineas for her ; and I was
quite right when I stated at the time that she was, not
worth half the money, as Madame Cleopatra could always
beat her at even weights when Peter Price had them both.
The same nobleman gave 3,500 guineas for Challenge,
and matched him against Julius for another thousand,
besides backing him for the St. Leger for a few thousands
more. I was quite correct when I stated at the time
that the Marquis would find out he was a very dear horse,
and not worth oue quarter of the money—indeed it would
take the Bank of England to keep up a racing stud purchased
at such a rate. There has been a great deal written and said
about the large amount of money it cost to buy the Earl
in at the late Danebury sale, and that his noble owner has
such a high opinion of him that he would not part with
him at any price ; but it will be seen before the end of this
year that he is not worth half the money, for whenever he
met a racehorse he was always beat. The class of horses
he beat in his first three wins, if they were all put up by
auction to-morrow, would not realise six thousand pounds
and I am determined, as long as I am capable of forming
an opinion for myself, I shall always adhere to my own
judgment of horses, heedless of whatever may be said or
written by others ; and I am quite sure the Earl is an
overrated horse, and has no earthly chance of winning
the Derby whilst Lady Elizabeth, Rosicrucian, or Pace
keep all right. But to return to the Chester Cup. Tom
Dawson has twelya entered, and the best of his on the day
will be worth backing; and the same may be said about
John Day's lot. Lowe has four very:useful animals entered,
Feodor, Chivalry, Yardarm, and Aggravator; and as they
belong to men whe know what they are abliut, should
they get well in, they will be a dangerous lot on the day.
Hughes has three yearlings, Ackworth, Planet, and Red-
cap ; the former has already found his way into the
betting at 50 to 1, but I really don't know what weight he
could wiu with, and if Mr. Topham has no better opinion
of Ackworth than I have he is sure to get well in. The
time the Dauebury stable backed him was with
Cannon up, and he was easily defeated by a bad
horse. lam quite sure he has lost all -form, and the
public will be deceived if they look out for another Flash-
in-the-Pan with Ackworth. Planet is as slow as a man,
and the public saw enough of Reicap last year. Bates
has Grand Cross, Cork Jacket, Clarice, and Prince Regent.
The two former are very moderate, and Clarice is a
wretch, although she lost the Duke of Hamilton the City
and Suburban, for if Toni Parr had not brought her to
Newmarket to try her with Wild Agnes, the latter
would have cantered in at Epsom, her running after-
wards proving that she could have given any weight to
the winner. I see last year's winner is entered, and backed
again. We are told she is the best mare in England, bar
Achievement, and that the Squire lost the Goodwood Cup
by not running her. Now iu my opinion this is all rub-
bish, for surely it was no great performance for a four-
year-old to win a Chester Cup with 7st on her back; and
what on earth did she beat in the Leamington Stakes?
Pintail and Elinburgh were second and third—both very
bad animals, especially the latter, who can beat nothing
over two miles, for a mile is his favourite distance.
When Beeswing ran in the Doncaster Cup she was backed
by her owner, was last in Cie race, and Hermit was only
running her at 121 b for the year ; and from the manner
he
beat her in the race either ho or Achievement could
have given her 141bs and beat her. I could select
no
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hope, for the honour of thernge year d
lish thoroughbreds,
this year,
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three
sw
tehe some of them win the
handicaps,
em to be carried off by
spring and
and I shall
yprenpoatreadll ot
such duffers as Miss Havelock and Eudsleigh.

ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE IN•
TEIZIOR,S OF THEATRES.

Arc the interiors of our theatres constructed on the
best principle? A proprietor or lessee would answer
Yes ! unless it can be proved that a greater number
of spectators can be crammed into the same space ;
but having no interest in the profits of such estab-
lishments—merely forming part and parcel of the
public—our reply is, No! Let us view the subject
in this general light. Let us imagine ourselves to
be the temporary possessor of a central stall, near
the orchestra, in one of our principal play-houses,
and record the impression left upon our mind
by an inspection of the auditorium during
an interval in the performance. We extend
our gaze over the gentle rising rows of chairs
—over the steeper gradients of the more elevated pit
to mark that in the latter the audience is more
closely packed, and much confined as it becomes
lost in the obscurity of the overhanging dress circle.
We incline our head backwards, looking from
boxes to boxes, from gallery to gallery, to note
that in all of these the spectators, on some back
bench, seem with their heads to touch the low ceil-
ing (which is the flooring of a tier above), and
serve as caryatides for its support, the upper gods
having the honour to uphold the covering dome.
Finally, we direct our vision towards the wings to
behold ladies and gentlemen peering out of small
apertures—like so 'luny cooing pigeons from their
nests—constructed one over the other from the
basement to the roof. We resume our seat, and,
however soft may be its padding—nay, were we
even at perfect ease, a sense of oppression steals over
us from our inspection, which makes us conscious
of being in the close vicinity of confined
and suffering humanity. As this is our impression
from below, let us ascend to the open boxes—to the
galleries. No matter where, we find ourselves be-
neath a low roof, well knowing that immediately
beneath are several stages of similarly constructed
receptacles, singularly well adapted for the promo-
tion of perspiration in the patrons of the drama.
Nor does our direct downward gaze excite any sen-
timent of envy, for there beneath, in the open area,
society seems to be so herded together as to take
the appearance of a vast impactment of barbers'
rude blocks exhibiting chignons and back hair amidst
a rising vapour of animal steam ; and (as part of
the general public—a mere vulgar fraction) we
come to the conclusion that, in a modern
theatre, one cannot obtain a tithe of the freedom of
respiration, of movement, and of general comfort
which a beast enjoys at a Smithfield cattle show
when held at the Agricultural Hall, Islington. In
these temples of dramatic art, on crowded nights,
discomfort reigns paramount ; humanity fills every
seat below, and all standing room around ; huma-
nity lines the _walla to vaulted roof, perched on

narrow shelves or crammed into be-curtained holes,
and every one feels as hived in with an over-swarm
of his own species.

How different are most of our concert rooms !
How different was the late St. Martin's Bail ! There,
the single balcony was so slight, in proportion to
the space of the interior, that its additional num-
bers were not felt. There, ventilation was ever
secured, and one could listen in ease and comfort,
devoil of all sensation of oppression—all thought
of captivity. Wisely has Mr. German Reed re-
tained all the advantages of a concert-room in his
transformation of St. George's llall into an opera-
house. He has made no attempt to heighten the
roof or give the interior its usual horse-shoe form
of circling galleries, and many in consequence may
affirm it to be no theatre ? We cavil not at such
want of distinction. Let it be the concert-room
still, with the addition of a stage—a. Etage, how-
ever, suitable to its object, and it is, nevertheless,
the most comfortable building for witnessing a
dramatic performance in London. We sincerely
wish a similar one was exclusively at the disposal of
our amateur friends.---Racing Times and Amateur
Dranzatic Chronicle.