The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-15 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

READING STEEPLECHASES-TUESDAY.

Owing to the postponement which was last week ren-
dered necessary, in consequence of the unsettled state of
the weather, these chases, which were brought off to-day,
were not so successful as they otherwise would have been,
or as the energy of the management deserved. The stakes,
which closed on Monday night, obtained but poor entries
and the four races decided to-day produced only limited
fields. The attendance, too, of the general public was
hurt of previous anniversaries, but there was a fair musts r
n the ring. Speculation, however, was not brisk. Bal-
loon defeated a warm favourite in Warwick Lass for the
Open Hunters' Stakes, and Alice Mary, not backed for a
shilling in the ring, won the Selling Steeplechase, Gany-
mede, the favourite, finishing second. An objection by
the latter against the winner for a " cross' was not sus-
tained. Pakington, who came in first for the Handicap
Plate, was disqualified, having run on the wrong side of
flag, and the stakes wore awarded to Lome in a Mist. The
day's racing concluded with the I'4 hitley Stakes, for
which Lawrence came in alone, ono of his opponents
having fallen, and the other pulled up. Details are ap-
pended :
An Open hunters' Stakes of 3 sovs each, with 20 added,
for horses which have been regularly hunted with some
established pack of howids during the seaso.l of 18(37'-
68, and which have not been in any training stable for
three months prior to the time of running for this
stake ; 13st each ; any previous winner of 50 sovs
to carry 71bs extra ; the winner to be sold for 100

sous.
Mr. A. Yates's Balloon (pedigree unknown) (h b), aged
13st (.£100) (Mr. F. G. Hobson) 1
Mr. Hoade's Warwick Lass, aged, net 21b, (£10)
(Mr. Weeton) 2
Mr. H. Stollery's Miss Franklin (hb), 6 yrs, 12st 21b (.£10)
(Mr. Vallandcr) ,
Mr. J. Goddard's Staple Oak (h b), aged, 12st 71b (.£50)0
(Mr. L. Goddard) .
Mr. W. G. Jarvis's Farnborough, aged, 12st 91b (ine
71b ex) (.£4O) (0 wne
Betting—Even on Warwick Lass, 5 to 2 eget Balloon
and 10 to 1" bar two." Warwick Lass made the running
with a long lead of Balloon, tho ethers following at inter-
vals fo about a couple of lengths for about a quarter of a
mile, when the lot closed, but at the fence preceding the
farmhouse the favourite quitted her horses, and, approach-
ing the brook, for the first time she was fully a hundred
yards in advance of Balloon, who deprived Staple Oak of
second place. Coming down the hill, Miss Franklin re-
fused at the farmhouse fence, and was not persevered with.
Going up the hill, beyond the stand, Balloon decreased the
distance between himself and the favourite, heading her in
the next fence. Warwick Lass, however, was pulling over
Balloon till about three-quarters of a mile from home,
when Mr. Hobson drew away. For a moment, at the
farmhouse, the favourite seemed formidable, but after
clearing the brook she was beaten, and Balloon won easily
by four lengths ; Farnborough and Staple Oak, who had
been toiling on hopelessly in the rear, passed the post
almost head and head some time after the judge had left
the box. There was no advance upon the entered selling
price of the winner.

Selling Steeplechase of 3 sovs each, with 25 added ; 4-yrs
old, llst, five, 12st, six and upwards, 12st 51b ; the NNin-
ner to be sold by auction after the race for 50 sovs, and
any surplus to be divided between the owner of the

second horse and the fund; if entered to be sold for 30
sous allowed 71b ; about two miles.
Mr. Jarvis's Alice Mary, by Voltigeur—Mary, by Mel-
bourne, 4 yrs, lOst 71b (.£3O) (Filkins) 1
Mr. W. Page's Ganymede, aged, list 121 b (£3O)(J. Page) 2
Mr. Gilke's Sir Stephen, aged, list 121 b (.£3O) (T. Ablett) 3
Mr. A. Weston's Belle of Kars, 6 yrs, list 121 b (Z3O)
- •C (Hoade) 0
Mr. Ellison's The Dictator, aged, 12st 51b (Z5O) (Owner) 0
Mr. Mumford's Strike, aged, list 121 b (£3O) (Owner) 0

Betting—Even on Ganymede, 4 to 1 agst Strike, 5 to 1
agst The Dictator, and 6to 1 agst Sir Stephen. Belle of
Kars made play, followed by Ganymode, the others being
in a cluster to the farm-house fence, where The Dictator
came down, and took no further part in the race.
Belle of Kars was first over the brook, but before reach-
ing the stand she resigned the command to Strike, who
led up the hill, followed by Sir Stephen, the favourite, and
Alice Mary. Ganymede dropped into the rear on the top
of the hill, and Sir Stephen closed with Strike, whom he
headed at the fence into the stubble field. Strike imme
diately afterwards beat a retreat, Ganymede simultane-
ously closing with Alice Mary, the pair going on in pur-
suit of Sir Stephen, who was, however, fully a dozen
lengths ahead at the farmhouse fence. Descending the
hill towards the brook the favourite and Alice Mary got
on level terms with Sir Stephen, and the three cleared
the brook abreast of each other, but Alice Mary was
quickest in landing, and Sir Stephen being in difficulties
she was left in front. Coming up the straight she ap-
peared to tire in the soft ground, and Page, riding the fa-
vourite most resolutely, got level with her, but Filkins
calling ou the mare for a final effort, she responded gamely,
and won an exciting race by a head. Sir Stephen was third,
beaten 10 lengths. Belle of Kars and Strike walked in, hav-
ing been eased at the farmhouse, when pursuit was hopeless.
On returning to scale Page lodged an objection against the
winner, on the ground of a cross. The stewards imme-
diately entertained the objection, taking the evidence of
the jockeys, and after deliberation they decided that no
cross had taken pl ,ce. The winner was sold to Mr. J.
Goddsrd for 86 guineas.
A Handicap Plate of 50 50,73, for all ages ; the winner
to be sold fur 70 sous, and any surplus to ba divided
between the owner of the second horse and the fund ;

entrance 2 sovs, to go to the fund ; about two miles

and a half.
Mr. Percival's Love in a Mist, by Martext—Wings of a
Dove, aged, list 71b (Coslett) 1
Mr. W. G. Jarvis's Farnborough, aged, list 121 b,
(Owner) 2
Mr. Smith's Pakington, 5 yrs, lOst 101b...(J. Holman) die.
Betting-5 to 4on Love in a Mist, 6to 4 agst Paki ngton,
and 6to 1 (at first 6to 4) agst Farnborough. The last-
mentioned held the lead until reaching the farmhouse
fence, about half a mile from home, when the other two,
who had been lying handy, closed with him, and the three
took the water jump in close company. Immediately after
landing Pakington got the best of it, and maintaining his
advantage to the end, won iby a length from the favou-
rite, Farnborough being defeated a length from Love in a
Mist. At the scale Coslett, the rider of Love in a Mist,
lodged an objection against the winner for having gone
on the wrong side of a flag at the fence near the farmhouse
The .stewards visited the spot where Pakington was
alleged to have run out, and they found tracks on the
outside of the flag, as indicated by Coslett, the rider of
Love-in-a-Mist. They also heard the evidence of several
eye-witnesses, and at once disqualified Pakington, award-
ing the race to Love-in-a-Mist.
The Whitley Stakes (free handicap) of 5 sous each, with
50 added ; winners after Dec. 31, at 1C a.m., 71b extra.
About three miles.
Sir W. Call's Lawrence (h b), by Vortex, aged, 12st 71b

- (G. Searle) 1
Mr. Jr. Ellison's Spatchcock, aged, list 71b (Owner 0
Mr. Clifford's Waterperry, aged, Ilst (Mr. F. G. Ilabson) 0
Betting-3 to 4on Waterperry, and sto 4 agst Law-
rence. Waterperry was the first away, but on passing the
Stand he gave way to Lawrence, Spatchcock following in
the rear. Traversing the hillside the favourite again took
up the running, but he held only a slight advantage till
reaching the stubble field, where he took a c:ear lead ,
Spatchcock being at this point so far in the rear that his
owner pulled him up. At the brook Lawrence headed
the favourite, and the pair kept close company until reach-
ing the farmhouse fence, where Waterperry, completely
exhausted, came down, but sustained no injury. Lawrence
was thus left to canter in alone.

THE CALEDONIAN AND NORTH BRITISH RAIL..
WAYS.—The Scotsman of yesterday says :—" It has
been pretty well understood lately that important negotia-
tions have been going un between committees of the di-
rectors of the Caledonian and North British Railway Com-
panies, including the chairman in each case. We believe
that the terms of an agreement for a long period of years,
upon the principle of a joint-purse, on the basis generally
of gross revenue returns, have now been all but. arranged,
and will shortly be submitted to meetings of the share-
holders of both companies, to be specially called for their
consideration and approval. It is also understood that the
arrangement will include mutual stipulations for the post-
ponement of a large amount of new works on the part of
both companies. This arrangement will, undoubtedly,
form one of the most important eras in the history of rail-
way property, and may be expected to operate most bene-
ficially for the contracting parties."
ROMEO COATES, THE AMATEUR TRAGEDIAN.
About 1801 one of the most conspicuous characters in the
park was a tall, thin, elderly West Indian, with a sallow
wrinkled face, who, wrapped up in costly furs, paraded in
the drives, in a shell-shaped carriage, drawn by two fine
white horses. The eccentric but handsome vehicle was
covered with the owner's heraldic device—a cock crowing.
This shallow, inane, yet cunning-looking man was that
celebrated amateur tragedian, Mr. Romeo Coates. Ile
was supposed incorrectly to be a second Crcesus ; and he
appeared at London balls covered with as many diamonds
as Count Esterhazy, who was popularly supposed to drop
three hundred pounds' worth of them every night he went
out.. His buttons, even his knee buckles, glistened with
Coaamtonds. Insanely vain and utterly foolish, Romeo
rs appearedfirst
t Boanththe ,
ds stage
aa
ts t h
the
Haymarket.Shakespeare's y o
Theuth-
f ul lee;
ridiculous being wore a spangl Al cloak of sky-blue silk, red
pantaloons much too tight, a white muslin vest, an enor-
mous bolster cravat, a Charles-the-Second wig, and an
opera hat. No burlesque was ever half so funny. he
bowed to the audiimce in the most r xtravaoint wa• • and
with a hideous grin ; he took snuff in the middle of the
balcony scene, and on some one asking for a pinch handed
round his box to the nearest spectators. lie dragged.
Juliet from the tomb as if she were a sack of potatoes
When, finally, he had to die, he put down his opera hat for
a pillow, and swept a place clean with a dirty silk hand-
kerchief. Throe times did this extraordinary idiot die for
the amusement of the house. This half fool, half &neat,
was at last driven from the stage for pocketing money he
had obtained under pretence of playing for a charitable ob-
ject; he retired to Boulogne, and there married some
foolish woman, who was probably duped by his pretended
wealth.—Belgratia.