The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-27 00:00:00

THE FORTHCOMING .GOOD WOOD RACES

(From the Correspcmdent of the Racing Times.)

Sir,--In commencing to write for the Racing Times let me
remind you that I shall be very pan in all my remarks
about the horses in training here, but shall " nothing ex-
tenuate or set down aught in malice, "and say, like
Apementus—" There is nothing I like half so well as plain
dealing, which will not cost a man a dolt." When I wrote
for a contemporary I was often told that I was too plain
in my remarks about the Newmarket horses, but time has
given proof that I was quite correct in every word 1
said about them. The gallant Admiral never made a
truer remark in his life than' 'when he stated that any
trainer could get a horse into the market and made favou-
rite for a ten-pound note, for it is as clear as noon-day
that there are men employed to write up horses to suit
certain parties, or, imptain language, for the bookmakers.
There has been a great deal said about the disgraceful
conduct of the parties connected with Lady Elizabeth but
in my opinion the sporting journals that sent men to
Danebury to see the mare, and wrote her up as going like
a bird, and that John Day never trained such an animal
in his life, are quite as bad as the spider; for they assisted
her owner and trainer to make her a great favourite, and
thus rob the public. There can be no blame attached to
those who wrote in her favour who had not seen her since
a two-year-old, for, on public form, they could not do
otherwise than select her to win the Derby, providing she
was brought fit and well to the post. We are often told by
men that consider themselves clever writers that the
Newmarkot Touts are the worst judges in England ; but I
am quite sure if Lady Elizabeth bad been trained here she
would not have started at 6 to 4. Her price would have
been 50 to 1, for I should have given the public the same
tip that 1 did about an animal that was trained here, and
was forced into the market for the City and Suburban to
be milked. As soon as I saw the said filly I pronounced
her a bag of bones, and she has not won a race since, nor
is she likely to do so for some time to come. I thought
we should have Beard no more of Pace, but a certain clever
writer, in alluding to him in an article lately, says Pace is
a cripple, as he always assorted through a storm of opposi-
tion. What next ? What bad memories some peop'e have?
Does he forget stating that he would b.) one of the best-
trained horses at Newmarket, and that lie went some clink-
ing gallops on the Llinekilus ? I never knew that cripples
could go clinking gallops and be brought fit to run for a
Derby. I hope the gentleman in question will allow me to
be the only writer that ever condemned Pace, as I always
stated that he was a rank impostor, and that his clever
trainer could not, and dared not, gallop him. 1 sent him
back to 12 to 1 for the Two Thousand, but when the writer
in question and his name-sake came down here they brought
him back to 6 to 1 for the Guineas and 12 to 1 for tho Derby.
I don't understand what the writer means by pumiced
feet. I know Pace has a club-foot, and four very dickey
legs ; however, I must confess that I have never taken
out my degrees as a veterinary surgeon, but Shakspere
says :

"Knowledge is by industry achieved,
And perfected by the swift course of time."
Some of our sporting writers would be hard up for
matter to write about at times only for the spider-and-
jig remarks of the Admiral, but they have worn it
threadbare, and it has become the oft-told tale to a
drowsy man. I have the greatest respect for the gallant
Admiral's writing on all matters connected with horse-
racing ; but as Ainsworth would say he has robbed
the immortal William of one of his quotations, without
giving him the credit for it. Shakspere, in alluding to
gross ignorance,
says If you take that little, little less
than little wit from them that they have, which short-
armed ignorance itself knows is so abundant, scarce, it will
not in circumvention deliver a fly from a spider, with-
out drawing the massy iron and cutting tho web."— Troilus
and Cressida—Act 11. and Scene 3.
Would not a usurer be a more appropriate name for the
gentleman alluded to ? Or, as Shakspere says—
" The man bound between gold and want."
It was thought, when men were stationed at all the train-
ing grounds in England to report what work horses were
doing that the public would be told the truth; but, as
John Read used to say, "it's all a farce and a snare." It
is really amusing to read the betting at times. I have seen
the quotations about the Goodwood Cup Betting, and that
Friponnier has been backed for thousands. I don't believe
one word of such rubbish, for it's well known here that
Friponnier has not had a gallop since the July meeting,
and, in fact, all Mr. Prior's horses have been turned out of
training until we get some rain. So much for the betting
on the future events, and so much for the special training
notes. 1 shall now proceed to offer a few remarks on the
events to be decided next week at glorious Goodwood.
The first race in the list is the Lavant Stakes, which
looks a certainty for BADSWORTII. The Rous Stakes look
like a moral for Paul Jones, or, as he was called before the
Derby, Mr. Hodgman's Steam Engine. The Gratwicke
Stakes I know nothing about, and therefore shall not give
an opinion. The Ham Stakes is a certainty for Belladrum,
as we have nothing here that has any chance with him.
Should Blinkhoolie be pulled out for the Annesloy Stakes
ho will win; if not, Taraban will beat all the others.
The Stewards' Cur is a very heavy handicap, and in my
opinion all the top-
weights are out of it ; and as it would
be like looking for a needle in a bundle of hay to select
the winner, 1 shall only state what I consider the best of
the Newmarket lot. We have got Hermit, King Victor,
Lancret, Silenus, Van Amburgh, Sir Oliver, St. Ronan,
Leonie, Nemea, La Belle Jeanne, Barrington, Clairon,
Reindeer, Slanderer, Snowdrop, Balsamo, and the filly by
Knowsly out of Miss Whip, so that it will be seen we
have top and bottom weights trained here. The first
three are too heavily weighted, and Silenus is getting
stale. Sir Oliver is very well, but has got about 101bs too
much to carry. St. Ronan has been 'doing good work,
the distance will suit him, and if ho runs ho will beat more
than will beat him. Leonie does not like over half a
mile. Clairon is well, and I think will be sure to run for-
ward. The Knowsley filly is well in, considering the
manner she ran here with Speculum in :the spring; but
I think she is only very moderato. Snowdrop is wall in,
and if the stable back her she will b 3 a great favourite ;
and I think if the Stewards' Cup cemos to Newmarket it
will be by the aid of Mr. Dixon's smart filly.
The Findon Stakes looks like coming to the ducal stable by
the aid of 'Penedos. I think I may take credit to myself
for being the first to write about this good-looking
Brother to Moslem. When writing in a contemporary
about Pace, I stated that the D aka of Nowt; tstle would
have a better chance of winning the Derby of 1869 with
Tonedos, or the good-looking half brother to Julius, than
he had of winning this year with the rank impostor Pace.
The latter was at 6 to 1 for the Two Thousand Guineas
at the time the above remarks were penned by me ; and in
my opinion Prince Imperial, who is half-brother to Julius,
will be the best two year old in Matthew Dawson's stable,
as I stated at the time ; but he wants time. Wild Oats is
a good-looking colt when fit to run. We have nothing
in the Drawing Room Stakes that has any chance w ith