The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-30 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 30, 1868.

Closing i Business
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SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

EPSOM RACES-FRIDAY.
THE OAKS DAY.

Of late years the Oaks has shown a decided
falling off in point of numbers at the post. Last
year Achievement frightened many away, and on
this occasion the struggle has been considered to
lie between Lady Elizabeth and Formosa, and the
field has dwindled to about the smallest on record.
There are many reasons for this. May is not the
mares' month, and it is curious that the founders of
the race, the crucial test for the best mare of the
year, did not consider this. Why are oar great
races for mares run so early in the year ?
The o..ks of this year will, in addition to it:
race, be remembered for ono of the most violent
storms of thunder, lightning, and hail we have had
for years. It came on very sad lettly about 12 31),
with no other warning than a sultry and heavy at
mosphere. " Descended in torrents" is a stereo-
typed phrase which had a real ineahing to-d ty.
Below Durdans, the residence of Mr. 1 leathcote,
the scene was a curious one. A large pond, three
or four feet deep, had been formed by the darrunit~
up of th 9 flood, and about one o'clock, when tilt
road was at its most crowded stat a rich harvesn
was made by " ioughs," who carriA pedestrian:
across on their shoulders, and cabs plying over the
temporary ferry demanded fabulous sums. We re-
gret to say one, if not two, lives were lost ; horses
were killed ; and the keeper's cottage at the War-
ren demolished. The storm continued for nearly an
hour, and when at its height of falling water and
ice, combined with the terrific roar of the thunder,
it had about it something approaching the sublime.
A small, but by no means ill-looking, lot of fil-
lies were saddled in the paddock. In fact, remem-
bering the calibre of 'the field for the last two or
three years, we are inclined to rank this as, -oh the
whole, of a higher average. About the first to
show was Fair Star,' a nicely-framed mare with-
plenty of good looks and grand quarters, not quite
elegantly set on. 'She came into the paddock
stripped, but was, neverthless, all of a lather, and
to appearances more as if she had run a race than
being about to do so. The thunderstorm had pro-
bably had some effect on her nervous system, as
such weather has on many other mortals. She
was soon joined by Matthew Dawson's pair, both
looking very fit ; of the two, Lady Coventry is a
fine upstanding filly, with good ends, but leggy
and light of bone below the knee, while L6onie is a
very taking, wiry little mare, with powerful racing
like quarters, and standing on short wearing legs.
Janet Raweliffe, " the humble companion" of For-
mosa, is a shelly animal of no symmetry, and a very
striking contrast to the heroine of the Thousands,
who was brought to the post by Henry Woolcott
in beautiful condition, handsome to the eye, but
not big, and altogether the best-looking mare
in the race. Judged by her inches, she is but a
little one, for she reaches no higher than to
15 hands one and a half, but she is capitally fur-
nished, and full of muscular power. She has a
pleasing head, with a gOod breadth of forehead, and
a strong, slightly crested neck, reminding one more
of a colt than a filly. She has strong shoulders, a
good middle, famously-shaped quarters, and unex-
ceptionable legs, upon which she stands as firm as
a rock. With her head well up, and her bold car-
riage, she walked away with Fordham a very pic-
ture, and even then it certainly looked to be all
over. No animal has ever continued to improve
more, and Mr. Cookson, is of course, anxious to get
Buccaneer back again. The chief reason, indeed,
iintrusted. Virtue, another
Was his being a terrible
savage, evere, g a parting
y e
rt with
rising favourite, is a neat, light mare, of no great
power, with light limbs nicely formed and well
placed.
She was a good deal fancied, but blew so
an e
o b he
fearfully on getting back to the rubbing-house
after the race as to give one the idea of her being
very thick-winded—she has, in fact, an enlarge-
ment of the throat. There was no such tho-
roughly racing-like filly in the field as Athena,
with her good head, nice light neck, capital
shoulders, etniddle, and quarters, ' and altogether
well-proportioned length of limb. A weed called
Curfew Bell joined company just at last, and Lady
Elizabeth sound courage to canter pass the Stand.
When she did enter the paddock after it was over,
she showed a jaded, beaten, tucked-up animal, al.
the worse fur her week's exeitatnent, and warn to a
scarecrow ; and the running confined the truth of
that for the Derby. When I. ady Eiji abot't appeared
to take her prelitnin try canter, a cry almost of dJ-
rision greeted the famous mare of last year. It is
not too much to say she looked a bag of bones, and
had au untrained appearance strctega to sea. Tnere
was no Danebury bloom upon her. How the
public could have been induced to take 5 to 4
about the shadow of her former self was probably
the thought that flashed on the minds of most of
the spectators. Still they took 9to 2--a great
supporter of the stable, we believe, accepted 800 to
200, and there was yet a belief she might retrieve
her Wednesday's disgrace. A vain imagining. She
again got off in the rear division, while at -a
wretched pace Janet Rawcliffe made the running,
and coining through the furzes Lady Elizabeth
momentarily inspired Cannon with hope by run-
ning into her bridle, but the hope was short-lived.
Before reaching the corner she died away, and
Formosa, who had taken the lead at the mile post,
made the most signal example of an Oaks field ever
seen, by winning in a common canter by ten
lengths, with Lady Coventry second, and the non-
staying Athena third.
The Glasgow Plate of 100 sovs (Handicap) for all ages;
winners of any race (matches excepted) after publication
of the weights 51b extra ;• the last seven furlongs of the
Derby Course.
Sir J. Hawloy's Xi, by Oen. Williams, 5 yrs, Bst 131 b
(T. F.euch) 1
Duke of Newcastle's Foresight, 4 yrs, 7st (Daley) 2
Lord Westnioreland's Foresight, 4 yrs, 7st (Kenyon) 3
The following also ran: —Verulam, Lord falwerston,
Secrecy, Tribune, and Queen of the Forest.
Betting -6to 4 agst i, 9to 2 agst Silenus, 7 to 1 agst
Secrecy, 8 to 1 each ags Foresight and Lord Palmerston,
and 10 to 1 agst Tribune. Won in a canter by a length
and a half.
The Epsom Two Year Old Plato of 200 sovs; colts Bst
101 b, fillies Bst 71b; winners of a pl tte or sweepstakes
.51b, twice or more 71b extra ; starters twice without
winning a.lowed 41b, thrice 61b extra; T.Y.C. (three-
quarters of a mile.)
Mr T. V. Morgan's Electricity, by Thunderbolt, Bst llb
(S no wden) 1
Mr JOhnstene's Lord Hawthorn, Bst 61b (Cameron) 2
Mr B. E. Dunbar's The Baroness, Bst llb --(Parry) 3
The following also ran :7-'l'ho Lad of Scotland, Bianca,
Ampleforth, Sovereign, Elector, Sea Breeze, and Thirl-
stane.

Betting-7 to 4 agst Sea Breeze, 3to 1 agst Electricity,
7 to 1 agst Lord Ilawthorn, 8 to 1 agstThirlstane, and 100
to 7 agst any other.
Won by a head.

The Oaks Stakes of 50 sovs each, h ft, for fillies, then
three year olds; Bst 101 b each ; the second to receive
100 sovs out of the stakes ; the last mile and a half on
the New Course; 215 subs.
Mr G. Jones's Formosa, by Buccaneer ...(G: Fordham) 1
Mr M. Dawson ns Lady Covantry (Daley) 2
Mr Padwick's Athena
• • ('l'. French) 3
Marquis of Hastings's Lady Elizabeth
(Cannon) U
Mr G. Jones's Janet Rawchtle .............. Page) 0
Duke of Hamilton's Leonia ... ; .................... 6ildcr(t) 0
Mr W. Davis's Fair Star .. . ..................... (Grimshaw) 0
Mr G. Holmes's Virtue.. ........................... (Snowden) I)
Mr Welsby's Curfew 13,41 ........................(J. Osborne) 0
Betting-11 to Bon Formosa, 9to 2 agst Lady Eliza-
beth, 8 to 1 agst Virtue, and 12 to 1 each agst Leonie and
Lady Coventry. The precautions taken on the Derby-day
were again had recourse to, as to the saddling of Lady
Elizabeth and her stable companion, Athena ; but on this
were indulged with a prelimi-
did not appear to raise the
backers. When fairly round Tat-
teuhatn-corner, Virtue, on the lower side, took the seceud
nohcoacpr yaessiCaomnf thteherie,.
L'w‘
aßhdri3cirht:,sh hip,
s public"
however,
place, the three immediate followers of the favourite evi-
dently having hadenough of it, and being passed by Athena
and Lady Coventry. Lady Elizabeth even at this early
period was out of it. Half-way up Fordham was seen
to indulge Formosa with a pull, and, looking round
to place his followers, he then with a quiet smile resumed
the even t,nour of his way, the favourite passing the post
in a •'water canter," ten lengths in advance of Lady
Coventry, who ran past the pulling-up Athena at the
stand ; Fair Star just headed Virtue on the post for fourth
place, Curfew Bell pulling up fifth, with Lady Elizabeth a
long way iu her rear; Janet Itawcliffe and Leonia were
the last two. The race was run in 2inin. 47isee.
The Paddock Nursery Plate (Handicap) of 100 sovs for
two year olds ; winners of any race (matches excepted)
after the publication of •the weights 51b extra; three-
quarters of a mile.
Capt. Machell's Martyr, by St. Alban's, Bst (car. Bst 31b) 1
(Fordham)
Lord Westmoreland's Lyttleton, Gst 71b (Kenyon) 2
Mr It. Clark's Bush Hill, 7st 4.1 b (koala) 3
Tin icaMirig 49 NA —D114013) jii4Clalla §tiorely colt,