The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-11 00:00:00

the able care of John Scott, who will no doubt bring bim to
the post as fit as any man in England can.
London. Sept 11, 1845. , TELEGRAPH.
. (To be continued.

TO TIIE EI.)1201? OF THE SUN.
Sins—We have now arrived within a few days of the great
northern event, the Doncaster St. Leger ; and it is high
time for me to give my -opinion respecting the merits and
capabilities of the animals likely to start for this important
stake. The betting upon this race has been, and in fact still
continues to be, the heaviest known for many years, and, as
a matter of course, the excitement is proportionate—two or
three individuals alone having laid against Weatherbit,
Merry Monarch, Old England, and Mentor, to nearly one
hundred thousand pounds. This item will contribute to
swell the already heavy books, and to make the few minutes'
running of Wednesday next the most important and exciting
"grain of time" the sporting world has known this year.
The St. Leger, in 1839, was won by Major Yarburgh with
Charles the Twelfth, from a field of thirteen now, though I
expect to see a larger field this year, I should not be at all
surprised to see the colours of the above-named
gentleman catch the judge's eye first, although to my
eye there are better nags in this stake than any
Major Yarbrugh possesses; but to the point, I expect to see
fifteen come to the post, neither more nor less, to be selected
from the following, viz.:—Weatherbit, Mentor, Old Eng-
land, Ould Ireland, Connaught Ranger, Miss Sarah, Annan-
dale, The Paella, Fitzallen, Ceeur de Lion, Kedger, Worth-
less, Bretwalda, Clear-the-Way, June, Foremost,Duc-an •
Durras, Midlothian, Red Robin, The Baron, and Pantasa.
The exact number of starters, and their names, it is impos-
sible for anybody to tell at the present time ; but I shall on
Monday, or Tuesday at furthest, give their names as cor-
rectly as I possibly can, together with their condition up to
the latest moment.
I will now proceed to a careful analysation of the various
nags, commencing with the Danebury lot. Weatherbit, by
Sheet Anchor, out of Miss Letty, brother to Wee Pet, &c.,
which is no recommendation, by-the-by, is an animal of fair
proportions, but, like most of the Sheet Anchor get, cuts up
badly, after his brothers Wee Pet and Lightning's fashion,
and, like the latter, I shall expect to see it occupy the fourth
place. Weatherbit's running for the Derby ran be taken as •
no criterion of what he can do ; but the Goodwood Cup
showed too plainly to his backers that it was a "case of
pickles," and the attempts made lately to hedge their bets
have been truly desperate.
Old England, by Mulatto, out of Fortress, by Defence, is
the stoutest animal in the Leger, capable of going a long dis-
tance with weight on his back, and winning easily; but for a •
mile and a half cn the Leger Course, Weatherbit can give
him 71bs. and beat him with the greatest ease; therefore,
notwithstanding the money, Mr. Gully has put " on" him,
and his being the " great gun" of the stable, I have not the
slightest doubt he will be beaten several lengths. Werth-
less has little more then the shadow of a chance—l do not
expect to see him at Doncaster. Of Dawson's formidable lot,
Mentor is the only one enjoying any great degree of favour in
the ring; and it is more than probable that only two will be
sent from this stable. Annandale, in my opinion, will not
start ; and, if he should, would only figure togreat disadvantage.
Mentor and Midlothian, I fancy, will be the couple selected to
represent this stable; of the former, got by Sheet Anchor,
out of Calypso's dam, I expect great things. This animal is
an exception in the Sheet Anchor stock; in fact, I think
Mentor may be considered the Sheet Anchor of the aristocracy
of the ring, for the cash invested on this animal by them is to
an enormous amount. This colt's running at Newcastle
was very good, but it could net be taken as any criterion to
go by, he having rim against but so-so fields : his winning
the Liverpool St. Leger in the following month settled his
station in the betting, and in the opinion of his friends and
backers, who after this affair snapped eagerly at all sorts of
odds from 7 to 12 ; and so confident were several of his
backers that it led one to suppose, that the " great event"
was' already settled. The odds lately have been running
up and down from 10 to 40 in such a very strange manner,
that I guessed something queer must be in the wind, and
upon inquiry found that there was a " something" which
might possibly stop him from visiting Doncaster this season ;
his chance if he goes is decidedly first-rate, but more of him
anon.

Midlothian is a tough piece of stuff, can stand knocking
about, and can go well, but I think the pace at which
this race will be run will be found too severe for this spirited
gelding.

The—once much-talked-of Clear-the-Way will, if he starts,
prove the correctness of his name, for he will most decidedly
leave a clear course behind him, and drive the field
before him.

I shall continue my observations to-morrow.—l am, &c.
THE SPIRIT OF THE TURF.

MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS.—The total
number of deaths for the week ending Saturday, September
6, was 762, being 73 less than the previous wcek, 142 less
than the average of four summers, and only about one-half
of the number of deaths that occurred weekly at the corn-
' mencement of spring. Deaths from measles and bronchitis
are considerably above the average, the numbers
being respectively 61, average 24, and 17, ave-
rage 7 ; nearly all the rest are greatly below
the usual amount. The deaths from small-pox were
only 4, and from violence, 13, of which 4 were fractures and
contusions, one from a wound thus described :—" A man 36,
dealer in turf. Themorrhage (20 minutes), rupture of the
brachial artery, and diffuse cellular inflammation of right
arm and hand, arising from a slight cut in the thumb
whilst cutting bread and cheese three weeks ago."
There were 4 suicides and one from poison," a boy five weeks,
son of a labourer, by an over dose of decoction of poppy-head,
given by the mother to allay restlessness ; death in six hours."