The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-05-10 00:00:00

COMMENTS UPON CHESTER CUP, &c.

To the EDITOR of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
Sts,—The nature of my comment, which has been in store
now since four o'clock last Wednesday—when the apology for
a start was perpetrated—when in fact all was up—may, I
imagine, have ere this, been pretty correctly conceived by my
readers. Ever since the previous Saturday, when we took up
our quarters in Chester, for the week, until quite on the eve of
the start, I continued to hold forth the most possible sanguine
feeling,* relative to my prediction,
.the conditions of, and the
doings with respect to, which having induced, besides other
sporting writers, the immortal Priam, of the Racing Times,
to adopt the same three. As the various competitors entered
the saddling paddock, we conned each over and remarked upon
their merits and demerits; so soon, however, as all appeared, and
had time sufficient, we came to the conclusion that Newminster
(upon whom sat Templeman, in the Tory colours) was de-
cidedly the finest horse on the spot. Yet also, that the con-
ditions of Little Jack, Black Doctor, and Trifle, were severally
equally as unquestionable. At about three o'clock, when the
horses left the enclosure to take their canters preparatory to
the start, we mounted the steps to view their various perfor-
mances; and so beautifully did Little Jack work—like an engine
well oiled—as to induce many (whom we knew to have pre-
viously taken liberties with him) to invest, in order to get out
on the best terms offering; he was. in fact, all the go. Pro-
ceed whither you would, the question, " What against Little
Jack ? " was so universal, that 18 to 1 was the highest offer we
heard at the close. But I must proceed to describe the whole
affair—it can't be called a race. At the time appointed (half-
past three) all the horses were at the post. After a premature
start—owing as much to the inability of Horsley, the starter,
as to the stupidity of Perfect and Fordham, who rode Rosalba
and Anchenleck past the stand before they could be
pursuaded to turn back—and a renewed lapse of nearly
a quarter of an hour, we perceived (which we supposed
to be another false start) about half a dozen horses go;
and then, but not immediately, followed the remainder,
say in about four batches, the distance from the front to the
rear division being not far short of two hundred yards! As
ill-luck would have it, Little Jack, Newminster, Lady Evelyn,
and Black Doctor, were each and all in the last lot; of course
their chance of the race was gone; Newminster, indeed, did
not once go round—the other three did, and ran well through-
out; Trifle, therefore, was my only one remaining, and he
filled the place which you will remember last week I
deputed him to obtain. Thus was brought to a close the
most, it is said, and methinks justly, unsatisfactory Chester
Cup Race that has, since its establishment, been con-
tested for : it created and gave a "damper" to its close (the
close of the meeting) which otherwise would ;have been deci-
dedly the best in every respect ever yet held. lam moreover
persuaded that, had the start been fair, or had the race even
been run over again on the day subsequent, the result would
have been, if not in favour of my prediction, certainly not in
favour of, comparatively speaking, a second-rate horse, who
literally had to contest with but seven others, which comprised
the " lucky front lot."
At Shrewsbury, next week, Goldfinder again comes forth ;
but mind if he's not right well " towel'd " by the Black Doctor,
whom he will have to give nine pounds—give it, he must, but
win and give it, be must prove unable—however, we shall see;
and by this, if Goldfinder was worthy of the Chester Cup, which
through sheer luck he won by the shortest of heads, after two
of his most dangerous competitors, Talfourd and Trifle, had
lost four lengths a piece by an unfortunate collision.
With regard to the Derby, the noble ex-Premier's horse—my
pick from the commencement I—is now the attraction of all.
11 to lis at the time I write, his nearest "quote." Hurworth,
too, another of Scott's, is worth, as an outsider, a trifle : of
course none of the three, including the favourite, have been
put together, nor is it probable their masters will allow it, so
until the day, the populace is likely to remain in the dark
about their respective qualifications. Orestes is working well ;
and it is said Baron Rothschild is backing himself to win both
Epsom events. But more of this in a little time.
Yours, &c. BEESWI NG.

Mr. Copperthwaite has sold The Deformed to Mr. T. Harri-
son, of the Curragh, for .700.

Mr. H. Lister has purchased The Cutler, and he has joined
George Noble's string at Beverley.
Mistletoe, engaged in the Oaks, has been sold to a gentleman
whose horses are trained by Charles Peck for -t1,500.
The Licensed Victuallers, Stanley, and Mersey Stakes, to be
run for at our July Meeting, close to-morrow.

Mr. John Scott has named his bay filly by Pyrrhus the First
or Velox, out of Milliner, Seamstress ; and his brown colt, own
brother to Songstress, Chanter.
Mr. Davis, (the leviathan,) netted £lO,OOO on Chester Cup ;
and Mr. Palmer, the owner of Goldfinder,
A new race, to be called the Wynnstay Handicap. with 200
sovs. added, will be contested on the last day of next Chester
races. The distance will be about one mile and seven furlongs.
Mr. C. H. Holloway, of York, has purchased from Mr. Potter,
of Westow, near York, a yearling filly by Poynton, out of Wes-
tow's dam, which he has named Westow Lass.
John Massey Stanley, Esq., (son of the late Sir Thomas M.
Stanley, Bart., of Hooton Hall, Cheshire,) has been appointed
one of the stewards of Chester, vice the Marquis of Waterford,
whose term of service has expired.
At a meeting of the Chester Grand Stand Proprietors, held
on Thursday last, it was resolved, that great complaints having
been made by noblemen and owners of horses that ran in the
Trade Cup, as well as in other races, of the manner in which
the starts were effected, and the same having been represented
to the proprietors of the Grand Stand, they deem it their duty
to appoint Mr- Hibburd as the starter, for the remainder of the
week. A committee was appointed to secure the services of
Mr. Hibburd, as permanent starter. It was also resolved, that
daily tickets be issued to admit ladies on Tuesday and Wednes-
day, at 10s. 6d. each ; that the proprietors have a ticket of ad-
mission to the Grand Stand, the same not being transferable;
and that a dividend of 7i per cent. be paid to the proprietors.
The receipts at the Grand Stand were £2,320 Bs., being £2O
16s. less than the corresponding days last year.