The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-09-11 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE

DONCASTER RACES, 1840,

There is not a sporting event in the whole year, or for
.many years antecedent to the present, which has caused in
the sporting world so great a sensation as the approaching
far-famed Doncaster Races,—more particularly on account
of the Great St. Leger, which, in all parts of the globe where
the finest breed of horses is known and admired, never fails
to send forth its speculators to witness the momentous re-
sult appertaining to the three-year-olds ; and it now may be
questioned whether at any former period the interest was so
great as at the present time, in consequence of the high pa-
tronage which royalty has bestowed upon the principal races
in the country—Ascot and Epsom having been witnessed by
the Queen and Prince Albert, in addition to the plendid cor-
tege of a great portion of the Court from Windsor. The
number of visiters at Goodwood was also extremely nume-
rous and fashionable ; and even that at Newcastle-upon-
Tyne surpassed all former occasions, the number by railway
alone amounting to 95,000 ! The York August Meeting also
greatly increased its attendance by similar means. Such
having been the fact elsewhere, Doncaster cannot fail to
augment its numbers in consequence of the opening of the
North Midland Railway throughout the whole line, some
branches of which are contiguous to this renowned meeting.
The great emporium will pour out its immense speculators
and admirers, as will also the towns by which the North
Midland is fed—Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry,
Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Rotherham,
Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield, Leeds, York, &c., besides
all the large towns of Lancashire (Liverpool and Manchester
in particular), as well as the northern parts of the kingdom.
It may. therefore, be confidently anticipated, that this will
be the most splendid meeting ever known in Doncaster.
Various improvements have, we hear, been made ; such as
the formation of a betting-ring, on the same plan as at Ain-
tree and other places, which will leave the ladies full scope
for a promenade in the Long Room, unmolested by that
noise and confusion which has hitherto prevailed.
The greatest interest also prevails, not only as to the result
of the St. Leger, but likewise respecting the Champagne, the
Two-year-olds, and the Cup, the latter of which is the most
splendid prize ever witnessed, being a richly-chased vase, in
the style of Louis XIV., on a triangular base, on the corners
of which are placed three spirited horses and men, in the at-
titude of the celebrated horses at Monte Cavallo. That no-
ble animal, Rockingham, (the winner of the St. Leger in
1838,) the property of Mr. Theobald, of Stockwell, was the
model of the horses, which the artist has copied with great
fidelity and success. On the body of the base are Bachana-
lian and sporting devices allusive to its purposes. The prize
is the weight of 420 ounces, and of the value of 350 guineas,
and it is rendered intrinsically valuable by the good taste and
great care with which its production has been directed by the
stewards, the Earl of Scarborough dnd Lord Kelburne ; the
design; we are.informed, was furnished by the first-named
noblemen, and the workmanship, which is beautiful beyond
description, accomplished by Messrs Storr and Mortimer, of
London. This prize will bring all the best horses of the day
into competition. _ _ _

Launcelot still continues the top sawyer for the St. Leger,
and his friends are numerous—many from the sole considera-
tion that he is in Scotts' stables, a species of infatuation that
may lead to consequinces the reverse of pleasant. Many
doubts exist as to the appearance of Crucifix at Doncaster,
but all these will be cleared up in a day or two; and should
the mare come in her proper form, seeing that she has proved
herself the very best racer of her year, and considering at the
same time that she carries 51bs less than her more formidable
competitors, her extraordinary speed and resolution will en-
able her to add to her other great victories by carrying off the
St. Leger of 1840. Time, however, and our next Friday's
publication, will prove the result.

MANCHESTER,

TUESDAY EVENING

On this day week, Mr. Lockwood, according to custom,
will decide the greatest. northern race run during the year;
but we fear the event will not excite the usual degree of in-
terest. The horses, in any demand, will be found from the
following quotations to be extraordinarily few. Nothing, it
appears, is to have a chance but the pride of Scott's staple,
and the Newmarket horse (bred by Mr. Nowell), Gibraltar.
At a very full meeting of both town and country speculators
this morning, GO to 40 was offered on the two; 7 to 4 nearly
at the close of business would have been accepted. The
" copious odds" of 50 to 1 to win some hundreds, were laid
v. Mr. Robinson's St. Andrew • Maroon was backed at our
figure. We did not hear the Champagne Stakes mentioned.
A feature in the proceedings was "calling over," preparatory
to the influential speculators leaving tor Doncaster. The
prices will, no doubt, vary every day ; within the past hour
we have seen 6 fifties to 4 offered on the field, and 6 score to
1 " bar one."

THE ST. LEGER.
6 to 4 against Marquis Westminster's Launcelot—off
3to 1 „ Gen. Yates's Gibraltar—t 20 to 6
100 to 6 „ Lord Westminster's Maroon—t
25 to 1 „ Lord G. Bentinck's Crucifix—t aft off
25 to 1 „ Mr. Allen's Trustee—t 27 to 1
15 to 1 „ Eglinton's Dr. Caius—t 30 to 1
25 to 1 „ Mr. St. Paul's Calypso
50 to 1 „ Mr. Robinson's St. Andrew—t.

THE DONCASTER CUP.-1 to 1 against Charles XII. (just
taken) ; 9 to 2 Lanercost (t) ; i to 1 Bee's Wing (8 t freely) ;
to 1 Provost (off) ; 9 to 1 Bloomsbury (t). Bee's Wing
and Bloomsbury in great force.

TATTERSAL L'S, MONDAY.
The most important feature in the betting was the retro-
gression of Crucifix, against whom 1,000 to 50, 15 to 1 to
the same sum, two or three twenties to one to small amounts,
and, finally, 25 to 1 were laid ; this may be considered as
amounting to the coup de grace, yet there are still some who
think that she is likely to go. Launcelot is not so good a
favourite as when we last quoted the odds from Warwick; 6
to 4 was "laid and taken," but the layers predominated at
the close. Gibraltar was in force at 7 to 2, taken eagerly,
and in one or two quarters a point less. Maroon rose to 17
to 1 with backers; 25 to 1 each taken about Dr. Caius and
Calypso (the latter at one moment at 20 to 1), and 30 to 1
each about Theon and Trustee ; and these are all that can be
named as actually in the betting. A dull afternoon closed as
follows :

THE ST. LEGER.
5 to 4on two against the field.
6 to 4 against Lord Westminster's Launcelot.—t aft off.
7to 2 „ Gen. Yates's Gibraltar.—t freely
17 to 1 „ Lord Westminster's ?laroon.—t
25 to 1 „ Lord Eglington's Dr. Cains.—t
25 to 1 „ Mr. St. Paul's Calypso.—t
25 to 1 „ Lord G. Bentinck's Crucifix.—t
30 to 1 „ Duke of Cleveland's Theon.—t
30 to 1 „ Mr. Allen's Trustee.
50 to 1 „ Mr. Holme's Young-'un.
50 to 1 „ Mr. Treen's Fitzroy.—t and aft. off.
1000 to 10 „ Mr. Payne's Welfare.—t and aft. off.
500 even between Calypso and Crucifix. Some talk about
Diderot, but no odds named.