33 Eighteenth Sunday after Trin.r 6 526 1 1210 57 11 37 4 M Felton Races. 5 T Harrow Races. 6 W s 5 3227 2 40 No tide 0 7 0 32 0 55 1 17 1 37 1 54 2 13 7 T Bedford Races. Hereford Races. r 6 12 N 8 F 9 S 10S Nineteenth Sunday after Trin.s SETS afternoon.] s 5 22 15 22 2 32 2 48 r 6 16 2 5 39 3 6 3 23 r 6 22 6 6 19 4 6 36 4 12 4 28 4 44 5 2 5 20 5 40 5 59 6 24 15 F r 6 25 810 35 6 50 7 22 THE OMNIBUS. "There he sat, and, as I thought, expounding the law and the prophets, until on drawing a little nearer, I found he was only expatiating on the merits of a brown horse."-BRACEBRIDGE HALL. The Doncaster Meeting-" The Gong Donkey "v. Mr. Dickens-Sales at Doncaster -The Saturday Review on Toxopholite-News from the Kennels-An Afternoon at Wynnstay-Stud Mems.-The Art of Horse Taming. Doncaster absorbs all the September interest, and beyond "the revival" and victory of Melissa, there was nothing to notice at Warwick. This mare was sent to Pelion after Bath, but she broke to him very shortly. Crucifix, we hear, has a diseased womb, and regularly breaks at the end of three weeks: she has had no foal for six or seven seasons, and she has missed twice to Orlando and once each to Bay Middleton, Footstool, and Pelion. The first day at Doncaster was not one of the most brilliant, and there was a lack of interest about the Champagne owing to the scratching of Musjid some weeks before. Gladiolus we do not like; and Cavendish's place behind Prelude, and Rainbow's running with North Lincoln, all tend to make the form of that class of twoyear-olds a moderate one; still, if North Lincoln was not very much off at Goodwood, Promised Land must be among the flyers. Sir Charles Monk's luck with his Touchstone crosses is one of the most wonderful things of modern breeding. Saunterer was not quite himself, or else Knight of Kars would hardly have reached him as he did. The latter is a wonderfully taking horse, with a Nutwith head, long quarters, and Cup substance generally, but like his sire, rather shoulder-loaded. Pocahontas could never stay, though The Baron cross corrected this; but there seems a strong doubt as to whether this colt has not taken after her. It is the old story over again: Lord Londesboro' sells off his stud, after laying out no end of money on stables at Hambleton (where John Scott has taken Heseltine's old place), and here one of them alone brings more than he sold the whole for; and Lord John Scott also sells off an all but winner of the St. Leger. The St. Leger day had never less interest on its card, but it was never better attended. Those who want really to gauge the numbers should look to the space on the stands' side stretching away to the Intake turn, and see how it fills when the Leger is over. This year you could not have thrust a stick, to all seeming, among the serried masses as they filled it, to have one look at the telegraph which told of Sunbeam's success. The London special was 1,200 strong, and a motley group came down. It was strange to watch how sharp the respectabilities looked out for the prigs, and how they dared not even run for refreshments without leaving a friend to keep watch and ward over their carpet-bags, at the carriage-door. In fact, morals were so well looked after that only one watch went, and the fancier arrived in custody at Doncaster. On the ground there was little alteration. It was kept by young Axe, as of yore, on his one-eyed stallion, Gobbo; and boards were nailed to the rails all along the last fifty yards, to keep the hardware lads from lying full length in "the track." The new enclosure railings were removed on Tuesday night, as it had been found impossible by the Ring to get near their gentlemen customers in the other enclosure, and it is the fact of this stand being open to those of the public who choose to pay a guinea extra which will always make what is possible at Ascot very difficult at Doncaster. The change of the gate reduces the distance which horses have to go to the weighing-house, whenever an Acrobat or Blink Bonny mob begins to simmer up, so that one point at least is gained. Sir Tatton followed the gate change, and looked as fresh and well as ever, standing by the rails to see the horses come in, and on the left of Mr. Tattersall during the sale, with an unresting energy which put many a man half-a-century younger to shame. We believe that he quite intends to meet Lord Middleton's hounds at his favourite Pluckham this season. Among the other representatives of foxhunting whom we spied chatting together were the Duke of Beaufort, Mr. White, and John Walker, who fled back to his "dearies" before the Cup race, had both packs out Saturday, and killed a fox with each after some fourteen hours' work.. The Duke drove down from Colonel Smythe's in Mr. George Lane Fox's four-in-hand, and that and Sir John Kaye's were the only turns-out which we saw that day. Jem Ward and Nat Langham were also among the notables, of which the collection seemed more than usually large. Knight of Kars was the first to show when the bell rang, and then came Toxophilite, Volta, Longrange, and Governess in a long array; Markwell stalking in front of them. Scott was not at Tox's head; he seldom leads his horse unless he is quite sure that he will care to lead him in again, and Perren undertook that office. Longrange, if he was only a little bigger, has always been a great fancy of ours; but Tox's look confirmed us more than ever in the belief that staying is not to his mind. He rather fought in his gallop, as he came down ; while Volta, who was a sad bone-bag, albeit Scott did think her 211bs. better than Go-a-Head, and all that form, swept along with all the quiet ease of her sire. East Langton went rather short, looked corky, pretty, and light, and seemed to have thrice as much air and liberty about him as when he ran at Goodwood; still knowing hands asked, with a sneer, how a horse who could not get away from Fadladeen was to win; and Captain White knew through Jordan that he was no use. The Kelpie was very fat, and Tom Parr had just rushed into the opposite extreme with him, and put on "" the ale and beefsteaks" so kindly prescribed for him by the many-headed at Epsom, with no niggard hand. Bartholomew came out on a perfect chesnut hunter, Farmer's Son, and right glad every one was to see him in the saddle. No one ever worked so hard as he did to get the weight, but he was beaten so early that he alone among the jockeys returned to scale, saying the pace had been remarkably good. Eclipse seemed big and uncomfortable, rolling his tongue about. Mentmore has fine length, and will make an attractive style of horse in another year; but Hadji seemed sadly short of time. When we saw him sauntering by himself on Middleham Moor, with his tail tied up in the Tupgill fashion, there seemed a lack of meaning about the preparation altogether. Some would have it the stable stood "Tox"; others that they could not prepare the horse properly, and the lack of faith was universal. Gildermire seemed in a good temper, but Aldcroft had very wisely demurred to riding her, as her waywardness had done him such deep injury with the public at Chester and York. Sunbeam and Blanche came forth late with their boy-jockeys. They had been tried with boys, up nearly 200 yards further than the Leger course, on the Friday before, when Blanche won by half a length. Sunbeam looked bright and well, but still there is that lack of length which we noticed at the Oaks. Blanche is a longer mare, and more elastic in her style, and without that length of stride. On Wells's head rests the blame of the first false start; four or five had it between them the second time, while the third was such a start for beauty and packing as we never saw yet. It is hopeless to try for fresh incidents over a ground where five London newspapers and a cloud of locals have travelled already. Many said the pace was bad, because the field were not squandered at the "Red House"; but the fact seemed to us that they were eighteen complete mediocrities, doing their distance in fair average time, and not one of them able to make an example of another; and that the pace was better than the lookers-on supposed. Try it by the time-test, 3 m. 20 sec., and there is nothing to complain of. The Premier's colours seemed to be floating gaily in front half-way-up, but "Tox's" heart died within him like a stone the moment Sam invited him to do a little more. Then we saw the blue of The Hadji, who seemed to come with a bustling distressed rush, and sweating like a prize ox, between two yellow jackets, the one near the rails appearing from her position to lead him, and Sunbeam, who had been wide at the Intake-turn, coming with a stride that seemed to annihilate everything before it. When they passed the post, &c., not five on the Stand knew which of the yellows had won. Some said Blanche, some said Sunbeam, and all agreed that it was the finest finish they had ever seen for the St. Leger. Mr. Merry left that very night for Glasgow, where the "bodies" and "bailies" were in raptures, leaving a rumour behind him that Sunbeam's win had reduced his winnings from £35,000 to £17,000. He certainly deserves his success, as Prince and Dawson have both large strings, and no man has stuck so well by the turf and stood beating so well. Among the excited crowd none were So excited as Black Jemmy-"The Flying Dutchman Herald," as he delights to style himself. He had served Mr. Merry with cards, and just before going to the course he had begged that gentleman to lay him £15 to a sovereign he had given him at Chester. According to Jemmy's account, he has said little else to Mr. Merry and the public in general for months than-" What about Sunbeam for the St. Leger?" and his crowning joy was when Mr. Merry refused to take his bet, and laid him £15 to 0. Nat grinned complacently as "Tox" returned to scale, and he felt that Sam had not got him so forward for the St. Leger as he had done for the Derby, for all they crabbed his riding. We must say we sympathised with him most heartily, as we hate to see jockeys of unimpeachable character and talent so knocked about. He was regularly engaged to Scott's stable, and the moment the Derby was over they virtually displaced him by the engagement of Ashmall, and now, as if to annoy him still more, he is taken off their crack horse for the Leger. It is like trying to fasten a public stigma on to him, and it happily failed. The stable "went queer" with Templeman the same way after he rode Dervish for the Derby, and then they were obliged to eat humble pie, when they could no longer conceal the truth as to the horse from themselves. It is always the way with Whitewall: the jockey is made the scape-goat; and we cannot, out of justice to a class of men who, like coursing judges, have the most difficult card in the world to play, refrain from regretting that the Premier should allow of such things for an instant. It is no use to talk about reforming the Turf if you directly or indirectly consent to throw a slur on the best and most trustworthy of its jockeys. Such things were not done by the sportsmen of old days. Never was St. Leger-day wound up so well as this was by the victory of Ignoramus; and let us hope that the lo Triumphe chorus of that day, which rang out when the green jacket of Wentworth sent down the puce and white of Wantage, half way up, will tempt its owner to dip rather more deeply into racing than he has done, Such a welcome as that is worth a thousand pounds at least; for Yorkshiremen, shifty as they may be themselves, never cheer a man unless he goes straight. As for Thursday, such a day of close racing was never seen on Doncaster Moor before. Two "short heats" began it; then came "a neck a head separating second, third, and fourth" ("Bravo, Rous!"). This over, we had a dead heat, and a head Who Shall to follow ("Bravo, Rous!" again) for the Cleveland Handicap; in which Sam's set-to and Alderman Copeland's state of delight were something glorious to see. The Eglinton was won half a length; a neck would have more than measured the first three in the Two-year-old Stakes: and then “a splendid race won by a neck," and that Cheery Chap's, wound up all. The Argosy is not so good-looking a mare as we had expected, and had a bandage on the left leg. Babylon has not improved; and you could hardly see Mr. Ten Broek for the crowd which pressed desperately round him, all madly eager to accommodate him. Pandora has very fine length, and so has the Ellerdale filly. Gamester was short of preparation, and in fact all the two-year-olds in the Two-year-old Stake were; and Woman-in-Black had tasted Sam's heels right heavily to boot. Chanoinesse, who is out of a blind mare, does not improve, and the same may be said of Proud Preston Peg, who is a very ordinary Peg now. Shafto looks like a sticker for next year, and so did all the Teddingtons-high behind, and corky and game in their style of going. They are all wonderfully alike, and Solomon the sturdiest of the lot. It was a pity for the public that Mr. Merry got the better of Sir Charles Monck, when Mr. Weatherby and Mr. Johnson tossed on their behalf for choice of time. The result was that the Don Stakes was placed first; and Sir Charles, with the Park Hill in view, did not choose to risk his mare for a £175 stake, and the certainty of a very severe finish with Sunbeam, when he stood such an excellent chance for a £645 Park Hill. Hepatica is a very sweet mare, but with not a very great deal of her, and rather a tendency to be light over the loins. Still we know that she can stay, and that if she had been in the St. Leger she ought to have finished alone. There seemed to be a strong disposition to put Toxopholite on to the rails in the Doncaster Stakes, but he came home like a race-horse when he did get free. Védette-who had galloped the Cup course on the Wednesday in a style which every one who saw it described to us as |