CALVUS crieth out. "Ware riot's the word, Tom, and before in comes Nox: THE FINISH. Into covert they went: ast venit atra Nox, THERE WAS NO PLAY. They toiled all day, and found not one fox. Tuesday, 6.-Mr. Bulteel's hounds; Plym-bridge; a very pleasant morning, sunny withal during noontide, yet it waxed cold at even song, with a bad scent all day.-Unkennelled in Shaugh wood, Hookspray, and Lee wood, but could not persecute the varmint. Friday, 9.-Met at Ivy-bridge; a cold day; East wind.-Unkennelled in Hall plantation; went a very fast bat to Stoford wood; made a turn over Henlick down, and back into Stoford wood; then tried the drains under Stoford House, which were stopped: thus not being able to gain a place of refuge in his old haunts, he again went over Henlick down, through the inclosures of Langham, Fardell, Potsands, to Fardell moor, where there was a long check; then some cold hunting to a loss; then drew Pyles, Harrathorn, and other places, blank! Tuesday, 13.-Met at Shaugh-bridge.-Found in North wood, opposite Dewerstone; had a goodish run, and earthed among the rocks in Collard tor.-Found another fox, but as I was not present, I cannot say what they did with him. Friday, 16.-The hounds met at Bittaford-bridge.-Found in Dinnacomb brake, and whipped off in Huntingdon warren in a fog-a good run.-I was not there. Tuesday, 21.-Mr. Bulteel's hounds.-Met at Slade Hall; the weather was foggy and mild.-Up the Valley, through Mill wood, Goodybrook wood, Naphill wood, Gibparks, and Cholwich town coverts, then over the hill through Hawns, Dendalls, Harrathorn, Hall, Stoford wood, and back to Fardell-alas, blank! though there was a scent, which we call a drag, in many of the coverts so strong that many of the hounds spoke upon it, and kept our hearts beating with expectation of an immediate find. Many times in my hunting career I have seen that sort of merry drag, which has ended in a sorrowful blank. Tho' the coverts all stank Of drags, Yet we drew a blank, Not to trouble our nags. Friday, 23.-Met at Saltram; the weather showery, and cold toward evening. This fixture being near Plymouth, we had a large Field of holiday folk; but neither Saltram nor Mr. Delvin, the gamekeeper, had a fox for their amusement. Got upon a moved fox in Common wood; got upon a moved fox in Fernhill wood; but as the hounds could not move fast enough after them, the sport was slow. Sunday, 25. Enter Sire CHRISTMAS the jolly, With violets sweet And primroses neat, Of this time of year, The evergreen ivy and holly! Tuesday, 27.-Mr. Bulteel's hounds.-Met at Glaze-bridge; the weather was rather cold, with a North wind.-Unkennelled in Overbrent wood: there was much brilliant and sweet music, which I thought must end in a grand harmonic crash, but the fox was headed, the tune was stilled, and spoilt.-Second fox, from the furze brake under South Brent tor, went away through Marley to some place near Totnes, where night darkened our day-lights, and spoilt our finish. Friday, 30.-Met at Newnham; at which hospitable mansion there was a beautiful bevy of Ladies to welcome us.-The weather was mild and foggy, and the hounds chopped a fat old fool of a dog-fox in Lee wood. Unkennelled a fox in Shaugh wood, which gave us a rattler to Heath down; came to a check in a road, owing to the racing propensities of the too-ambitious: hit it again, away through Truelove and Coldstone to Shaugh moor, where the hounds ran into a mist, and lost the scent.- -N. B. I seldom, if ever, saw hounds carry a scent well over Shaugh moor when that moor was enveloped by mist. Saturday, 31, at night. FAREWELL TO THE OLD YEAR. Dehinc migravit Annus Domini Eighteen hundred and forty-two, At multa feminæ ac homini Bona dedit-as I will shew: He whopp'd, and then sold peace to the Chinese : Annus deest, et ego desum. January 3, 1843. A BRUNCHEVAL. MR. THORNHILL'S ESTABLISHMENT AT RIDDLESWORTH. BY A QUIET AND EASY OBSERVER. I CANNOT fix upon any Nobleman or Gentleman to whom the true and honest lover of all matters appertaining to Racing stands more indebted than to Thomas Thornhill, Esq., of Riddlesworth, Norfolk. It would trespass much too largely on the pages of THE SPORTING MAGAZINE to give even a slender outline of the horses that have figured successfully in the popular colors of "white body, scarlet sleeves, and white cap," during the last quarter of a century. In 1818, Mr. Thornhill first won the Derby with Sam, beating fifteen others; and in 1820 he again won with Sailor, beating fourteen others: this last race is memorable as the "boisterous Derby." In 1819, Mr. Thornhill's favorite Shoveller won the Oaks in good style, beating nine others; and in 1839, the game and honest Euclid ran a splendid "dead heat" for the St. Leger, and was beaten in the deciding one by scarcely ahead. At the commencement of Mr. Thornhill's career on the Turf, Sam Chifney found in him a most liberal patron; and indeed we have, since the death of poor Connelly, frequently met with the veteran in his old colors finishing in the manner so peculiarly his own. Mr. Pettit, of Newmarket, has the management of Mr. Thornhill's horses in training, and it is not too much to observe that few trainers have brought their horses to the Post in better condition than he has done. Mr. Pettit is singularly successful with the two-year-old races. As a breeder, Mr. Thornhill is second to none in the kingdom, and the highly judicious mode adopted at Riddles worth of crossing the blood makes his stock readily sought after, and, consequently, high figures are frequently obtained. It is pleasing to witness how Mr. Thornhill sticks to the famous and fashionable blood of Orville, Merlin, Whisker, &c., instead of dabbling in the dashing and uncertain blood where fame is recorded in a skit over the Two-year-old Course, and a "breaking down" at three years old. That fine stallion EMILIUS is the "lion" of the Riddlesworth, and the noble animal looks amazingly fresh. He was foaled in 1820, got by Orville out of Emily by Stamford, and is of course 23 years of age. Emilius's exploits will bear the most scrutinizing investigation. In 1823, he won the Derby in a canter, beating ten others, many of which were colts of very considerable merit: he also won many other great and important races. It is, however, in the stud that Emilius is the most celebrated, and the names of the following capital performers is a sufficient proof of his excellence :-Priam (winner of the Derby in 1830, besides a host of other great events), Plenipotentiary (winner of the Derby in 1834), Mango (winner of the St. Leger in 1837), Oxygen (winner of the Oaks in 1831), Mouche, Lady Emily, Coriolanus (the best two-year-old of his year), Egeria, Preserve (winner of the Thousand Guineas Stakes, &c.), Confusionée, Barcarolle (winner of the Thousand Guineas Stakes), Euclid, Morella, E. O., Eringo, cum multis aliis. The performances of The Caster, Extempore, Pompey, and the Wild Duck colt (all two-year-olds of last season), prove that Emilius is as fortunate as ever in his progeny. Mr. Thornhill has an own Brother to Mango in the Derby, at Pettit's, Newmarket, but as yet he has made no noise in the Betting Ring. ALBEMARLE, by Young Phantom out of Hornsea's dam, is a leading stallion at Riddlesworth, and deservedly so, for it would be a difficult matter to find a more racing-like animal, or one in whom better blood was flowing in his veins. Albemarle's racing career was short, but, as the man said of the 66 spencer, very good as far as it went." In Amato's Derby (1838), he ran the best of Scott's lot, and was in fact well up at the finish. At Doncaster, he gave way to Don John for the St. Leger, but contrived to pick up the snug sum of 1100 sovs., being a Sweepstakes of 200 sovs. each, h. ft., for three-year-olds, colts 8st. 6ib., fillies 8st. 3lb., the St. Leger Course. Had Albemarle been "allowed," I have no doubt he would have struggled well for the Leger. It will be seen that Mr. Thornhill has put some of his best mares to this son of Young Phantom: indeed his stock are very bony and racing-like. Albemarle is a nice bay, eight years of age. THE COMMODORE is a bay stallion, bred by Mr. Blakelock in 1836, got by Liverpool out of Fancy by Osmond, and is own Brother to the crack Derby favorite, A British Yeoman. At two years old, The Commodore won his three engagements-325 sovs. at Newcastle, and 125 sovs. and 140 sovs. at Stockton-beating most of the best youngsters of his day; amongst others, Lightfoot, Malvolio, Kremlin, Chatterer, and Zoroaster. At three years old, The Commodore won the York Derby at the York Spring Meeting in a common canter, and was backed freely at 6 to 1 to carry off the St. Leger. Unfortunately this valuable animal met with an accident at the Newcastle Meeting, which prevented his starting afterwards. He retired from the race-course UNBEATEN. The Commodore's stock promise great things, and his blood is undeniably good. Little EUCLID, by Emilius out of Maria by Whisker, is one of the neatest animals ever beheld. His running was excellent. After being beaten by Cæsar for the Riddlesworth, entirely through injudicious. orders, Euclid ran "exceedingly well" in the "snowy Derby," being third to Bloomsbury and Deception. At Doncaster, ridden by Connelly, he ran a "dead heat" with Charles the Twelfth for the St. Leger, and was beaten with the greatest difficulty in the second heat by a head only. He won the following Stakes at Newmarket in the same year:-600 sovs., 100 sovs., 275 sovs., the Grand Duke Michael Stakes of 900 sovs., and 50 sovs. At Ascot, he carried off 350 sovs., 450 sovs., and 20 sovs.- -At four years old, Euclid won 600 sovs., the Claret Stakes of 400 sovs., and 300 sovs. at Newmarket.-I am by no means singular when I assert that Euclid ought to have won the St. Leger, but somehow or another, whether the fault of Mr. Thornhill (who I believe was not present), or Pettit, the orders given to Connelly were, as in the case of the Riddlesworth, "an error of judgment," and Major Yarburgh "fell in " for the prize "accordingly." I do not mean to disparage the character of Charles the Twelfth as a racer-far, very far from it for I consider him one of the best horses of the age; but what I mean is this, that if Euclid had been allowed to have made the play for the St. Leger in 1839, I have no doubt that Mr. Thornhill's name would now be found amongst the winners of that sporting race. If I remember rightly, Mr. Thornhill nearly "threw away" the rich Grand Duke Michael Stakes in the First October Meeting, by declaring to win with his colt by Emilius out of Mercy when Euclid was in the race. The fact was, the Duke of Grafton's Æther ran Euclid a "dead heat," but in running it out, when Euclid was "left to himself," he won in a canter. I have no doubt that Euclid will distinguish himself as a stallion. The YEARLING COLTS of 1842 are as follow: Bay colt by Albemarle out of Exclamation. Bay colt by Albemarle out of Empress. There is also a two-year-old chesnut colt, by Emilius out of Mustard, in training at Newmarket. The FOALS, which are very promising, are as follow: B. c., by Albemarle out of Exclamation. B. c., by Emilius out of Rint. B. c., by Emilius out of Chincilla. dam. B. f., by Albemarle out of Emetic. The BROOD MARES are decidedly the finest, taken in a lot, that ever met my eye. The following are in foal, the produce to be "on sale:" Variation (winner of the Oaks in 1830)......... covered by Emilius. The Commodore. Merganser St. Agatha Exotic Victoire Emilius. The Commodore. The Commodore. The Commodore. The Commodore. The Commodore. The Commodore. Albemarle. Emilius. The Commodore. Rint The Commodore. Emilius. Emilius. The Commodore. Emilius. The Commodore. The Commodore. Emilius. Emilius. Emilius. Colwick. Everything is conducted at Riddlesworth in the most systematic manner, and no expense is spared to render this fashionable and truly valuable stud one of the best, if not the very best in the kingdom. Mr. Thornhill is a very influential Member of the Jockey Club, and his opinion has great weight with that impartial Body. |