young ladies, Mentmore Lass won, as West Australian did the richer prize for the young gentlemen. Sylphine, 7 to 4 against her, took the lead in the circle : the measurement was not accurate in any instance. Friday, excepting the Newmarket Stakes, was divest of interest. With 7 to 4 on him, Orinoco won ; so the sample was not “ first chop." On the first Tuesday of May commenced the Roo-Dee week, for the vernal tide. As the Cup was a brimmer, holding a round half million, so to specify the Ring money—to say nothing of bye bargainsonc may suppose that the attendance followed suit. The opening day was a positive cram; the second, by virtue--and vice-of the Tradesmen's Plate, a superlative. The pick of the basket was Trifle, at 3 to 1 ; the placed first of the trio, that finished for judgment, was Goldfinder. Ilis nominal price on the spot was 30 to 1: elsewhere “nobody did nothing on him,” consequently he was a nugget nobler for the “houses." Next in succession came Sixty Guineas clear for Chilton-Mr. Gulliver's: when will Gulliver-Stilton come clear ? 'tis term time in Middlesex... but sixty guineas won't do it. The Second Spring Meeting at Newmarket was gentle and aristocratic, but far from the true Turf quality of caste. Shrewsbury and Manchester fulfilled their provincial mission, but no more. And now we stood on the threshold of the mighty “to be or not to be ?" " Out," seizer, “out ;" * off she goes." Far awa, in bonnie Edinbro', they raced and gossiped o' the south; and far up on fair Lansdowne they inagurated Bath and Somerset county sports : on the South Downs, also, Lewes had its day; and so had Harpenden, But all the interest was prospective, and, as it turned out, so was a good deal of the capital. Investment centred on West Australian : scarce another backed for a bawbee. Summer set in with strong hard sunshine and bitter easterly gales ; and, dust-enshrouded, the world turned its hopes and fears towards Banstead's uplands. Epsom races constituted the conventional attraction ; the Derby was the absorbing cynosure. As usual, business began with the Craven, but it was not an issue of account; neither was the Woodcote, won by Woodcote ; nor the Manor Plate, Horton Stakes, Heathcote Plate, nor anything else. The Derby day was provided with all possible discouragement. A hot wind besets the ascent to the Downs, as the sirocco the sands of the desert. Desperate confidence is at the hearts of such as are on the “ crack;" desperate despondence is about the souls of such as are off him. There was a £5 Stakes, “as in mockery set,” in advance of the last agony then and there preparing for the million. At length the bell premonitory tolls. « What will you bet against Australian ?" ( Who'll lay?" “ Davies has done with him!” “It's all U P.” “ Here they are !" “One at even agin the field !” “How do you know?” “There aint no odds." The appearances were eminently bashful ; the high-bred cattle lounged on, upwards, towards the common; and if they indulged in a coquettish canter, it was when nobody could criticize their form and fashion. Then returning to their dressing-room, called the paddock, they adjusted their toilettes, loitered a little longer, and once again submitting to public scrutiny, pirouetted around the post. The party numbered eight-and-twenty, and the reception was the perfection of etiquette. “Now,” said the master of the ceremonies, “are you all ready?” “Go !!!" and he dowsed his wand. Go they did, up an angle of direful dangers, all together, Lord Derby among the foremost. Thus they accomplished that portion of the course yclept the new ground, which superficially represents a montagne Russe with the wrong end foremost. To my notion, on the summit of this bad pre-eminence, Umbriel ceded his inside berth to the precedent of the Ring. What next befell, occurred when they were out of reach, as related to my scope of vision; but when I did see them, it was “honour bright” to Prince Menschikoff, on Bowes. With prepense politeness, Mr. Butler permitted the Duke of Bedford, represented by Sittingbourne, to approximate his skirts-taking, however, good care to allow no greater liberty or licence, but winning; which is winning, whether it be “something like a distance,” or “ a shave." My impression is, it was indifferently run all thorugh, on the part of the many, because such was a natural consequence; on the part of West Australian, because he “ took it easy"...“ That's your sort!" shouted a member of the “Hook-'em;" “ we comed down with the dust to-day-won't the Offices do it tomorrow !” Thursday is an interval of which people avail themselves to take their breath, and whatever else they can get. It was not a losing occasion for the “ fund," seeing that animals, sold on account of the owners for £40, sold to the benefit of the enterprise for one hundred and fifty guineas...... The ultimate Friday, at all events, accomplished that which was metaphorically anticipated for its precursor. It did come down with the dust, with a vicious vengeance ; whatever was the fate of the Derbyites, the Oaks administration was most emphatically “ stuck in the gutter.” The Cobham half-hundred being discussed, came the fillies devoir debut “ to the fore.” Though the invitations embraced one hundred and forty-one, but seventeen paid their respects, viz., their £50. Here again the talents had told the flattering tale.” They took one point less than even about Catherine Hayes ; and she won off hand, even as she “listed,” while the polloi pots boiled over, and burnt the book-fingers of the unbelievers. Alas ! poor Kate-like thy namesake of Coleraine, thy end too was mercilessly mauled. Moreover, the society for speculating in “flat” racing, doomed as it was, its ultimatum looming in the Home Office, got more kicks than halfpence; it died game :-a bump in the stern-sheets is better than no fight. It was not an anniversary of promise ; precedents, and premises in account. Epsom's “pride, pomp, and circumstance,” are on the wane : no longer, as of yore, may it be said "there all is gentle and aristocratic.” A system wholly antagonist to its purpose and gracious practice has elbowed a way to place and power wholly unbeseeming. The turf is not intended for the trade of tout or tapster. The mischief has begun ; the moral is not far off. “The end crowns all; And that old common arbitrator, Time, Will one day end it.” " 'Tis meet That noble minds keep ever with their likes ; For who so firm that cannot be seduced ?”. The week which followed the great Surrey Saturnalia was made up of an Olympian olla podrida—a most unsavoury mess. At Wye they worked nine races out of the materials for three. At Lenham the head and heels of the sport ranged between Sweepstakes of £5 and forty shillings. Also there was another edition of Newton-certainly of better flavour. June proper opened on Ascot Heath-apropos of prestige-precarious...“ Such a divinity doth hedge a King,” or Queen... Royalty did not honour its accustomary sporting tryst--it did not “ go see the order of the course "... 'Twere well for household hopes did the banks of Danube display as fair direction... The conditions of the ele. ments were not favourable to the performers ; albeit the company was comfortably catered for. The bill of the play was most ample, and the pieces produced were good sterling stuff. The prologue was “The Trial"pulse-feeler of the sequences. The course for his essay is the ner mile, just as a scene opens with part of a speech spoken at “the wing." Ariosto, with 9st. up, won cleverly, from a strong ruck of horses. They backed Ephesus, same weight and age, to beat him, at fifty per cent. The next, a Two-year-old Sweepstakes, £50 each, half forfeit, 8st. 7lbs., three quarters of a mile, is about my ideal of a race. It is the justé-milieu-jockeys can ride for it, and gentlemen know their worth. This came off a match between Boer, son of Van Tromp, 7 to 1 on him, and Lamprocles, the favourite finishing first at pleasant speed. The Gold Vase, given by the Sovereign, succeeded; it brought out nine of the fifteen named for it. They selected Rataplan at 6 to 4 versus, and he won in a comical wind up. A fine race for the Ascot Derby, Ninnyhammer, backed to do it, won, beating a trio. The character of the performance is shown in Filbert being second, and Cobnut third. Nothing else was of turf account. Wednesday was without any feature of interest, save the victory of Catherine Hayes, carrying 9st. for The Coronation Stakes. She beat Mayfair second ; and Koh-i-noor last : they laid 5 to 1 on her. The Royal Hunt Cup mustered thirty starters; The Friar a good favourite-there is often & worsc field for the Royal Hounds—he was the winner. Taking a Parthian peep at poor Katherine, one cannot but feel she paid dearly in winning the Ascot Oaks for her victory of that ilk at Epsom. The Friar had better luck ; 'tis not often a first-class hunter does his day's work with less than six stone upon his back. The first year of the Fifth Ascot Triennial Stakes was a good turn for the fielders ; Meteora, quite a pet in the Market, finishing second, astern of Bribery, also of the feminine gender. The second year of the Fourth Ascot Triennial Stakes was a flare up, the champions being Sittingbourne-foremost in the odds, of course—and The Reiver. Of this pair, the first, on coming to the "scratch," tackled the other; whereupon he, the other, countered; and while they were sparring, off went “ Lord Exeter's two." Ten to one being the odds against Filbert, he won. The Cup day-pageant princely-deigned to grace the goodly company with the Royal presence. It was late when the Imperial cortége appeared, and it disappeared earlier than ordinary. The Fifty Sovereigns Sweepstakes and Visitor's Plate being disposed of, “A piece of plate, value five hundred pounds, the gift of His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias”-how many are there at present ?—was put upon the scene : “palmam qui meruit." Seven put in an appearanceStockwell the favourite. The field probably comprised the best team England could furnish for the purpose. The finish was between Teddington, Stockwell, and Ninnyhammer, the former winning a brilliant set-to from the pet by a head. One really relishes these artistic touches, in this handicap epoch ; when, for one jockey that rides, fifty babes and sucklings try their hands at it. The feature turfite of Ascot undoubtedly is the New Stakes-this season with nine-and-thirty nominations. Twelve ran, the all-engrossing object of the summer Derby market-Autocrat, with 6 to 4 on him. He won, as it seemed judicious to Sim, his experienced pilot: perhaps it would have been as well had he drawn it finer. The form in which the Reiver, at 8 to 1 for the St. Leger, carried off the St. James's Palace Stakes from Cohnut by a head, did a tale unfold, with a catastrophe by no means agreeable to his backers. The remainder of the afternoon's racing needs no especial reference. Friday. The principle of the Olympic finale in no way sympathises with that of the Epic-of tragedy, comedy, farce, burlesque, pantomime, or anything laying claim to ultimate eclat: it goes out with the evil odour of a mutton dip. Thus the last day at Ascot-save the suggestion ! --- was a sad anniversary. The capital was little, the interest less, the company lesser still, to the damage of lessors of stands and standings, and to the Kilkenny-cat policy of the profession. It finished with the victory of Lord Exeter for the Borough Member's Fifty Pounds, and the sale of the winner, franked commission and duty, at the sum of £150, and our retrospect of it finishes in like manner. Moulscy Hurst, whilom the arena of the Ring fistic, has passed into the patronage of the Ring mystic, and such Cockneys as it can catch“ fcc-fo-fum” fashion. What a social contrast the east and west banks of Father Thames exhibit in this fair district of suburban London !... White-headed Bob and Young Dutch Sam ; Titian and Cardinal Wolscy ; Punch and Judy ; Philip and Mary ; telle est la vie... At the rising up of the sun, as it used to dawn “ Rings now are made at Moulsey Hurst and Twickenham, Ai Crawley Downs and Teddington, at Shepperton, and there Claret mugs and collar-bones are worse for wear." " With turrettes and toures, Fresh as flowres in May." " Towris high, ful pleasant shale ye finde, Withe bay-windows goodlie as may be thoughte." That discord desperate of "sorte" and " thoughte" being another unprincipled “wind up:" inasmuch as of Hampton, in re racing proper, nought is there to sing or say. Between the 15th and the 28th of June, a series of half-a-score small meetings was discussed, that latter date bringing us to Newcastleupon-Tyne. Passing this and another provinciality, the “ middle” July Newmarket weck may have a word generally, saving the July Stakes, and its Siamese associate, the Chesterfield ; the three days had scarce a race worth the winning. Sweepstakes of £20, £15, and £10 read oddly in the cards at such a modern Elis. The only end to which they may minister is betting. Odds were given and taken, no matter what the stake at issue ; and so is the money by those who lose and win, if they (the losers) consider it good policy, and if they who are right can get it. As at Ascot, the summer tryst adjoining Mephistopheles, his Ditch, finished in favour of the Lord of Burghley ; "every little makes a mickle.” Later in the month came the Liverpool races of that ilk. The turf is not in the civil ascendant on the metropolitan shores of the Mersey. The feature was the Cup-a handicap of course. As a passage of rare handiwork, however, it was not eminently distinguished ; for one of the fourteen runners ran away from the baker's dozen--a three-year-old, with a liberal three-stone allowance, as for weight-for-age encounters. He won so easily that they said he was an old rogue ; but they said what they could'nt show. No penalty attaches to charging a gentleman with a misdemeanour-such as swindling by means of his horse's grinders. The insult is “ inaugurated" "in spite of his teeth"...“ Jim,'' of Piccadilly, used to say, when you could'nt come it quiet, you should experiment a wrangle. The penultimate week was a chaos of convivial trysts; the ultimate, radiant with the Goodwood chivalrous galaxy. In abundance of sport, and perfection of the rural picturesque, that princely meeting stands unrivalled in Old England. But there is ever a “but”-in palace as in hovel, it has its compensation. The distance from “the rail," now the sole artery of travail, exposes it to one of two great evils---either the “fly" puts its hand into your pocket, and picks it ad libitum, or you“ bus” it, and «Stand the buffet With knaves that smell of sweat.” Among these gents of-grease, the topic universal was the BettingHouse extermination, decreed, in limine, the evening preceding the great rendezvous on Sussex park downs. “It did'nt matter to them, it did'nt !” “ They'd give the dons the dodge, they would !” “Can't we come the House of Call, eh ?” O, many-headed monster ! you're taken in your own toil; the witler has no licence for the gin wherewith you purpose to doctor our public. The progress of change is incessant, and performed in telegraphic time. The Golden Age of poetry was one thing, that of the Diggins is another ; Jonathan reads it in characteristic metaphor-“ Man and wife no longer walk arm-in-arm as when they were courting ; but marches like a horse and cow to water-one in each gutter." Providence grew tired of an institution “ all legs and tail, like a devil's darning-needle.” ." You smell this business with a sense a& cold As is a dead man's nose." In keeping with the season's staple, the weather at Goodwood was sad and sunless ; skiey influences were in the sulks. As with the atmosphere, so naturally was it with the company ; it had little of the pageant-pomp, and circumstance. All Wednesday night, the rain it rained unceasingly ; and this put the Cup--the subtlest of all homo |