8st. 4lb. (4), and Mr. Hobson's filly by John O'Gaunt, out of Recruit's dam, 8st. 4lb.-5 to 4 against Andover, who won by a head; and a head between the second and third. Andover, although engaged in the Criterion, did not appear again as a two-year-old. In fact, he was said to have been for some time thrown up with a bad hock or foot, for which Mr. Major was called in, and whose treatment of the case is allowed by the stable to have been most satisfactory. Once more fit for work, the horse was reserved for the Epsom Meeting of the present season, where, ridden by Alfred Day, he realized the confidence of his party by winning the Derby Stakes of 50 sovs. each, &c., 8st. 71b. each-a mile and a half-beating Baron Rothschild's King Tom (2), Mr. Gully's Hermit (3), Mr. Copperthwaite's The Early Bird (4), and the following not placed:-Lord Derby's Dervish, Mr. R. E. Cooper's Autocrat, Mr. R. E. Cooper's Woodcote, Lord Zetland's Hospodar, Lord Lonsdale's Welham, Mr. J. A. Taylor's The First Lord, Mr. Powney's Marc Antony, Baron Rothschild's Middlesex, Mr. C. Spence's Canute, Mr. S. Walker's Winkfield, Mr. E. R. Clark's Punch Box, Sir T. Burke's Grey Plover, Mr. Clarkson's Neville, Mr. Newland's Bracken, Lord Chesterfield's New Warrior, Mr. Gregory's Papageno, Mr. Morris's Knight of St. George, Lord Clifden's Alembic, Lord Clifden's Rodo Meli, Sir R. Pigot's Coup d'Etat, Mr. Merry's Wild Huntsman, Mr. Osbaldeston's Champagne, and Mr. Knowles's Marsyas.-7 to 2 against Andover, who won in a canter by a length. SUMMARY OF ANDOVER'S PERFORMANCES. In 1853, he started four times, and won three :- Ditto ditto ... In 1854, he has started once, and won once :- 175 135 ... 5950 Andover's engagements are, first, in a three-year-old Triennial Stake at Stockbridge, where, with 71b. extra, he is opposed to Scythian, Bribery, Champagne, Marsyas, Middlesex, and others. He is also, with 10lb. extra, in the Stewards' Plate at Stockbridge, which boasts of a very strong entry at weight for age, with various penalties for winners. We find him next at Goodwood, in a Three-year-old Stake, without penalties, versus King Tom, Meteora, &c.; then in the Champagne at Brighton, at weight for age, with Kingston, Sittingbourne, Rataplan, Hungerford, and Co.; in the County Plate at York, and in the Dee Stakes at Doncaster, where King Tom is once more the most formidable of his opponents. The Derby of '54 must be considered the first grand hit made by the brothers John and Alfred Day, since they have set up on their own account; it is, in fact, the first great race in which the latter has landed his horse a winner, despite the generally prominent position of those he has ridden, and his own unquestionable ability as a jockey. Luck, however, which so far has been rather against him, appears now on the turn, and his success since the Wednesday at Epsom has been remarkable. Mr. Gully, with whose colours and name Andover is more especially identified, has previously won the Derby with Pyrrhus the First, the Oaks with Mendicant, and the St. Leger with Margrave. THE RACING SEASON-JUNE. BY CRAVEN. "Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of man JULIUS CÆSAR. The exigence of publication must plead privilege for two days' retrospection, in this article, into the merry month of May. Epsom races commenced on the 30th of that pleasant tide in the affairs of men; and before the return of them is registered, it is best to refer to their reverie. "In nova fert animus mutatas dicere formas." The great annual racing festival on Epsom Downs-now submitted for analysis, notwithstanding the absence of so many noble and gentle patrons of the turf, in the opinion of the anticipative-bids fair to be as well attended, and quite as successful as any previous meeting... Foremost of the attractions of course was the Derby, thus oracularly Delphosized : "On Wednesday, the 31st of May, general attention will of course be devoted to the Derby.. Dervish now occupies the highest position in the betting, and gives every promise of becoming as great a favourite as West Australian was at starting last year. Unlike the latter, however, he has not been brought out for any of his three-year-old engagements; consequently, in judging the chances of Dervish, we must take into consideration his present position in the market, rather than his two-year-old running, which was not equal, it must be admitted, to what ought to be looked for in a Derby winner. We are told, therefore, to discard that in toto; and, judging from the extraordinary confidence expressed by his trainer, I am inclined to think that not only the layers against Dervish will have decidedly the worst of it, but that we shall see him a much improved and totally different horse to what he was last year. For a long time a great difference of opinion existed amongst good judges as to the relative capacity of Dervish and Acrobat, several of whom clung to the hope that the latter would take the place of Dervish at last. The scratching of Acrobat, however, must satisfy them of their error, and at the same time convince us that John Scott was assured of the superiority of Dervish before the pen was run through the name of his companion. I am not in a position to say whether the 'crack' will have the assistance of Frank Butler, but the latter, I hear, is making the necessary effort to ride. "Andover and Hermit represent the Danebury stable, whose supporters express themselves very sanguine as to the result-at all events of beating Dervish. Which it will be with, however, is a mystery known only tot 'he party; and not being in the secret, I shall not attempt to unveil it; though, from what took place at Tattersall's, it would appear as if the winner of the Two Thousand (Hermit) will turn out to be the real Simon Pure. "Neville has been backed very heavily of late by a clever party, who seldom 'go for a stake' without having felt their way pretty securely. It may fairly be assumed, therefore, that the horse has been highly tried; and as he belongs to a gentleman of the old school, who has personally overlooked his preparation, I am inclined to believe that Neville will be found there or thereabouts at the finish. "Wild Huntsman never beat anything having any claim to the character of a race-horse, and was beaten once last year by Corin, whose running proves him to be not within one-and-twenty pounds of one. His position in the market throughout the winter has been very unsteady; and though the Hedgford people declare that such a horse-Hobbie Noble included-was never trained there, I do not expect to see the Wild Huntsman in at the death.. Marlow will ride him; and in all probability he will see a much shorter price than he is now quoted at. "Hospodar showed good speed in his races at York, this spring, and may run respectably; but I doubt that he will quite get the distance, even with Job Marson's assistance. "King Tom, until a few days since, held out great hopes to his backers; but his sudden decline in the market-arising from a severe strain in one of his hocks, whilst at exercise, and which has required the attention of Mr. Mavor, jun.—has put him hors de combat. If at the post, it is all his friends can expect for their money. His trial with Middlesex makes the latter's chance hopeless. "The Knight of St. George, though a bolter' in Ireland, is said to have been cured of his evil propensities since his location at Hambleton; and judging from the confidence displayed by his stable, who have the right tackle to measure him with, it will not surprise me to see The Knight forward at the finish. "The running of Marsyas last year proved him to be one of the best two-yearolds out; and I cannot but think he will be in front when the race is over. 66 Alembic, though he may run respectably, I have no fancy for; nor do I anticipate a successful issue to the backers of Bracken, Prince Arthur, Marly Hill, Champagne, Punch Box, Golden Branch, or others in that category. "Canute must have greatly improved upon his last year's form to have the slightest chance. "The Trapper, with Flatman on his back, is not unlikely to prove a formidable outsider; and I shall expect to see him beat more than beat him. Autocrat, after filling the highest position in the market for many months, was, like King Tom, sent to the right-about at Bath, during the past week. All sorts of reports have been in circulation as to the cause of his sudden decline; the true one, we believe, being the failure of one of the joints of his off fore-leg, which has interfered with his preparation for some time past, and will probably account for the peppering he received in certain quarters during the past winter. "Papageno being dark, I can say nothing further about him, than that at Newmarket, last October, he struck me as being a good goer and a very racing-like horse. "The Early Bird, giving 5lbs. to the Knight of St. George, beat him last year in Ireland by a neck, and in that country the former is regarded as the best of the Irish division. The Early Bird, who has been at Middleham for some months, under Dawson's care, has been frequently nibbled at the extreme outside price of 1000 to 10. "Belgrave, it is whispered, will, like Rataplan last year, be heard of on the day....I should recommend Belgrave to be kept on the right side. "New Warrior and Ostrogoth, after figuring amongst the second division of favourites, have recently been placed upon the shelf, and hold out but faint hopes to their backers; nor do I anticipate any return for the investments on Winkfield, Old Noll, or Welham." Here the analysis ends-sub silentio ANDOVER. To sum up, I conclude that the front lot will consist of the following:- Dervish, Neville, The Trapper, Knight of St. George, Hermit, and Marsyas, and that the winner will be DERVISH or NEVILLE. Thursday was the antithesis of a holiday, and afforded a striking contrast to its antecedent: very little pleasure company was present, and, as the report stated, the occupants of the stand, which exhibited “a beggarly account of empty boxes," consisted almost exclusively of those interested in the proceedings. Added to this agreeable al fresco feature, the dust put its debris into your mouth, and eyes, and cars, even as the fortune-teller has put his finger into your optics the day before. The Two-Year-Old Stakes, he said, I must award to Para... The other races, as well as those on Friday, will be so materially governed by previous running, that I shall at once proceed to notice the Oaks; but owing to the uncertainty existing as to what will constitute the field, I dare not attempt to give a list of the starters, contenting myself by remarking that the race appears to me to be John Scott's; and if bound to select one from the lot, it would be HONEYSUCKLE, Malmsey, Omen, Crosslanes, and Bribery I shall expect to see in the front rank at the finish. 66 Sweetsto the sweet." To this "conclusion" may be added the apothegm, upon the principle of which, Mr. Tearingust, the eminent Newmarket tout, called "The Hoax Prophecy." Imprimis, POSTULATE: "London is as full as ever of the sight-seeing and pleasure-loving public, the majority of whom will, as matter of course, should the fine weather continue, make their way to Epsom on the Derby and Oaks days; whilst the speculative fraternity, whose name is legion, will undoubtedly shine sufficiently strong on the days to enable us to report favourably of the state of the excheqner at the Grand Stand." Secundo PROOF: "Tuesday morning opened with anything but cheering prospects, and constant heavy storms fell from an early hour. This state of things considerably damped the hopes, not only of the pleasure seekers, but also of the class who depend upon Epsom, Ascot, and such like great race meetings, to realize a sufficiency by the hire of their vehicles, and the sale of refreshments, to carry them through the remainder of the year... Friday: The change in the weather, which everybody anticipated the day before, took place during the night, and the morning was ushered in with heavy rain, which fell with little intermission until the hour of noon. It then ceased-only to recommence, however, just before the commencement of the racing, the afternoon turning out a most disagreeable one for the enjoyment of what is generally termed THE LADIES' DAY. The morning in town being equally unpropitious, no doubt caused vast numbers to delay their trip to Epsom to assist at the wind-up of the meeting. The show of company on the Downs, consequently, was remarkably thin; nor did the stand, though exhibiting a good muster, obtain the same amount of patronage as we have noticed on other occasions. In the stewards' stand, likewise, we missed a great many of the influential and leading patrons of the turf, who were present on Wednesday; but in the enclosure, speculators and others mustered in large numbers, and circulation was both difficult and dangerous." "As is our custom of an afternoon," wherein the Hoax comes off..." Place aux dames.” 66 Wednesday-the Derby day-gave fresh hopes to those whose antici pations, whether of pleasure or profit, had been materially damped by the storms at the commencement of the week. From an early hour the usual bustle of preparation was to be seen in every part of the metropolis; and if there did not appear to be so many four-horse drags as we have witnessed, their place was well supplied with, or by-Omnibuses, vans, and other still more humble vehicles! Laudator temporis acti." When the Four-in-Hand Club was reviving the olympic games, "the road, on the whole, evidently was not so attractive as heretofore; but we have no doubt many were compelled to give up this their favourite method of transit, owing to their having been deterred-by the unpropitious state of the weather from engaging vehicles until it was too late." So much for comment and courteous miscolouring! Now, in the intimation introductory of the Swan of Avon, "We will draw, the curtain and show you the picture."-JULIUS CESAR. "Multa renascentur, quæ jam cecidere, cadentque Que nunc sunt in honore." On Tuesday, May the 30th, 1854, was celebrated the seventy-fifth anniversary of Epsom. From the various ups and downs in the specu lation on its staple attraction, we are told it might naturally be inferred to be the best investment Meeting known for many years. Yet, strange to say, although a great deal of field money came early into the market, such as Ortolano, Blight, Marley Hill, Hesse Cassel, and a like lot of scabies, scarcely a single book operator out of half-a-score had a decent ledger; notwithstanding, Autocrat and King Tom were-like themselves" taken in and done for," after a heavy winter's work. This is assigned to the game that was got up upon other nominations-Dervish in especial-selected to pitch into the ignobile vulgus, to the annihilation of jobs, which, the number of nags backed in many cases for loads of "tin," ought to have spread Tattersall's with velvet for "legs" of enterprise and spirit, considering it was no sooner one down" than another came on. The moral of this memento is reserved for the proper time and place. It is needless to premise for those who are familiar with the good old axiom "the better day the better deed," that the Sunday immediately preceding this popular race meeting was besieged at the Corner by the whole commonwealth of the course. The Sabbath, to be closed against the poor man's beer, is free, ad libitum, to the rogue and levanter, who picks pockets with a lead pencil and a brazen face. Returning to Tuesday, to the matter made it opened "heavily with clouds" and a foot or so of gutter. To make things more pleasant, the purveyor of accommodation had provided a series of stalls for the bipeds with more boobery than brains, at a simple guinea a head, unfurnished, extra. The Craven Stakes, nine named, and six at the post, 7 to 4 against Orestes, was won by Tom Parr-Defiance, the favourite, nowhere. The Woodcote Stakes, 52 subscribers, and half a score of runners, Flatterer, with 7 to 4 on him, won by two lengths, in a canter. The Epsom Surrey Handicap, 29 subscribers, 11 of whom declared, was raced for by eight. Odds: 6 to 4 against Vanderdecken, 4 to 1 Pyrois, 5 to 1 Axwell and Braxey, and 6 to 1 Invasion. After a dead heat between Axwell and Hazelnut, the former walked over, receiving three-fourths of the stakes, Vanderdecken or Nutpecker being selected to beat the field. The Horton Stakes, 7 subscribers, had half-a-dozen at the post. Odds: 5 to 2 against Mysterious Lady, 3 to 1 against Surprise, and 4 to 1 a-piece against Handsome Buck and Remnant, who made all the running, and won in a canter by three lengths. The Manor Handicap Plate was run for by a baker's dozen. Prices: 2 to 1 against Miss Bolton, 4 to 1 against Inder, 6 to 1 against Congreve, and 7 to 1 against Hazelnut. Roebuck, friendless, beat the dozen in a fine finish. The Heathcote Plate Ephesus, with 3 to 1 on him, in a canter, won by two lengths. Thus Capt. Lane has a brace of classic coursers "to teach the young idea how to shoot" over the flat. At the settlement of the list, the Derby entered the market with a rush. In the forenoon 150 to 55 and 3 to 1 were laid against Dervish. Andover was full of popularity, 5 to 1 being greedily taken against his winning. As related to the others, "chaos was come again." One had run a nail into the quick of his foot; another, foretold to be winner, was laid against at 20 to 1; another went to the post merely to win bets laid about his starting; and the climax was crowned by the Earl of Derby and Mr. Saxon going to loggerheads about Master Bar |