MINCEPIE, WINNER OF THE OAKS, 1856. . ENGRAVED BY E., HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY HARRY HALL. BY CASTOR. Mincepic, bred by Lord Howth in 1853, is by Sweetmeat, out of Foinnualla, by Birdcatcher, her dam Brandy Bet, by Canteen. Sweetmeat, bred by Mr. George Clarke in 1842, was by Gladiator, out of Lollypop, by Starch or Voltaire. He was a first-class racehorse; while in the stud he already ranks as the sire of two Oaks winners-Mincemeat and Mincepie-as well as of Billingham, Bridesmaid, Brown Brandy, Cherry Brandy, Comfit, Citron, Guava, Honeywood, Jujube, My Fancy, Maid of the Tees, Miss Honey, Nettle, Pastrycook, Peppermint, Sugarcandy, Sugarplum, Sweetness, Trifle, Termagant, and others. His stock first appeared in 1851. Foinnualla, bred by Lord Miltown in 1843, and of course an Irish mare, was put to the stud in 1849, Mincepie being her third foal. Mincepie is a rather dark chesnut filly, standing a good fifteen-and-ahalf hands high. She has a very pretty blood-like head, a mare neck, with good shoulders, and fair depth of girth; she has good-sized quarters; with proportionate hocks and knees, but is rather light in the bone. She is altogether a pretty, small, and not over lengthy mare. PERFOMANCES. In 1855 Mincepic, then two years old, and running in the colours of Mr. Harry Hill, made her first appearance at Stockbridge, where, ridden by Alfred Day, she won the Mottisfont Stakes of 15 sovs. each, &c., T.Y.C., beating Lord Bruce's Intimidation (2), Mr. Parker's One Act (3), Mr. Howard's Pyrrha (4), Mr. Sargent's Rip Van Winkle (5), Mr. Russell's Mark Foulis (6), and Mr. Osbaldeston's Sister to Rifleman. 2 to 1 on Mincepie, who won by three lengths. At Newmarket Houghton Meeting, ridden by Alfred Day, she beat Lord Waterford's Cheerful Horn in a post match for 500 sovs., Sst. cach. 4 to 1 on Mincepie, who won by ten lengths. In 1856, at Newmarket Spring Meeting, ridden by Alfred Day, Mincepie ran second to Mr. W. H. Brooks's Manganese for the One Thousand Guineas Stakes of 100 sovs. each, D.M.: Mr. Howard's Queen's Head (3), Lord Aylesbury's Intimidation (4), and Mr. Stanley's Mary Copp, also ran. 5 to 4 on Mincepie, who was beaten by half a length. At Epsom, ridden by Alfred Day, she won the Oaks Stakes of 50 sovs. each, &c., a mile and a-half, beating Lord Clifden's Melissa (2), Mr. Bowes's Victoria (3), Mr. Stone's Fair Geraldine (4), and the following not placed : Mr. Howard's Mermaid, Mr. White's Tyre, Baron Rothschild's Comedy, Mr. Cookson's Secret, Mr. Wilkinson's Shot, and Mr. Saunders's Shadow. 5 to 2 agst Mincepie, who won by a neck: run in 3 min. 4 sec. At Stockbridge, ridden by Alfred Day, and carrying 5lb. extra, she was not placed for the Stockbridge Derby of 25 sovs. each, &c., a mile and a-half, won by Mr. Howard's Coroner: eight others also started. 5 to 4 on Mincepie. SUMMARY OF MINCEPIE'S PERFORMANCES. In 1855 she started twice, and won twice : The Mottisfont Stakes at Stockbridge, value clear .............. £530 In 1856 she has started three times, and won once :- 500 3500 £4,530 Mincepie is now engaged in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, at a penalty of 91b. extra, and opposed by Victoria, Mary Copp, Queen's Head, and others. Also in the Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster, at 5lb. extra, against the three just named, Secret, and others. Mr. Harry Hill, the owner of Mincepie, also figures in the Calendar as the owner of another Oaks winner-Cymba, in 1848. He has now several horses running in his name, and is closely identified with the Danebury stable, Mr. Hill, however, is known more by the public as one of the most prominent members of the Ring, a position which he has long held. His stud, it is almost needless to add, is trained by John Day, junior, and when the weight will allow, ridden by the younger brother Alfred. To the latter many entirely attribute the Oaks triumph of this year; it was admitted by all to have been a most brilliant piece of jockeyship. Alfred Day won his first Derby two years since on Andover, but still awaits a Leger to complete his round of the great races. For head, hand, and power, we have but few who can rival him as a horseman. NATIONAL SPORTS, ANCIENT AND MODERN. BY HOARY FROST. ARTICLE I. Whilst education advances with giant strides throughout the land, science goes hand in hand with it: the two proceed as if yoked together, destined for the same terminus, and with equal purpose and result. Following close in their rear are the national sports and pastimes of the people, without which the more important studies would be toilsome and enfeebled; and warlike skill would not be so prominent amongst Englishmen as of old, but would dwindle into inferiority with that of other nations. There are many men of the present day who do not attach sufficient weight and importance to the essential combination of healthful recreations with the study of the arts and sciences; forgetting, perhaps, that one assists the other, and gives relish for deeper philosophical researches; besides adding muscular vigour to the body, rendering the people expert in warlike and manly accomplishments, and better qualified to expel our foes and defend ourselves at home. The Greeks and Romans are our textuary oracles; from them we derive our purest sciences-our laws and ancient pastimes. They equalized the study of the arts which elevate the mind with sports and exercises which invigorate the body: it was one of their laws of education that the two should be encouraged in nearly equal proportion, because philosophy had taught them that health of mind was in many respects dependent upon health of body. Every one who has read Lucian or Plutarch cannot have failed to notice how those learned ancients extol the beauty and vigour of all manly pastimes, and commend the public games of those days as essential to the student in assisting his endeavours to excel in philosophical pursuits. Indeed, the Greeks appear to have had a great passion for gymnastic discipline, and encouraged it amongst their people of every grade. They were fully alive to the necessity of so doing, being convinced how closely connected with activity and boldness in sporting accomplishments were national warlike pursuits. The sports of the ancient Assyrians and Egyptians were curious and remarkable. There are few lovers of gymnastics at the present day who can walk through the British Museum or Crystal Palace without stopping to gaze upon and endeavour to unriddle the meaning and intention of the singular attitudes of the ancients, carved in quaint forms and painted in bright colours upon the walls; exhibiting in true life-like characters, and no less life-like scenes, the spirit and skill of the performers, and developing with striking effect the muscular limbs and proportions of those people. But in those days, as now, there were some sports which could only be indulged in by the wealthy; still no free man was precluded from trying his skill and strength in the public contests of the arena; and every citizen, who excluded himself from public games, and was unskilful in sports which develope the muscular and athletic powers, was shunned by the people as an uneducated, self-indulgent beingdeficient in the very accomplishments that alone fitted him for good society. The kings, queens, and nobles of England, from William the Conqueror down to her present Majesty Victoria, have never been reluctant in encouraging the manly sports and recreations of the people. The State cannot be blind to the importance of affording space and encouragement to such sports as promote health and vigour of body, give muscular force to the limbs, precision to the eye and the hand, adding cheer and content to the spirit, and ethical improvement to the mind. It is right to diffuse amongst the people a relish for such recreations, which, it may be truly said, divert thousands from the apparently voluptuous, but ultimately degrading sensual indul |