as After a match for the Pavilion Stakes-the only record likely to be left of that "once familiar name"-run for and won on Wednesday the 2nd of August by the Duke of Richmond's Buffalo Gal, the Brighton Stakes came upon the carpet-of smooth sward. This is the great creature of the three days; and grim efforts will be made to get it up a market race. It had an entry of thirty-seven, and eight starters. The Cur, carrying 7st. 12lbs., won cleverly by a length. To this succeeded the Tradesmen's Plate, for which there were three heats; the winner Mr. Maugham's filly, Martingale. The Southdown Stakes Mr. Elwes won with Conveyancer, beating Bibury; and so the day's sport terminated. Thursday-to follow the fashion-was the Cup day (if the Royal Plate may be so called; at all events the error is not likely to be repeated). Lord Clifden won the Selling Stakes with Carbuncle; and Her Majesty's Plate, heats, drew Red Hart to the lists with Pyrrhus the First. The winner of the Derby had his work to do in the first heat; but the second he cantered away with. The Scurry Stakes Mr. Forth's Laundrymaid won by several lengths; and Lord Chesterfield's Alpheia did the same by the Town Plate, and wound up the day's catalogue. There was the "affectations" of a ring, and book-making about the Leger, and even to the extent of babbling about the Derby Quæ regio in terris nostri non plena laboris ? Friday brought out Miami for a 10 sovs. handicap, with 50 added by the hotel-keepers. The field was not so unaccountable, and consisted of half-a-dozen beside the crack. She won very cleverly, with Sagacity for her second. The Sussex Plate produced three heats; Self-defence managing to pull through. A sweepstakes of 5 sovs., with 30 added, brought out a fair field, and gave the victory to Wilderness; and with the Railway Plate (which Millwood won, beating half-a-dozen, after a fine race, by a head), the meeting terminated. The last was the most sporting day of the three; and was the most lucky in weather. The social atmosphere, moreover, grows more genial: a disposition to work together appears to animate the authorities; and, if such is the case, Brighton races may at no very remote day be on a footing with the company they are set before. It was generally understood that the great racing establishment founded by Lord George Bentinck at Goodwood, would be forthwith removed to Newmarket, there to be trained by Robert Stephenson the younger.... Lord Clifden, at present the proprietor of that flourishing turf colony, in the matter of enterprize and spirit shows a fitting successor of the energetic nobleman with whom it originated. Among the memorabilia relating to this period should not be omitted the sweepstakes of one thousand sovereigns each, to be run for next year between Van Tromp, Surplice, and Justice to Ireland. There is also a match for a thousand a-side made between the Flying Dutchman and Honeycomb, to come off at three years old. As In the same week with Brighton there were meetings at Cirencester, Leominster, Newport, Marlboro', Edgeware, Belsay, et cetera. local merry makings, the majority of them were very successful; as racing essays, they were not of a character to call for a notice of their details. The following week was also replete with provincial sport. in the annals of the turf. At Lewes, Eclipse has marked the lists "with a white stone." But "a change came o'er its spirit," and no promise portends a return to the days and glories of eld. On the Wednesday after Brighton, its Olympic anniversary was celebrated with a most moderate attendance, and such fortune as will be read in the sequel. The weather was wretched; so next year, to take time and season by the forelock, it was proposed that the meeting should be held in the spring. In this instant autumn it began on the 9th ult., as aforesaid, with a Sweepstakes of 5 sovs. each, with 50 added, for all ages except twoyear-olds, one mile heats. The winner was Mr. E. R. Clarke's SelfDefence.." Any scandal about Sir Tatton Sykes?".... Her Majesty's Plate-for the encouragement of legitimate racing, and the breed of British horses, and all that sort of thing-was won by Mr. Henry Hill's Pyrrhus the First. By the time that Pyrrhus the First has won a few more royal plates-which he can scarce fail to do-he will be worth the £700 paid for him, and retire into the stud "upon velvet," as the saying is. After this Mr. Bartley's Grist won a 3 sovs. Sweepstakes, with 35 added, in two heats, and thus terminated the Lewes Meeting of 1848. They say the races will be better next year-which is probable, seeing that they cannot be worse. They had A better sample of rural racing was produced at Reading. a couple of days brim full of sport, though the quality was not of a very high average. Heats greatly abounded; but it should be stated, in mitigation of the practice, that at country meetings it is shown to be possible to run races of that description "on the square," while at more distinguished places they are synonymous with robberies. Horses were plenty, and fields were good. Among the chief events was the Berkshire Stakes-handicap of course-for which there were twenty-five nominations, and eight starters. The winner was Antagonist, by a neck, carrying 7st. 10lbs., beating Sponge (second), and a fair average ruck. The first day-reckoning heats-made up eleven races, and the second eight. To be sure a race in four heats loses its flavour towards the dregs, but rural appetites do not stand in need of much pampering. Chelmsford-or Chemsford in the vernacular-lies within the Newmarket circuit, albeit somewhat on the confines; and therefore while there's nothing (and nobody) to do at home, the metropolitans give it a turn. It gives its two days to the good work, and with plenty of heats there's plenty to be done. The first day boasted seven of these contrivances, and the second eleven. For the Che'msford Stakes but a pair started, the match being between Tarella and Tophana; it was a very spirited affair, the former winning on the post by a head. Wednesday commenced with Her Majesty's Plate. Three raced for it; the winner, at the end of three heats-whereof the first was a dead one-being Lord Exeter's Tophana, beating Mr. Shelley's Tarella; turn about is fair play-according to the proverb, if not to the logic. Franconi was a good third. . . .The rest of the running was good of its kind, but that was not good enough for history. Taunton and West Somerset races were "leather plate," and no mistake. These Olympics (that is to say leather plating) have their regular professors, whose turf business is as Old Bailey practice to that of the High Court of Chancery. These men fight not the ordinary battle of life; they are the gladiators of the course-predatory troops, to whose desperate daring the operations of the prize ring is but "boxing with the muffles." Now that George Cruikshank has exhausted his "Bottle," if he desire to ascend in the horrors, I recommend him to try his hand at the career of a "Leather Plater." The two days at Preston were enlivened by a popular émeute, in which a member of the fire-brigade was put hors de combat-" a dreadful row," as the papers called it. There were, moreover, some moving accidents in the running, to minister to the necessities of those that require strong stimulants. The chief event was the handicap for the Tradesmen's Cup, 22 subscribers, and five starters. Sylvan, an item of "Green's lot," was backed against the field; but the successful animal was The Dart, with Tom Tough second. Among the exciting passages was the race for the Borough Members' Cup, thus described in the journals. I do not speak of it from personal experience. "The runners were Mr. Heap's Brown Fly-the winner: Mentor second, and Hector fell.' Hector fell at the second turn, and unfortunately ran over Mentor's rider, and cut him very severely about the head; he was some hours before he could speak, but we are happy to add he is recovering." This is certainly one of the most remarkable accidents on record, for Mentor is a very large horse, and Marson by no means a pigmy. How Hector managed to run over the former, and the latter on the top of him, is not stated. Knighton and Weymouth Meetings consisted each of a single day; and had the two days at Newton Abbot been brought into a similar compass, according to the supply of material, it might have been as well. There were two days at Ripon, with plenty of sport, but nothing to call for details; and the same may be said of one or two other racing trysts, to which the week gave existence. Monday, the 14th, brought on Wolverhampton races, under auspices that may be thus pithily comprised-" the running ground was really little better than a river of blank mud." . . . This was, however, a Pactolus for the book makers, who gleaned with eager industry its golden sands. The result, as at Goodwood and every where else, where similar circumstances prevail, was that the running was false altogether, which the following summary will illustrate :--Sponge having beaten four for the Trial, and Shropshire Witch the same number for the 10 sovs. Produce Stakes, for three year olds, the Wolverhampton Stakes, the handicap of the meeting, out of forty-four nominations, brought half-a-dozen to the post! In this sporting field they backed one at about even, 5 to 4 being the outside price. This hero was Dough, the Irish champion, and he merited the sensation he created by winning very cleverly by a length; Inheritress second. The Ladies' Purse was won in two heats by Egret, in a field of eight, whereof one moiety was distanced in the second. The Patshull handicap opened the second day's operations. It was won by Wanota, beating Distaffina (second) easily, and three others. The Chillington Stakes, for twoyear-olds, the Iron Duke won from a quartet cleverly among these being Westow, backed to win at even. The Cleveland Cup old Inheritress had the best of, as Mr. Green's Haida had of the Albrighton Hunt Stakes. The Borough Members' Plate produced three heatswon by Ranthos; and thus Tuesday ended. Wednesday opened with the Wrothesley Stakes, a duet between Capsicum and Ribaldry; the first part by the gelding. The New Stakes, two year olds, had four starters the whole of the entries; Woolwich, the favourite, winning in a canter by half a score lengths, or thereabouts. The Holyoak Stakes, with the Stand Purse in addition, brought out four of the twenty-two subscribed for; the Dart beating the others with consummate ease. The Consolation Stakes-another field of four-Little Mary carried off-a canter again; and Hector having secured the Innkeepers' Fifty in a couple of heats, the meeting closed. Tuesday, the 15th, drew but a slender company to Runnymede. Egham has long been in the wane, and, as far as present promise goes, bids indifferently for a return to the ascendant, It will be seen, however, that the racing was far from uninteresting. I pass minor matters, mentioning by the way that Tophana won the Gold Cuprun a match-and proceed to the King John Stakes, for two year olds, which brought to the post Borneo, the great creature of the Goodwood stable, with 6 to 1 on him, Philippa, and another filly of little account. The crack led till close at home, when Nat on Philippa came with a rush, caught and beat him brilliantly by a length. The Egham Stakes, drawn out to three heats, wound up the day, the winner was Buckstone. On Wednesday Pyrrhus the First carried off the Queen's Plate the other three events produced six heats, and Runnymede was once more "alone in its glory." Besides these two meetings, were others at Axbridge, Plymouth, Tunbridge Wells, Paisley, Leith, and so forth. These were all good of their kind, and indications that the taste for the turf, so far as the provinces are concerned, needs not being tickled by the spice of strong speculation. Thus there were pleasant times for the million, while with the profession the cry was, "York, you're wanted!" Our answer to the demand will scarce supply the deficiency; but lack of room holds us "cabin'd, cribb'd, confined.". In materiel the meeting known as the York August of 1848, was the best in the annals of old Ebor. It was prodigal of sport, though, from the contingencies of weather, the racing was no criterion of the form of the animals engaged in it. The ground was awfully heavy, while, during the first two days the holiday character of the tryst was altogether destroyed. I confine my notice-per force-to the chief features of the meeting, more especially to those calculated to affect events still in embryo. First of these was the Prince of Wales's Stakes, for two-year-olds: there were 34 subscribers and nine starters-including Garrick (2lbs. extra): Farthingale won by half a length, the body of horses well up. The Colt Sapling Stakes, also for two-year-olds, Velox won easily by a length, beating five; and Canezou, in a field of seven, won the Ebor St. Leger easily by a length. Subsequently, she was eagerly backed for the Great St. Leger, in consequence of which Lord Stanley-in the proper spirit of an English turfite-declared in the public papers, that her starting for the Leger or being kept for the Park Hill was a question upon which he was altogether undecided. The Great Ebor Handicap, 108 subscribers, Meaux won by a head, in a field of 14; a dead heat for second between Ellerdale and Sylvan: and the crowning issue of the three days, the Great Yorkshire Stakes, 170 nominations, brought half a score to the post-5 to 2 on Springy Jack. It was, however, won cleverly by Mr. Wrather's filly by Don John, out of Miss Lydia-though not likely to produce another version of Nutwith's year, inasmuch as the filly is not in the St. Leger. She is, however, engaged, in the Park Hill, which may make some change in the policy of the Canezou stablo. ENGLISH SPORTS, AND ENGLISH SPORTING QUARTERS. BY LINTON. (Continued.) "You appear gratified with our hills and woodlands," said our companion," though as yet you have scarcely had time to visit a hundredth portion of the estate; could you find it convenient to remain with us for a few days I doubt not but that you would be well pleased. As I have already named to you, the wild deer range in the forests hard by, as also some score of wild fallow deer; you would also meet with every other kind of game, including a sprinkling of black cocks, and grey bens, or heath poults, as we here term them. Moreover, it would give me pleasure to show you my hounds in the field. And if you are fond of a cast with the fly we have a trout stream within a mile of the house, where you will find ample sport, though the fish are generally small." We naturally expressed our gratitude and pleasure at the kindness we had already experienced, at the same time regretting the possibility of extending our visit at that period, which had already exceeded our intended limit; moreover, a pressing engagement on the following day, some sixty miles distant from the spot we were then luxuriously rusticating (if we may use such term) precluded the possibility of our remaining, however tempting the offer; we had, therefore, no alternative but that of refusing a kindness so warmly tendered, and continued the conversation : "You say there are eighteen hundred acres of woodland extending over these magnificent hills: we also observed that a thick and flowery heather covered the greater part of the open between the coverts. Foxes there are doubtless many-have you any grouse?" "Of the latter not a bird, though I see no reason why they should not live and breed on the hills, and I would gladly try the experiment could I obtain sufficient eggs from Scotland. As for the former, however, there are many; but we destroy them whenever opportunity offers, not considering it a sacrilege here, where no fox-hounds ever favour us with a visit; in fact it would be useless, utterly useless, to throw a pack of hounds into these extensive coverts, with any hope of seeing them break for the remainder of the day. But you will pardon my relating a somewhat ridiculous, but nevertheless a true story, connected with one of these wily animals, in the simple man ner in which it actually occurred. It was late one hot summer's evening, when, accompanied by one of my woodmen, I was riding quietly along a lane, which on the one side is bordered by a thick and high park paling, when not ten yards ahead of us I observed a large dog-fox creeping slyly along the fence, each moment peeping N |