8 0 13 7 12 7 39 8 8 42 1M Whit Monday. 2 T MANCHESTER RACES. Settling D.s 8 5 3 W Oxf. T. ends. [on Derby & Oaks. r 3 50 4 T ETON REGATTA. s 8 710 0 57 9 15 9 46 r 3 4911 1 2110 1610 46 5 F HUNGERFORD RACES. 68 Rugeley and Malmsbury Fairs. s 8 912 7 Trinity Sunday. 8 M M.C.C. v. Undergrad. of Cam. 8 8 1114 9 TASCOT RACES. The CURRAGH R. r 3 46 F 10 W Shrewsbury Fair. 1 4711 1611 48 [at Lord's. r 3 47 13 s 8 12,16 rises 2 11 2 34 11T THE ASCOT CUP DAY. r3 4517 9a42 2 57 3 18 12 F Haverfordwest Fair. [bridge.'s 8 14 18 10 22 3 40 4 3 13 S DEBEN Y. C. MATCH at Wood-r 3 451910 53 4 25 4 50 14 First Sunday after Trinity. s 8 162011 23 5 15 5 41 15 M M.C.C. v. N. Counties, at Lord's r 3 4421 11 48 6 5 6 33 16 T SUTTON PARK R. Wrexham F. 8 1622 morn. 17 W HAMPTON RACES. Taunton F. r 3 4423 0 15 18 T Mynn v. Felix (Single Wicket). s 8 1724 0 41 9 19 F R.T.Y.C. 70 gs. Cup M., Erith. r 3 4425 1 1110 20 S Kidderminster Fair. 21 7 8 0 7 30 1 8 34 8 9 41 1310 49 s 8 1826 1 4211 2211 53 Sec. S. aft. Trin. Longest Dayr 3 44 27 2 19 22 M Gent. of Kent v. Gent. of England. s 8 1928 23 T NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE RACES r 3 45 N 24 W BIBURY CLUB R. Mids. Day.s 8 19 1 25 T HENLEY-ON-THAMES REGATTA. r 3 46 2 26 F Pershore Fair. 27 S No Real Night. 28 Third Sunday after Trinity. s 8 18 29 M St. Peter. THAMES GR. REG. r 3 47 30 T KINGSTOWN R. Y. C. MATCH. s 8 18 5 20 5 39 711 1 5 8 6 16 THE GREAT MAY MEETINGS. BY CRAVEN. same The most important feature in the First Spring Meeting at Newmarket was dealt with in the last number of this work. I allude, of course, to the race for the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes, of which the great northern stable made as sure with Tom Tulloch as did once upon a time the great southern stable with a steed called Cæsar, and with a similar result. Tom Tulloch was beaten by Tibthorpe, whereupon, as all the world knows, up went the latter to second favourite for the Derby, by the name and title of Sir Tatton Sykes. On the day Mr. Osbaldeston rode his mare Sorella, for the Queen's Plate for horses of that sex: the Round Course. The "Squire" went to scale 8st. 3lbs.; his solid flesh-whilom preponderating rather towards eleven than ten stone-"thawed and resolved into a dew." He was dished by the distance and the fact that his animal pulls; so that at the finish he ran foul of Nat, on Miss Elis, and Nat fell foul of him with his parts of speech-very foul, as they repeated his remonstrances to me, for one of his ordinary sobriety of hearing and language. Other unpleasant matters arose out of the issues of the Two Thousand Guineas day. After the important event, Lord Maidstone, the owner of Tom Tulloch, applied to the Stewards to cause the mouth of Sir Tatton Sykes to be examined, on the grounds of his suspicion that the colt was four years old. This was done; and Mr. Field, the eminent veterinary surgeon, pronounced him at once to be three years old. Now, would it not be a wholesome rule, that all persons requiring these examinations should at least adduce some primâ facie evidence of a case-should give such proofs as are necessary to enable a grand jury to find a bill?.... People who suffered from it, growled, because Iago was drawn on the morning of the race for the Two Thousand, having been backed separately and for the double event connected with it, up to the moment he was scratched; serve them right, who asked them to do so?.... Wednesday was unmarked by anything of account; and Thursday, big with the fate of the One Thousand Guineas Stakes, was welcome, for it put life into the sport again. It was rumoured early that Mr. Hill, the owner of Sweetmeat, and the nominator of that horse for the Chester Cup, had died. It appeared, subsequently, that he was only kilt in hope, by some wight badly on against his nag: he took little by his motion. They had measured the One Thousand Guinea field pretty accurately, for they backed Mendicant even against it; and they were right. How or wherefore the Goodwood bird did not show, it seems hard to say, for there was little to beat. She came, I believe, after it was over; the cry in the ring was, "Loud sing Cuckoo." The Newmarket Stakes on Friday were won by Mr. Gully's Pyrrhus the First; Iago was second; the Galata colt third-where he was for the Two Thousand. This hardly made any of the performers in either worthy of admiration-but then Horace says "nil admirari, propre res est una, numice." At this meeting, for the first time in England, regularly commenced the practice of timing the races, a custom adopted from America. It is of very questionable worth, for the same horse shall run a couple of miles on different occasions, which shall differ a couple of minutes in time. The rate of speed depends mainly on the way a race is run, not on the abstract properties of the animals that perform in it. It was an agreeable sporting week, but distinguished for the mediocrity of the stock which was brought out. I never knew a lot of three-year-olds of less promise. Chester Races at one time seemed threatened with the loss of that holyday character which long made them a most popular rendezvous in the district of which the quaint old city forms the centre. They have, however, revived considerably, and their late anniversary was, perhaps, one of the most brilliant ever celebrated on the Rondee. The weather, indeed, was not of that description; but as it always rains at Chester Races, people who go there bargain for a soaking-and are never disappointed. Any one who never visited the town except during the Meetings might naturally enough imagine that the Rows originated in the amphibious nature of the climate. The Cup, which from its first institution was the lion of the meeting, has of late years become second to no handicap in the kingdom in importance. It exceeds any in the number of its nominations, and gives rise to almost as much speculation as the Derby. This year a vast field of horses was backed for it, with a confidence that bespoke more spirit than discretion. This year also it had its immemorial "scrimmage," the actors-the word used in a classic signification, meaning sufferersbeing those who were thrown over after "Hope told a flattering tale." Those who only are familiar with Chester in a racing capacity through the vista of long years, when they hear of such fields as thirty coming to the post, ask you, "Stands the Rondee where it did?" They remember the crooked alley known as the Castle pole turn, where there was an accident regularly every year, and they have no idea how a crowd is to be got round it. If I tell them the runningground is even more cabin'd, cribb'd, confined" than it was, especially at the ship-yard corner, they will scarce believe the stories of the populous Cups can be true. But the fact is, your jockey has become an adept at "steering small." In some way or other, arising out of the present system of starting them, race-horses have become almost as docile as the trained steeds at Astley's. The prosperity of the Turf at the old town was proved by the want of accommodation in the stand: it ought to be enlarged to at least another half of its present size. Progress is still the characteristic of the meeting, and it should be met in a corresponding spirit..... 66 The supply of horses was very great; almost every place and stake was well filled; and despite "the pitiless pelting of the storm," sport was predominant. Also was the attendance of the sporting fraternity. Notwithstanding the money panic-perhaps, indeed, because of itbetting flourishes exceedingly, and must be doing well. At most of the great spring meetings I have met persons who have long laboured under the suspicion of being turf-defaulters. There they were in the ring, in the stand, in the high places of honour-whither they could not, of course, have penetrated until first they had purged themselves |