14 T NEWMKT. SCND SPRING MEET.S 7 40 15 W

16 T SHREWSBURY RACES

RACES IN MAY.

THE RACING IN APRIL.

BY CRAVEN.

"They say this town is full of cozenage,"

SHAKSPERE.

The turf session has commenced. The supply of horses is im mense, and money is abundant and "easy" as-"the facile gates of hell; moreover, speculators are as numberless as the sands upon the sea-shore. Business is the order of the day. Meetings are esteemed good, bad, or indifferent, according to the range and activity of the odds. The glut of trade in the ring is cited in proof of the prosperous condition of racing; slippery premises from which to jump at such a conclusion. It is always, an unsound-generally an unsafe practice in logic to beg the question. A lady, whose brilliant talents have won for her a distinguished place among the most popular authors of France, thus puts a proposition which she is desirous to dispose of by an unimpeachable corollary......"we wash our hands every day; now we never wash our feet."......Personally regarded, the illustration may have been a forcible one as implying a general and immutable domestic habit it is a non sequitur.

I have long felt-and have taken constant occasion to express my conviction-it is a heavy blow and a great discouragement to a noble national sport, that as it were by conventional agreement between those who uphold and promote it, the turf should have become a recognized channel for gambling. To such as may question the fact here assumed I take leave to offer

"One modern instance more."

The journals of the 24th of March last contained reports of a meeting of the magistrates of the parish of St. Martin's for granting and renewing licences to public houses. At this meeting application for continuing the licences were refused in three instances, on the grounds that the landlords had kept books showing the state of the odds at the bars of their houses, where persons could at any time stake their money to any amount, receiving tickets for the sums paid."...... One of the houses which was refused a renewal of its licence was the Salisbury Arms, Durham-street.......Mr. Searle, the landlord of it, said, that acting upon the opinion of the magistrates twelve months ago, he had done away with betting lists, and Mr. Greville, the clerk of the council, had then suggested to Mr. Davis the book in question as a substitute. Mr. Searle

also said, in answer to the magistrates, that he got not a farthing upon the bets, the only thing being the connection (!) it brought to his house ; and that more than one hundred thousand pounds had passed through his hands in the course of last year, for bets laid by Mr. Davis.

The party who is here stated to have suggested the substitution of "books" for the prohibited betting lists is Mr. Charles Greville, a member of the Jockey Club, and one of the Clerks in Ordinary to Her

Majesty's Privy Council; and the Mr. Davis alluded to is "the leviathan of the ring," having the reputation of being the heaviest professional bettor that has appeared upon the turf. I do not, of course, vouch for

the truth of this report; but on the faith of the journal in which it was published it is entitled to be received as a fact, as it has not, I believe, been contradicted. Here then we have an individual of condition and influence lending his countenance and giving his counsel to promote heavy professional betting on horse-racing. No wonder, then, that the chorus of legs multiplies exceedingly, or that "they say this town is full of cozenage."...... Presently we will enlarge on this latter-day bubble, the ring. We will examine its machinery, its jobbing-studs, its book firms, its odds confederacies, the craft and subtlety of bookmaking......

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Time is an architect whose style is ever changing......

"Diruit, ædificat, mutat quadrata rotundis."

Creation's heir "the world" is his; to-day he strikes down monarchies, to-morrow sets up monosyllables. The Pope disappeared from Rome on the day that I first met with the word " myth" in the columns of a morning paper. Johnson makes no mention of such a part of speech, neither does the latest edition of " Maunder's Treasury of Knowledge," which, however, may have preceded the publication of the Doctor's dictionary, inasmuch as we read in it of " Chester and Holyhead being the principal places for taking shipping for Dublin." Asking pardon for the digression, (to which humanity compels me,) I hasten to inform any traveller about to act upon this statement in the Treasury, that should he proceed to Chester with a view to take shipping for Dublin, it is very probable the authorities of that ancient city may feel it their duty to detain him till they hear from his friends. To return to our “myth,” nobody heard of it till the other day, but now it's a staple emphasis— a household word with every "serial" (another very recent philological innovation, by the way). I don't know what put "myth" into my head when I was about to speak of a mixed meeting, unless it was that they are both novelties of the season......." To our tale."

The myth-that is to say, the racing miscellany which first craves our notice, is the "Northamptonshire Pytchley Hunt Meeting," which commenced on Wednesday, the 3rd ultimo. It was a brilliant sporting tryst. The material will speak for itself its characteristic was described by one of the weekly newspapers-" Betting was awfully slack." Fair weather and fair company gave it eclât: it was the beau ideal of rural England at her diversions. The racing opened with the Trial Stakes four went, and old Collingwood, with his gouty stockings on, won as he pleased. The Harlestone Produce Stakes, for three-yearolds, eleven subscribers, brought a trio to the post: the betting was from 6 to 7 to 1 on Bee-hunter; nothing else named: however, Lord Exeter's Clelia, according to the custom of the stable, unless "dis aliter visum," took the lead from the start, kept it to the finish, and, after a smart set-to, which the "crack" somewhat "fived," won by "a long head." Now came the Great Northamptonshire Handicap this

was one of the two events of that ilk which had drawn down the indignation of the talents: you heard on every hand that the Northamptonshire Handicap was made for one aristocratic stable, and the Metropolitan for another: "Maharatta"-wrote an influential authority-" 5st. 11lb., is the Cheerful' of the handicap; for if, having been beaten once on the only occasion the latter ran in public, she was turned loose' with six stone on her back as a four-year-old, what are we to say to Maharatta, who in the only engagement for which he ever contended was the winner, and now has the back-breaking weight of 5st. 11lb., 3lb. less than Cheerful, to carry ? All we can reply is, that the owner has a right to take advantage of the incapacity of the handicapper, who certainly has as much overlooked Maharatta in this race as Cheerful is said to have been forgotten in the Epsom and Newmarket events with such a weight, and second at the post, who can doubt that Maharatta must be in the front rank at the finish?" Of the 118 subscribers nineteen brought their steeds to the post : Priestess, with 40 to 1 against her, and no backer, won, and after a fierce struggle Maharatta was last-absolutely "boots"-" occupet extremum scabies."......The favourite at starting was Osterley, at 7 to 2; Maharatta, having been tried a few days before the race, was found to be good for nothing. Anon we'll deal with the Cheerful certainty. The Open Stakes had half-adozen nominations-and runners: a fine race between Iron Crown and Watchdog ended in favour of the former by a head. Retail won the Queen's Plate, beating Nutbrown, Van Dieman, and Borneo in a canter. Forest Lad was first for the Farmer's Cup, but Little Houghtonsecond-got it, the " Lad" not being "to the matter born,"—and the list was run out.

Thursday, because of evil skiey influences," was not the gala that its predecessor was. The first race, hight The Tally-ho Stakes, came off a match ridden by Captains Broadley and Little, the former winning in a canter on Legislator. The Pytchley Stakes, for three-year-olds, brought out half-a-dozen of the eleven named. Compass, from the Goodwood stable, won, with a vast deal to do-the lot well together. Earl Spencer's Plate-Handicap, 15 sovs. each, and 100 added-like its successor, the Great Northamptonshire-had a field of nineteen at the post. Several were backed, the best being Crucible, at 5 to 2. A good set-to between Brennus and Alonzo ended in favour of the former by a head. One of the party, Diligence, fell at the distance, and a man was run over, and severely injured, who went to the assistance of Plummer, the boy that rode her: The Althorp Stakes, for two-year-olds, brought out nine-Buckhound being on the average at even with the field, and the worst fancied at 8 to 1 was the filly by Slane out of Receipt. This the despised of the ring-came away in front, made her own pace, ditto ducks and drakes of her adversaries, and won by three lengths in a canter. Is Fortune about to make compensation for the Sting at Doncaster ? The Northamptonshire Cup Stakes was run a match-Doubt, 6 to 4 on her, winning in a canter. A chicken handicap followed, for which three ran, and which Salute won by a neck, and so finished one of the best meetings that is written in the annals of the Northampton and Pytchley Hunt Races.

Catterick Bridge, occurring as it does on the first and second days of April, ought to have had precedence of Northampton. A race meeting

in this especial district of the turf is rarely a failure, under whatever auspices it takes place. Catterick, for temporary causes, was rather below the average on its last anniversary. The present Olympian policy does not permit more than one good meeting in the week. The sport was ample, if not-first-rate. Raby won the Brough Stakes, beating Foreclosure, second, cleverly, and four others. The Shorts-a twoyear-old stake-brought out half-a-dozen, and was won by a length by England's Glory, despite a very bad start. The Filly Stakes-for three-year-olds-had four starters. The winner was by Auckland out of Atalanta-an easy victory; Gardenia second. The Revival Handicap— twenty-five subscribers and half-a-dozen runners-was the most sporting event of the day. Glen Saddel, backed at 2 to 1, won eleverly by a length. Last but one was the ancient Thomas Lye, on Alp. It is time that Tommy left off satin attire, crocus smalls, and such like vanities; they no longer become him, by any means. The Second Easby Triennial Produce Stakes-twenty-four subscribers, and four of them at the post-gave to the ring Neasham-even against the field; he won by a neck, which was close shaving, under the circumstances. The First Easby Triennial Produce Stakes was a walk over for The Italian. How is it that this "animal" has no status in the odds? You read him quoted at 16 and thereabouts, but does anybody back him? has he any friends? Wallace was to have tried him for this, but "being in arrear for stakes," it was 66 no go. Tuesday's list commenced the Speculation Plate of 30 sovs.; seven starters. Foreclosure was first in the odds and second in the race, the winner being Andalusian. Tommy Lye rode Billy Brown-it's well it wasn't "Billy Button." The Claret for three-year-olds, half-a-dozen subscribers and half of them at the post-Lord Zetland won with Cantab: it was but a canter for him: Green was second with Seignor of Holderness: when is the stable to throw in ? The Tally-ho Stakes-amateur-was contested by a trio, whereof Mr. W. Harhood on Fleur de Seine was the best by three lengths. The Italian being suffered to walk over for the Seignor Stakes, the Champagne wound up the meeting. Three went, and French Susy cantered home first by a couple of lengths. The little goes at Lewes and Canterbury were without public interest; we pass, therefore, to another week.

"

Croxton Park is a hybrid; three parts amateur and one part professional. It had a feature or so apropos of racing, and in its rural charaeteristics there was much that was English and gratifying. Thursday, April the 9th, was the first day. The sports began with The Farmers' Plate; heats, and a field of eighteen. Mr. Andrew Lidd Larratt won it in three heats with Granby; it was not a very spirited exhibition. The Belvoir Castle Stakes, for three-year-olds, had fifteen subscribers, and a quartet at the post. They laid from 2 to 3 to 1 on Penang, and he won, but not as he "ought to did" at the price. To be sure it might have been a 66 gammon ;' we should never let our right hand know what we're doing with the left. The Scurry was run a trio. The Fiddler, ridden by Mr. White, won by three lengths; but the ring wouldn't have him at a bargain. The Granby Handicap, fifty-four subscribers, after the usual routine of declarations and forfeits, mustered a field of eight. Backbiter was the favourite at 6 to 4, and he deserved the prestige in his favour, for he took the lead and kept it,