Liberator. ،، crack.

Conyngham, 5 to 1 against Christopher, and a point more against the Mr. Mostyn started Gabbler to make running for his The first moiety of the ground was done at very moderate speed, albeit Gabbler was doing his devoir; the half score, in fact, came together to the bushes, and, as the pace improved somewhat down the fall, it disposed of Christopher forthwith. In the bottom Planet and Conyngham cleared themselves of the others, and evidently had the issue between them; but which should divide it seemed doubtful. Planet entered the ropes first, and carried his lead half way up them; there Robinson began-got his horse up with the leader, gave him a taste of the steel, and finally sent Conyngham in first by a length in very racing-like form. The finish was but a straggling affair, Chris topher being among the "scabies." As a Derby trial, surely this can by no means rank with many of its predecessors. When we saw Glencoe run in by-gone days, and the way in which Plenipo subsequently disposed of him, we read pretty distinctly the fate of the Epsom contest. But then in that instance both those splendid colts were as fit as nature and art could make them. Planet, it was obvious, was quite under the mark; should he go into Surrey he will, at all events, make the end more questionable, as he shall be more or less in his right form. The remainder of the day's running calls for no especial notice, except, indeed, the closing feature-a Sweepstakes of 300 sovs., 100 ft., five subs., for four-year-old colts and fillies, B.C.-run a match, for which the winner, Mowerina, walked in!

WEDNESDAY.-They took 5 to 1 about Conyngham for the Derby, and a point more about Van Tromp, and played a little with the Chester Cup, for which Jinglepot was hors de combat ; but it was sorely under the average of the preceding afternoon. There was a good deal of confusion created by the second race-a sweepstakes of 50 sovs. each, all forfeit, for three-year-olds not engaged in either the 2,000gs. or 1,000gs. Stakes-which, however, was ultimately walked over for by Dr. Goodall. After this came the great match for 1,000, h. ft., between Alarm and The Traverser, in which the latter received 14lbs. Alarm was freely backed at 7 to 4, but was out-paced all the way, and finally beaten by several lengths. Lord Glasgow then won a sweepstakes of 200 sovs. specie with Conspiracy, beating Humdrum and lago, who broke down-good, honest servant; and a Fifty Pounds Plate brought the list to an end, a brace of matches having paid. In the evening Conyng ham still found supporters at 5 to 1, while Van Tromp's price was treading fast on his kibes.

THURSDAY.-This was the second best day of the week, but still far from such a gala as Tuesday. All the betting people were present, and most of the racing clique; and thus business-as speculating is called— was sufficiently rife. It was well known that the field for the One Thousand Guineas Stakes would be a small one-in fact only five out of the thirty nominations came to the post; still we were not without something to keep up the pulse, as will be seen in the sequel. The circle" in the street" was sufficiently active at noon, wagering away about the Derby, or the Chester Cup, or the race for the day, just as a customer might turn up. The scene on the heath opened with a sweepstakes of 100 sovs. each, h. ft., for three-year-olds--run a match between Red Hart and Epirote, with 5 to 1 on the latter, and won by the

former. They gave many versions, of course, of this new reading, but the fact probably was that the pace was too good for the loser. He seemed to give up all at once, as if his last breath was pumped out, and then to stand still was all that was left for him. A little handicap sweepstakes having fallen to the lot of Lord Exeter-whose star has long ceased to be in the ascendant-the Thousand Guineas came on for discussion. As it would affect the Oaks betting in an important degree, though probably without in the end at all affecting that race, the interest excited was considerable, Slander still all the fancy, and backed at 5 to 4 on her; Clementina was at 3 to 1, Brown Bess at the same odds, and 7 to 1 agst. the Emerald Isle. Like the Two Thousand, it began at a very poor speed, the Emerald Isle making the running-such as it was. They thus came half the distance, when Slander took the first place, and led--still at an indifferent pace-to the cords. Here Nat brought up Clementina, went faster, passed the favourite, and won by half a length without a struggle. Mr. O'Brien's mare was beaten off, the other two far from well placed. Such were the two crack events of the meeting far from the aspiring issues they have been whilom when a Bay Middleton or a Crucifix have shown how such fields ought to be won. Idas having won a match, an adjournment took place to the Round Course for the purpose of deciding the Queen's Plate for fouryear-olds and upwards. This brought out a trio-Wolfdog the "pot,' at 5 to 1 on him. However, Humdrum won, whereat the fielders lifted throats of brass in thanksgiving, and made merry in the prodigality of their luck-two fives to one in a day! The sport wound up with a 10 sovs. Sweepstakes, of no moment to any but the winner, and not much to him, seeing it was the Duke of Bedford. In the evening, for the Derby, they made Van Tromp once more first favourite at 5 to 1, the odds a point more about Conyngham. I say little about the Derby betting, and less about that on the Chester Cup, because the latter event will be over before this paper sees the light; the former will be more conveniently dealt with in a summary of the changes which were brought about in its several rotations during the meeting now under consideration.

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FRIDAY.-Though the sport was limited on this, the last day, it was not without interest; for whether you would or not, they insisted the Newmarket Stakes was a race of high caste. After a scurry for a 10 sovs. Handicap Sweepstakes, which Vert Vert won, and a Sweepstakes of 50 sovs. each for three-year-old fillies, won by the Duke of Bedford's Bridle, people went down to the stables to see the field for the great affair of the day. It consisted of half a dozen of no public fame--and not much private pretension. In the ring they were taking 6 to 5 about Cossack, 5 to 4 about War Eagle, and long odds would have been given against anything else. The pair thus picked out indeed had it all to themselves. They ran together in front all the way, made a resolute set to at the cords, which War Eagle liked too little to continue, and, throwing up his game, left the Cossack an easy victory. It was so far a remarkable performance that the stars played the whole of it, but was it so very brilliant an achievement in the abstract? War Eagle afterwards defeated Cutaway in a match for a rouleau, and the meeting terminated after five days of sterling sport. The lists contained thirty-one

events, and the walks over were not very many. We now come to the "policies" of the First Spring Meeting for

the year of grace 1847. It will be as well to begin with the financial proposition which had its origin in that occasion-I allude to the all-important settling-day for the Derby. This, according to the decree of the committee for managing the affairs of Tattersall's, was for the future to be the Monday next following the Epsom meeting, instead of Tuesday, as heretofore. Had the proposal been for the Wednesday, or for the Monday week next ensuing, it would no doubt have found many supporters; but being for a forestalling of payments, of course it was negatived. The rumours which were current in town as to a movement anent the Port Stakes, run for in the Craven week, produced no overt act on the part of the high tribunal applicable to such cases. At all events, the Jockey Club made no sign in reference to that untoward event. Of the tokens that were manifest, the chief were the fortunes, or rather the reverses, of the great public favourites for the great public races-the Derby and Oaks. Early in March, Planet began to show prominently in the Derby betting, for which event he subsequently became first favourite. On his defeat for the Two Thousand he came down with a run, though it was notorious that when he went for that race he was in anything but his proper form. The policy as regarded his popularity was bad; and his treatment when he fell into disfavour was worse. He never ought to have been at the price he attained: it was surely unwise, however, to send him to the right-about so absolutely for losing a badly-run race at a time when he was unfit to start for it. The status in quo of the Derby market horses will very probably be essentially affected by events in course of decision when this sheet is passing through the press. The meeting at Chester will either throw a light on coming events, or cast a shadow upon them and the hopes that were linked with their results. We saw at Newmarket how little the winter had done for Epirote; we are anxious for an opportunity of canvassing what it may have accomplished for Van Tromp. The Dee Stakes perhaps may not be the best of trials for the great Surrey race, seeing that the course is a short one, not a mile and a quarter; but it is a criterion of one sort or other, and when a horse runs for a race, the public have an opportunity of ascertaining something about his condition-for example, whether he be lame or sound, in work or kept in a bandbox. Between the publication of this article and Epsom races, many and important alterations will take place in the list of animals backed and to be backed for their chief event. I cannot regard the present state of the odds as wholesome; the field ought to be better security than any three, yet three have been backed against it, for such are the odds when three horses are backed at 5 to 1 against each. At this writing the market is undoubtedly in favour of the fielders, whatever turn the operations on the Roodee may give to it.

The Oaks comes still more unequivocally into this category. It is always an accident when a mare is brought out fit, quite in her true form, between May-day and Michaelmas. For this reason, I cannot see why so much account was taken of the defeat of Slander for the Thousand Guineas Stakes. Her two-year-old promise was very

* Since this paragraph was in type, we have had a new first favourite for the Derby.-ED.