STALLIONS. GS. Ratcatcher, by Langar, out of Rufina (sister to Velocipede). He is a sure foal. getter, and his stock large, with fine action ..... The Libel, by Pantaloon, out of Pasquinade (sister to Touchstone), by Camel.. Mr. Hall, of Neasdon, bought The Libel. Ratcatcher goes to Spain. By private contract. Mr. Padwick has purchased Mr. Gerard Sturt's horses ; Lord Clifden, Hothorpe, of Mr. Hill ; and Mr. Morris the three-year-old, Patience, by Lanercost, of Mr. C. Harker, Mr. Wil. kinson has sold the two-year-old, Hurworth, for a couple of thousand, is said, to Mr. John Scott ; and Neasham, previous to his break down, to Mr. Blenkinson. Lord Glasgow is announced as the purchaser of the brood mares Brown Bess and Clarissa, both stinted to Orlandu, and Mr. Drinkald is now the owner of the yearling filly Empress, by The Emperor, vice Mr. Peck, who sells out. Mr. Hall, of Neas. don, has sold the stallion Peep-of-Day Boy to go to Russia. The Queen's Plate articles, that is as regards weights and distance, have just been revised by order of Lord Jersey, Master of the Horse. The alteration in the weights lets the old horses, five and six years old especially, more favourably in, while the abolition of heats is the chief feature of the other improvement; the lengths will generally remain the same. Guildford, however, is at last to lose its privilege, the Royal Guineas after this season being transferred to Epson. Stamford, too, is about to petition for Her Majesty's favour, as the oldest recorded race meeting we have, but “ the prayer," as yet, has not been presented. The Epsom settling, despite “the hard lines” for the book-makers, went off quite as well as could be expected. Of course one or two list gentlemen went off previously, and a rather curious scene occurred in the room. As it would seem rather a dangerous point to touch on, we. need only say that further particulars will be found in the opening paper of this number. The other business of the month has been chiefly confined to passing events—Ascot, Newcastle, and so on. We are enabled, however, to give the latest intelligence on the Goodwood Stake, which has so far resulted in a very satisfactory handicap, with a further taste of the Cup, St. Leger, and next year's Derby Goodwood Stakes (run July 28): 8 to 1 against Chief Justice, five years old, 8st. 7lbs. (the top weight); 13 to 1 against Houlakin, three years old, 5st. 3lb. ; 16 to 1 against Cariboo, five years old, 8st. 6lb. ; 20 to 1 against Haricot, five years old, 7st. ; 20 to 1 each against Champion, six years old, 6st. 10lb., Don Pedro, four years old, 6st. 71b., Backbiter, aged, 8st. 31b. ; and 25 to 1 against Scarecrow, three years old, 5st. 51b. Goodwood Cup (run July 30): 3 to 1 against Stilton, 4 to 1 against Kingston ; 8 to 1 against Little llarry, 9 to 1 against Hobbie Noble, 12 to 1 against Joe Miller, 20 to 1 against Heroine, and 50 to 1 against Teddington. St. Leger (run September 15): 6 to 4 against Daniel O'Rourke and Songstress. The Derby, 1853 : 20 to 1 against The Reiver, 22 to 1 against Cineas, 25 to 1 against Hurworth, and 33 to 1 against West Australian. EMBELLISHMENTS. SONGSTRESS-WINNER OF THE OAKS, 1852. 106 124 128 CONTENTS. Page. THE UNSUCCESSFUL MAN; OR, PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF TILBURY NOGO, ESQ. -BY FOXGLOVE. SONGSTRESS: WINNER OF THE OAKS, 1852-BY CASTOR . EXTRACTS FROM MY SPORTING JOURNAL IN THE SOUTH-THE * BAG" KAFFIR; OR A MELTONIAN IN THE “ BUSH''- BY THE AUTHOR OF “SCENES AND SPORTS IN POREIGN LETTERS FROM MY UNCLE SCRIBBLE A WORD ON GYMNASTICS-BY ATHLOTHETA AUNTING QUARTERS-BY MOUNTAINEER. ERNEST ATHERLEY; OR, SCENES AT HOME AND ABROAD.- A TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS : A FEW WORDS ON HIGHLAND LAKE TROUT FISHING; WITH A FEW MORE ON THE BRIGHT PROSPECTS OF THE APPROACHING GROUSE SEASON BY LITERATURE-BROOKLANDS: A SPORTING BIOGRAPHY FINE ARTS-FORIS's CONTRASTS-HARRY HIEOVER ON THE PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS OF THE METROPOLIS TURF REGISTER:-LAMBERTON-NEWTON-TENBURY —MAC- CLESFIELD- NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE -- CURRAGH JUNG MEETING-BIBURY CLUB-STOCKBRIDGE-WINCHESTER- RACES IN AUGUST. Blackley .......... 2, 3, & 4 Kinniel ............, 6! Lichfield ............ 16 & 17 Ripon................. 2 & 3 Wolverhampton .. 9, 10, & 11 ) Plymouth, Devonport, and Great Grimsby ........ 2 & ... 2 & 3 Great Yarmouth...... 10 & 11 Cornwall ...... .17 & 18 North Staffordshire .... 3 & 4 | Gloucester (Frog Castle) 10 & 11 | York ............ 18, 19, & 20 Chewton Mendip .......... 3 Hazel Grove ........ 10 & 11 Turm .... Down Royal .... ..... 3 Boulogne ................ 10 Radcliff.......... 23, 24, & Brighton ..... ... 4 & 5 iPhenix Park ... .. 10 | Egham ........... Barnet Fair... ...4 & 5 1 Roscon Mon .............. 11 Derby ......... 25 & 26 Edgware 5 & 6 Tonbridge. Stourbridge...... .. 30 & 31 Spalding.... ....... 5 | Reading ........... 11 & 12 | Eccles ...... Brighton Club .. 6 Coventry .................. 12 Balinrobe ... bungay. .... 6 Lynn .............. • 12 & 13 Lincoln 12 & 18 | Lincon ...... 31 THE RACING IN JULY. BY CRAVEN. “Quocirca vivite fortes, Fortiaque adversis opponite pectora rebus." HORAT, In after times, when reference shall be made to this instant epoch of the English turf, it will be spoken of as the Olympiad of exaggeration. “The earth hath bubbles”-as the Southsea of that ilk, rampant railwayism, and such like—"and this is of them.” The month of July, 1852, was all racing : meetings did not merely tread upon the kibes of meetings, but encountered each other face to face. To such kind friends as may haply inquire was the reviewer who indites this resumé present at them all, he anticipates an answer in the negative. Not being a member of that ornithological family immortalised by the Hibernian naturalist Roache, it is inconvenient for him to be in two places at once, to say nothing of half-a-dozen. Perhaps science may assist locomotion out of this dilemma: it has already given us the Electric Telegraph, which wafts a thought to Paris before it has been conceived in London “And panting time toils after it-in vain." Why should we despair of ubiquity? Because reason is opposed to such a proposition, and the natural laws forbid an impossibility ? These are only natural rules, and there is no rule without an exception, which is a rule without an exception. The logic here may be obscure to the million, but the essayist is not bound to find brains for his readers. I met the following passage in the Quarterly a little while ago; and if I didn't deem it eminently perspicuous, am I to quarrel with Mr. Murray's serial ?...... “ The even-toed, hoofed mammals, or artiodactyles" (no relations to the spondees of prosody), “are shown to be characterised, amongst other structures, by having two trochanters to the femur; and equally divided astragalus; more simple premolars, and more symmetrically complex true molars : a more complex stomach, and more simple cæcum and colon. The odd-toed hoofed mammals, or perissodactyles, have more numerous and more variable true vertebræ, and the odd number of the hoofs is singularly associated with three trochanters in the femur and an unevenly divided astragalus.”....... There, take your breath, and tell me what the association between “ three trochanters and an uneven!y divided astragalus” is likely to convey to the mind-the recording power-the sturer of deductions—the muse of knowledge of Mr. Briggs the Bagman. The fact is, the world is not yet out of its swaddling clothes-by-and-bye everybody will know everyıbing : Briggs will be familiar with the affinity between “ trochanters ” and “astragali ;” and he who pens periodical papers like these presents, will see clearly the propriety of social sympathy with a system that confers impunities to riflc communities the privilege of the turf in the middle of the nineteenth century. "Quocirca vivite fortes, Portiaque adversis opponite pectora rebus." Some twenty race-meetings within a series of four weeks proclaim with sufficient emphasis the current popularity of our great national sport; they also suggest the necessity for dealing with them upon the Horatian epic principle. Up to June inclusive the running was far more unsatisfactory than in the general average of our vacillating seasons-in the majority of instances of account it was—wading. The mise en scene at Ensom and Ascot could not have been better suited to such an animal as Daniel O'Rourke, had it been furnished to order. I don't mean to say it was not the jockey that won the Derby, nevertheless it inust be admitted that the weather was a most important auxiliary. The issue of the Emperor's Plate was eloquent of that glorious uncertainty for which Olympian policy is proverbial : it is not too much to assert that up to the last week in June the exception was when the best won. Apropos of those final seven days—their uliinate occasions were Carlisle races, which extended to the first ult. ; ditto, Chelmsford ; ditto, Ilsley Aristocratic Meeting; Ludlow, Kniglton, et cetera! These trysts, with their heats and such like appliances, would fill a pretty little book calendar of themselves...... The opening scene of the July turf was at Salisbury, where, among other instances of interest, occurred the sport for the City Bowl, in four heats! The Honble. Sidney Herbert being about to dispose of leis stud, there will be a further opening for leather-platers of enterprise and spirit. Next year we may perhaps have evening performances on the race-course-Goodwood by gas-light would be very effective, Newmarket July week commenced on the 6th and "extended” to |