old lady was placed by the side of the elegante. I offered her my place on the front seat, and in a moment I took her station. In a minute or two, my beautiful neighbour, taking advantage of her husband's eye being turned, pulled off a glove to re-adjust her comb, and suffered her Cachemire again to fall off one shoulder, which she gathered round under the arm; and the husband being on the other side, could not observe the fact; so the glove and the shawl remained off during the rest of the performance. I had not an eye to the stage. On rising to depart, the husband said, " Perhaps I have a little chagrined you, my dear, your robe is so beautiful --but your health is every thing." "O! I have given you pleasure," she replied," and that is all to me." OBSERVATIONS ON THE FIRST AND SECOND OCTOBER MEETINGS AT NEWMARKET. To the Editor of the Sporting Magazine. SIR, HAVING some little acquaintance with, and predilection for, "the turf, I commonly take a ride to Newmarket, to see how things go on there, and which was the case at the two meetings of this month. If you think the following remarks on some of the stakes, matches, &c. then run, would add to the interest of your forthcoming Number, and should insert them, this may not be the last time you will hear from OBSERVATOR. Norfolk, Oct. 25, 1821. FIRST OCTOBER MEETING. MONDAY-the Trial Stakes, won by Lord Exeter's b. h. Sultan, beating five others. The Trial Stakes, in other days, used to have fifteen or twenty horses in it, and is in the October, what the Craven Stakes is in the Spring, merely a trial, to try trial horses, and is always run first in these meetings. And very often as these trial horses excel in this particular race, so do the young ones become favourites who have been tried by them in private. The most speedy horses are generally put into these stakes, as the distance is short, and better calculated to try the speed of younger ones. It might be said, how comes the young horse to be a public favourite, being tried by the trial horse in private? but in nine cases out of ten, if the scholar surpasses his master, with age, weight, &c. considered, his owner is in general so delighted with his prospects, that he immediately backs his horse for a sum of money; and as money "made the mare to go" in times of old, so does a sum of money laid out upon a young horse in the betting ring, never fail to make him a favourite. In the above race, Barmecide, Antar, and Sultan, were considered the speediest (particularly Barmecide and Sultan) of the present day; but Sultan winning so very easy, produced the subsequent match at the and him, decidedly now the two Second October, between Banker land, if not in the world. best horses in the south of Eng The Grand Duke Michael Stakes, wón by the filly Bittern. The Grand Duke Michael's Cup*, with about 3000gs. in it, beautiful without, and rich within, became very attractive, and (for the encouragement of those who keep bad horses) was won, it is supposed, * The Grand Duke Michael gave this Cup when in England, in consequence of dining at the Palace, Newmarket, during the races, and being so well pleased with them. The sportsmen of England also were so delighted with him, that they entered freely into so large a Stake, the greatest certainly for many years. The horses were foals at the time of naming. VOL. IX. N. S.-No: 49. E by a very moderate nag indeed. This supposition is borne out by her having some very bad horses close up to her head, and winning with the greatest difficulty; and if a 100gs. to 5 had been offered against her, it would not, in all probability, have been taken; so that Lord Grosvenor possesses this great treasure without that agitation and tremor often felt on such great occasions of glorious uncertainty, by the owner of a good horse fearing, that amongst so many, some one might have a better. There was no half forfeit in this case, so that nothing could be saved by not running, or, in all probability, this great prize would never have been given to Bittern. This cup is very large, and the usual shape of racing cups, but standing on a square detached pedestal, ornamented principally by designs from the Elgin marbles, which, in point of choice, do great credit to the maker, as they are so enthusiastically admired by a set of people certainly of great taste and knowledge, who admire them not the less for being more than a thousand years old. It would be worse than high treason to say these elegancies were defective, but some of the horses on the cup exhibit palpable errors, whether in the copies only or the originals, but as blundering certainly as if they had been committed only five hundred years ago, or last week; that is, if horses have always been horses. WEDNESDAY-a Gold Cup of 90gs. value, won by Mr. Batson's Rosi srucian. Mr. Batson put up the Cup he won at Yarmouth, and won it again.— The rest of the week's sport was trifling time away, and that only the major part of the horses being second or third raters, or even lower than that. Most of the old sportsmen were present, and a few new ones, but a miserable falling off amongst the holyday folks. SECOND OCTOBER MEETING: MONDAY-One-third of a Subscrip·tion of 25gs. each, won by the Duke of Grafton's b. c. Reginald. This, the first race of the week, was there was no betting about it, and very little interest excited. The Garden Stakes of 100gs. each, won won in a common canter : by Lord Jersey's Sporus. This stakes used to be considered a great event, and most of the best horses that could run the length were for the most part put into it. Not so this year, and two of the three horses came out of the same stable. After the race, no little disappointment was exhibited by some of the legs and others, as to the way in which the race was run-the winners arguing that a man has a right to do what he likes with his own. The losers, however, seemed to think differently. Sweepstakes of 200gs. each, won by Lord Exeter's Augusta. This was a very spirited race. Adolphus beat Augusta at Stamford, and Augusta beat Adolphus at Chelmsford. But Augusta won this race so very easy, that she must be considered decidedly the best racer of her year-looking also at the weight she gave in consequence of winning the Oaks stakes at Epsom. No horse or mare of the year has any chance of running with Augusta, except Jack Spiggot in the north. A match with him would set the lovers of turf pursuits all a-prancing. Gold Cup of 90gs. value, won by Lord Maynard's c. by Partisan, out of Gin. Of the four races on Tuesday, the Cup put up again by Mr. Batson, seemed to command the smiles of all the merry faces of Newmarket, in consequence of being won by Lord Maynard, where his Lordship seems a great favourite with all ranks, if one may judge from excessive jumping and shouting. This cup, which seems to have gone a-begging," is a very bold, rich, elegant thing. Wednesday and Thursday but little sport. Friday brought together Augusta and Ibla. Augusta won quite easy. She has no other engagement upon her this season, and is what they call given up.— Ibla ran a good mare, but has no chance where Augusta comes; in all lengths she seems to shew the same superiority. Of all races since Diamond and Hambletonian, Filho da Puta and Sir Joshua, nothing ever made so great a stir as the race on Friday between Sultan and Banker; and though the match was for only three hundred guineas, yet great sums in bets were depending on it. Only a day's notice of this match was given; had it been made known a month or two, probably the heath would have been as much crowded as it was on the occasions noticed above. There was little difference as to favoritism; whichever came forward of the parties to back their horse, made him a favourite. The event shewed their judgment, and the goodness of the horses-a finer race was never run. Banker made the play, which was very severe, so that Sultan dared not come up, or probably could not, till the last moment, when he just won, but with the greatest difficulty. Both horses finished full of running.The spectators seemed almost breathless, so much interest had this race excited, and the horses being so well known-Banker from his superlative beauty, goodness, and small size-Sultan from being bred at Newmarket, known to man, woman, and child, also from being what the Yorkshireman calls 'henspeckled,' namely, three white legs and a white face-a good runner for speed, and a very fine animal.. RICHMOND GOLD CUP. To the Editor of the Sporting Magazine. AS What is to become of men speculating upon their own judgment, and making play or pay bets upon the face of the entry, when gentlemen will not bring their horses to the post ? Are we to be gammoned out of the little we have, and laughed at after all? I say, Sir, it is too bad, and quite contrary to those rigid principles of honour, which some men profess. I will at present obtrude no further, but wait in expectation of your answer, and am, Sir, your humble servant, VETERINARY DR. MARSHall. South-street, Durham, Oct. 12, 1821. P. S. I wish to draw the attention of the higher circles of sporting, to the important circumstance of Doctor Syntax winning this year (a thing I assert from authority he had no right to do) the Richmond Gold Cup. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Numerous applications having been made for the Plates of this Magazine, the Publisher respectfully announces that he now takes off a few Proofs on India paper in quarto, which may be had separate from the Work, price 2s. each. He has also some impressions by him of the most esteemed subjects of the last four or five years. A Letter for Z. B. lies at the Publisher's. ERRATUM. In Mr. Cooper's Letter, page 16 of the present Number, near the end, for "who is at the head of the hunting establishment "read" a hunting,” &c. x 2 FEAST of WIT; or, SPORTSMAN'S HALL. A CAPUCHIN, in one of his sermons, had given offence to the lackeys of a nobleman, who, a few days after, invited him to dinner. The Franciscan, in the course of the repast, had repeatedly made signs to these varlets for the means of quenching his thirst; but the spiteful attendants did not choose to move. The patient friar bore this with good humour, till at last, taking hold of his girdle, or cordon,' he placed the end of it in the band of the servant nearest to him, saying with a significant smile, Conduisez-moi, a l'abbreuvoir' Lead me to the horse-pond. The quaintness of the application was instantly felt by the master of the house; a bottle of champagne was placed on the table at the side of the Capuchin, and the next day the offenders were dismissed. MB. Curran observing, one day in court, a crawling on a brother barrister's forehead, told him of it. "You joke," said the other. "If you have many such jokes in your head," replied Curran, "the sooner you crack them the better." NEW LOTTERY.-Advertisement from the Louisiana Gazette.—"A young man of good figure and disposition, unable, though desirous, to procure a wife, without the preliminary trouble of amassing a fortune, proposes the following expedient to attain the object of his wishes. He offers himself as the prize of a lottery to all widows and virgins under 32. The number of tickets to be 600, at 50 dollars each. But one number to be drawn from the wheel, the fortu nate proprietor of which is to be entitled to himself and the 30,000 dollars." who was very rich, and equally peA GENTLEMAN intreating another nurious, to sell him one of his saddle-horses, the latter answered, he was not disposed to sell it, but if he pleased, he might have it without paying a farthing. " But if I should say yes," said the gentleman, "what would you do then?" Why, then," says he, "I should say no.' A Punning Epitaph on and by a Punster.-A report having been circulated in the four Courts of the death of a certain great Law Lord, he himself was supposed to have been the author of it, for the purpose of affording him the opportu nity of giving the following lines to the public, and of enjoying the merit of them in his life-time :He's dead! alas! facetious punster, Whose jokes made learned wigs with fun stir; sent From Heaven's high court a tipstaff's * Lord Norbury's name. WINDOW WIT.-The following lines are written on a pane of glass in the window of an inn in Lancashire, remarkable for the number of dogs and women servants kept in the house: "Them that keeps more dogs tan hogs And more women tan men when." |