We have now drawn to the conclusion of one of the most successful seasons of hunting ever chronicled in the annals of the chase; and by the time these remarks appear before the readers of this magazine Masters of Hounds will have ceased to advertise their appointments; not to lead a summer of idleness, but to prepare for another, and, let us hope, an equally favourable winter. If the increasing popularity of fox-hunting is determined by the numbers who attend at the covert side, and the unanimous preservation of foxes, than which there can be no evidence more conclusive, it is year by year gaining strength. It would be amusing, if it were possible, to collect the inward movements which instigate many gentlemen to hunt; and I was somewhat surprised at a remark made to me a few days since. The person who made it related many of the splendid runs he had witnessed, and apparently with great pleasure; but he summed up with the observation that "the season was nearly over, which would afford an opportunity for doing a little delightful equestrianism in Hyde Park." A poor compensation for hunting!" I exclaimed. "Oh!" replied my friend, " I think that is the most agreeable portion of the year when London presents all sorts of gaieties and attractions. It is a wise dispensation of Providence that all men are not actuated by the same propensities and appetites.

Those who have enjoyed fox-hunting to satiety will find other objects for excitement, and racing will afford an ample scope for their amusement. The great event to be decided on the banks of the Roo Dee offers an unparalleled field for mental speculation, whatever it may with respect to betting. Who can be named to beat Mr. Parr! was an exclamation prior to the Epsom and Newmarket Meetings to which it was difficult to give a reply. Which was the real Simon Pure of his strong stable?-a question more incapable of solution. Very likely if he were to train a donkey he would infuse into him the speed and endurance of an Eclipse. Without joking, he certainly prepares his horses in an extraordinary manner. They can run all distances; those which, under different treatment, could not stay beyond a mile, can run any length he requires of them. His success at Salisbury adds another spray of laurels to his cap-and jacket. The manner

in which Weathergage defeated Joe Miller is a great accomplishment, and it exemplifies the nice discrimination of Mr. Topham between the two horses for the Chester Cup. The latter horse has declined the engagement, while the former has accepted; but the eight pounds which Weathergage was appointed to accede to Joe Miller would have placed them very nearly together, and in every probability turned the scale against the victor at Salisbury. I do not attempt to extend my remarks with reference to other horses, with the exception of Lady Evelyn, which mare, on the first publication of the weights, was supposed to be so very favourably regarded; with that impression, however, I was never disposed to concur. It is well known that horses do not improve in speed after six years old; in fact, they generally go off. A great improvement often takes place between three and four years old in the property of endurance. Giving Weathergage credit for that advance to the extent of twenty-three pounds, a fair calculation, it would place him and Lady Evelyn at equal weights for the May encounter, after their relative positions for the Cesarewitch; then, presuming that her speed might be diminished, and further taking into consideration the peculiar state of mares generally in the spring of the year, a period when her ladyship has usually evinced those unfavourable symptoms, adding to these her defeat at Newmarket-upon mature consideration, the weights could scarcely be more equitably adjusted; giving, perhaps, just the turn in favour of the mare. I will not pretend so much as to hint at the probable winner of the Chester Cup-it is not my province to do so. To attempt soothsaying, either with reference to racing or the weather (one of which is nearly as uncertain as the other), must betray an infelicitous forgetfulness of past events, and the casualties connected therewith. Such ebulitions of the imagination I have never indulged in. Sportsmen may be supposed to be weatherwise-some may be expected to know what will, and what will not win a race. Touching the latter, no doubt there are those who do; but it would be presumptuous to say whether snow or sunshine will prevail when the Chester Cup is run for. I remember seeing Bloomsbury win the Derby, on the 15th of May, 1839, during a heavy fall of snow; but I never heard that either racing savons or others prophesied such a condition of the elements at that time.

TURF PENCILLINGS.

BY THE DRUID.

Preliminary Canter-Northampton, Croxton, Catterick, Epsom, Newmarket Craven, York, and Malton Meetings-" Wellington, 3 yrs."-The 2,000 gs. dayDerby nag rumours.

Having, as the algebra-grinders say, "written out all my book-work" last month, I now proceed steadily to the business of the season. What I have "seen visibly with my very eyes," I shall tell with as little artificial colouring as possible; and what I have not seen, I shall either leave alone, or sketch in the words of those sporting spectators, who have kindly favoured me with their thoughts thereon.

It has been urged against History, that it is too often little more than

a mere invoice list of battles. I shall try and redeem my turf history from the risk of incurring such a criticism. To doggedly follow the Calendar step by step through contests good, bad, and indifferent, would be as idle a stern-chase, as that of a certain Mr. Vernon-of enthusiastie memory-who ran nine miles after one butterfly. Hence, I shall only notice the races of most interest, or those of them which contain horses who paint themselves on my own or my friends' retinas, as likely to move their legs to some purpose hereafter.

- Jack Frost did Lincoln a very good turn this year, by throwing her meeting back to a more seasonable time. The fields and sport were generally good, and the Jewess--a smart made filly, but rather littleretrieved the laurels in the Two-Year-Old, which were once thought, by "Cunning Tom," to be in store for her at Doncaster. The meeting is at last in capital hands, and fairly under weigh. No one exerted himself more to secure its prosperity this year than the worthy chief magistrate; and it was rather too bad of Ringleader, after all his patriotic efforts, to administer to him the stinging a posteriori salute which he did.

Anything more exhilarating than the appearance of the morning on which we swept out of Euston Square Station, in the Northampton special, we seldom remember in our racing days.

The first great Handicap of '53 was put on the stage under an almost Italian sky, and in the presence of the largest company of shoemaking free-traders, and bullock-feeding protectionists, that ever met for a race revel in Northamptonshire.

The cards and telegraph were inferior; but that pink of huntsmen, Charles Payne, with his two neat whips, and Mr. Payne's second horseman, kept the course with a tact and courtesy which many others might do well to imitate. In the trial stakes, Longbow had it all his own way as soon as he chose to come, and although not grown, he is more furnished and "more handsome-like" than he was last year; while Conmore is a smart horse, with a good crest, and seems to have rather strained back to some Arabian ancestor. Lord Southampton's Stake did not produce anything like a worthy field. The filly, by the Hero out of Joe Miller's dam (the first, we believe, of his get which has appeared in public), was a living likeness of him, both with her straight thighs, spiry top, and smart quick step. Wire was very useful, but plain, and we were disappointed with the look of the Lady Audrey and Brigliadoro, as both of them were extremely narrow and slight. The former is very small and pretty, and with nice springy pasterns, and, like all the Pantaloons, possessed of good speed. Brigliadoro is considerably taller, but short in the body, and longish on the leg. His front ones were bandaged, and decidedly suspicious, the pasterns being very short and straight. He ran, however, uncommonly game, and came stepping back to scale as if nothing had happened. We opine, however, that his turf career will not be a very lengthened one. He owed his easy victory, so we thought, not a little to Ashmall, who seemed to forget the 3 lb. extra," and was rather too much in a hurry to get home on her Ladyship.

It seemed as if horses would never have finished saddling for the great event of the day; but really many of them would be dear at the 37 pony which was deposited as their stake. Alp was in a plain snaffle, and in very hard condition; and Dabchick looked a very badly-knit

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piece of hack-flesh for all Newmarket to swear by. Madeline was a mere herring-gutted screw, and Postulant a tall, narrow, and miserable clothes-horse. Her hair seemed "to be looking all ways for Sunday," and one might have fancied that William Day or his lieutenant had been in the daily habit of defrauding her of her oats. Lucio is a plain lazy slug, and looked rough in his coat, and not one whit improved since last year. Kingston was full of his nervous skittishness, and seemed somewhat thickenned. We do not, however, fancy that his party had any idea of winning with him. If Teddington, with his powerful loins, could not face the hill under 8st. 13lbs., he most assuredly could not expect to do so. Happy Joe, and Hobby Horse, quite bore away the palm, as far as condition went. The former is cast in a fine stout mould, and is the very fac-simile-except, perhaps, about the thighs of his father, Lanercost. He looks a regular Beacon Course nag, and is slow and lazy to boot. The latter is rather a flash and softlooking horse; very gaudy about the legs, which are a trifle long, and possessed of a very bountiful blaze on his Roman head. Charley, who wore blinkers, was, however, one of the finest animals of the lot, and likely, if he does not shine much on the turf, to become a very useful "light of the harem." Hambletonian looked the clever short-legged hunter to the life; but he "wanted more time," and had not pace enough, even with 6st. 5lbs., to reach the second ruck of horses at any part of the race. Defiance had a more raking stride than any of them, and with all his courage he seemed as gentle as a lamb. He is not unlike his father in his forehand, but rather longer and more stallion like in the neck than we love to see them. His quarters are rather shabby, and his tail is strictly to match; but he is tall, has plenty of length to boot, and his legs seem sound. He had not the beautiful satin coat of Hobby Horse, which was bright enough for the Ex-Premier to shave himself by. Scott had just such another coat polish on to Leopold, at Ascot, last year. Mr. Parr is above elegancies, and looks only to the main chance, and hence his nag's mane was unplatted, &c. He threw a plate in the race, and as Weathergage drew up near him, at the back of the course, to make him "stand at ease as the Vulcan operated, we could not help reflecting how, just one year ago, Mr. Parr had discovered, on that very course, that his Clothworker's powers were exhausted at last; and yet here he stood, proprietor of two brilliant "cast-offs" (Mr. G. Payne made just the same sort of mistake by selling Collingwood) from the stables of the two "cleverest" members of the Jockey Club. Well may he say "great is Dame Fortune, and Tom Parr is her prophet." Weathergage did not seem any bigger, but decidedly handsomer. His quarters, loins, and thighs are immensely powerful, and his mode of going very neat and creeping. There was no pace till they neared the Spencer Post; and hence, Marlow had to work at him all the way home with very great energy, and to prick him severely on the near side. Deerhound is a very well grown horse, not unlike Defiance, and Convulsion seems to have stopped growing at last; but although he lays himself down to his work in earnest, he is not a very clean galloper. Frantic was also no bigger, and in equally high trim; in fact, we never saw him look better, and he has been the first to "skin the lamb in a Triennial Stake. 1 miles is most to his

taste.

Thursday was, if possible, a pleasanter day, as far as atmosphere went.

The Cup race was only a feeble affair, and my Earl Spencer's Plate very much the contrary, as 18 out of 27 on the card "stood in." Llanforda struck us as a light edition of Selina; Warbler looked all neck and no back; and Katty Darling was quite of the broken-backed order of architecture. Fame-barring her lop ears-was a pretty low and lengthy animal, but with no great wear and tear about her, and quite the reverse of King of Trumps, who looked very blooming, and is a sturdy fine-thighed horse, with plenty of length, and short legs, a great Roman-nosed Velocipede head, and his old tendency to run to barrel. The winner was, however, the pride of the field, and we have no hesitation in saying that he is by far the most beautiful animal we ever looked over. He would be all the better if he stood on legs of an inch shorter, and if he could not only dispense with those immense "white stockings" on the near ones, which showed so conspicuously at the head of a field of 33 on Teddington's Derby day, but also learn to turn his toes in a little more. Still, as a horse (we do not say as a race-horse), there is not one which we should be so proud to show to "a distinguished foreigner." We should think that he must be quite 16h 1 inch, and the beauty of his crest is only exceeded by his quarters. He gave away 60lbs. for his two years; and his unflinching stride, as Bartholomew, with a stroke of his whip, which might have startled the foxes in Badby Wood, called upon him to go up and finish, was a sight perfectly splendid to see. A horse finishing a head first, under 9st. 7lbs. in a handicap, is no ordinary occurrence now-a-days. The motive which prompted the Hambleton stable to strip Kingston for the paltry Delapré Stakes, was, to us, perfectly inscrutable; as winning against such a miler and something more as Longbow, was only to "gain a loss," as far as future handicaps were concerned, and there was nothing to be gained by a defeat, as the T.M.M. is well known to be very much nearer their pet's distance than a mile course. A horse with his long slanting thighs is seldom very fast for a short distance, and he is no exception to the rule. However, he looked in beautiful trim, and, as usual, sounded a trumpet before him during the saddling operations, and danced about like a kitten on his parade. It was all up with him the noment Longbow challenged, and Basham rode him very tenderly, and did not prick him on either flank. As for Longbow, we believe that if Earl Derby liked to look at him, he would run two races a day for a month, and never be off his feed. The Althorp park, as in '51, produced some very nice animals. The Hero colt was very like his sire, and we have a fancy that this horse will get his stock all after one type, and that not a very good one, and have to emigrate before many more seasons have gone over his head. Epaminondas was a faulty juvenile edition of Ephesus; and Naomi was a decidedly handsome and gaudy lady, something after the cut of her sire; while the John o'Gaunt colt (if we remember rightly) was roundish, and rather inclined to droop in the back. We rather liked the Hetman Platoff filly; and Nightshade was smart and pretty, but with no great improvement about her. Mr. Payne's filly was a thick and short little cob, and Domino very handsome, but rather leggy. We shall look out for this gentleman, whose day, if we mistake not, is to come. Rally was a very neat filly, but Margaretta was a very feeble little specimen of the Burleigh stud. The winner was a glorious creature; "( as long as a town," and not too long on the leg. We did not know his pedigree, but we said to a friend