RACING IN ENGLAND.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1948, 22 May 1880, Page 4

RACING IN ENGLAND.

LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE. Geand National Steeplechase of 800 sovs, added to a Handicap Sweepstakes of 20 sovs each, 10ft; miles. Mr P. Ducrot's eh m Empress, by Blood Royal—Jeu des Mots, 5 yrs, lOst 71b (Mr T. Beasley) 1 Mr G. Moore's b g The Liberator, aged, 12st 71b (Mr G. Moore) 2 Col. Lloyd's gr h Downpatrick, 6 yrs, lOst 71b (Gavin) 3 Mr J. F. lee-Barber's b h Jupiter Tonans, aged, lOst 51b (Owner) 4 Regal, Shifnal. Wild Monarch. Woodbrook, Victor 11., Victoria, Gnnlock, Sleight of Hand, Dainty and St. George also ran. Betting—4 to 1 agst Regal, 5 to 1 agsfc Wild Monarch, 6 to 1 each agsfc Liberator and Downpatriok, 8 to 1 agst Empress, 12 to 1 agst Victoria, 15 to 1 agst Shifnal, 100 to 6 agst Woodbrook, 20 to 1 agsfc St. George, 33 to 1 agst Gunlock, and 50 to 1 agst Dainty. A splendid start took place at the first attwnpt. Downpatrick was firafc away, and was followed by Victoria and Woodbrook, with Liberator, Victor 11., and Shifnal in a cluster next, Wild Monarch, St. George, Eegal, and Dainty bringing up the rear, At the first fence Sleight of Hand refused, and in so doing caused Gunlock to fall. The leading lot, as they traversed the country for the second fenco, at which Begal came down and St. George refused, were Downpatrick, Empress, Woodbrook, Liberator, and Shifnal, with Wild Monarch and Jupiter Tonans heading the ruck. As they approached Beecher's Brook the long galloping suited Jupiter Tonans, who.'rushing to the head of affairs to serve Liberator, made play with a clear lead, Woodbrook and Viotoria being his nearest attendants. Little change occurred as they made the turn for Valentine's Brook, except that Empress kept tho company of her stable companion. They ran in shifting positions to the lane, and when fairly on the oouree for tho bush fenco, Downpatrick, Shifnal, Jupiter Tonmns, Woodbrook, Vic toria, Liberator, and Empress were running in a cluster. The bush fence was oleared by Downpatrick, Shifnal, Liberator, Victoria, and Jupiter Tonans in the order given, and no change occurred as they approached the water, over which Downpatrick still led, and was closely followed by Shifnal, Jupiter Tonans, Victor 11., Woodbrook, Empress, and Liberator. No mistake was made in the country, but in the big field before reaching Beecher's Brook Jupiter Tonans rußhed to the hoad of affairs and took a clear lead. Indeed as they made for Valentine's Brook he was fully one hundred yards ahead, Downpatrick, Shifnal, Victoria, Woodbrook and Empress in a cluster next. Little or no change occurred as they made for the racecourse, upon whioh Jupiter Tonans landed with a long lead, followed by Downpatriok, Victoria, Empress, and Liberator. On the straight the leader gradually tired, and he kicked the first hurdle down, where for a moment Downpatrick looked like winning; but Lberator and Empress were coming up hand over hand. The first to give way was Jupiter Tonans, and the lead was momentarily left with Downpatrick. At the lust hurdle Liberator came up to his girths, with Empress on the whip hand of the top weight. The weight told in the run home, and Empress at the stand came out full of running, and, stalling off all opposition, won easily by two lengths from Liberator and Downpatrick, the second money being gained by tho top weight by a head; two lengths away Jupiter Tonans was fourth, Woodbrook fifth, Wild Monarch sixth, Victoria seventh, Victor 11. eighth, Dainty a long way last; and then came Shifnal, who walked in last. Timo of the race, lOmin. 29seo. LIVERPOOL CUP. The Liveepool Spring: Cup of 400sovs, added to a handicap sweepstak°s of 20sovs each, 15 ft.; second receives 30sovs; one mile and quarter ; 45 sabs., 23 of whom pay Ssovs each. Captain Machell's b g Advance, aged, by Speculum, dam Progress, Bst 41b (car. Bst6lb) (P.Archer) 1 Duke of Montrose's b h Strathblane (5), by Kmgcraft, dam Moss Bose, 6st 61b (Bell) 2 Mr B. C. Naylor's br c Emperor litus (3) by Vespasian, dam Winnie, sst 111 b. (Greaves) 3 Gildeeroy, Cradle, Humbert, Chocolate, Othello, Lindrick, Beturns, Mr G. Lorrillard's br k Parole (aged) 9st 51bs (H. Jeffrey) Betting—9 to 4 agst Advance, 6 to 1 agst Chocolate, 100 to 15 agsfc Parole, 7 to 1 agst Humbert, and 10 to 1 each agst Gilderoy, Strathblane and Emperor Titus. After several breaks away Parole jumped off in front of Emperor Titus, Strathblane, Advance and Beturns, and made tho running for about a furlong, when he was pullod back, and Strathblane, a few strides afterwards, headed Emperor Titus, and by the time the mile-post was reached was making the running «ith bix lengths' lead of Othello, Emperor Titus, Advance, Cradle and Gilderoy in a cluster; Parole now being in the rear, with Eoturns. As they went to the Canal point there was no change in tho order, but Strathblane was now dashing along fully fifteen engths ahead. As they made for the straight Parele improved his p-sition, and was at the heels of the second division as they came into the straight. There Othello was beaten, and Emperor Titus was following Strathblane, who gradually came back as the distance was reached. At this point Emperor Titus was in trouble, and Advance took second place, while Parole, on the outside, became third. Opposite the stand Strathblane we,o in trouble, and Parole took a clear lead of Advance, who, coming again, finished on his whip hand, but the verdict was easily obtained by the American, who being eased in the last few strides, was only half alength to tho good at the winning post; a length between second and third. Emperor Titus was fourth, Cradle fifth, Chocolate sixth, Gilderoy seventh, and Beturns eighth ; the others walked in. An otvjeotion to the winner on the ground of a cross was obtained, and the race was awarded to Advance, who came n second. THE COMING RACING SEASON IN ENGLAND. [From tho "Pall Mall Gazette.".] When the question of turf reform was brought before the Jockey Club a rule was pussed that no race shall be run earlier than in tho week which includes the 25th of March, or later thnn in the week which includes tho 22nd of November. It was provided, however, thut in tho event of Easter following the week which included the 25th of March racing should be allowed to begin a week earlier,

Many people will be of opinion that racing commences too soon as it is, and it must be confessed that, with the exception of the principal races at Linooln and at Liverpool in the first week, the sport at these early meetings is of a very meagre kind. After the present week, there will be no fixture of importance before that at Northampton on the 6th and 7th of next month, the Midland gathering being succeeded the next week by the first of the seven meetings held at Newmarket. There are one or two valuable three-year-old prizes in the programme at Newmarket; but the handicaps to be run for there will not excite nearly so muoh interest as the City and Suburban Handicap run for at Epsom on the 22nd of April. The Epsom Spring Meeting has been lengthened to three days, and the City and Suburban Handicap has been transferred from the programme of the first to that of the last day. the Great Metropolitan Stakes, which used to follow it, now preceding it at an interval of twenty-four hours. The Sandown Seoond Spring Meeting occupies the remainder of that week, and on the following Tuesday the Newmarket First Spring Meeting brings with it the Two Thousand Guineas (Wednesday, April 28th), and the One Thousand Guineas (Friday, April 30th). Prince Soltykoff's Mask has, in the absence of the two Derby favourites, Bend Or and Robert the Devil, been in the most demand for the former of these two races since the death of Lord Anglesey rendered the nomination of Beaudesert null and void. The Ohestor Cup, whioh seems to have regained a little of its popularity, will be run for on the Wednesday following (May sth) ; and, with the exception of a meeting at Newmarket (May 11-13th) in whioh two-year-olds play the ohief part, there will be nothing of general interest before the Derby week, which begins on the 25th of May. The two unbeaten colts Bend Or and Robert the Devil are the best favourites for the great race of the year ; and if it was the oustom to bet upon the Oaks beforehand, Count de Lagrange's Ooeanie, who, like Bend Or and Robert the Devil, did not know defeat last season, would have the most partisans. The Grand Prix de Paris will be run for on June 6th, Robert tte Devil and Beudesert being the best of the English horses engaged, and it will be immediately followed by Ascot (Jnne 8-11 th) j after which there will be good sport at Newcastle, Stockbridge, and Newmarket in the interval of six j weekß which separates Ascot from Goodwood (July 27 30th). The York Meeting is set for August 24th and the two following days ; but it is soarcely likely that the Great Yorskshire Stakes will exercise such a capital influence upon the coming St. Leger as was the case last year, when Wheel of Fortune succumbed to Buperra. The Doncaster St. Leger will be run for on the 15th of September; and when tho last of the series of northern meetings has been got through, the venue will be changed to Newmarket, where at intervals of a week the three autumn gatherings will probably result in some of the best sport in the season. The programmes of these three meetings have very much strengthened of late years, and in addition to the Oosarewitch Stakes (run for on the 12th of October), the Middle Park Plate (run for on the 13 th), and the Cambridgeshire Stakes (run for on the 26th), there are two weight-for-age prizes which have £IOOO of added money, and many others to which half that amount is given. After the last of the Newmarket meetings has been got through, raoing will be carried on for another month at Lincoln, Liverpool, Shrewsbury, Warwick, and Manchester; and though the best three-year-olds and two-year-olds are not often seen out in November, the contests for such races as the Liverpool Cup and the Great Shropshire Handicap not unfrequently bring the season to a brilliant conclusion. RAOING IN FRANCE. Says the Paris correspondent of the " Daily News":— The racing season, properly so called, began at Rheims last week, and most of the principal owners of horses met in the capital of Champagne for the first time since last October. But the sport was only of a secondary order, and, though other races on the flat have already boen run for at the suburban gatherings, whioh are becoming a nuisance to the residents in the outskirts of Paris, the regular campaign will not be entered upon before next Monday, when the Paris Spring Races commence in the Bois de Boulogne. These races, held, like those at Chantilly and Fontainebleau, under the immediate patronage of the French Jcokey Club, will continue until the 9th of May, six races being run for every Sunday, while an extra day's sport will be given on the first Thursday in that month. All the races run for at this meeting are eonfined to horses bred in the oountry, and those which excite the most interest are the three-year-old prizes, the issue of which generally indicates the probable result of. the Prix du Jockey Club, or French Derby, at Ohantilly, and, so far as the French competitors are concerned, of the Grand Prize at Paris in June. Chiof among these races may be classed the Poule d'Essai, or French Two Thousand Guineas, run for on April 25th, three days before the decision of the Newmarket race of the same name, and the Grand Produce Stakes which brings the spring races to a conclusion. As two year-old racing is very wisely made illegal in France until August, and as handioaps are looked upon with disfavour, the races which next to the three-year-old events excite the most interest are those in which the older horses oompete over long distances ; and two prizes called the Prix du Cadrau and the Prix Rainbow, with £IOOO addod to each, generally bring to the poet the best " stayers" in training. The Ohantilly races, set for the 16th, 20th, and 23rd of May, come next, and, though the time is past when the sporting world used to migrate from Paris for " the Ohantilly week," as fashionable people do in England for " the Ascot week," thejraces there are always well attended, Chantilly being within an hour's railway journey from the capital and the service of trains most commodious. The Ohantilly racecourse is the property of the Duo d'Aumale, but he cares little for racing, and has only been induced to build new stands because at the last meeting one of the existing "tribunes" creaked so ominously while crowded with spectators that the police would not have allowed it to be used again. The Due d'Aumale, whose new chateau has not been completed yet, does not get on very well with the Chantilly trainers, who complain that they are not afforded nearly so many conveniences as they were given before he came to reside at the home of the Oondes ; but he is probably indifferent to all this, as they have to pay heavily for the use of the forest-rides in which their horses gallop. The town of Ohantilly, however, is very prosperous, and at the present time nearly six hundred of the eleven hundred horses which are trained in France to do their gallops in the rides of the forest, most of them, it is needless to say, being under the management of Englishmen. Trainers, stable Jade, and jockeys are for the most part of that nationolity, and this is why Ohantilly has for many years past had many of the characteristics of an English town. The Ohantilly Bpring meeting begins on May 16th, when the Prix de Diane, a race for three-year-old fillies, like the -Epsom Oaks, is run for, while on the following Sunday the Prix du Jockey Olub, or French Derby, comes on for decision. This used to be the greatest race of the year in France, but since tho institution of tho Grand Prize of Paris, open ta threo-year-olds of any nationality, it has somewhat declined in interest, though not in value. The Epsom meeting in England intervenes between the Ohantilly races and the Paris Summer Meeting, which commences on the 30th of May, the Grand Prize not being run for until the 6th of June. The summer monthß are occupied by the raoe meetings in the departments, some of the best being at Oaon, Deauville, and Dieppe during August, in whioh month two-year-olds begin to run, and races for horses of this age appear in the programmes for the September and October meetings in the Bois deßoulogneand at Chantilly. The majority of good racehorses are still in very fow hands, and the stables of Count de Lagrange, Baron Alphonse de Rothschild, M. Delamarre, M. Lupin, Baron Shickler, M. Fould, and Mr H. Jennings generally secure the lion's share of the prizes ; nnd laßt year Count Lagrange was a long way ahead of all tho other owners, not only in France, but in England. It is, of couise, impossible to gay what wi'l be the result of the racing season now about to begin; but the general opinion is that the three-yeaa-olds are of very moderate calibre, and that Count de Lagrange will make a clean sweerj of the long distance races with Insula'.' e and Rayon d'Or, the last-named of whom, victorious in so many of the great English races, has never yet run upon his native turf.