ENGLISH SPORTING NOTES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 437, 15 January 1890, Page 5

ENGLISH SPORTING NOTES.

(FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.) London, November 16. The End of Flat Racing. The flat racing season of 1889 ends at Manchester to-morrow, when the November Handicap of 2,ooosovs (novv a very heavy betting race) will wind up matters fortunately or disastrously for the noble army of punters. Donovan's year, like its predecessor, will be remembered chiefly for the “ lucky Duke’s” almost unbroken series of successes. His Grace has certainly experienced a wonderful time this last two years, and with Donovan and Semolina, Sound and St. Serf coming on (not to mention a yearling brother to Donovan of whom Dawson already predicts great things), who knows but that the fickle goddess may have still further favours in store for this spoilt child of fortune ? Colonel North won £B,OOO over Philomel’s victory at Liverpool in flat defiance of his trainer’s advice. The latter had not a penny on, nor had Lord Randolph Churchill, who practically manages the “Nitrate King’s’’stud.

The Dukes of Westminster and Beaufort have experienced a “ smashing ” season, and the former is said to ungratefully meditate removing his horses from Kingsclere. He has never quite got over Ormonde’s turning roarer, which he attributed in some mysterious manner to poor Porter’s letting the horse catch cold. Ormonde, by the way, has ai rived safely in Buenos Ayres, and seems to take kindly to the climate.

The Beaufort hoops have nob been borne to the fore even in a small handicap once this season. “MrManton,” too, would have done badly but for Riviera and Devilfish, as Her. Grace’s forfeits amounted to many thousand pounds. At Derby last week and Manchester this, leviathan fields were the'rule. The Chesterfield Nursery at the former meeting proved a great triumph for the handi capper, as so many of the twenty-three runners were backed for money that at the fall of "the flag the long Odds of 10 to 1 were betted on the field. One has to go back to Buchanan’s Lincolnshire Handicap (1881) ’for a parallel case to this. The first favourite (Henry George) then started at 10 to 1, bub there were thirty-six runners, against twenty-three only at Derby. The new Lord Falmouth has registered the magpie colours, and will keep a few horses in training.

“Jummy” and “ Jocko,” or, to speak more I’espectfull}', the Duke of Portland and the Earl of Durham, are novv warm friends again, and the latter was last week a guest of the former at Welbeck, where large house parties are in progress. At the Duchess’ great ball on Wednesday, the vast, subterraneous riding school and corridors (extendingformiles underground), constructed by the late Duke at a fabulous cost, were for the first time thrown open bo their Graces’ guests. A whole army of artisans and labourers occupied the surrounding villages during the years these works were in progress, but once complete no one ever saw them, and the greatest curiosity has always prevailed in the neighbourhood of the castle with regard to their extent. The late Duke used to ride about them in solitary State, '

It sounds somewhat paradoxical to speak of the, sober truth, when, as everybody knows, “ in vino veritas,”