THE Memoranda Cantabrigiensia, No. III............. 30 The Hertfordshire Hunt, by Ansty...... 34 On the Prevention and Palliation of Lameness in the Feet of Horses........ 43 Defence of Shooting........ ........ 44 Letter from a Gentleman on the Game Laws---Sir John Cope's Hounds and Country-Alarming Plunder of Foxes in the Quorn and Pytchley Countries ---Grand Steeple Chase in Ireland.............. 46 The Game Laws, by No Poacher....... 54 "The Oakley Hunt," a Song............. 67 SPORTING INTELLIGENCE........ 69 limited scale; but, on inquiry, I found that a great meeting was expected; that more horses were in the town than the oldest inhabi- tant ever remembered; with the best covered list that had hereto- fore been printed in the place; and I was soon given to understand that to the unfavorable state of the weather alone was the apparent once a day, consequently there was no evening parade, which has gene- rally proved a great attraction. All this I found perfectly correct; A cession, as they did nearly the whole of the following day. I was thus soon convinced, that, inauspicious as were first appearances, we should have a bumper, which was made manifest. Monday presented as splendid a show of company as I ever witnessed, except on two occasions, during my knowledge of Newmarket, now upwards of some thirty years or more. Seven races appeared on paper, and an incessant deluge of rain for the like number of hours, occupied the attention of the people the first day. The Craven Stakes closed on the previous Saturday with the unusual small number of ten subscribers, and six of these only came to the post-no doubt the owners of the other four, choosing to throw away ten pounds each, rather than expose their horses to weather so unpropititious. They came well away together a very small part of the way (which is across the Flat), when Lamplighter and Pastime, as first and second, took leave of the rest, and bustled along handsomely to the bushes, head for head; here the rider of Pastime very cleverly for a time concealed from her and the public her defeat, but which the veteran Buckle, on Lamplighter, soon discovered, and calling upon his horse, shewed his superiority-the two made a good race; the rest beat a long way, and all easily placed. Chateau Margaux, who was first favorite, shewed that he is either gone off, cannot run a short distance, or go in dirt. Belzoni exhibited similar deficiencies. The second race, also a sort of Trial Stakes, but handicap-threeyear-olds in some instances giving weight to four-year-olds, and several running on equal terms-if it may be called running; but of all the scrambles I have ever seen I never saw anything equal to thisgetting away from a gorse covert in Leicestershire at the commencement of the new order of things, when old men could not ride, when the younger ones would ride, hounds or no hounds, and the youngest did not know how to ride. Seventeen started; but to see them spread about on so wide a space as the Heath is now become (owing to the improvements made by Lord Lowther and the Duke of Portland), there appeared twice as many. As soon, however, as they got on their legs, Bobadilla took the lead like a racer, followed, it is true, by Sharpshooter, and indeed by the rest, but without a shadow of a chance either of winning or having a trial. Maresfield was the favorite. The Riddlesworth (once called the Great), now dwindled down to only five at the post, was the third race, and, except in numbers, almost as ridiculous as the last the Brother to Emilius won like an Eclipse; and so little was it expected, that the friends of his Noble owner desired that he should pay forfeit; but the Duke happened to say on one occasion to his groom, previous to leaving England, "do as you like with this colt;" so, having authority, the groom chose to exercise it, and accordingly ran him, by which he put thirteen hundred pounds into his excellent master's pocket, and made the horse of considerable value, who previously was worth but a mere trifle. Magnet could not run a yard: Advance, the favorite, still worse. Here the superstitious might say, they with the rest were spell bound, and not ridden, for there was no riding in the case. |