STATE OF THE ODDS. Cotherstone has contributed his share in sifting the chaff from the corn. As it usually happens when a favourite wins, the settling has been anything but a good one. The "Gurney" of the year appears to be a Mr. R********, who, after making and breaking all kinds of promises, has now "shut up" altogether; and should he continue in his present humour, we must beg Mr. Gurney's pardon, for it is certainly an injustice classing him with such a wilful defaulter. The largest winners (i.e. book winners) are Mr. Bowes, Col. Anson, Mr. O'Brien, the Scotts, and Lord George Bentinck. The losers would not thank us were we to give their names; we may, however, state that John Day is not among them, and had he not hedged at such a sacrifice after the Craven at Epsom, would have been among the best of those on the right side. One gentleman was taken ill scon after the race; some without his excuse have not yet appeared; many promise to pay in full, others again in part; while a good man or two has lost his money, or a bad boy has won it. As a set-off to this, the Oaks won, by an outsider, was a very harmless race; Poison putting the Oaks into Mr. Ford's pocket, and little but the Oaks. Though there has been some business done every week during the past month on the Northumberland Plate, the Goodwood and Liverpool Cups, with a strong bet now and then on the St. Leger, or next year's Derby, we shall confine ourselves to the prices of Monday, June 26th, being the last day of the month that there has been anything like a muster at the Corner. For the Plate, The Era, on the strength of a trial, came from 8 to 1 to rather less than half those odds; eight or ten others were backed, but to nothing like the amount of the crack. Gorhambury and Charles XII. are head-and-head for the Goodwood Cup; they are both, it will be observed, at the same figure, but at closing the old horse had a shade the best of it. The pair visit Newcastle, pro forma, for the 5lb. allowance. 10 to 1 taken about Siricol, and 15 to 1 ready, right and left, to be invested against The Squire; Ralph is dead amiss. Scott's lot is backed for the St. Leger at 6 to 4 on it, or 2 to 1 would be taken against Cotherstone. Rattan, from his Ascot running, is now as good a favourite as anything for the Derby. The Ugly Buck, in John Day's hands, disputes the premiership with him. Col. Charritie's Gorhambury Mr. Beresford's Diderot 1000 to 60 agst. Mr. Crockford's Rattan for the Derby. AUGUST, 1843. EMBELLISHMENTS. "POISON," WINNER OF THE OAKS, 1843. ENGRAVED BY HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY ALKEN : AND A SCENE OF THE SEASON. ENGRAVED BY COOK, FROM A PAINTING BY LAPORTE. CONTENTS. HYDE MARSTON; OR RECOLLECTIONS OF Α SPORTSMAN'S LIFE. BY THE EDITOR. CHAPTER XXXI. Page. 79 BY T. C. B. BY BEE'S-WING OBSERVATIONS ON THE WRASSE TRIBE. . BY PISCATOR GEORGE HAYTER AND EDWIN LANDSEER. BY A VOYAGER. 120 ON TRAINING THE RACehorse. BY COTHERSTONE THE WOODCOCK IN LOUISIANA. BY T. B. T. TURF REGISTER: SHREWSBURY-NEWMARKET SECOND SPRING ·TAVISTOCK- GORHAMBURY-EPSOM-NESTON-AND EPPING TOWN TO READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS. To our mind, We cannot make use of "The Derby Lottery." no particular interest attaches to the biography of "Neddy Whiffes," nor, indeed, to that of some other Neddies, whose biographers have been fortunate enough to find publishers of the same ilk as their heroes. News three weeks after date does not suit modern readers. This we have already declared to be our opinion. We are in arrears with several of our old correspondents, who, nevertheless, are not forgotten. |