ENGLISH LETTER.

■i ■» .. ;'—- . [Fbom Orat Own Correspondent.] London, September 5. At time of writing the Leger is exciting very little interest. This is naturally by rfason of Persimmon having each a poor field to contend against. The race seenie to be merely a matter of health for the. Prince's colt, and, though the great Yorkshire race is a veritable one-horse affair, I doubt not that there will be a mighty multitude on the Town Moor on the day, and if the anticipated eventuates the Royal colours will be lustily cheered. PersiinmonV great rival St. Frusquin, after being in hospital for a week, was again seen at exercise. The message from the trainer to Mr Rothschild concerning the mishap that overtook the colt, stated that the sinews of the foreleg were sore and swollen. If, however, the disablement that made it necessary for St. Frusquin to be withdrawn from the Leger was at first supposed to be trivial, it has developed into something serious, and the colt may be said to be quite broken down, for it is now officially notified that he is to be turned out of training forthwith, and that he eoes to the Southcortrt Stud. Mr Rothschild has been the recipient of many messages condoling with him on the breakdown «of hie champion, who was bidding fair to |>c the biggest stake winner on record. f Melton, whose exportation was very nniob bewailed, has been repurchased from the Italian government at a figure, it is said, of between 10,000 and U.OOOgs (£IO,BOO is quoted as the exact price), and is to stand at the Westerham Stud Farm at a 200gn fee. Melton is sire of Best. Man and Avington, -and-4uu,-I think, a representative in New Zealand. jEscott,' the; Lewes trainer wliq Jjas charge of Mr Golian'e New Zealand horses, and who has been invalided for some is again about, and able to superintend the work of his very large string. He has -Mr Gollan'a lot at easy, pace exercise. The latest comers from the* Antipodes are doing well. • Waltor Bradford is progressing well towards recovery, but will, of course, b« un*

ablo to again appear in the saddle this season. The title Longest Roign Handicap is given to one of the races on the programme of tho Windsor September Meeting. The American contingent have been doing pretty well recently. Mr P. Lorillard secured two races at Nottingham on August 21st, Sandia taking, tho Little John Plate and Dolabra, the Rufford Abbey Plate. The latter event was a match race, Mr Lori Hard's horse having the call in the betting. The next day at the same meeting Mack Briggs, who has previously done good service and who went out favdurite, Avon for Mr Wisharb tho Castle Plate, another of the invading force, Diakka, being second. The same owner's Ramapo just missed the Nottingham Handicap, won by a filly called Toffy, who had a big i>uU in weight. Mr Croker won hie first raoe of the present campaign'on the 29th, when Santa Anita won the mile Priory Handicap at Hurst Park. Santa Anita is by the New Zealand bred sire Cheviot, and in his own country, under the name of Rey El Santa Anita, won the American Derby. Santa Anita had previously shown good form and, although giving weight to everything in the race, started favourite. With Watta in the saddle he pulled through very easily, and should do further winning service before long. A good race was taken by Mi' Lorillavd in the Vevoril of tho Peak Stakes at Derby on September Ist. Tbore was a strong field of eighteen and, the American, Diakka, a three-year-old colt by The Sailor Prince, went out at 20 to 1 against. He won very comfortably in the end. Diakka, aa mentioned above, ran second in a race at Nottingham, and previous to that walked over for the ■jPilile Plate at Hurst Park. Also at Hurst Park he beat Paperchaso in a match. But while the American horses are , doing well here, the recent English purchases of the American sportsmen seem to be carrying all before them in the States. One I Love, by Minting (who, by the way, will be well up this season in tho winning list), has won nearly overy race for Which she started since crossing the Atlantic. The latest information is that the filly has unfortunately broken down. She is, however, only one of many good'importations, another being Ogden, by liilcock's sire, Kilwarlin, who has jiist won the Futurity Slakes, the richest prize on the American turf, it being, after deductions, worth something like £9000 to the winner. ] The big handicap, the Great Ebor, at the ! York Meeting only brought four runners to the poa|. It, however, produced a good race, Dingle Bay and Posterity finishing a dead heat, the former just catching the other, thanks, in a measure, to the brilliant horsemanship of T. Loatee. In the run off < Dingle Bay, a big son of Minting who stays > really well, if far from-brilliant, cut out the work at a sound pace, and had Posterity beaten a long way from home, Helm won for the Duke of Westminster the j Yorkshire Oaks, odds being betted on her | chance, and the same owner's Labrador easily accounted for the Great Yorkshire , Stakes. Labrador is to be the Duke's repre- j sentative in the Leger in lieu of Regret, who is on the sick list, but, although the colt won his race at York jn handsome style and is evidently a good stayer, there was nothing in the performance to lead one to suppose he can do more than chase Persimmon home at Doncaster. | At the Yorkshire meeting the unusual spectacle of a dead heat between three was i witnessed. This was in the two-year-old I Badminton Plate. So close, too, was a fourth that he could with difficulty be | separated from tho trio, a few inches only, i according to the judge, being the margin. As the owners agreed to divide, there were some complicated betting transactions to I solve. The Sportsman has the following thereanent :—Briefly, a backer loses twothirds of hifl stake, and received the full odds i to tjhe remaining third. Thus an outlay of ' lsov on both Meseala and Bajardo at start* ing price (the quotation on each of them was 6 to 1) 'shows a gain to the backer of £16s Bd, j while those who supported Casse Cou for 1 lsov at starting price (4 to 1) make a profit of 13s 4dDunera, a filly by Donovan from Sweet Lavender, was mode a good favourite for the Gimcraek Stakes at Xork, but did not get , near the front, Silver Fox, a colt by Satiety, I f'etting home a head from Monterey, by ' ioldfinch. Orello, own, brother to Ormonde, U expected to make his debiU in tho Middle Park Plate. Chicago, winner of the Caulfield Cup, was offered for sale recently, but did not find a purchaser. • . -.- The success of the American horses on our i courses will, I understand, result in Mr j Belmont adding to his string, hie intention j being to go in more extensively than ever for racing in this country. The entries for the Derby of '98 are below those for next year's event. The entry for the Oaks, however, ia a record. So far the bookmakers have had a most disastrous time this Reason. One is reported to have lost about £40,000 over the Goodwood Meeting alone. H.B.H. the Prince of Wales has nomi-

: Jnatcd Sandringliam, an own brother, =c faj ! just now, for the Eclipse Stakes. i Entered for the Kufford Abbey; PlaU at the Doncaster Scptembor Meeting, JParisJU, was allotted top weight, 9st 12lb, the n«| ;to him being Bowline with Bst. For the ' Ayrshire Handicap Plato, to be run on the ; 17th, the Australian gelding haa 9at 4U>, m below the top weight, Dinna Foiat, j i i Quarrel is in at Bst 131b. i The death is just announced of Mi , Thomit Brown, who for some twenty yours wm woll-known Newmarket trainer, and who prepared among other horses Newry, \vinn« of tho Middle Park Pktj 1873. He hit latterly been engaged in- a horse tigencj , business, and was sixty-six years of age.