ENGLISH AND FOREIGN.

The Doncaster Handicap, run on May 19, was won by Mr T. Price's four-year-old True Blue 11., who beat 15 others, and oovered the mile in lmin 40sec.

The English, Frenoh, and Austrian Derbies, all run within three days of each other, resulted in eaoh instance in the upset of a hot favourite,

Like Blair Athol, who carried silk for the first time when he won the Derby in 1864, Merry Hampton had not been seen in public before running at Epsom, and he won the race in the same time — 2min 43sec — that the son of Stockwell did. Another coincidence may be noted iD in the fact that Jem Snowden scored his first and only Derby victory on Blair Athol, and J. Watts steered his first blue riband winner in Merry Hampton. The latter colt, too, is the first Derby winner sired by Hampton, and Blair Athol was the first of Stockwell's get to take the same race.

Merry Hampton was bred by Mr Crowther Harrison, and sold as a yearling by his son, Mr J. Simons Harrison, at the Doncaster September meeting of 1885. Prior to the colt being taken to Doncaster he had been seen in the hone paddock by Mr T. Spence, the well-known gentleman rider, who, having taken a great fancy to him, determined to obtain him for his friend, Mr Abington. In the sale-ring he w« opposed on Mr Lea's behalf by Sam Darling; the trainer, who bid 3000gs for the son of Hamp* ton and Doll Tearsheet, but this offer was capped by one of 3100gs by Mr T. Spence, and the colt became Mr Abingtou's property for that sum.

Merry Hampton wrenched a shoe off while ffl his stable on the evening of his Derby victory, and one of the nails pricked his foot, causing him lameness sufficient to prevent his running into a place for the Grand Prix de Paris. The value of the Derby this year was £4525— the race last year,, when the Duke of WesfcnM 1 ' ster's Ormonde was successful, being worw £4700. The previous season Melton credited Lord Hastings with £4525 ; in 1884 the stake* (divided between Mr J. Hammond's St. Gaties and Sir J. Willoughby's Harvester) amounts to £4850; in 1883, when Sir F. Johnstone's 8*Blaise won, to £5150; and in 1882, when tbe Duke of Westminsters Shotover was the w" ncr, to £4775. Some previous values folio* 1881, Mr P. Lorillard's Iroqueis, £5925 ; W»J Duke of Westminster's Bend Or, £6375 ; I«'} Mr Acton's Sir Bevys,£7o2s; 1878, MrW.» Crawfurd's Sefton, £5825 ; 1877, Lord 1* mouth's Silvio, £6050 ; 1876, Mr A. BaltaJOj 1 Kisber, £5575. The richest Derby on t#W

-was that of Lord Lyon in 1866, who then won for his owner £7350. Merry Hampton won the Derby in 2min 43sec, against the 2min 45 3-ssec of the Duke of Westminster's Ormonde last year, and the 2min . 41 l-ssee «£ Lord Hastings' Melton the previous season. In 1884 Mr J. Hammond's St. <Gattce and Sir J. Willoughby's Harvester, who tjan a dead heat, covered the course in 2min 46 i-ssec, and Sir F, Johnstone's St. Blaise, in 1883, in 2min 48 2-ssec. The times for several ■previous anniversaries follow: — 1882, Duke of -Westminster's Shotover, 2min 45 3-ssec ; 1881, Mr P. Lorillard's Iroquois, 2min 50sec; 1880, Duke of Westminster's Bend Or, 2min 46sec ; 1879, Mr Acton's Sir Bevys, 3min 2sec ; 1878, Mr W. S. Crawf urd's Sefton, 2min 56sec ; 1877, Lord Falmouth's Silvio, 2min 50sec ; 1876, Mr ji. Baltazzi's Kisber, 2atin 44sec. Mr I'Anson's

Blair Athol and Colonel Towneley's Kettledrum, who won in 1864 and 1861 respectively, ran the Derby course in the same time as Merry Hampton, and that record has not been feaafcen.

Ten thousand telegrams were despatched from Epsom racecourse after the Derby, 50 clerks being kept bnsy taking them in. Mr Beuzon won the Trial Welter Handicap piafce at the Manchester meeting, on May 31, with Stanislas. Tie following are the figures of the leading EngTish jockeys up to May 20 : — Mounts. Lost. Won. C. Wood ... ... 141 Qd 42 G. Barrett ... 186 ISO 3t5 S. Loates ... ... 120 5H 26 W. ttobinson ... 99 79 20 F.Webb ... ... 67 48 19 J. Watts ... ... 102 83 19 J. Fagan ... ... 75 60 15 P. Rickaby ... 63 49 14 E. Martin,.. ... 97 83 14 T. Cannon... ... 49 38 11 Cannon used neither whip nor spur to The Bard in the race for the Derby, and consequently the comment " Too kind " was passed on him by backers of the colt.

As Matthew Dawson followed The Baron into ihe paddock after the race was over, he exclaimed : " If Freddy had been alive he would have got him home first ! " Seeing that Merry Hampton won in a common canter, and that Tlie Baron could never get near him, that was a rather ungenerous remark.

Mr Douglas Baird, who is one of the plunging fraternity as well aa an owner of horses, stood to win £140,000 over the treble event — Enterprise for the Two Thousand Guineas, Bendigo for the Jubilee Stakes, and The Baron for the Derby. Ho got two legs iv, and as The Baron ■was a hot favourite for the Derby at odds on, le must have made a bit out o£ his wagera. To see how the bookmakers "nibble at Mr Benzon is said to be a caution. He had at a recent meeting three £750 befcs over Never, and the cry from the " bookies " who were anxious to get on of "Same with me!" "Same with me ! " formed quite a chorus.