SAINFOIN'S DERBY.

CLOSE AND EXCITING FINISH. London, June 6. Those who went to Epsom this year on Derby Day will remember the weather and the race to their dying hour. Bar the Cambridgeshire afternoon of 1882 (when the big- evenb had to be postponed), Wednesday certainly waa the vilest day upon which a great crowd ever went holiday-makinc. The oourins;

rain no dfiubb did keep many thousands away, and I daresay as a matter of fact the attendance was one of the smallest on record. Neverbheless the crowd on the hill aud in the rings (which were soon quagmires) seemed as dense as ever, and tbo discomfort of fcbe occasion was of course greatly intensified by the unceasing heavy downpour. Usually bhe paddock is a haven of refuge and quiet On Derby Day. On this never-to-be-forgotten occasion, how' ever, it proved only a delusion and a snare. The long grass wetted one worse than ever, there was no shelter (worth the name) from bhe element., and the ono horse we all wanted to see, i.e. tbe favourite, was nob there; bub tbe race itself made up for many trials. Since Melbon and Paradox fought Oat bhe issuß in 1885, we have not witnessed a finish for the Derby equal to Wednesday's. Ib was all the moreexdting, of Course, because tho bobbing indicated thab the race muab (in more sense, than one) prove a one horse affair. During tho morning - the favourite was easy at 2 to 1 on, 9 to 2 being laid against Sainfoin and 40 bo 1 Rabhb.a!. Suddenly money from all ever bhe country began to pour into the ring for the lasb-named, and in less bhari half an hour some £7,000 muab have gone on Captain Machell's colt. The stable commissioner took all the bets he could eebi down bo 20 to 1 (which was his limit), and the public followed suit, bo thab Rabhbeal ultimately started third favourite at 100 to 7. Sainfoin early in the day travelled very badly; in the markeb a rumour gaining currency that the Kingsclere colb disliked galloping in bhe rain. From 9bo 2 (baken freely) Sir Jas. Miller's represenbabive receded bill 7, and in some- places 8 to 1 was on offer. Ulbimaboly a slight rally resulted in Sainfoin starting ab 100 to 15. Neither the furbre about Rabhbeal nor the decline of Sainfoin materially affected the favourite's j price, which grew warmer and warmer as ' the eventful momenb approached. Finally plungers wishing to back cho crack had to lay 95 bo 40 and 3 to 1 on Surefoob.

Arthur Coventry started his first Derby field (the emullesb on record since 1803) on excellent terms ab the initial attempt. The Australian Kirkham led the way for the first half-mile, but tbe pace was «cry bad—ihdeed,, from the Grandstand the field seemed simply to atnble along. Not to pub too fine a uoinb upon it, the race was simply " a travesty in its early ebages. and Interest only began to be aroused when George Barrett drove the 100 to I chance Orwell to tho front. From this point I will quote an admirable description by an expert, When, «ays this writer, the pace improved it did _o with . vengeance, for scarcely had they commenced to make the descent of the hill ere Hirkhain dropped rapidly back into the rear, and Orwell camo on, closely followed by Sainfoin. Round the historic and dangerous Tattenham Corner this pair swept clear of their rivals, with Surefoot now rapidly nearlng the leaders. Even yeb the race had been powerless to excite the multitude as in mosb former years, but as they turned into the straight something like an old-fashioned cheer greeted the oncoming rivals. Descending the hill both Surefoofcand Lo Nord had seemed to sprawl a little, ,bufc when fairly round the dangerous bend both were balanced, and set straight forth for tho final struggle. Almost as soon as they were turned for home a shout alroady triumphant in its ring went up from those who bad pinned their faith to Surefoot, for Mr A. W. Morry'B colt was going so well that it seemed no difficulb task for him to go to the front at any moment. In an instant the aspecb of the race had changed, for justs after croasiag bhe road, Liddiard was seen moving uneasily on his charge, and this time the cry of " The labourite's beab I" wentupfromthering.and,sure enough,there was Surefoob 6oundering aboub in hopeless, helpleei fashion, just when he should—ac cording to all estimate of form—have been cantering clean away from his rivals. t'Vom this point until the winning-post was reached the race was full of surprising changes. When Surefoob "was apparently completely done with, the way to victory for Sainfoin was made easy, bub suddenly ib occurred to the onlookers that a turn up of the moab sensational kind was imminent, for *ide by side with Sainfoin was his despised stable-companion, Orwell, .going to all appearance just) as well as his morefancied rival. There was no mistake about the fact that Orwell was troubling Sainfoin at this juncture, and Watt- seeing the threatened danger sab down in the saddle, and for the first time called upon Sir James Miller's colb to do his best. Right gallantly did Sainfoin respond to the call, as after a struggle that appeared to be much more protracted then ib really was, Sainfoin commenced to draw away from Orwell, ln tbe meantime, Surefoob all unexpectedly had commenced bo gain upon bhe leaders, and before wo were aware of ib, so rapidly did he make up his lee-way, thab hia victory seemed after all bo be possible To add to the excitement, Le Nord, upon whom F. Barrett had been riding a patient race, made bis effort, and joining issue with Surefoob, bhe pair bore down upon Orwell and Sainfoin. Opposite the telegraph board the race had assumed a phase sufficiently interesting to atone for tho tamenesß of the commencement of the struggle, as not more than a length separated the leader, Sainfoin, from either Orwell, Surefoob, or Le Nord. Some fifty yards more remained to be traversed, and in this, the crucial part of the raco, Sainfoin gallantly held his own and passed the post three-parts of a length in front ot Le Nord, who defeated Orwell by a neck in bheir respecbive places, whilsb Surefoob, who was placed fourth, was only a head further in the rear.

Porter believed Right Away to be Sainfoin's superior when he and his partner (Sir Robert Jardine) sold Wednesday's winner to Sir Jas. Miller. The latter (a young man in the Guards) has landed a nice stake, and the general body of backers who won't lay odds are winners on the race. Some of the plunging fraternity looked very blue indeed after the numbers went up. I hear of one youngster who absolutely laid 8,000 to 1,000 on Surefoot getting placed, and all the big bets wagered on Surefoob, Riviera, Heaume and Le Nord during bhe winter are, of course, losb. Surefoob "started the hottest Derby favourite on record since the creation of the race.