SPORTING.

Tho sporting news of the month has been essen- 1 tially of a sensational character, and a greater succession of surprises have never been experienced on the turf than have been witnessed in the great spring races, commencing with the Two Thousand Guineas, and terminating with the Derby and Oaks. The telegram of last month gave us the names of the winners of tho Two Thousand Guineas, the One Thousand Guineas, and tho Chester Cup, but no particulars of tlieso races reached us, and these we Bhall now briefly furnish : — The Two Thocsand Guineas Stakes, of 100 bovb each, h ft, fop three-year-olds; colts, Bst lOlbs; iillies, Bst 51bs; second received 200 soys, third saved stako ; E.M. (1 mile 17 yards). 86 subs. Mr J. Merry's b c Macgregor, by Macaroni — Necklace, Bat lOlbs (car. Bst lllba) . (Daley) 1 Lord Stamford's eh o Normanby, by Thormanby —Emily, Bst lOlbs . . . (Grimshaw) 2 lord Falinouth's b o Kingcraft, by King TomWoodcraft, Bst lOlbs . . (T. French) 3 Mr Ueeno's b o Hawthornden, by Lord Clifden — Bonny Blink, Bst lOlbs . . . (Adams) 4 Mr W. S. Crawford's b o Claudius, by Caracta-ous-Lady Peel, Bek lOlbs . (T. Chaloner) 0 ; Mr J. La Mert's b o King o' Scots, by King Tom Catherine Logic, Bst lOlbs . " (Custance) 0 Mr Johnstone's b o Stanley, by Knowsley — Allegra, Bst lOlbs (J. Osborne) 0 Mr Graham's br o Astolfo, by Orlando—Prudence, Bat lOlbs . . . (Fordham) 0 Mr J. Merry's eh o Sunlight, by Stockwell — Sunflower, Bat lOlbs .... (Cannon) 0 Mr Savile'a b o The Champion, by Skirmisher — Fistiano, Bat lOlbs . . • (Maidment) 0 Betting :— 2 to 1 agst Kingcraft, 3 to 1 agat Macgregor, 6 to 1 agst Stanley, 6 to 1 agst King o' Scots, 100 to 8 agat Sunlight, 500 to 30 agst Hawthornden. Whon the ten competitors met at the post, a delay of nearly half an hour occurred, caused principally by the fractiousness of Sunlight. Four ineffectual attompts preceded the fall of the flag, and when Mr. M'George gave the signal, The Champion, •King o' Scots, and Macgregor jumped off nearly abreast, while Sunlight lost Bovoral lengths' Btart. ■Che Champion in tho centre of the course, took up tho running, holding a slight load of King o'Scote,

on tho left, well up, and attendant on this pair boing Hawthornden, Normanby, Macgregor, and Claudius, with Stanley on this side, while Kingcraft, also on tho left, was lying about level with Normanby and Macgregor, Astolfo, who soon dropped in tho rear, being wido on the right. Mr. Graham's horse indeed was conspicuous by being early beaten. No change occurred in tho positions of the others, and they ran in tho order indicated for a quarter of a mile, when The Champion retired, and Macgregor rushing to the front, headed King o' Scots, and came down the Bushes Hill followed by Normanby, Hawthornden, and Kingcraft, the latter still holding a line on the loft. Next to these camo Sunlight, The Champion, and King o1o 1 Scots, the last lot now comprising Stanley, Claudius, and Astolfo. As they came on towards tho Abingdon Mile Bottom, Macgregor increased his lead, and rising the ascent from tho dip Kingcraft headed Hawthornden, whilo Mr. Merry's colt increased his advantage. Indeed, from the moment Macgregor took up the running he had clearly got tho pace of all the field, not one of whom could live with him, and ho cantered past tho winning-post the easiest of victors by five lengths. Normanby, with whom Grimshaw persevered to the end, finished three-quarters of a length in udvance of Kingcraft, who in turn was a similar distance before Hawthornden. The Champion was fifth, Sunlight sixth, King o' Scots seventh, and Astolfo last. After tho race, 2 to 1 to a large amount of money was booked in favour of the winner for the Derby. Nott value of tho stakes, £4,400. Macgiegor is by Macoroni, out of Necklace, by the Fallow Buck. Macaroni won tho Two Thousand and the Derby; but Necklace, although she started eight times as a three-year old, never won a race. The easy manner in which Macgregor cut down all his horses fairly took everyone aback, and Mr. Merry's horso was at onco elevated to first favourite for tho Derby, for which he was subsequently backed at even, and tho blue ribbon of the turf was booked for his owner as a certainty, ho having Sunshine for a second string. The miserable running of Kingcraft was no less a surprise than the easy victory of the winner. The One Thousand Guineas Stakes, of 100 soys each, h ft, for three-year-old fillies, Bst lOlbs each ; second received 200 soys, third saved stake; D.M. (7 fur. 210 yards). 71 subs. Mr Jos. Dawson's br f Hester, by Thormanby — —Tomyris, Bst lOlbs . . (Grimshaw) 1 Mr Lyndon's eh f Frivolity, by Macaroni —Miss A-gncs, Bst lOlbs . . . (T. Chaloner) 2 Baron Eothschild's b f Mahonia, by King Tom — Blooming Heather, Bst lOlbs . (Maidment) 3 Mr Brayley's eh f Golden Horn, Bst lOlbs (Cannon) 0 Mr H. Chaplin's b f Pandora, Bst lOlbs (Custance) 0 Lord Falmouth's eh f Atlantis, Bst lOlbs (T. French) 0 Mr Graham's b f Cestus, Bst lOlbs . (Fordham) 0 Count de Lagrango's br f Annexion, Bst lOlbs (Butler) 0 Mr Launde'e b f Agility, Bst lOlbs . (Osborne) 0 Mr Pryor's eh f Mantilla, Bst lOlbs . (Parry) 0 Betting: 6 to 4 agst Hester, 5 to 1 each agst Frivolty, Mantilla, and Mahonia, 100 to 8 agst Atlantis, 25 to 1 agst Agility, and 33 to 1 agst Cestus. Hester made play on the far side, with Frivolity and Mahonia in close attendance, Golden Horn, Agility, and Pandora forming tho next lot, Mantilla and Athvntis on the left. In this order they ascended the hill, on the top of which Cestus and Annexion assumed a more forward position, but shortly afterwards they retired beaten. Just before entering the cords Pandora beat a retreat, as did Atlantis and Mantilla shortly afterwards. Tho race was now left to tho three placed, and after an exciting struggle between them, Hester, who displayed great gameness, won by two lengths. Frivolity was a head only in advance of Mahonia; Atlantis was a bad fourth, Agility fifth, Mantilla sixth, Annexion seventh, Golden Horn eighth, Pandora next, and Cestus last, all pulling up. —Nett value of the stakes, £3,650. Tho race for tho Chester Cup was a pefect windfall for tho fielders. Our Mary Ann, the winner, had been scarcely backed, and receiving 30 lbs. from the favourites, won by six lengths in the commonest of canters. The winner, although five years old, had never won but one race previously —a Consolation Stako, and then was sold for twenty guineas, yet sho defeats a mare like Formosa. Such are the uncertainties of handicapping. Our Mary Ann ran two races at Salisbury, after her Cup victory, at racing weights, and was the last but one in one instance, and was pulled up in the other. Sixteen horses started for tho race. The Derby was ran on the first of June, being ten days later than the departure of tho mail, so that all we know of tho race is the brief notice furnished by telegram. Fifteen horses started, and the first four were as follow: —

The result of the race must havo been perfectly astounding. Macgregor, who was backed even against the field, to be beaten by Kingcraft, a horse he defeated with such ease in the Two Thousand, and who, after his Newmarket exhibition, was declared impossible could have a chance at Epsom, was indeed " a stunner." A writer in the Sporting Life, of May 21st, says, " Macgregor's hollow victory for the Two Thousand has almost paralyzed speculation on the now fast-approaching Derby; and well it may, for in public form there seems nothing capable of effecting his overthrow." Yet thie supposed great horse finished only fourth, and was beaten by Muster, an animal that had never figured in the betting. There were those, however, who declared immediately after his Newmarket victory, that Mr. Merry's horso was not the animal he was reputed, and not by any means a " Derby horse." ! The Oaks was another surprise, and a pull for the ring, Mr. Merry's crack filly Sunshine, that was to have been the year's wonder, being beaten by Gamos, a filly however of no mean pretensions. Here again all wo know of the race is the nameß of the first three horses: —

Hester, the -winner of tho One Thousand, did not get a place if she started. Frivolity, the winner of the Middle Park Stakes, waß not entered for the Oaks. We must wait another month to learn the particulars of these astounding defeats. Stockwell, tho emperor of stallions, as he has been called, died on the sth of May, from inflammation of the bowels. Both on the turf and at the stud, Stockwell was one of the best horses of modern times. West Australian, perhaps the best horse ever foaled, died in France on the 2nd of May. The " West," as he was called, lost his first race as a two-year-old, not being sufficiently prepared, but never afterwards suffered defeat, and won the Two Thousand, the Derby, and Leger. At the stud, West Anstralian was a failure. He was by Melbourne, out of Mowerina, and was foaled in 1850.

Thirty Houses burned, and Loss op Life in Melbouene.—A destructive fire occurred in Melbourne, at three a.m., on July 5, originating in the Gift Shop, next the Varieties, situate in Bourkestreet, and nearly opposite the Theatre Eoyal. It quickly spread to the building known as the Varieties, which was totally destroyed, together with several shops, and Garton's stables. The latter were insured for £2,000, but his losb will be heavier, as thirty horses and 100 buggies were burned. A woman named Mary Tucker was rescued by Constable Flynn and two men after sho had become insensible from the smoke; she was so severely burned that the unfortunate creature died in the hospital. It is believed others have perished. Among the horses lost was King Alfred, tho racer. Tho insurances reach £25,000, and some of the risks are in the Pacifio, Australian, Alliance, and National.

kingcraft 'alineraton duster kTacerecor 1 2 3 4

G-atnos . Sunshine Pate 1 2 3