ENGLISH RACING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1213, 31 May 1895, Page 23

ENGLISH RACING.

From Our Own Correspondent. London, April 20. Keen winds and bright weather have made race-going enjoyable of late, but the "merry punter" continues to have the worst of the deal with the bookmaker. The book is little guide to him at present, for but few horses are yet in form, and trials generally have been woefully misleading. Last week a field of sixteen respectable handicap horses went to the post for the Nottingham Spring Handicap of £IOOO, contested over the straight mile. The "talent" speedily found a favourite in Harfleur 11., syrs, Bst 41b, but Lesterlin, by Galliaule—Meliora, 3yrs, 7st 81b, was well backed at a point longer odds vis., 7 to 1, and Sancho Panza, 4yrs, 7st lib, was almost as good business, whilst at tens Worcester, Bst 21b, and John Morgan, 7st 71b, had strong followings, and plenty of money wa3 forthcoming for Stowmarket, Sst 21b; Acrobat, 7st 61b; Concealment, 7st 21b; and Dumbarton, 9st. Sancho Panza made play at flag fall and at a strong pace took the field to the half distance, when Lesterlin headed him, and sailing home under the whip won easily by a length, Antonio Pierri was third, a head in front of the despised Simonburn.

| A little later in the week a field of eight turned out for the Leicester Spring Plate, a .£3OO mile handicap. The field included Col. North's Soult, syrs, 7st 51b; Middleham, 6yrs, 7st lib; Peppercorn, syrs, 7st 101 b ; Theseus, 4yrs, 7st; Earl of Annandale, 6yrs, 6st 121 b; Eoyal Sovereign, 6st 31b; Sabrina, aged, 7st 21b. The Earl cut out the pace, attended by Middleham and Peppercorn, and kept in front till nearingthe distance; then his immediate followers' headed the colt and from the distance raced home side by side. Alsopp just managingto get Middleham's nose in front as the pair flashed past the post. The winner was the friendless one of the field, twenty to on© being offered against him as the flag fell. Peppercorn was, on the contrary, a hot favourite at 9 to 4.

On Easter Monday there were several race meetings in progress but the principal event of the day's sport occurred at Manchester, where the Lancashire Steepleshase of £2OOO was decided over a three and ahalf mile course. Amongst the competitors was the Grand National hero, .Wild Man from Borneo, with 12st in the saddle, but the old horse finished eleventh in a field of fifteen. Mr H. M. Dyas pocketed the purse by the aid of Gentle Ida, a 6yr-old daughter of Man o' War, which carried lOst 21b. The mare won easily from Lady Helen, lOst 51b, and Biscuit, lOst 61b. The winner romped home in a fashion which, suggested that a Grand National had been, thrown away.

THE GEAND NATIONAL. Though the inexplicable accident which | forced Mr Duff to scratch his grand , chaser Cloister out of the Grand National robbed last Friday's race of a striking > element of interest, and the eleventh, hour withdrawal of several other fancied candidates reduced the strength of the field much below what it was estimated at a week or so ago, few more interesting races for the cross-coun-try blue riband hilve been witnessed. Th at public interest.imthe great steeplechase is keen as ever was attested by the huge crowd at Aintree' that saw it decided, though under .atmospheric conditions the reverse of agreeable. To get quickly to the' inuttons. The National field paraded nineteen strong, but the quality of most of the " chasers " was medium to bad. The public had over night installed Captain Hughes' iEsop, aged, lOst 81b, favourite at 5 to 1. Horizon, 6yrs, 12st 21b, had been made second favourite at 8 to 1, and Wild Man from Borneo, aged, lOst 111 b, had friends in plenty at tens. The betting which preceded the race left this trio at the head of affairs, but Cathal, 6yr&, lOst 91b; Leybourne, aged, lOst 31b ; and Manifesto, aged, list 21b, were backed down to 100 to 8, and at 100 to 7 the aged Father WJ?^

ilst lib, found a host of supporters. Cock-o'-the-Heath, lOst 2lb, was a strong tip at 100 to 6, but 25 to 1 could be easily obtained about the chances of Lady Pat, lOst 131 b, Van der Berg, 9st 131 b, and Molly Maguire. Palkeith, Fin-ma-Coul, Why Not, Ardcarn, Royal Buck and Caustic weJte the friendless division, from 40 to 100 to 1 being offered against them in vain. Mr Coventry despatched the runners on their four-miie journey without waste of time, and the favourite took up the running at once. Except that Cock o' the Heath bolted and Eoyal Buck and Sarah Bernhardt pulled up, all the horses got safely to the water jump in front of the stands, but on landing over the puddle Horizon slipped up and relinquished the contest. Entering the country a second time, the field began to thin out and straggle. Over Beecher's brook Cathal led Van" der Berg, JEsop and Wild Man at a merry pace, and this quartet was followed at a respectful distance by Lady Pat, Dalkeith and Father O'Flynn. At the second fence beyond the favourite came down heavily, leaving Cathal well in front of the field, Wild Man and Van der Berg being his nearest attendants. To the last fence Escott's mount retained his advantage, but Widger, on the Wild Man, was creeping up with every stride. Inch by inch the gap was reduced, until at the distance the pair were toiling neck and neck: But Catbal was dead beat and could not answer to his pilot's last call, whilst Widger's mount responded to the whip and converted his last year's third into a first by a length and a half. Van de Berg rolled home third, with Manifesto a very bad fourth. Only 12 completed the course. The Wild Man's victory was extremely popular, and his rider, came in for a great ovation from the Irish contingent. The race occupied lOmin 32sec, the distance covered being 4 miles 856 yards, and the stakes were worth .£1975. Last year Why Not, with list 131 b up, negotiated the course in 9min 45sec, and in the previous year Cloister, with 12st 71b in the saddle, occupied three seconds less, a record that seems likely to stand for a good many years. Wild Man from Borneo is a seven-year-old chestnut gelding by Decider out of Wild Duck, and was bred in Ireland. He first ran as a four-year-old, and has earned winning brackets on six occasions only prior to Friday's success. His narrow victoiy over Cathal indicates clearly how the race would have resulted had Cloister kept well, for Mr Duff's chaser could give the Wild Man's runner-up a couple of stone and lose him over a four-mile course.

' THE ENGLISH DERBY. By Telegraph.—? Press Association. London, May 22. The latest Derby betting is as follows : —9 to 2 agst Raconteur, 5 to r Laveno. London, March 26. The latest betting for the Derby is a follows: —5 to 1 agsfc Laveno and Eancour, 100 to 15 Le Var, 9 to 1 The Owl. London, May 28. The following is the latest betting on the Derby : —Six to 1 Le Var, Eaconteur and Laveno; Bto 1 The Owl and Solaro. CARBINE'S VOYAGE. London, May 22. Carbine has reached Gravesend, none the worse for his long sea voyoge. London, May 24. Carbine and the Novelette colt have arrived safely at Welbeck, the residence of the Duke of Portland.