NEWMARKET CRAVEN MEETING.

SOME writers there are, who, after squeezing any subject dry, will force you to digest the dregs as something equally relishing, and yet, however thick or nauseous the decoction may prove, a certain portion of the public will always be found ready to swallow it. I have a better opinion of the readers of the N. S. M., whose tastes I think are of a more healthy organization, and would rebel against any attempt to force upon them a hashed up description of a meeting, which in its general features proves ever like the last, and which moreover in this case, was unparalleled in dullness.

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The Newmarket Craven Meeting, 1842-failed not in one particular alone, but in all; and even the long talked of meeting of the Jockey Club did not come off," but was postponed, to the utter extinction of the only chance of some excitement. The sport therefore was left to stand upon its merits, and surely never did a Craven week produce so little fruit. Not that there was any remarkable paucity of racing, but that few horses came out, and none of any character. Strange, that out of the three hundred said to be in training, there was not one decent old or middle-aged horse to meet The Currier and that the three-year old running should have had so little influence on the Derby. In melancholy truth, with a wretchedly thin company and poor sport, the first meeting of the first club in the world, was gloriously in keeping with all things present, whether political or commercial, and worse than that it seems to me, cannot be said. Giving the racing, therefore, its quantum meruit, I propose to appropriate a couple of your pages to the principal event consummated in the course of the five weary days over which the meeting was extended.

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old;

For the Craven Stakes eight horses of very moderate pretensions were entered, and all came to the scratch, viz.-The Currier, 6 yrs. Mountain Sylph, 5 yrs. old; Minaret, 4 yrs. old; Florence, 4 yrs old; Barbara, 4 yrs. old; Heads or-Tails, 3 yrs. old; Michaelmas Day, 3 yrs. old; and a colt by Mulatto, dam by Middleton, 3 yrs. old. Headsor-Tails made tremendous running all the way; and with anything like a jock on his back, could not have lost, but being under (or rather independent of) the controul of a mere boy, ran himself out, and suffered The Currier, nicely ridden by Sam Rogers, to get up at the cords, and win cleverly. Michaelmas Day and Minaret were third and fourth. Not one of the first four was mentioned in the betting.

A Handicap of 20 sovs.-D. M., served to show how completely horses may be mismeasured after a winter's vacation, and how-but I am treading on dangerous ground. Suffice it that Tiptoe, a three-year

old Derby nag, with 6st. on his back, was a regular "pot," and made a woful example of the following respectable lot :-Buffalo, 4 yrs, old, 7st. 12lb. (second); Young Quo Minus, 4 yrs. old, 8st. 12lb. (third); Scarf, 4 yrs. old, 6st. 121b. (fourth); Thebes colt, 4 yrs old 7st. 7lb. (fifth); Lisburn 3 yrs. old, 6st. 4lb.; and Lord Kelburne's Muley Moloch colt, 3 yrs. old, 6st. 4lb. (last). Little Casedy rode the winner.

The Tavistock Stakes.-Lord Albemarle's Robin, because he ran a very bad horse last year, was backed at 2 to 1 to beat a dark one of Lord Stradbroke's, by Jerry out of Marpessa, since called "Jeremy," they might have added "Diddler," for he was big enough to make a meal of poor Robin, and from the noise he made must have been uncommonly sharp-set. Nat had great difficulty in making him win by only a length.

A match between Lord Albemarle's Nuncio and Lord Kelburne's Retainer colt (of course won by Lord Albemarle-who ever heard of Lord Kelburne winning?) was followed by the

Riddlesworth, for which Gunter (receiving both the allowances :) Eusebia, the Puncher,(receiving 3lb.,) and the Ladye of SilverkeldWell, were the starters. Eusebia was backed at even against the field, and was a very bad third. Gunter was not so celebrated as his namesake in Berkeley Square, and after dodging about, won in a canter; the Puncher was lame, but got the second place, and the Ladye of Silverkeld Well the last. Nat rode the winner. That Gunter is a moderate horse is clear enough, but that he should have been so much under-rated both by his owner and trainer, seems very like a mistake.

The Derby betting this afternoon was remarkable for the appearance of the Frederica colt as second favorite at 10 to 1, havingonly ten days before appeared in Tattersell's quotations at 1000 to 15. So serious a change was not effected without a large outlay. Alas! for the poor devils that obtained the wrong office and put their money on Eleus, even at 33 to 1. Attila on the retreat and Chatham at 25 to 1, with Mr. Gully as one of his enemies.

Tuesday. The racing was preceded by some unexpected changes on the Oaks betting :-Syren, a dark mare in Scott's stable, that had been bonnetted up into the first position for several weeks, was this morning sent to the right about, and Lord Jersey's Adela filly (a clipper to look at), brought from obscurity, and backed so eagerly, that before I left for the Heath her quotable price was only 8 to 1. A mare of Ridsdale's called Eliza, was also spoken of as being something ex. traordinary, and the consequence was that without any thing in the shape of an outlay she was run up to 10 to 1-she may be a wonder, but the Bloomsbury movements suggest caution in backing animals from this stable. Little was done on the Derby-but I noticed that

the Frederica colt was not so eagerly sought after as on Monday, and that Eleus was again moving upwards. Attila was in force at 8 to 1, Auckland in force at 12 to 1, the weathercock Lord of Holderness in favour at 30 to 1, and Lord G. Bentinck's lot just entering into the market at 30 to 1. Chatham still declining.

The list for the day contained six races, two of which were compromised. Of the four left for actual competition, the first and the best by a long chalk" was

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Of

The Coffee Room Stakes of 50 sovs. each, p. p. for the produce of mares that never bred flyers, and as it was presumed that none but what friend Hill terms "the swells," keep mares of this description, the stake was very properly confined to members of the coffee room. the six entered, the following five appeared at the post :-Lord Chesterfield's Sir Harry (the Dirce colt); Lord Orford's c. by Jerry, out of Petulance, Lord Exeter's Revocation; Mr. Batson's Brother to Potentia; and Lord Albemarle's Robin. Sir Harry, a leggy horse, and more likely to win across the flat than on Epsom downs, was backed at 5 to 4, and 4 to 1 laid agst. each of the others, bar Robin, who was at any price. The race was in reality a match between the favourite and Lord Orford's colt, the former leading all the way at a killing pace, the other approaching him quietly up the cords, and nailing him just on the post by a head, to the infinite mortification of Bill Scott, who thought himself safe-Nat rode the winner. The other three were beaten off a long way.

The second Grillion Stakes of 50 sovs. each for fillies, was a mere canter for Mr. Thornhill's Equation; Mr. Batson's Revelry filly, and Lord Albemarle's Dorothy being started, we imagine, for no other reason than that nothing was to be saved by paying. Pettit rode the winner, poor Conolly's place being vacant.

A Sweepstakes of 100 sovs. each, R. M., was won easily by Canadian (J. Day), beating Mr. Faulconer's Astronomer (the Observatory colt), and Lord Orford's Adelgund by a length-three as raw, awkward, brutes as we have seen for many a day.

Another Sweepstakes of 100 sovs. eaeh D. M., was won by a roaring colt of Lord G. Bentinck's, yclept Tedworth, beating Fulwar Craven's Don't-say-no (she did say so), and Lord Orford's Wild Duck colt by a length. Rogers rode the winner, who was backed at evens.

The Tuesday's Riddlesworth would have been a race had Lord Exeter's Reversion gone to the post, but having seen Chatham and Gunter saddled, his Lordship drew his horse, fully satisfied that the public would have an opportunity of seeing the mysterious Chatham extended. It proved otherwise-the £. s. d. on one side, and prudence (perhaps a stronger feeling) on the other, brought about a compromise, and Chatham walked over, Mr. Greville drawing his stake and one of the forfeits.

Wednesday. The Column Stakes was the race of the day, and it turned out to be one of those cases that every now and then serve to show the necessity of a revision of the law as regards betting. Col. Peel had two horses in the race, Chatham and Archy; both were on the ground, and Chapple had weighed-for "Col. Peel"—but which he was to mount, or whether he has to qualify himself for the circus by riding both, was a mystery, until even bets had been laid on Chatham, and 3 to 1 agst. Flytrap. It was then declared that Chatham would not run, and the betting at once changed to 7 to 4 and 2 to 1 on Flytrap. Now it is clear that the threes to one against Flytrap were laid on the strength of Chatham's starting; yet by the custom at Newmarket, the bets about the latter were off, and those against Flytrap were valid! There is something very absurd and unjust in all this, and the sooner it is altered the better. The withdrawal of the mysterious Chatham left seven starters, viz. Lord G. Bentinck's Flytrap (allowed 5lb.); Mr. Batson's, Brother to Potentia (3lb.); Duke of Portland's f. by Bay Middleton, out of Souvenir (3lb.); Lord Orford's f. by Clearwell, out of Chapeau d'Espagne's dam (3lb.); Mr. Thornhill's Eusebia, Col. Peel's Archy, and Lord Chesterfield's f. by Muley Moloch, out of young Petuaria (3lb.). The race almost from the start was between the three first named horses, and was never won until they had passed the post, and then it was "Flytrap by a head," and " a dead heat for second." Archy ran in a good place throughout, and finished a respectable fourth. Rogers rode the winner.

Thursday. Of the many three-year old stakes decided in the course of the week, the D. M. Sweepstakes of 100 each, alone made any serious impression on the Derby betting-Chatham was in it, and of course played first fiddle. He had put up with a compromise on Tuesday, and thrown away the Column on Wednesday, in order to make a greater coup for this-but, vulgarly speaking, the pot boiled over, and Chatham, after endangering the life of his jock, was placed in schedule A. The other starters were Barrier, with a party very fond, Canadian, looking rough and raw, but going remarkably well, Espartero, a nice hack, and nothing better, and Rover, an impostor of the worst description. The first start was nearly fatal to Nat,- Chatham fell directly he had left the post, threw him over his head, and rolled on him, breaking his collar bone; Espartero was close in his wake, and had not Robinson pulled him aside, the consequences would have been more serious. The horses returned to the post, and Nat, game to the back bone, started with the others, without being at all aware of the fracture. At the second start Barrier led at his best pace, followed by tumble-down Dick, Canadian half a length in the rear of the latter. In less than half a mile the pace had left Rover many lengths astern, and Espartero, although he managed to live within a few yards of the