consider him rather a lucky horse than a very superior one, said to be preferred by some; however, as he was a winner of many races and on all courses, it would be acceptable if his present owner could be induced to give his performances with a description of the horse, as he is supposed to be a very perfect shaped one. The time of Slyboots is stated to be better by a second than he ever performed in public, and I am inclined to think he never ran a trial up to the time of his last race, I think against Creeper. An "ADMIRER OF THE TURF" has also made the race between Tom Thumb and Fitz James two miles and a half, whereas it was three miles, in 6m. 12s., and also the race between Advocate, Sussex, and Reveller, to be three miles, which was, if I remember right, two miles and a half for the Ladies' and Bachelors' Purse, and as an inch is said to be a good deal in the length of a man's nose, so is half a mile in a race, particularly when four heats are run. As I intend coming on the Turf strong next year, I am induced to trouble you with this, hoping the time of the Flickers I mean to produce may be correctly given to the sporting world. Yours very truly, AMATEUR On Wednesday evening, the 29th April, a Race took place on the Bycullah course between four horses out of the rival stables of Moola Hatchim and Daddy Suntook. The latter son of Tattersall produced two Bays, and the former dealer a Chestnut and a Grey. One of the Bays was rode by his owner, Suli-maun, a real good un in his way, as a sporting friend quaintly observes. The favourite at starting was Mahomed Sadook's CHESTNUT; but the knowing ones were out in their calculation; the GREY belonging to a stranger Arab won in hand-Time, 4m. 32s. the two miles. This Race was followed by several minor matches, and a Tattoo Race won by Mr. Gray's Pony, Magistrate, easy. A boy of RACING. Mr. Gray's, a promising lad, won the Sweepstakes, and proved himself a first-rater at riding light weights. The whole day's sport originated with the Arabs, and ought, we think, to be encouraged, as it induces them to bring their best cattle before the public, and furnishes data to regulate a purchase, if the purchase of a horse be not always a lottery. The attendance on the course was chiefly confined to the turbanned tribe diversified with the goatskin cap of the Persian. Only a few English gentlemen were present, and they weretrumps. We hear a similar race meeting is to take place on or about the 16th May. MISCELLANEOUS. LEOPARD HUNTING IN SOUTH AFRICA. The leopard of South Africa is known among the Cape colonists by the name of tiger, but is, in fact, the real leopard, the Felis jubata of naturalists, well known for the beauty of its shape and spotted skin, and the treachery and fierceness of its disposition. The animal called leopard (luipaard) by the Cape Dutch boors, is a species of the panther, and is inferior to the real leopard both in size and beauty. Both of them are dreaded in the mountainous districts on account of the ravages which they occasionally commit among the flocks, and on the young cattle and horses in the breeding season. The South Africa panther is a cowardly animal, and, like the hyena, flies from the face of man. The leopard, also, though his low, halfsmothered growl is frequently heard by night, as he prowls like an evil spirit around the cottage or the kraal, will seldom or never attack mankind (children excepted), unless previously assailed or exasperated. When hunted, as he usually is with dogs, he instinctively betakes himself to a tree, when he falls an easy prey to the shot of the huntsman. The leopard, however, though far inferior in strength and intrepidity to the lion, is yet an exceedingly active and furious animal; and when driven to extremity, proves himself occasionally an antagonist not to be trifled with. The colonists relate many instances of arduous and even fatal encounters with the hunted leopard. following is one of these adventures, which occurred in a frontier district in 1812, as described by one of the two individuals so perilously engaged in it. Two boors returning from hunting the Hartebeest (Antelope bubalis), fell in with a leopard in a mountain ravine, and immediately gave chase to him. The animal at first endeavoured to escape by clambering up a precipice; but being hotly pressed, and slightly wounded by a musket-ball, he turned upon his pursuers with that frantic ferocity which on such emergencies he fre The quently displays, and springing upon the man who had fired at him, tore him from his horse to the ground, biting him at the same. time very severely in the shoulder, and tearing his face and arms with his talons. The other hunter, seeing the danger of his comrade (he was, if I mistake not, his brother), sprung from his horse, and attempted to shoot the leopard through the head; but, whether owing to trepidation, or the fear of wounding his friend, or the sudden motions of the animal, he unfortunately missed. The leopard, abandoning his prostrate enemy, darted with redoubled fury upon this second antagonist; and so fierce and sudden was his onset, that before the boor could stab him with his hunting-knife, he had struck him in the eyes with his claws, and torn the scalp over his forehead. In this frightful condition the hunter grappled with the raging beast; and struggling for life, they rolled together down a steep declivity. All this passed so rapidly that the other boor had scarcely time to recover from the confusion in which his feline foe had left him, to seize his gun, and rush forward to aid his comrade, when he beheld them rolling together down the steep bank in mortal conflict. In a few moments he was at the bottom with them, but too late to save the life of his friend. The leopard had torn open the jugular vein, and so dreadfully mangled the throat of the unfortunate man, that his death was inevitable; and his comrade had only the melancholy satisfaction of completing the destruction of the savage beast, already with several deep exhausted wounds in the breast from the des perate knife of the expiring huntsman.-L. Pringle. SPORTING NOMENCLATURE. PONIES. Should a tyro hear a leg (a professional calculator) offer to bet two or three ponies to one, he must not imagine them to be those little four-legged animals so much in request, but £50 notes. "ONE AND A COCK-BOAT."Should he hear a better propose to take odds against one and a cockboat, he is not to suppose this has anything to do with a trim-built wherry, but that the "one" is a favourite, and the cock-boat an animal in little estimation. 66 A TELLER is a MS. pocket volume, yclept a betting-book: and if a man says that won't suit my book," he means that his money is staked on the other side, and that he goes mathematically to work, so as to make all things square in such a way that he cannot lose. His book is then "made up." A DARK HORSE may be a white one, since this phrase simply implies an untried or unknown one. AN OUTSIDE HORSE is one which is no favourite. When a horse sprains a sinew, or is seized with lameness, he "breaks down." When in the race the powers of nature begin to fail, he "dies away." When worn out by repeated trials and conflicts, he is "stumpt up." A horse may be nowhere, and yet not far behind his competitors. It means he is not placed as first, second, or third: and the judge rarely posts more. Let it not enter the heads of the spoons that a horse is to start with the plume of a peacock's tail or an ostrich penache stuck in his saddle, should they see by the list that he only carries a feather. No-this is a light little jockey, who weighs, saddle and all, less than six stone. A COCKTAIL is a half-bred horse, so called from the propensity these animals have to throw their tails over their backs, and stop short when distressed. THE GREAT ST. LEGER.-16TH The paramount importance of this stakes will be one excuse for our taking it before the two-yearold stakes, and for going more into detail than usual. On reference to the history of the St. Leger from its commencement in 1776, we do not find any race which has brought out so many first-rate horses, or which, from the excellence of their public running, has approached so nearly to a certainty of being carried off by one of the principal favourites. As for the Derby, the sporting world has long been convinced that the prize was for one of three or four, and thus has speculation been less extensive than would otherwise have been the case, for there has been as much timidity evinced in backing outsiders as in laying against the cracks. The performances of Velocipede, The Colonel, and Bessy Bedlam, have been remarkably good, each having done so much as to give them every claim to support, at the same time that it rendered it more difficult to form a decisive opinion of their comparative merits. Velocipede and Bessy have won oftener than The Colonel, but it has all along been notorious that Velocipede was to be feared in his legs, and which have only been kept in trim by the unusually wet season. The Colonel has on all occasions run a very superior horse, and we consider that, although defeated, his running for the Derby was as much deserving of praise as the most decisive victory of either of the other favourites. Moreover, he is of a stout and lasting breed, having, in this respect, a decided call of Velocipede, for the Blacklock horses generally are speedy, but not strong, and in this respect we should say that Bessy Bedlam is also before him. The doubt expressed about The Colonel was that he was deficient in speed. Ballad Singer's running has been rather contradictory than otherwise, having performed indifferently last year, and very well this. With the exception of Cambridge, none of the others have done anything to entitle them to a classification of them with the favourites. The betting has, from the beginning, been confined to three or four, the greatest party being those who supported Velocipede, who is in the same stable as The Colonel, and of whose respective merits they were of course enabled to form a pretty correct opinion; this party was composed of most of the great legs, who having Velocipede and The Colonel, had nothing to fear but Bessy Bedlam; at least, we have understood they thought of no other. The backers of Bessy Bedlam were to be found amongst the nobility, who stood upon her to a very large amount, and certainly with great show of reason. These remarks were made on a review of the performances of the favourites, and before the event had come off; nor does such event in any degree controvert them. The new Betting Rooms were last night crowded to suffocation, and business to a large amount was transacted, the odds varying repeatedly, The Colonel at last having the call. This morning business was resumed, and continued till just before the start, when the odds had settled thus: 3 to 1 against The Colonel. The judge placed only these two, but the following also started :Mr. Armitage's ch c Velocipede, by Blacklock; Lord Scarborough's be Cambridge, by Catton; Mr. Bowyer's b f Lady Vane, by Reveller; Mr. Bradshaw's b c Splinter Bar, by Blacklock; Lord Kelburne's brc by Reveller, out of Hell Cat; Mr. Flethers br c by Blacklock, out of Arabella; Lord Milton's brf Ballad Singer, by Tramp; Mr. Crompton's ch c by Whisker, out of Marion; Mr. b c Crompton's Coulon, by Whisker; Mr. Gascoyne's ch c by Blacklock, out of Louisa; Colonel King's br f Bessy Bedlam, by Filho; Mr. Metcalf's b c Economist, by Whisker; Mr. Hopkinson's bf Eliza, by Filho; Mr. Wetherell's ch f Jenny Mills, by Whisker; Mr. Udny's blf by fby Reveller, out of Lisette; His Majesty's b c Jour de Noces, by Blacklock; Mr. Bacon's br Alcaston, by Filho. c At starting the pet, Bessy Bedlam, went in front, with Jour de Noces, Velocipede, and Mr. Gascoyne's colt next her, and the others well in at their heels. They spun along at a rattling pace, without any change of importance till they got near the Red House, and there poor Bessy gave evident symptoms of being tired, the ground being heavy. At the Red House Velocipede went ahead of her; The Colonel, Belinda, and Cambridge, at the same time got in front of the others, and in an instant were at the haunches of Velocipede. The struggle then became very severe, but when they were about one hundred yards from home it was evident that the Colonel was to be winner; for at this point he went right ahead, maintained his lead in grand style, and won the St. Leger easily by two very honest lengths. Velocipede was next to Belinda, and Cambridge fourth; but the judge placed only the winner and Belinda. one The decision was received with acclamations by one of the most numerous and brilliant assemblages ever seen on a Racecourse. Mr. Petre also won the St. Leger last year, and has a very promising stable for the next. He nets, by the stakes, the sum of one thousand nine hundred pounds, after deducting hundred pounds for his own lot. The result of this race, while it proves the great superiority of The Colonel, must be looked upon as a very fortunate occurrence for his rider (Scott), independent of all pecuniary advantage; for opinions have been expressed, respecting his manner of riding the same horse for the Derby, which have militated against his reputation as a skilful rider. For our own parts, we think it is but a fair act of justice to state that no horse was ever better jockeyed than The Colonel was this day by him; at the same time we are satisfied that he did his best for him at Epsom. It is worthy of remark that Belinda was beat at Pontefract, the week before last, by Cambridge, who now fourth. Excepting the horses specified, no others had a chance. runs The horses were rode thus: The Colonel, by W. Scott; Belinda, by Nicholson; Velocipede, by Wheatley; Cambridge, by Nelson; Jour de Noces, by Robinson; Louisa, by Johnson; Lady Vane, by E. Jackson; Lisette, by John Day; Economist, by Templeman; Alcaston, by Conolly; Ballad Singer, by Lye; Eliza, by Noble ; Arabella, by Shepherd; Hell Cat, by H. Edwards; Splinter Bar, by G. Oats; Marion, by Garbut; Bessy Bedlam, by F. Boyce; Coulon, by Goodison; Jenny Mills, by Wetherell. The Doncaster St. Leger was instituted in the year 1776 by the late Colonel St. Leger, of Park Hill, near Doncaster, but it was not until three years afterwards that it was called the St. Leger, at the suggestion of the late Noble Marquis of Rockingham, at a dinner at the Red Lion Inn, then the head inn in Doncaster, in compliment to the gentleman with whom the race originated.-London Paper. |