THE RAGING SEASON, 183L 25 



THE EACING SEASOl^, 1831. 



The Racing Season, 1831, was undoubtedly a "Crack" 

 season, although its favourites did not fulfil the sanguine 

 expectations of their backers. But whilst the three great 

 events of the year, the Derby, Oaks, and Leger, were pro- 

 ductive neither of an Eclipse, nor a Comet, nor even a 

 fixed star of any magnitude; the several Cups, and Plates, 

 and Stakes, and Matches, filled by such nags as Priam, 

 Cadland, Camarine, The Colonel, Tranby, Lucetta, and 

 Augustus, could not be otherwise than sporting events of 

 very great interest to all the lovers of the Turf. 



The best productions of this season, were " The Sad- 

 dler," "Riddlesworth," and "Oxygen;" but, although the 

 year 1831 produced fewer " flyers" than many which pre- 

 ceded it, this was made up for, by the excellent character 

 of the racing. The races for the Derby, Oaks, and Leger ; 

 the Ascot, Goodwood, and Doncaster Cups ; the Two-year- 

 old Stakes ; the Matches ; and in fact the struggles for 

 every stake, were such as will seldom be seen again, so 

 numerous and severe, in any one year ; whilst many little 

 improvements in the various details of turf management, 

 gave promising prospects of the next year's sport. 



The principal sporting events of the year must be sum- 

 marily disposed of, to suit our limited space : — 



The Newmarket Craven Meeting brought out Riddles- 

 worth, the horse " v/ot ought to have won the Derby, only 

 didn't," but the field was so very indifferent, that it was 

 " wondrous truly," to see the people all so sweet upon him, 

 but sweet indeed they were, until they caught some cream 

 of " Tartar " in the draught, and then they all turned sour. 



