TIIK liAClXG SEASOX, 18;<G 141 



The running- of Elis at Goodwood, would have made hhn 

 a great favourite for the Leger, had thiere been any certainty 

 of his going. As it was, the meeting passed off with gene- 

 ral satisfaction, but without working any particular vs^onders 

 in the sporting world. At Lewes, Elis won so easily, beating 

 horses of all ages, and giving immense weight to nearly all 

 in the race, that his party found they could not get on a 

 sufficient " pot," for the St Leger; and in consequence the 

 singular method was hit upon to declare Elis should not go 

 to Doncaster unless £12,000 to £1,000 was laid against 

 his winning. There was so much said at the time, and so 

 many old experienced turf-men differed as to the policy of 

 forcing a horse upon the public, that it would be superfluous 

 to enter further into the case, except to say, that every body 

 concurred in declaring it to be a bad precedent. The Leger 

 was as fair run a race as ever was contested ; and the easy 

 manner in which Elis disposed of the lot, confirmed Lord 

 Jersey's opinion of his colt, Bay Middleton, — "That it is a 

 long time since a better three year old appeared on the turf." 

 There was a good deal of bickering respecting the judge 

 not placing Bee's-wing. 



We now approach the close of the season, and, as the three 

 Newmarket Meetings finish the legitimate racing of the year, 

 we may class them together with few remarks. Bay Mid- 

 dleton came out in finer trim, if possible, than at Epsom or 

 Ascot, and his races with Elis and Muezzin proved that he 

 vv^as greatly superior to any thing of his day. Of the two 

 year olds that ran, Wintonian was, perhaps, a shade the 

 best. The Criterion was won by Chapeau d'Espagne, over 

 a snow swept course ; and the Nursery by Cassandra, beating 

 a large field of bad horses, at very long odds, and receiving 

 weight from nearly every thing in the race; a very credit- 

 able performance for the end of a crack Season ! 



