TIIH UACING SEASON, 1837. 157 



THE RACING SEASON, 1837. 



The gloomy state of the weather in the early part of the 

 year 1837, acted as a great check to many who are in the 

 habit of frequenting the Newmarket Meetings, and scarcely 

 ever was seen a duller affair than the Craven Meeting. 

 The Trial Stakes afforded no insight into futurity, as is 

 frequently the case, and Hock was far, very far, from in- 

 toxicating his friends and admirers in his after races. The 

 Riddlesworth, like those of former years, was thought to 

 be a certainty to Lord Jersey. But though his Lordship 

 won it, yet the result seemed to prove that old Edwards 

 had held the field (bad as it was) too lightly ; and by not 

 sufficiently preparing Achmet, it required all Robinson's 

 fine riding to make him a winner by httle more than a head, 

 " too near to be pleasant." Achmet's running afterwards 

 on the Thursday, for a Sweepstakes of 200 sovs. each, 

 showed him in much better light, and the ease with which 

 he disposed of Quicksilver (thought at the time to be pretty 

 good) increased amazingly the confidence of his supporters. 

 There were evidently great doubts in Lord Exeter's stable 

 as to which was their Derby nag, and after all they stood 

 their money upon the wrong horse, as the running has 

 since told them. Troilus was at one time thought to be 

 the best, and his running must unquestionably have con- 

 vinced Lord Exeter of the fact of his being so ; yet the 

 three — Hibiscus, Troilus, and Dardanelles — were too near 

 together to afford much hopes ; for it is very rare that three 

 first-rate horses of the same age eat the smne owner's corn 

 in the same year. 



