240 TJIli; RACING SEASON, i.^lO 



horses — Launcelot, Assassin, and the Melody colt, nnd tlieir 

 " names were often heard." Little Wonder was ainono-st 

 the 50 to 1 lot, and Mr Crockford was "ever and anon" 

 offering in vain thousands to fifteens against him ! Bokhara 

 *' came again" on the day, and few felt comfortable in being 

 heavy against the worthy baronet. Theon, the mysterious 

 Theon, was up and down like a shuttlecock — at one moment 

 at 8 to 1, at another at 20 to 1 ! Assassin rose at the close 

 of the betting to 3 to 1, and was in immense favour; 

 Launcelot was premier at 7 to 4, and the Melody colt set- 

 tled down to 4 to 1. Save one horse the betters were right 

 enough — they had made the second, third, and fourth horses 

 the leading favourites, but by some unaccountable blunder 

 they had overlooked Little Wonder, a runner of note in the 

 Houghton Meeting of the previous year against Assassin, 

 giving eight pounds ! This surely was an oversight — Little 

 Wonder won the Derby in a canter, after one of the fastest 

 races ever known at Epsom. Launcelot ran honestly to the 

 end, but he was not of that " wear and tear" sort to live the 

 pace over such a trying course. Assassin and the Melody 

 colt ran as well as could be expected from their forms ; and 

 the remainder were polished off long before the turn was 

 completed — a more complete tail was never seen. Of the 

 Oaks little need be said ; Crucifix just managed to pull 

 through with her game leg. The thing was too near to be 

 pleasant to those who had betted three to one on her— the 

 field was wretchedly bad and the pace miserably slow. 

 The other races were but so so. 



The courtly Ascot Meeting was most brilliantly attended. 

 The Little Wonder of Epsom was doomed to be defeated 

 by a most despicable creature named Darkness. Never was 

 that old Turf saying, '' Weii;ht levels all distinctions," bet- 

 ter exemplified than in this race. Little Wonder was made 

 to give DarkneS" trventy four pounds (both of a year) over a 



