2"^-! THE liACixVG SEASON, 1843. 



small betters to imagine that they knew the merits of Gaper 

 better than his owner. 



The Oaks was remarkable, because it was won by an 

 outsider belonging to a clever division, who stands noted for 

 great judgment — and yet the party did not back the filly 

 for a sou ! The Oaks is always a very uncertain race. The 

 " fill up" was just " tolerable," and that is the best word 

 at our pen's-end to describe the little sweeps and plate 

 races. Surely a good handicap might be brought to bear 

 on one of the vacant days. 



Of the Manchester gathering we can only say that there 

 was plenty of company, and few horses. That good mare, 

 Alice Hawthorn, won the Winton Stakes, and Her Majesty's 

 Guineas, in excellent style. The Best of the Three, won 

 his engagement in a form that made his owner quite de- 

 lighted. This Meeting following immediately on the Epsom 

 one, is always crippled by the absence of the betting men, 

 who have not had time to shake their feathers from the 

 disorder generally occasioned by an Epsom settling. 



The Ascot- Heath Races were certainly by no means so 

 good as the Meetings of the last eight or ten years. One 

 immense drawback, was the absence of Her Most Gracious 

 Majesty and Prince Albert ; for thousands go annually to 

 obtain a sight of England's Queen and her splendid court. 

 The Trial Race proved that there was no mistake in the 

 Oaks' running, for Poison won uncommonly easy. The 

 Ascot Derby brought five very indifferent three year olds 

 to the post ; and the only satisfaction we felt, was in seeing 

 Sir Gilbert Heathcote's Amorino win by a head. The Vase 

 was carried off by Gorhambury, after one of the finest 

 races ever beheld. Siricol was second, receiving eight 

 pounds from the winner. Murat came out greatly improved 

 over his Newmarket running, and won his two valuable 

 engagements remarkably easy, beating horses of character 



