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horses, saddled and mounted, are led up and down preparatory to the 

 start. The Stewards take their posts, the Judges their places, and 

 arrange their watches. The Course is cleared — every eye throughout 

 that vast assembly is bent in one direction — even the ladies, in great 

 numbers in the stand, a parterre of lovely flowers, rivalling in beauty 

 and freshness the luxuriance of Nature around, that in this very remark- 

 able season of premature warmth and sunshine, is already putting forth 

 her blossoms of early spring, to please the eye and make grateful the 

 heart ; even the ladies, I say (bless them for their countenance of the 

 sport), turned their pretty faces from examining the becoming satin or 

 silk dresses of their own sex, to admire the beautiful silki/ coats of the 

 glossy and yveW-dressed horses before them, 



A.11 being in readiness, the horses are led down a little before the 

 starting-post, and formed into line — what a beautiful sight ! 



" I see you stand, like gi'eyliounds, in the slips, 

 Straining upon the start." 



On a preconcerted signal being given, they are off simultaneously — 

 they come up in front of the stand with one impulse, moving together 

 so evenly, they look more like a disciplined cohort, or battalion of cav- 

 alry, charging and preserving its line, than rival parties, striving to 

 outstrip each other in the struggle of a race — they bound along for a 

 mile and three-quarters with a mighty rush, tearing through the yield- 

 ing air like a flock of wildfowl with a strong wing, seeming to spurn the 

 ground on which they tread. As they swung into the last quarter 

 home, all, save one, are well up in good places ; as they approached the 

 goal, the result was in doubt almost to the last jump. At the last mo 

 ment, however, Thirteen of Trumps, like a meteor madly shooting from 

 its sphere, darted ahead, and won the heat, Mr. Sinkler's Lot second, 

 making a magnificent finish. A closer, more exciting, and more deter- 

 mined struggle, throughout the entire heat, has seldom been witnessed. 



Julia having been distanced, and Dr. Starke withdrawn, five came to 

 the post for the second heat. On getting off, it was soon manifest that 

 this, like the first, was to be no w^aiting heat. They are all together 

 again. In running the last quarter, each jockey seemed to give an ad- 

 ditional lift to his horse, and to touch him with his spur. The excited 

 animals, as if fired by an emulation equal to their riders, simultaneously 

 made an extra exertion, and increased their rapid speed — as they rush 

 along, a cloud of dust tracks their furious progress. Within the dis- 

 tance post, Inspector, Lot, and Millwood have drawn a little clear of the 

 others, in which order, after a sharp rally, they terminated the heat in 

 3 m. 43 sec. 



