“ PRAY. WHAT IS A GENTLEMAN WITHOUT HIS RECREATIONS 
Saturday, March 11, 1854. 
evening of the great Aintree event, and turn it into a 15, 5 ft. 
affair, with ho declaration?. The steeplechase course is far 
preferable to Liverpool, as the fences are better, the dhtance 
shorter, and the ground grass throughout, while “Johnson's 
Brook” (so called, I conclude, after the gallant colonel of 
the corporate race brigade) comes in for a double share of 
jumping opposite the Stand. The most holding part of the 
course is in the Low Pastures, celebrated of yoro as the spot 
where the infant Flying Childers was found struggling in a 
wet ditch, and where, in the days of the Pretender and Dr. 
Daniel Dove, the corporation and their friends used to devote 
themselves to pony racing from 11 to 1, by way of securing 
a zest for a 2 o’clock dinner and tho heavy handling of tankards 
which always ensued. However, wo have no wish to poke fun 
at that august body. They have quitted thomselves like men 
at last. 2,200/. a-year is tho sum now given to be run for 
annually on tho Moor of which they are the guardians, and 
if they only keep in their present mood, the racing world will 
stand* cheerfully by them. In fact, if the Mayor (who is 
said to be very staunch) had presented himself in his collar 
of gold on the balcony just above the Stand clock, with his 
civic posse comitatus, and formally opened the Doncustcr 
racing season with an Oyez ! Oycz ! and a neat speech, we 
feel sure that the racing world beneath would have given his 
worship a very cheering reception. The five malcontents 
out of tho twenty-four aro said, however, to be in very fair 
spirits, and it is quite expected that, as long as their “ morti- 
fication caps ” aro untriinmed, they will “ roar like sucking- 
doves ” each succeeding November. Turning, however, 
from man to horse, we found ourselves looking over five out 
[With Supplement, Price 6 d . 
of thirteen Trial Stakes’ competitors. Eulogist hud made no 
improvement on his two-year old form, and did not look tho 
race-horsc he promised to be when we saw him at York ; 
and Romeo was a hunter and nothing more. It was for- 
mally announced on tho board that the Cotherstonc colt 
only came to bo beaten for the third time, thut ho might 
claim a 5 lbs. allowance in the Whittlobury Stakes ; and 
hence it surprised no one to seo him pulled out of the race 
when they had gone about a-third of the distunco. It re- 
minded us feebly of old times, when Slane had to take a long 
journey from Newmarket to Liverpool, expressly to be 
beaten for the Liverpool Cup, that he might claim his allow- 
ance for the 1000/. Waterloo Shield. Snowdon Dunhill 
followed up his last year’s success, and won all tho way, 
feinting very prettily with Eulogist from tho distance. 
He is a race-horse all over — low, longthy, and blood- 
like, but he rather lacks endurance and power. 
We do not think he has thickenned much since last year, in 
the Sheffield and Rotherham Plate, tho St. Legcr colt (?) 
Julius Ccesar was very fit, but his action is expensive ; and 
he not only got rid of his 5 st hamper at tho end of his 
canter, but scampered off towurds Doncaster, down tho elm 
avenue, with his little scarlet atomy in full pursuit. When 
they did join company again, it did not mend matter?, as ho 
took the bit in his teeth and went right round the St. Leger 
course. Little Tom looked well (as all Wadlow’s horses do 
this year), but he grows no bigger under his new name than 
he did us Corybantes. A plurality of futhers has not done 
much for Communist, who will not do much in return for 
the fame of Brethy ; while Twin is a mere clothes-horse 
VOL. III.— No. 63.] 
PORTRAIT OF SACKCLOTH. 
We have much pleasure in announcing that “The Field” 
of March 18 th will contain a Portrait of this celebrated 
Greyhound, engraved from a photograph, kindly furnished 
to us for that purpose by his noble owner, the Right Hon. 
the Earl of Sefton. 
turf talk, 
“The chosen sport of a great and a free people.” 
Oca Sailor Kixo. 
1 FTER the dormouse trance, which pervades the racing 
A world for nearly four long months, it “stirred the blood 
like a trumpet ” to find ourselves again ascending to the 
stand-top of tho “ Newmarket of the North,” with a “ legiti- 
mate” two days’ programme iu our hands, and that re- 
markable specimen of Doncaster literature, “ No smooJting 
allowed , ” again frowning its silent warning from the walls. 
This meeting has undergone a wonderful change since 1847. 
80/. of added money was all it could muster then, for three 
very lcutherplating races ; now it has 540/. Captain Becher, 
moreover, was the only sporting lion on that opening day, 
whereas now the Earl of Chesterfield, Mr. Payne, and Admiral 
Rons (who officiated as steward for Lord Londesborough), ap- 
peared with 1 several others of the “ Autumn Meeting men, 
as Doncastrians term them, — in the Steward’s and Subscrip- 
tion Stands. Tho Grand National Steeplechase does not thrive 
here, as Liverpool takes all the fire of it, and they never 
will get it into form till they defer the weighting till the 
AN INTERRUPTED MEAL — Dmawm bv It. Avsdkll. 
