Vol. IV. — No. 96.] 
Saturday, October 28, 1854. 
CONTENTS. 
Racing Turf Talk. Tlio Sporting Wallet — Newmarket Houghton 
Meeting— Curraeh October Meeting— Limerick Races — Carrick- 
macross Stoeplochases — Nominations : AVorcester Autumn Meeting 
— Ei.som Autumn Meeting— Letter from Toby Peeps on Racing. 
Huntino— Appointment for the Week— Management of Horses— 
"My first Meet," be. 
Coursing Limerick Club — Bendrigg Autumn Meeting — Boron Hill 
Meeting — Wiltshire Champion Meeting. 
News of the W eek — Oi-eiia Glass — Metropolis.— Pbovincul. 
TIIE FIELD OF AVAR: Malls for Scutari Hospital — “ Jack Ashore " 
ot Sebastopol— Bombardment of Sebastopol— Progress of the Siege 
The AVoumlcd at Constantinople— Letters from the Army In the 
Crimea — The British Generals in tho Crimea — Departure of 
Reinforcements of the Guards for the Crimea. 
&c. be. be. 
[With Supplement, Price 6d. 
AN ILLUSTRATION BY T JI. WILSON WILL APPEAR 
NEXT AVEEK. 
turfjtalk. 
“The chosen sport of a great and a free people.” 
Our Sailor King. 
THE SPORTING WALLET. 
(from a correspondent.) 
The Houghton meeting, the last of the Newmarket series, 
commenced on Monday, and, considering the many draw- 
backs to the success of turf gatherings this season, was as 
interesting and “ taking" as any of its predecessors. We 
never recollect having witnessed f heath iu better con- 
dition ; and the weather, iy ae of our writing, has 
been exceedingly propitious ^ V yriads of visitors, who 
have had the good fortune M cipate in the excellent 
sport which has transpired, >«t, andiere we have given the 
various returns of the sev from tests ; but the interest 
attached to the results deim t P»siti. ow comments from us 
We shall uot, however. iulM re^.lt.i ious narrative upon the 
reader ; our remarks will be u °.v^d to the main features 
only of the meeting. pun ‘on 
The principal event on tK ‘ffito tog was, of course, the 
Criterion Stakes tournay, wl- „ 0 timu».ght its average field of 
eight to the post, one half 01 utants being penalised. 
Bonnie Morn shirked the 91b penalty, and Strood also I 
proved an absentee ; but their non-appearance was some- 
what compensated for by tho debut of the Danebury Derby I 
crack, The Cruiser, who has, of late, been strongly supported ! 
for his Epsom engagement. He is one of the last of the 
Venison race we have left, and is a nice colt, albeit a little 
loosish in the loins, but requires age to develops himself and 
to “ take" generally. He was short of work, and, although 
Alfred Day Avas up, consequently found but few supporters. 
The field, too, being otherwise weak, 6 to 4 was laid on 
Rifleman, and he was the only animal really backed ; but, to 
the surprise of the multitude and the inexpressible joy of 
the fielders, the overlooked Para and The Cruiser defeated 
him easily, the filly, carrying 31bs extra for her Bedford 
Stakes wiu, beating the “ maiden" colt, after a beautiful con- 
flict from the Duke's stand, by a neck, the victory being 
a rather clever one. This failure of tho Squire’s colt, after 
the slovenly manner in which he got through his northern 
duties, caunot by any means prepossess the public in his 
favour for the Surrey tussle ; and we certainly think that 
Saraband, who was behind him to-day, and is as compact an 
animal as any man need Avisli to look at, will give him his 
quictut Avheu they meet again. Tho Cruiser obtained ex- 
actly tho same place as did West Australian in 1852, oach 
making his debut ; and the question arises, is there another 
Stockwell, Daniel O’Rourke, or West Australian, among tho 
vanquished team I Wo doubt it. Tho raco has invariably 
gx veil, the fielders a lift. Tho Nigger upset tho Pitsford 
pot iu 49 ; and, in tho succeeding year, Ariosto succumbed 
to Mountain Doer and Tho Confessor— tho latter not oven 
mentioned prior to the shirt. Daniel O'Rourke and Red 
Himl were eacli in favour on tho next occasion, but tho 
colt had the call ; nevertheless, ho and Stockwell were no- 
Avhero, the filly wiuning easily, despite her 61b extra, two 
outsiders— Ambrose and Knight of tho Shiro— being her im- 
mediate attendants. In 1852, odds were hazarded on Sitting- 
bourne. and 5 to 2 taken about West Australian ; however, 
Speed the Plough, not backed for a shilling, brought Flatman 
home in triumph, a second timo in succession. Nat, too, 
avils tho pilot of tho Nigger, ' and, independent of his two 
winning mounts for this stake, since then ho has twice 
been third. Last year Morcsca and Alembic were in force, 
but Phaeton and Rosaline easily vanquished them, neither of 
the latter twain being fancied prior to the fall of tho flag. 
The stake has not found that, support in lato seasons it was 
wont to do, ns tho following figures testify 
THE RIYAL PETS.-Drawn by T. H. Wilson. 
