Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), Friday 6 March 1835, page 4


THE GREAT ST. LEGER STAKES,

of Fifty Sovereigns each.h jf, colts, Ost. bib ; fillies, Hst. 3lb; St. Leger Course ; seventy-one Subs, Lord Westminster's b. o'. Touchstone, by Gomel— Banter ( Galloway') ? 1

Lord -Sligo s cb. c. Bran, by Humphrey, out of Velvet (Darling) ? 2 Sir J. Boswell's eh. c. General Cha'sse, by A ctieon (Johnson) ? ? 3 Duke of Cleveland's br. c. Shilelah, by St. Patrick (Chifney) ? 4 The following were not placed : — Mr* V/. Richardson's b. f. Lady le Gros, br Y. Phantom (Scott) ? '. 0 Air. J. Miirson's bl. c. Louden, by Chateau Margaux (M arson, jun .) ? 0 Mr. Hesel tine's b. c. Woilaby Baylock, by Blucklock (Nelson).*. ? 0 Mr. Witt's b. c. Bubastes, by Blncklock — — s. to'Coulon (Nicholson) ? 0 Dukoot Leeds' oh. c. Valparaiso, by.Velocipudo (Tumpleman) ? 0 Mr. Bnteon's ch. c. Plenipotentiary, by ISmelius Harriet (Conelly) ? 0 Mr. Chisholm's b. f. by Partisan, d. by Walton er Orville (Garbutt) ...... ? : . . . . 0 II is long .since so small a field started foil the St. Leper, and still longer since then wan inch apparently good reasons for it The calculations up lo the- week precediii| had marie out fifteen ; but first Cotillon wai declared not to go, then Bequest and Spume, and,' lastly, Air. Powlett's colt which had been taken with the distemper The betting for the last' day or two wai ?till more limited, as nothing would gc down but the favourite, Shilelah, Chasse. and Worlaby Baylock. The night preceding the race, the first two and the lasl were iu high force, and large sums were laid out at 5 to 4 on Plenipo. 5 to 1 ogainsl Shilelah, and 8 to 1 against Worlaby. A I this 'lime Cliasse was not so much in demand,' it being half suspected that he was a little off; fur the same reason Bran was nol backed, whilst almost any odds could be got about Bubasles and Louden. Touch* stone was at . 30 to J, and he was only backed in conjunction with Lady le Gros, 12 to 1 against the two having been taken in l^ree or four quarters. On the morning of the race, Sliileliih sprung to 4 lo 1 (taken), nnd Worlaby Baylock to G to 1 ; the eftecV'of this was a slight decline in Plenipo. Chasse was not backed under II to I, nud the others were scarcely mentioned. The closing prices in the Stand were: — II to 10 on Plenipotentiary, 7 to 2 against Shilelah, 6 to 1 against Worlaby Baylock, II to 1 against General Chasse, 20 to 1 against Bran (taken), 25 to 1 against Lady le Gros, 33 to 1 against Louden, 40 lo 1 against Touchstone (as high as 50 to I being laid against him While running) — -so that the worst favourite won, and the first was last but one ! ! At a quarter past three, the horses took their preliminary gallops before the Grand Stand. All eyes were of course fixed upon the favourite, and it requiied only a glance to be satisfied that it was not the same Plenipo that won the Derby — in fuct, he was more like a pig than a race-horse, and could scarcely raise a gallop. So dissatisfied were two or three gentlemen (his backeis), who had quitted the Stand to take a nearer view of him, that they returned with all possible speed to get off as much money a* they could, and Shilelah was watched with no small anxiety — he looked as well M a horse could' look — so did Worlaby Baylock ; but neither Bran nor Chasse appeared in their best form. Scarcely any body bestowed |a look or a thought upon poor Touchstone, and those who did were only the more eager to bet against him — so cood a thing was it thought. i* About half-pastuhree the. hones were at the post, where two false starts occurred j at the third attempt they got off well together, Bubastes taking a lead of nearly iwo lengths, at a rattling pace; the positions of the other horses were indefinite until they n eared the gravel road, at which spot they had settled their places — Lady le Gros, liran, Warlaby Baylock, and Valparaiso, w«-re now lying in a cluster behind Bubastes — Plenipo, Chass-*, and Touchstone in the centre, and Sliilflah last of all. On getting over the hill, Plenipo was a little more in advance, but even at this oaily part of ihe race he was not going comfortably, and Conelly wns obliged to touch him every now. nnd then lo keep him in position. — Shilelah was al-o mure forward at this lime. Buhnstes led them along at a merry pace as fnr ns the Urd -House, anil here he declined, having performed a vast deal more than we expi c'etl of him, nnd quite as much a» thu Blucklock stouk cm: bo required to do. Chisltolni's filly was nlso L) ii ten off here ; nnrl, worst of till., Plenipo — the pride of tlu; South, and the terror of tin1 Norlli — 'Was ?* found wauling !' Whip nnd spur were ns--d in vain — ho wns ilencl bent 1 — and, lind it nut heeu for Cliisliolm's fi |y, would nctunlly have beun the lust horse in the r»ce 1 I Lurly le Gros now wpnt in front, Worlaby Baylock, antl Valparaiso, lying with her, Gcnurul Chasse

just oh Ihe point of joining company, ami Sliitelah and Touchstone still waiting in the centre. On reaching the last'turn, Touchstone went up to the leading horsesi but did' not attempt to quit them until about half a distance from home. 'The race, however, was ovor at the distance — for, although Chifney brought his horse near the front, he never could quite get up. The remainder of the ground is shortly disposed of. Touchstone went right away from his horses, Bran and General Chasse struggling only for second place, the former obtaining it by a head only, but losing the race by at Ions l a length and a half. Shilelah was beaten nearly a length from Chasse ; behind him were Lady le Gros, Louden, and Worlaby Buy lock ; then Bubasles, Valparaiso, and Plenipo, all in a lump, but Plenipo lust of them; and, last of all, Chisholm's filly a long wayastdrn. If we could believe. that Plenipo /'was right; it would be impossible to reconcile this result with public rtiuning'; but we assert, unhesitatingly, that he was not fit to run for a shilling, and that there' whs scarcely a horse in the town that could not have beaten him. The thing, however, speaks for itself — had. he been third or fourth, we might then have thought that the Derby was a '* mistake,' and that the South-country horse had been overruted ; but it is absurd to suppose that a horse which had beaten Glencoe in one of the fastest rac--s ever seen at Newmarket, and afterwards won the Derby, beating the same horses-just as easy — Glencoe subsequently, winning the Goodwood Cup in a canter, although opposed to old horses — could be nearly last for the St. Leger, and yet in proper racing condition. The running is not correct, and ko it will be proved by future events. Having all along described him as a very superior horse, it will doubtless be thrown in our teeth that WE ? have made a' mistake. ' It must be recollected, however, that our calculations have been founded on public running, and we have this consolation, that, if we have gone astray, it has been in good company. We have no idea of impugning Touchstone- — he is, beyond doubt, a good horse — so are Bran and Ch.isse ; but we must protest agaiust any comparison being instituted between them and Plenipotentiary till the latter shall meet them on equal terms. — There are various opinions as to the pace ; the best judges, however, agree that il was very fast to theUlecl House, after which it slackened — and no wonder; for horses thai have gone at the top of tlieir speed for a mile can hardly be expected to hold on for another three quarters. Value of the Stakes, j£2,075. The race was run in three minutes and twenty-three seconds exactly. Pedigree of Touchstone. — lie '.was bred by Lord Westminster, and got by Camel, out of Banter (brecTby his Lordship in 1826), by [Waster Henry, out of Boadicea (sister to Bucephalus),. by Alexander, her dam Brunette, by Amaranlhus, out of Mayfly, by Matchem — Ancaster Starling — Grasshopper — ^Sir M. Newton's Aubran — Port, &c. The Settling. — The settling look place on Wednesday morning, and went off very satisfactorily. In most instances the balances were small, a reasonable dread of the favourite huving deterred many from betling against him, whilst the smallnessof the odds since the Derby prevented others from, backing him. Several, however, who had profited by his success at l£psotn were again nn him, and lost their money as a matter of course, but nol to any serious extent. The gentlemen connected with Scott's stable, where Touchstone has been trained since Liverpool Races, are only moderate winners, most of their money having heen placed on Lady le Gros, who is reported to have had rather the best of the trials. — Amongst the betting men, the principal winners are Messrs. Ridadale, Hobinson (of Manchester), Yeasley, Wagstaff, Hicks, &c.