Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer (NSW : 1845 - 1860), Saturday 22 August 1857, page 2


BLINK BONNY'S NEWMARKET AND EPSOM RUNNING. - The following are the ingenious explanations which have been referred to in reference to Blink Bonny's performance for the One Thousand, and for the Derby and Oaks: —Taken altogether the present Derby has been one of the most extraordinary on record, and it would be an act of great injustice to Mr l'Anson not to bear testimony to the straight-forward honorable con-duct which has distinguished him throughout the piece, in spite of the market influences brought to bear in cer-tain quarters, whereby the innocent were thrown off their guard, and opinions indulged in of which the present re-sult affords the most satisfactory contradiction. All sorts of insinuations were thrown out respecting Blink Bonny during the winter, and her fluctuations in the betting at " the Corner" gave rise to the belief that she was a "safe 'un." The true cause, however, we are as- sured by her owner, was an attack of dentition fever, brought on by the mare cutting her teeth. After Don-caster, where she was known to be a little "off," Blink Bonny began to thrive wonderfully, and Mr l'Anson left her as well as possible (under the care of his son Robert who has always looked after her, and on most occasions ridden her in public) when he started, to the Liverpool Autumn Meeting last November; but, on his return from Shrewsbury, he found her amiss, and since that period she has been regularly attended by two veterinary sur-geons. Previous to being brought out at Newmarket she could scarcely eat her corn, and, as a matter of course

was in a thoroughly weak state; but, wishing to keep faith with the public, and thinking her good enough to win the Thousand even in that condition, Mr l'Anson started the mare —with what result our readers are well acquainted. Since then her teeth have been rasped twice, and she has fed and done much better, but even now cannot masticate a feed of corn without consider-able difficulty.

AMOUNT OF DERBY AND OAKS STAKES FOR THE PAST ELEVEN YEARS. —It will scarcely be credited, but £60,485 have been paid over to the Derby victors during the past eleven years, and £42,840 to the Oaks winners, within the same period making, in all, £102,625 to the twenty-two viz., for Pyrrhus the First, £5,250; Cossack, the same amount; Surplice, £5,550; the Flying Dutch-man, £6,320; Voltiguer, £5,050; Teddington, £5,475; Daniel O'Rourke, £5.050; West Australian, £5,400; Andover, £5,950; Wild Dayrell, £4,925; and Ellington, £5,775, for the Derbies. And Mendicant, £3,800; Miami, £4,125; Cymba, £4,200; Lady Evelyn, £4,425; Rhedycina, £3,425; Iris, £3,500; Songstress, £3,275; Catherine Hayes, £3,800; Mincemeat, £3,915; March-ioness, £4,175; and Mincepie, £3,500, for the Oaks.

STUD HORSES REPRESENTED IN THE DERBY.-Out of the thirty runners, three each were by Melbourne, Bird- catcher, and Surplice; two each by Touchstone (and both favourites). Orlando and Simoon; and one each by Womersley, Flatcatcher, Voltigeur, Windhound, Bay Middleton, the Cure, Woodpigeon, Sir Tatton Sykes, Alarm, Loup Garou, Cossack, Pyrrhus the First, Robert de Gorham, Don John, and Malcolm.

DERBY HORSES AND ST. LEGER HORSES.-Skirmisher, Tournament, M.D., and Saunterer will have no chance of redeeming their characters in the Leger, not being entered for that race; but Anton, Arsonal, and Adamas, as well as Sydney, Loyola and Co., will have an oppor-tunity of shivering a lance with the northern mare, on the banks of the Don. Bird-in-the-Hand, too, is not in the great race at Doncaster. Nineteen out of the thirty Derby starters are in the St. Leger, including the first, third, and fourth horses.

YORKSHIRE AND BLINK BONNY. — It is creditably stated that the result of this mare's extraordinary victories last week has or will bring near £200,000 into the East Riding, in all parts of which she was heavily booked, and that, too, without the parties being able to get out to any extent.

THE B's AND THE DERBY —Blucher (1814), Bay Mid-dleton (1836), Bloomsbury (1839), and Blink Bonny are the only " B's" that have won the Derby; and the mare is the one of that ilk that has won the Oaks within half a century.

Sir Robert Peel had a horse at the Derby, which, if it won, would have brought him in £80,000. How much he will lose on its failure we do not know- probably a third or fourth part of that sum.