The Liverpool managers have acted upon the "improved. principle," and the acceptances for the Tradesman's Cup now come out on the 1st of July, the weights to be fixed on the 14th of June, and the race to take place on the 15th of July, so that with the exception of the Newcastle-on-Tyne Meeting, no other meeting of consequence is at all likely to interfere with the Liverpool Cup Handicap; and even should a horse come out at that place on improved form, he will get extra weight to carry as the winner of the Northumberland Plate or Cup. Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon Lord George Bentinck for the very great improvements he has completed at most of the great provincial meetings; and the introductions of several judicious bye laws have proved his lordship to be one of the keenest judges of racing in all its intricate branches: The straightforward betting fraternity have also good reason to thank Lord George for several important rules respecting defaulters at the room at Tattersall's; and I augur the most favourable conclusions from the indefatigable exertions of his lordship on all matters connected with the turf.

Coventry and Warwick will introduce us to the legitimate racing of the year. At either place there will be a Trial Stakes for all ages, and the country trainers generally avail themselves of these opportunities to get cheap trials. Coronation, it will be remembered, carried off the Trial Stakes at Warwick last year, beating a large field in a common canter, and in consequence rose to 8 to 1 in the Derby betting. With the exception of these two stakes there will not be any other race of importance at either Warwick or Coventry. That very suspicious species of racing called "cocktail racing," has died a natural death, much to the delight of the "fair and square" sporting men, who were too often the victims to premeditated frauds and underhanded cunning.

The three spring meetings at Newmarket promise to afford some very capital sport. The Craven, which will commence on Monday the 11th of April, and end on the Friday, is sure to cause some very startling changes in the odds for the Deroy. The Riddlesworth, now a race reduced to mere a shadow, has ten nominations, six of which are in preparation. Lord Jersey has two in-viz. Brother to Phoenix, and a filly by Bay Middleton, out of Trampoline; the colt is one of the most splendid animals ever seen, but like all the breed, labours under a peculiar unsoundness. Ransom entertains a notion that he shall be able to get him sufficiently in trim for this favourite race of Lord Jersey's, but from what I have heard from experienced judges, I think it extremely doubtful. Mr. Bowes's The Lass of Lonton is in good odour with the Scott's party, as is Gunter, with the Dilly coterie-these two get an allowance of five pounds each. The Play or Pay Fifty

Sovs. each Sweepstakes will not be run for, as the three entered are all in William Edwards's stable. The Tuesday's Riddlesworth, if there be any truth in public running, or judgment in the betting on the Derby, must go into the pocket of Colonel Peel, who is fortunate enough to have Chatham in, with an allowance of three pounds. There are eight subscribers to this race. By the bye, I have a strong liking for Colonel Peel's colt for the Derby. The Coffee Room Stakes will bring out the Brother to Potentia against Robin and the Dirce colt (from Scott's), and the winner will, in all probability, take a prominent place in the Derby betting. On Wednesday we get the Column Stakes, with thirty subscribers. The favourites are Chatham (allowed three pounds), Palinurus (allowed three pounds), and Mr. Neville's colt, by Velocipede, out of Amadou. Palinurus is thought very much of by his Hampshire friends. The most sporting event of the meeting will be the 100 Sovs. each Sweepstakes, on the Thursday-D. M. There are fifteen subscribers, and the following Derby colts stand pitted against each other :-Chatham (allowed three pounds), Barrier, Defier, Canadian, Rover, St. James, Espartero, and Wiseacre. This race will be a most exciting affair, inasmuch as the horses above named have been backed individually to win very large sums in the Derby market. Robert de Gorham is engaged in a Sweeepstakes of 200 sovs. each-D. M.-against seven others; amongst them Archy, Johnny Faa, Brother to Phoenix, and the colt, by Camel, out of Miss Craven's dam. I shall be very much surprised if I do not see Conolly pull up a winner in Lord Verulum's colours. The Port Stakes has seven subscribers, and the following horses are named:-Coronation, Middleham, Ralph, John-o'-Gaunt, Cesarewitch, Sir Hans, and Metternich; the distance is the T. M. M., and should Coronation and Middleham both be in prime twig, a most interesting and speculating race may be expected.

The First Spring Meeting bids fair to be a bustling one. For the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes there are twenty-four subscribers, and eighteen horses in active training. The favourites are Wiseacre, Meteor, and Sea-horse. Mr. Goodman fancies his colt Rover, and William Edwards's supporters entertain strong hopes that either Robin or Dorothy will do the agreeable. The Brother to Phoenix's chance depends entirely upon the state of the ground, which, if hard, will put him quite out. A rich stake of 300 sovs. each, for four year olds, will be left in the hands of Eringo and one of the Duke of Bedford's, for none of the others (five in number) will, I should imagine, attempt the distance, which is the Beacon Course. Perhaps one of the most exciting races of the week will be on Wednesday, for a Sweepstakes of 100 sovs. each, h. ft.-D. M.-ten subs.-as

the following Derby favourites will be brought together, unless, indeed, illness or fear on the part of their owners prevent it:-Attila, Barrier, Palladium, Nuncio, and Devil-among-the-Tailors. The others are Brigand, Utopia, Heads or Tails, Envoy, and March of Intellect. Of course, nothing certain is known as to whether the crack from the north will strip for this race, but if one may be allowed to form an opinion, grounded on the experience of past events, I should say, that if Attila is right, Colonel Anson is pretty certain to run him for so good a stake. Of the One Thousand Guineas Stakes little is known of the merits of the engaging ladies. Passion, from her superior performances at Newmarket and Goodwood, is sure to be the belle of the ring if she appears in blooming health; and Mr. Bowes's Lass of Lonton will in all probability have a host of admirers. Besides these, Dorothy, the filly out of Flambeau's dam, and Balcony, may be expected to be well supported. Altogether there are twenty-one named for this race. The Newmarket Stakes is the only other race worth alluding to at this meeting. There are nineteen subscribers to this stake, but with the exception of the Brother to Potentia, Bennington (a colt in Boyce's stable, and thought highly of), St. James, and Canadian, there is nothing very shining in the lot. It is true that Johnny Faa, the winner of the great 500 sovs. each Sweepstakes at Goodwood, figures amongst the nominations, but I for one cannot look upon him, let him be even so much improved as they say he is, in any other light than a very moderate animal.

To try what can be done by changing the time of the Bath Meeting, Mr. Margaram has, at some considerable trouble, got the managers to allow the races to take place in April instead of the latter end of June, when most of the country horses are held back for the Goodwood Meeting. That the change will be, to a certain extent, beneficial, I am inclined to suppose; but as to raising the meeting to the good old times of 1829 and 1830, is another question. Like the Cheltenham people, the residents of Bath have latterly shown much supineness in regard to the fine national sport of horse racing; and the subscriptions towards the fund come very tardily in. Through the exertions of Mr. Margaram there are forty-six horses named for the Somersetshire Stakes, and several other races have been liberally subscribed to. Let the inhabitants put their shoulders to the wheel and go hand in hand with their indefatigable clerk of the course, and Bath races may once more be in the ascendant. The meeting is fixed to commence on Tuesday the 19th of April.

The Chester Meeting has for years been most admirably arranged, and few places can boast of having shown more sport to the turf speculators during the period of the last twenty years. The meeting to come lacks none of its former brilliancy, as will be seen by a short

return from a very long list of fixtures. For the Tradesman's Cup, or Piece of Plate, there are no less than sixty-four subscribers; the acceptances come out on the 1st of February, and from what I can learn, a goodly one may be expected. Amongst other high-sounding names entered for this valuable prize are the following:-Llanercost, Sleight-of-hand, Satirist, The Squire, Vulcan, Galaor, The Dean, and Cruiskeen. At Manchester and Liverpool " books" on a very extensive scale have been already opened on this exciting event, which, in those parts of the country, is scarcely inferior in the betting world to either the Derby or Leger.

The Derby of 1842 has one hundred and eighty three nominations, being the greatest number ever known, and an increase over last year of twenty-nine. I have been at considerable pains to ascertain, as nearly as possible, the number of horses actually in training out of this extraordinary large entry, and have, by returns, found that there are at this period (16th of January) no less than one hundred and fifty, in what may be termed training exercise. Of the favourites Attila commands the first attention, taking the betting at the Corner as the criterion. The feats of this son of Colwick and Progress are so well known to all interested in the Derby affair, that it would be an act of supererogation to run over the course again. That Attila is a smart racing-like colt, no one who has witnessed any of his races will be bold enough to doubt, and that he is in the hands of one of our most skilful trainers, is equally clear; still, giving all this in, it must not be forgotten, that John Scott has at least a dozen or fifteen other Derby colts, whose capabilities have not been developed; hence the impolicy of being too sanguine on the splendid running of Attila. Lord of Holderness, a very racing-like colt, as far as the eye can reach, has been backed for a large sum, at odds varying from 20 to 30 to 1. His blood is very fashionable, he being an own brother to the celebrated Hornsea. Besides Lord of Holderness the following are stable companions of Attila, most of whom have been made responsible for heavy sums by the backers of the great northern establishment:-Meteor, The Dirce Colt (backed freely), Artful Dodger, Master Thomas, William le Gros, and the Joanna colt (claimed by Lord Chesterfield at the Houghton Meeting), and backed very freely at thousands to fifteens for the great event at Epsom. Next on the list stands Chatham, whose many races are also fresh in the memory of all racing men, and were I to choose between him and Attila, I should unhesitatingly take, notwithstanding the difference of the odds at this moment, Colonel Peel's chance with Chatham, in preference to Colonel Anson's chance with Attila for the Derby, 1842. In coming to this conclusion, I beg leave to state, that I have given the opinion of one of the most practised trainers of the day, and one with whose judgment I am by no means disposed to cavil. I

may add that these two popular candidates to represent the grand event of the year have been individually backed to win near upon a hundred thousand pounds. Lord Verulam's Robert de Gorham has what may be termed a formidable party, and if all be true that we hear, I must say, that the bettors of the odds, from 20 to 30 to 1, will have the worst of it before the day. Much is expected from Wiseacre, but I fancy" honest John" will not find him so much improved in that essential qualification in a Derby colt, speed, as to consider his chance a good one. It would occupy too much space in the New Sporting Magazine to enumerate all the horses that have been, what may be called regularly introduced to the notice of the subscribers to the room, therefore I shall merely add, that no less than fifty-two horses have been backed to win good round sums. The following I will particularize: Brother to Phoenix, Curator, Ballin keele, Palinurus, Nessus, Barrier, Defier, Auckland, Gunter, and the Brother to Potentia. There is every probability of there being one of the largest fields ever known for this or any other race, and I anticipate that anything like a jockey will be at a premium on the "great and important day, big with the fate of thousands." The Oaks will also be a most spirited race, there being one hundred and seventeen nominations. It is quite impossible to get anything like a correct return of the field in training for this important contest, as they are scattered throughout the kingdom, but I have no doubt, judging from the Newmarket, Malton, and Stockbridge lots, that this field will be also large. Of the favourites, Passion stands A 1; and at 7 and 8 to 1, sums to a large amount have been figured down. Sister to Yorkshire Lad is the second in demand; then come Lass of Lonton, Topsail, Captain Gardnor's filly by Sheet Anchor, filly out of Flambeau's dam, The Baleine filly (very promising), Trampoline filly, Dorothy, filly out of Miss Fanny, Sister to Coronation, Eusebia, and Rapture.

Notwithstanding the great exertions made last year to put the Courtly Ascot Heath Meeting upon something like the grand footing of times "long, long ago," still a languor seems to pervade the whole arrangements. When in the North of England a short time since, I was told, from a quarter likely to be right, that Mr. Ord had determined upon sending Old Bees'-wing to Ascot to have a shy for the Cup-his words were "He should like Her Gracious Majesty to see t' old mare." Should this be borne out, and Bees'-wing come forth in good condition, I will venture to say that she will stand a rattling good chance of winning the grand prize. Of the other races it is needless to say anything, as almost all the stakes are for three-year-olds, and the result of the two great Epsom races will very considerably shorten fields already short enough for the speculator.

"They manage these things differently at Liverpool," for there

NO. XIV. -VOL. III.-NEW SERIES.