them, and yet not have borne away the prize upon either occasion in a race, although but twice a receiver of profits. Our friend, Bee Hunter, nevertheless, is the horse, as both for the Stockbridge Triennial Stakes and his match at Newmarket with Clincher to whom he gave 7lb., he ran a dead heat, winning the former in a canter upon the second occasion, when Flatman, superseding Kitchener, made running.

The fourteen Derby colts enumerated, I should winnow of the following, for the reasons assigned.

BROTHER TO EPIROTE-AS pretty sure to find his master in the Knight of Avenel.

CLINCHER. He coughed in the Houghton where he ran his dead heat: he won the Clearwell in a canter, but then the field was wretched; my fancy is that the stable like his companion better, Deicoon.

BLARNEY-Not likely to beat William the Conqueror

again, who was not fully prepared at Ascot.

SWEETHEART-Safe through the Goodwood lot. HARDINGE-A winner by luck at Goodwood, and a loser on his deserts at Newmarket.

COMPASS-Well might he say of the Sussex stakes "another such victory and I am lost;" let

those who like it back him as the best of the lot; we must "agree to differ."

This leaves me with eight, of whom these are my existing impressions :

BOLINGBROKE-One of the most likely of the year to improve, and not half prepared either time. Penang is a known speedy one, and he was beaten a head in the half mile for the Hopeful. As to winning the Prendergast from Nutshell and Pitsford, that goes for nothing. He is extremely dangerous. Whom will he belong to before the run? will he change his stable? The former query I cannot answer, but I think that he will not leave William Edwards, who will find it a tough job to stall off the nobblers.

KNIGHT OF AVENEL-Has done the best thing at Doncaster of any horse out: is a fine lengthy tit in a lucky stable, with a companion in Mavors, said to be better than himself. It can only be guess-work at Spigot Lodge, and public runners, in the long run, are safest to be trusted. MILDEW-Were this up-standing, flat-sided, soft-coloured young gentleman, in Fobert's stable, free from all imputation of whistling and blisters, he is so splendid a goer, that setting aside Catterick, where they ought not to have started. him, if Mark Tapley be a line, our son of Slane and Seniseria is as good as Lord Eglinton's son of the Doctor and Blue Bonnet, and his blood is certainly the more desirable. THE ITALIAN-There is not enough of to please me, nor am I satisfied with either his defeats or his victories. He is engaged with Mildew in the mile and half stake at Catterick Bridge,

but as it is not worth more than thirty-five sovereigns, there is not the least chance of their collision. The stable insist on it that he never should have been beaten; if beaten for The Easby Triennial, he will be put in Schedule A.

VOLTIGEUR-IS not only a very promising son of Voltaire, but a good performing one at Richmond, entitling himself to a position in the Derby market, through Mark Tapley, whom he defeated as easily as either The Knight of Avenel or Mildew.

WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR

THE NIGGER

GHILLIE CALLUM-And a most formidable trio they are, with a first-rate chance of turning out the hero of Epsom.

William the Conqueror, by Touchstone, out of Duvernay, out of five performances, was four times unsuccessful, and yet, just the converse of The Italian, he has not suffered by his victory or his defeats in my estimation. For the longer and stiffer course in Surrey, though Mr. Meicklam's horse did defeat him for the Champagne at Doncaster, I should not be surprised to see William turn the tables, and become the Conqueror of the Son of Touchstone and Florence. The D. M. Sweepstakes, on the Thursday in the first spring, will be a smasher for Brother to Epirote, or himself; to my mind for the former, who could not have got where Lord William Lennox's horse did in the Nursery Stakes, with

8. 12 on his back. William is an uncommonly strong, large-limbed animal, and though not in odour just now, may live to see a far better day.

The Nigger got a touch of the spur to win The Criterion from Pitsford and Nutshell, (3lbs. extra) but he landed very easily, and they are very fond of him at home. He is deficient in length, but an old-fashioned cut one, and takes a hill resolutely.

Ghillie Callum without alluding to his cantering in at Goodwood, giving Nutshell 4lb. on the Criterion course, beat him as easily at the finish as did his black friend, The Nigger, and that too after nearly falling on his head in the morning. Of a fine rich bay, he is big enough for anything, and a magnificent mover. There is a roundness of the joints making a Derby preparation ticklish, whilst with his great speed there may be, and is in the opinion of some good judges, a deficiency of staying powers. He has no spring engagement, but The Nigger on the Tuesday in the Craven has a D. M. Sweepstakes, all but tantamount to certainty, by the disqualification of John O'Groat, named by the deceased Lord Albemarle.

Having thus run hastily through the public performers of the masculine, let me invite attention for a moment to those of the feminine gender. Not a single filly has run and won, who has not sustained a defeat. Claymore in a walk over permitting Narbonne to save her stake. Amongst the most formidable upon paper stand Regina, Estafette, Rhedycina, Blondette, Actress, Tingle, Impression, Countess, and Probity, but he must be "bold and resolute" who could get into the boat

*with either of these young ladies and look with confidence to her landing him in safety for the Oaks. Just now, my impression is that the Bird of Passage has not

cr
"Flown up through the avenue of light."

There ought to be something somewhere, better than anything that has been out, unless the three year old form mend prodigiously upon that of the two year old, and as time rolls on we must " open our eyes and shut our ears," which is the only adage acted on by the sagacious. Let me next render an account of

DANGEROUS, DARK DERBYITES.

Pontifex by Touchstone out of Crucifix.

John O'Groat, by John O'Gaunt out of Minaret.
Mavors, by Bay Middleton out of Bellona.
Garforth, by Yaxley out of Lady Mary's Dam.
Deicoon, by Sir Hercules out of Zebra.
Yew Tree, by Sir Hercules out of Zebra.
Moultan, by Cotherstone out of Allumette.
Cyprus, by Ithuriel out of Cyprian.
Crossbow, by Ithuriel out of Miss Bowe.
Colt, by Sir Hercules out of Minx.
Confidence, by Saddler out of Minerva.
Colt, by Velocipede out of Lady Geraldine.
Windhound, by Pantaloon out of Phryne.

It must be needless for me to insist upon the notorious uncertainties of horse-flesh, and what changes of opinion must ex necessitate be induced, but I hope and believe to boot, that those who may adopt the views of this "Turf Synopsis," will find a safe "Sportsman's Pilot" in

IRON-MASK.