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, ENGLANDS BEST SPRINTERS THIS YEAR. The positions of certain classes of horses were clearly denned at the conclusion of the flat racing season at the Newmarket Houghton meeting — at any rate, exception can iiardly be taken to the statement that Potumern was the best three-year-old, Fitinella the best juvenile and Son in Law the liest stayer. It is not nearly so easy, however, to come to a just decision where the leading sprinters of the year are concerned. Perhaps it never is really easy to do so. as the loss of a few lengths at the start for a race or some other untoward circumstance may prevent a horse getting on terms withiu the short distance over which he is competing. The first inqiortaiit sprint of the year, the Batthy-any Plate at Lincoln, was MB by the narrow margin of a h-ad by Sir Samuel Scotts horse. Simile, but the event named is a handicap, and as the winner was receiving twenty-one pounds from The Boss it could hardly lx? claimed for him that he would have scored" at anything like level weights. Thus early in the season, indeed, many people had mad? up their minds that The Boss would take a lot of beating over short distances, and so the sou of Orbv was made favorite for the Batthyany. Capt. Dewhuisfs horse, however, failed to fulfill anticipations, either at Lincoln or elsewhere, as after his defeat on the Carhdinc he was unplaced for the Norbiton Handicap at Kempton Park and for the Chesterfield Handicap at the First Extra meeting, the latter lx-ing his last outiug. At the Craven meeting at headquarters we were reintroduced to another flue sprinter in Mr. J. B. Joels five-year-old Golden Sun. which, with lot pounds up. scored a comfortable victory in the Craw-fnrd Plate, and judging by what happened later iu the seas n it would not be far wrong to assign the position of champion over short distances to the dark brown son of Suudridge. As to that, however, more anon. Another of Mr. J. B. Joels horses. Parhelion, carrying 120 pounds, inclusive of a seven pound penalty for success in the Visitors Plate at Newmarket, won the Great Surrey Handicap at Epsom, an event which usually falls to a high-class sprinter. Amongst Parhelions opponents were Civ ronis. Vanitie. Arniant and Barbed Wire, all of which are exceedingly speedy animals. For the next really notable performance In the sprinting, department we had to wait until the oi ening day of the First Extra meeting, on which the New Derbv was decided. Then, it will be re-membered. the fields were of altogether extraordinary dimensions and when Vanitie carried Mr. Louis" Winans colors to the fore in the Chesterfield Handicap the American-bred colt had no few-r than thirty-six opponents lxdiind him. The Boss. as already remarked, was one of the unplaced lot in this event, and although Vauities burden was only 105 pounds, he subsequently showed that there was nothing surprising about his success. At the next gathering at headquarters the erratic Jameson put up a fine performance in winning the S.iha in Plate under 131 pounds, incidentally giving Vanitie. which was this time unplaced, four pounds. Jameson, in turn, succumbed to Arinaut I giving three ixmndsi in the July Handicap a fortnight later, but both horses were unplaced for the Stewards* Handicap the Stewards Cup substitute at the Second Extra to the lightly weighted Clap Gate. At this same meeting Vanitie. in the Chesterfield Course Stakes, resumed the sequence broken in the Siham Plate, as mentioned above. The son of Ogden won after a surprising display of speed by five 1 "ligths from Torloisk. which, however, had fourteen pounds more in the saddle. I have omitted, by the wav I find, reference to Torloisks previous appearance, in the Three- Year-Old Sweepstakes at the First Extra, f. r which he ran his stable companion, Volta level*, to a short head. I now pass on to the autumn series at Newmarket, as Volta palpably threw away the Flying Sweep-Makes :n September when he lilted out of the course and left Patrick. Clceromar and Vanitie to tight for the s|ioils. At the First October we en-jovoil the satisfaction of seeing Friar Marcus MM more iu winning colors in the Great Eastern Railway Handicap, even though his victory was achieved bv the narrow margin of a head. On the following Ml Torloisk played with his opponents in the Snal-well Stakes, carrying !••* pounds and giving much weight to others of his own age. and as Mr. Hulfons colt repeated the dose in the Kenuett Plate a fortnight later he was not unnaturally heralded as the lust spriuier. reservation only being made in favor of his stable coinnauioii. Volta. which, by the way. proved capable of winning a mile race on the same afternoon. Disillusionment with regard to Torloisks capabilities was MM to come. as. pitied against Golden Sun. which had not appeared in public since his "rawfurd Stakes victory iu the spring, the young on.- which appeared to be anything but in love with bis t»M was well lxlten by Mr. J. P.. Joels hsM iii the Challenge Slakes. To he lall.r. therefore, the sprinting honors of the season appear to Ix.loiig. even if it he "I"" " grave doubt whether he eonld have MMM Volta as easily as he did Torloisk • a the same terms. On I he last dav of Ihe -•as.ii Ms* Marcus t.xik sin- yucca-berry Ibindicaii under 11C pounds rnd it may well be that now the ratal MM has found his form again he may proceed to far greater triumphs another year. There ar ? good grounds for hoping, therefore, that the kings co|t will assume championship rank over short courses next vear —"Augur" in Loudon Sporting Life.
