DEAR MR. PUNCH.--Several people who do not know me as the writer
of the "Selections," have told me that they took the tip about
"_Balmoral_" for the Manchester Cup, but backed it to _win_ instead of
to be _last_--thereby winning money!--now--of course the last thing
a tipster wishes, is that his prophecy should turn out successful,
therefore I am delighted at the result, as also was Sir MINTING
BLOUNDELL, who won a good stake, and is the only person who knows
the secret of my incognito. He congratulated me most heartily on my
success, which he said was the more wonderful as he knew the owner
did not much fancy the horse!--but, as I told him--if owners of
race-horses knew as much as some of the public--(to say nothing of the
prophets)--they would never lose the money they do, and would probably
give up racing! The selection was entirely my own "fancy." I need
scarcely say, I never _ask_ an owner anything, and if he volunteers
the information that he thinks his horse "has a good chance," I find
as a rule, it's just as well to "let the horse run loose," as they
put it; though that is an expression I never quite understood, as I've
never yet seen a horse "run loose" in a race, except on one or two
occasions when the jockey has been thrown at the start--which now I
come to think of it, may be the origin of the expression!
So Ascot is once more a departed glory! We all shivered on Tuesday,
got roasted on Wednesday, were comfortable on Thursday, and resigned
on Friday--and on the whole the toilette show was successful; though
I fancy some of the best gowns were held over for Goodwood--_one_
of mine was at all events--but my goodness!--if only our great
grandmothers could have seen some of our modern petticoats!--more
elaborate than any _dress_ they ever saw!--but then, as Lord HARPER
REDCLYFFE said, our great grandmothers never got off and on coaches
with an admiring crowd looking on, as _we_ have to do now-a-days; and
you have to be pretty smart not to get hung up on the wheels--though
as Lady HARRIETT ENTOUCAS said, "my dear Lady GAY--what _is_ the use
of wearing all this loveliness unless one--" but perhaps it will annoy
her if I tell what she _did_ say!
The Royal Hunt Cup was a beautiful race, although the winner was not
supposed to be the best of "JEWITT's lot;" but I am told he is one
of those who "will not do his best at home," being beaten in the
trial--and after all, how _very_ human that is--for how many men one
knows who are perfect _bears_ in their home circle!
Of the horses I advised my readers to "Keep an eye on," only one,
_Buccaneer_, put in an appearance, and won the Gold Cup; so that my
warning as to the difficulty of doing this, was fully borne out by
the result. My Gold Cup selection did not run, and had I known that
_Ermak_ would have been his sole opponent, I should have made him my
tip; but I do not pretend to be Ermakulate! (That's _awful_--please
forgive me, _dear Mr. Punch_!) From the way _St. Angelo_ won the
Palace Stakes, I can't help thinking he would have won the Derby
but for the French horse _Rueil_, who tried to _eat him_ during the
race--(how shameful to let the poor thing get so hungry)--and this of
course interfered with his chance--as you really cannot attend to two
things at a time with a satisfactory result, unless they be sleeping
and snoring!
I presume that this sort of thing is meant when one reads in the
sporting papers that such-and-such a horse was "nibbled at!"--but
I really think that those who saw _St. Angelo_ on Thursday, saw the
winner of the Leger! There is no race of any special importance next
week, either at Windsor or Sandown, but I will give my weekly tip
for the probable last in the Windsor June Handicap, and meanwhile I
may as well say that I shall grace with my presence the Newmarket
July Meeting, and, emulating the example of other tipsters who
send "Paddock Wires," I shall be happy to supply anyone with my
two-horse-a-day "_Songs from the Birdcage_," at five guineas
a-week--(a reduction to _owners_)--at which price my selections _must_
be cheap.
Yours devotedly, LADY GAY.