od, 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