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DANIEL O’R OU R K E,
WINNER OF THE DERBY, 1852.
ENGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY HARRY HALL.

BY CASTOR.

Daniel O'Rourke, bred by his owner Mr. Bowes in 1849, was got by Irish Birdcatcher, out of Forget-me-not, by Hetman Platoff, her dam Oblivion, by Jerry, — Remembrance, by Sir Solomon out of Queen Mab, -- Sister to Mercury by Eclipse.

Birdcatcher, the sire of Daniel O'Rourke, is own brother to Faugh-aBallagh, by Sir Hercules out of the celebrated Guiccioli by Bob Booty, out of Flight by Escape. As a race-horse Birdcatcher will always rank high ; though, unfortunately, as far as absolute success went, his ever ready and able opponent was generally found in the invincible Harkaway. As a stallion, however, Irish Birdcatcher now ranks unquestionably as the best we have. In addition to the Derby, he also owns the winner of this year's Oaks, together with the second and third for that race ; he is also the sire of The Baron, winner of the St. Leger, &c., in 1845, as well as amongst others the following good runners :-Oh Don't, Mickey Free, Honest Ned, The Cook, Beatrice, Ballinkeele, The Poacher, Osprey, Duc-an-Durras, Miss Fortune, Bryan O’Lynn, Pickpocket, Patriot, Plover, Caurouch, Chanticleer, Paddy Bird, Merry Bird, Marquis, Countess, Cockcrow, Claverhouse, Vaultress, and Augur. With the exception of one season, when he stood at Newmarket, Birdcatcher has been located for the last five or six years at Easby Abbey, Yorkshire ; and we believe Mr. Jaques has just entered on a new lease of him.

Forget-me-not, bred by Mr. Bowes in 1843, only appeared for one season on the turf, and then to very little advantage, just contriving to win a plate in the provinces, and no more. In the stud, however, she promises far better; the Derby winner being her first foal, and his own sister, Auld Acquaintance, making a very favourable débût at Ascot.

Daniel O'Rourke is a light chestnut horse, standing not quite fifteen hands high : he has rather a small neat head, strong neck, very good shoulders, deep girth, immense ribs and quarters, with powerful loins, thighs, and arms. He stands short on the leg, and is of great length, with very good bone ; in fact, altogether just the multum-in-parvo compact kind of horse to go through deep ground. He has no white beyond a taste on the forehead, nose, and near hind fetlock joint. In temper he is generally quiet, but resolute enough when once roused.

PERFORMANCES. In 1851, at Doncaster, Daniel O'Rourke, then two years old, ridden by F. Butler, ran second to Lord Zetland's Augur, for the Champagne Stakes of 50 sovs. each, &c., colts 8st. 71b., fillies 8st. 5lb., Red House In; Colonel Anson's Bay Rosalind third, and the following not placed : -Duke of Richmond's Homebrewed, Mr. S. Davidson's Vortex, Mr. Dawson's Stilton, Lord Glasgow's Caracara, Mr. Osborne's Prince Patrick, and Mr. Wright's Bird-on-the-Wing. 10 to 1 against Daniel O'Rourke, who was beaten by half a length.

At Newmarket Houghton Meeting, ridden by F. Butler, and carrying

8st. 71b., he ran fifth for the Criterion Stakes of 30 sovs. each, &c., Turn of the Lands In ; won by the Duke of Richmond's Red Hind, 8st. 7lb. ; Lord Exeter's Ambrose, Sst. 71b., second ; Lord Bruce's The Knight of the Shire, &st. 71b., third ; Lord Exeter's Stockweil, 8st. 71b., fourth ; and Sir J. Hawley's Bilberry, 8st. 8lb., last. 7 to 4 against Daniel O'Rourke.

In 1852, at Newmarket First Spring Meeting, Daniel O'Rourke, ridden by F. Butler, was not placed (running in fifth) for the 2,000gs. Stakes of 100 sovs. each, &c., 8st. 7lb. each, R.M. ; won by Lord Exeter's Stockwell, Duke of Richmond's Homebrewed second, Sir R. Pigott's Filius third ; and Lord Exeter's Ambrose, Duke of Bedford's Maidstone, Lord Ribblesdale’s Lapidist, Duke of Richmond's Houlakin, and Mr. B. Way's Stapleton not placed. 3 to 1 against Daniel O'Rourke, who was beaten off.

At Epsom, ridden by F. Butler, he won the Derby Stakes of 50 sovs. each, &c., 8st. 71b. each, a mile and a half, beating Mr. Bradshaw's Barbarian (2), Mr. Dorrien's Chief Baron Nicholson (3), Mr. Merry's Hobbie Noble (4), and the following not placed :-Lord Zetland's Augur, Mr. Farrance's Joe Miller, Lord Enfield's Homebrewed, General Anson's King Pepin, Mr. Howard's Little Harry, Lord Ribblesdale's Kingston, Lord Ribblesdale's The Nabob, Mr. Booth's Missive, Duke of Richmond's Harbinger, Lord Orford's Alcoran, Major Martin's Convulsion, Mr. W. Stebbing's Alfred the Great, Mr. J. M. Stanley's Orelio, Mr. S. Davidson's Vortex, Mr. Harrison's King of Trumps, Mr. Meiklam's Womersley, Mr. Barton's The Surveyor, Lord Exeter's Stockwell, Lord Exeter's Ambrose, Mr. J. Clarke's Elcoi, Duke of Bedford's Maidstone, Mr. R. S. Walker's Treasurer, and Lord Eglinton's Claverhouse. 25 to 1 against Daniel O'Rourke, who won by a short half length.

At Ascot, ridden by F. Butler, he won the St. James's Palace Stakes of 100 sovs. each, &c., 8st. 71b. each, a mile, beating Lord Orford's Alcoran. 2 to 1 on Daniel O'Rourke, who won cleverly by a length.

SUMMARY OF DANIEL O’ROURKE'S PERFORMANCES.
In 1851 he started twice without winning.
In 1852 he has started three times, and won twice :-

The Derby Stakes, at Epsom, value clear ............ £4,900
The St. James' Palace Stakes, at Ascot... ........... 400

£5,300 Daniel O'Rourke's engagements for this year are in the Bentinck Memorial Stakes at Goodwood, with Bay Rosalind, Longbow, Claver: house, Poodle, Filius, Harbinger, Red Hind, and Hobbie Noble, amongst others opposed to him on equal terms ; in the Ebor St. Leger, at York, with 6lb. extra, and Longbow, Frantic, Alfred the Great, and Lucio against him ; in the St. Leger at Doncaster, versus Claverhouse, Stockwell, Trousseau, Harbinger, Songstress, King of Trumps, Augur, &c.; as well as in the Scarborough Stakes, with a 101b. penalty, and opposed to Orelio and Gossamer ; and the Doncaster Stakes, with similar extra weight, against Longbow, Womersley, King of Trumps, Songstress, Alfred the Great, Attack, Augur, and others. We have him, then, in the Newmarket St. Leger, with 7lb. extra, and Stockwell and Frantic as the most formidable opponents ; and on the same day in a Triennial Produce Stake, versus Longbow, Maidstone, Poodle, Hobbie Noble and Co. He paid in the Gateshead or Lottery Stakes at Newcastle last week, in the Newmarket Stakes, as well as in the Chester Cup and some other of the spring handicaps for which he was entered.

The black jacket of Mr. Bowes, the owner of Daniel O'Rourke, has been found at most of the great meetings for the last twenty years, and generally with quite his share of success. He led off well in 1835, when he won the Derby with Mundig, repeating the achievement in 1843 with Cotherstone, and nearly always, indeed, having a good one or two in John Scott's hands, who has continued to train for him from his first entry: take that rare horse Hetman Platoff, for instance-the grandsire of his last great winner. Mr. Bowes is a member of the Jockey Club, and altogether a most consistent supporter of the turf, although we fear he scarcely takes that interest in it he once did.

After a long interregnum the ability of John Scott is now displaying itself in all its former force, though hardly with its ancient eclât. In the Oaks, St. Leger, Derby, and Oaks he has now won in succession, on three occasions out of the four it has been with horses unequivocally beaten but a very short period before these more important races. Iris for the Oaks, beaten in the Thousand Guineas Stakes ; Newminster for the St. Leger, beaten for the Ebor Leger ; and Daniel O'Rourke for the Derby, beaten in the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes : all most sig. pally, and, as some might say, curiously. It is but fair, however, to add, in reference to the last-named, that he ran under peculiarly favourable circumstances at Epsom : the deep ground just suited him, while he had a further advantage in the way of jockeyship, seldom so deci. dedly demonstrated. Butler, we believe, literally won the Derby, as he would have done on either of the other three who ran home behind the chestnut pony. This was his first successful mount for it.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS OF THE METROPOLIS.

We belong to the unpopular family of Tell-truths, and would not flatter Apollo for his lyre."'-Rob Roy.

Of the amusements al fresco now on the scene, the HIPPODROME furnishes ample material to supply a very satisfactory couple of hours' entertainment, principally made up of horse-racing, steeple-chasing, ballooning, ostrich-running, and all manner of posturing. Of the last, perhaps there is too liberal a supply: a constant succession of evolutions, even by those most supple of limb and gutta percha of joints, being more painful than pleasing to the eye. This portion could be well abbreviated, and in lieu some “ daring deeds ” of a Kensingtonian Phebus, or “a graceful act ” of a modern Diana, be appropriately given. With this amendment the Act for admitting the Hippodrome to be in every way worthy of public resort, must be viewed favourably by Lords and Commons.

The next act is to the claims of the CREMORNE, VAUXHALL, and THE SURREY ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, for popular favour, which is accorded to the first and the last-named ; but not to Vauxhall, which it is declared must be passed, that is by, like its glories. Cremorne has completely dimmed the lustre of its more ancient ally, not only by giving a greater variety of amusements, but also in combining, with a reduced scale of admission, a better arranged and niore reasonable tariff than can be met with at Vauxhall. Amongst the otherwise well-ordered arrangements at Cremorne there is a feature-a prominent one that should at once be obliterated, and that is the ascent which is nightly made on the tight-rope amidst the blaze of countless rockets, Roman-candles, and a very imposing feu d'artifice, by a dauntless representative of humanity in female form, who feels infinitely less concern in preserving a high balance than does the wealthiest customer of the Bank of England. However this inidnight air climbing may be in accordance with the taste of the age, it is a practice that cannot possibly lead to any good result ; accordingly it should not be persevered in. It is true some modern philanthropist and fashionable utilitarian may vrge strongly in its favour the fact of the performer of this unpalatable feat getting her living by it. No doubt of it ; but by it may she not also meet her death? To the many other attractions, floral, pictorial, and aquatic, of the Surrey Gardens, may now be classed that of music in its repre. sentative Monsieur Jullien, with his great instrumental force, including Bottesini and several other far-famed professors. With propitious weather these different candidates for public patronage will, it is to be hoped, have no cause to find fault with the general election.

With in-door amusements the season, in most instances, is drawing near the termination. The LYCEUM will be closed in a night or two, but will shortly be opened for a short summer season. “The Chain of Events” has been succeeded by two trifles—"Taking by Storm," and “ Very Suspicious ;" the first affording Mr. Charles Mathews an excellent opportunity to display his varied talent, which he fully avails him. self of: at the same time receiving able assistance from Miss Isabel Dickenson and Miss St. George, who, in conjunction with Mr. Mathews, impart quite a zest to this amusing bagatelle. With regard to the other piece there is very little to observe, there being altogether an absence of interest in “ Very Suspicious," which certainly is not made up for in the acting.

Mr. Buckstone owns to the HAYMARKET “Foundlings," albeit the question of paternity has not been a settled one, it having been disputed in more quarters than one. The translation of a little piece under the title of “Keeley worried by Buckstone" is absurd without being amusing, broad in the extreme, destitute of a redeeming point, and not in any degree enhanced by the profusion of coarse oaths supplied by Mr. Keeley, whose constant stage habit of “cursing and swearing like anythink" really is not to be tolerated.

The Operas are beginning to put forth their strength. At the ROYAL ITALIAN, Covent Garden, extensive preparations are being made for bringing forward “Faust ;' the composer, Dr. Spohr, having come over to this country expressly to superintend its production. **Roberto Il Diavolo” has been successfully given on several occasions ; besides the rendering of the music so ably by Malle. Jullienne as Alice, Herr Formes as Bertram, and Tamberlik as Robert, the dances incidental to the opera have been arranged most satisfactorily; the pantomime of Robert, the-she-Devil being of itself worthy of special record.

A fragrant offering to the world of dance has been made at HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE, by the production of a ballet bearing the title of