Next week’s racing furnishes quite a lengthy menu, with several attractive entrees, and some good “made-up-overnight” dishes; in fact, a programme which appeals strongly to every racy palate.  I do not propose to work my way through the entire menu (not being an Alderman), and will only hint at a few of the side-dishes, which may be worth attention reserving my great effort for the “plat de resistance” at Sandown; so, at Newmarket—­try just a mouthful of July Handicap a la Duke of DEVONSHIRE’s “Selected;” should it choke you, have a pat on the “Bach” when attacking the Beaufort Stakes; and to wind up with dessert, worthy of a CHESTERFIELD, take a “Meddler.”  If this conglomeration of good things is not too much for you, travel back to town in time for the great race of the week; but, if upset, don’t blame,

Yours devotedly, LADY GAY.

“ECLIPSE STAKES SELECTION.”

  With Gouverneur, Orme, and such giants to run,
    It needs the cool calm of a PLATO
  To fix on the horse that will “capture the bun!”
    But I think it will be “Orvieto.”

* * * * *

OPERATIC NOTES.

[Illustration:  Fancy Sketch for a Brazen Statue of a Composer notable for his “Horns and Brass.”]

Tuesday.—­Premiere of Elaine.  BEMBERG Composer, LEON-JEHIN Conductor, and Sir DRURIOLANUS Producer.  Full House, determined to give New Opera a fair hearing, and sit it out.  Don’t get a new Opera every day.  Congratulations to BEMBERG in a general way.  “In a first Opera” (if this be his first), to quote the Composer of the recent De-La-ra-Boom Buddha, who was complacently listening to the other Composer’s new Opera, “originality breeds contempt.”  So a little bit here, and a little bit there, here a bit, and there a bit, and everywhere a bit, gets rid of all superfluity in the Composer’s brain, and saves the listening critic much trouble.  Then his next Opera—­Ah!—­that ought to be all genuinely new and original Sparkling BEMBERG Cabinet. “Elaine,” observed a lady critic, “is graceful and airy”—­which, in the lady’s presence, the present listener was not prepared to deny.

Contented must have been Composer BEMBERG with such a cast as was made and provided for him by Sir DRURIOLANUS.  MELBA, as the “Lily Maid of Astolat,” charming, with a charming song, “L’Amour est pur.”  The audience was in an encoring humour, but, thank goodness, only a few encores were taken, and the others left, otherwise none of us would have been home till sunrise.  In the swan-like dying scene the Composer wrings our heart-strings with his harp-strings, reminding everyone forcibly that, as Mr. Guppy observed, “There are chords!” Wagnerian, sometimes, is our BEMBERG, with his horns and brass.  Fine chorus at beginning of Act II.—­the Tournament Act—­which shows, as a foolish person observed, “a Rummy