TURE GOSSIP

Mr Richard Croker, an English Derby winner, has been presented with the honorary freedom of the city of Dublin. Woorwinder, the Doncaster St. Leger winner of iao7, was recently placed under offer to the Hungarian Government at £25,----000. No deal resulted. j While working on the tracks at Randwick recently, the Auckland-owned Frederick collided with the nlly Carperingah, with the result that the hitter wa« killed outrjght, while Fredeiiek pulled up lame in the near shoulder. The riders of bom horses escaped unhurt.

For the first time in 30 Tears a trotting handicap was held at Readville, in America, on August 24th. It had added money, and was won by Allen Winter, a horse who had never started in a race before. He made a record of 2.7}. The race was witnessed by 25,000 people.

There Is every prospect of a great fight between Muher and Hoggs for riding hoaours in the Old Country. The latter rides a few pounds lighter than his great rival, and this should give him a wider choice of mounts, but as Maher only gets up on anything with a chance outside the stables which have retainers upon him, the American naturally has a better average.

racehorse Gapon, by Menschikoff from Sunningdaie for which, when a yearling, at Wellington Park, Mr J. Wren gave 300gs, proved a pronounced failure at the legitimate game, as his only success was in the V.R.C. Hopeful Stakes, 1906. He has been sent to the unregistered ranks in Melbourne, and having been renamed The Traitor, won a eeven-furlong race at Ascot recently.

Mr H. Stanhope, who went to England from the States in the summer with the Hanover mare Marechal Neil (sister to Dhoda B.) and her yeailfaig colt by Watercress, since cold. has got back to Kentucky. Mr Stanhope says the foreign market Is not as good ac he supposed when he went over, and •he reports that the breeders in England and Ireland opposed the sale of American thoroughbreds to such an extent that it was agreed by the auctioneers that none from the States be offered until after the sales at Doncaster.

The well-known Kentucky, breeder. Col. Milton Toung, has made the announcement that he will sell every horse and acre of land he owns in Kentucky, leave the United States, and re-establish himself as a breeder of thoroughbred horses in Argentine Repub•lic. Col. Young has left 1290 acres of land and 500 thoroughbreds. "I win sell every horse and acre of land I own between now and- November," said CoL Young, "and about January 1 I will go to Buenos Ayres with the idea of buying si farm in the Argentine Republic and re-establishing myself there as a breeder of thoroughbreds.

The Middle Park Stnd, at Eltiiam, Kent (England), which has been brought prominently before the public owing to the death of Mr W. Blenkiron in a common lodging house, was one of the largest in the country several years ago. When the stud was broken up it took a week to dispose of the horses. Blair Athol, woo was purchased for £6000 from Mr W. l'Anson after winning the Derby and St. Leger in 1864, was sold 'for 12,500g5, which then counted as a record. The stud belonged to Mr Blenklron's father, and both were very well known in the sporting world.

Mr. Gedf rey Wa-tson,. the starter, claims that a world's record in starting was pat up at the recent V-A..T.C. meeting, wiien, on the first day, only 2m 19s delay occurred for the; six races, or an average of a trifle over 23s per race; on tie second day the agregate time taken In starting the six ■races was 3m la., or an average of 32&3 per race; and on the third day Cm 325, or an average of lm 5 l-5s per race. The record on Che third day was spoilt -by three or four horses playing up at the Cup start, which was delayed 13m 18s. On- the second day two horses got through the baurier, and broke a strand. It was mended, and the horses sent off only lm 10s after time. The starting was, on. the whole, good, but there were one or two bad, aotably the last of the meeting.

There is probably no horseman amongst 11s (says an English writer) who does not to the full appreciate the trot natural of a well-bred hack, nor is there probably one who falls to admire the beautiful action ob-. serrable in many a team to be seen at oor coaching meets. This, latter action, however, although extremely lovely and fascinating, is often somewhat artificial, being frequently the result of training in a species of pug-mill run. Trotted at an even pace in a clay bed for a time, the horse soon obtains elevation, and a trick of throwing out the foot with a light rhythmically graceful motion, without more apparent effort than a limber-limbed sylph of the stage. After a season or two this action is apt to subside, although it is pictoriallv perfect while it lasts. The pure gait trotting of to-day, however, is as unlike the trotting of yesterday as chalk and cheese.

"The London Sports Supplement" deals with "the glorious uncertainty" is follows: —Keally, preliminary booming—even when of the most innocuous character—seems fatal to a race, and some of the finest struggles recorded in Turf history have lacked even anticipation of existing results. The majority of us went to Ascot in 1906 in the firm and settled conviction that Pretty Polly would be on view for the Gold Cup. She would have to be saddled, and cover the track, of course; bat nothing more than an amble, and perhaps just a bnrst of speed in front of the stands to show her off was expected. And we saw—what? Saw her stretched from the start by St. Denis, acting in the interest of Bachelor's Button; saw her hard ridden into the straight; saw her falter against the "Button"; heard the savage roar of the ring, "The favourite's beat!" and stole on" silent —as if not a race bad been run, but a tragedy had been enacted.

The ißay colt, Bayardo. continues to maintain -his reputation aa noe ibest two-year-old seen out in England this season. L.p 10 September 7 lie had won three races of the total vaiue of £6526, and at Newmarket receatlj he put the Middle Park Plate to his credit- Lost year that race was worth £2470, and as it is unlikely that it fell short of that amount on this occasion, Bay&rdo's total is now well or'/ £0000. At the time Bay Ronald (who was by Hampton) was mated with G-alicla, lie was doing stud duty in England at a fee of Togs, bnt !he subsequently went to Prance, where he died. Vivid, who deadheated with Blankney for second place in the Middle I'ara Plate, is owned by Sir Daniel Cooper, and is a full sister to that gentleman's filly, Lesbia (St. Krusquin— ■Glape), who won last year. Boih Vivid raid I»esl»a are closely related to Brista: Steol, who is at present 'racing Jn Melbourne, the latter being out of filare, and by st. Simon ; (sire of St. Frasquin). ■Continuing his snb.iect upon 'Racing as v Hobby," 'Spearniiul,'' the London Turf critic writes:—",\part from betting, the Turf is an expensive hobby, and that fact should be soundly considered by everyone before attempting ownership. Motor-cars can also be expensive, and first-class yacht racing is not cheap. Starup-co-lleetiug, 1 am told, can run into bip; sums of money and pic-ture-buying is not always a royiil road to wpnJth. Sometimes, too. those who go tn father wool on toe Stot;lj come out shorn. ,The mutability of wealth has been tbe theme of hundreds o[ philosophic disquisitions. It will be the theme possibly of hundreds more. Yet while we find money coming to those who arc disinclined to hoard, and lack knowledge of the secret of enusing it to grow, we shall come across financial failures. Those connected with the Turf, however, may well object to racing and betting being specialised as the causes or a gentleman's misfortunes when, on his own statement he Is £50.000 short over a motor-car business and £30,000 tb the bad by Stock Exchange operations."

Says an Australian writer: "Straight-for-wardness on the Tnrf really pays in the ' long ran, just as honesty doee In other j waits of life- The owner who sends his j uorae every time be Is lit, Irrespective of j

CBY WHALEBONE.)

Tnf S KY"" betUn S considerations will come ■£1 YeV c Iff on » v «*ge thin the one j «*o bottles np , a good thing mad waits for a big coup.' it is remarkable how these Uiings are apt to go wrong and all is lost. . Uelore starting oat to win fame as aa owner of racehorses, the Turf man onght to j first catch his jockey.' So moeh depends "fer that the prospective owner I ought really to look ahead and make rare of tbe services of a competent jockey before bothering about the occupants of his stalls. The very wealthy owner, of course can afford to give a big retaining fee and get the : best that is going in the silks and satins line, but onJy a few can score in that wey. I The moral is that the man who wants to succeed must rear jockeys as well as thoroughbreds." 1 „ entl y a Victorian breeder. Mr. Cllve I Baillieu, was negotiating for the purchase lof the bay four-year-old English horse Uii j acre, the price asked by Mr. Lionel Robin- | son being 2000gs. No sale resulted but I through the agency of Messrs. H. Chlslioim I and Co., Lanacre has since been bought for I a New South Wales sportsman, and before , being retired to the stud will be raced there. The price has not transpired but I diire say it was somewhere about the 2000gs asked of Mr. Baillieu As a two-year-old Linacre won the Champion Breeders' Biennial Foal Stakes, of £1005, and last year he was successful in the Atlantic Stakes, of £1721, 9 furlongs, at Liverpool, and the . Twenty-ninth Great Foal Stakes, of £850, ; with 8.9, at Newmarket, running tie mile , j and a-quarter in 2.8 4-5. He also mn third I to Slieve Gallion and Bezonian in the Two ' j Thousand Guineas, second to Acclaim In the Newmarket Stakes, of £3060, li mile, and with 7.5 was fifth in the Cambridgeshire. * This season, up to the middle of September '■ Ljnacre had won two races of a total value : ol £2570, and at Kempton Park only a few days ago he. added the Coventry Plate to Wβ account. He is by Wolf's Crag 1 —Lucy Asnton) from Llsmaine, by Isinglass • from Kilkenny, by Ormonde from Bryonia, > by SpeculunMsire of Splendor). Un&cre i> . to leave England by the Suevic -on the ZJttx Inst

"Maher, the Magician," as tne American jockey is now nicknamed in the Old Conntry, was recently In great form at the' York meeting. His abilities were thus criticised by a London sporting contemporary:—All other .features of Tuesday's racing were swallowed. up by the' triumphs of 'Maber. There is still left a bit of onderstandtng of Joekeysbip in the North, and some of the old-time trainers declared to mc they wonkl willingly put up with Arctic rigours to see

"Danny" ride a few winners home. "Aβ te backing his horses, that doesn't trouble mc now," said a Yorkshire veteran trainer, who, in his day, has fumbled thousands, and won the biggest of our races. "But it is a delight to See him pass the post like a Jockey, his horse, though at the top of his speed, being held well together, and running with a smoothness -we need to expect in the old days, but seldom see now. Well, Mabert a jockey; and as for some of the others, they're-—yes, they're Fireworks; all splash, dasli, and zigzagging. Ton*te still writing • 'The- Weekly Dlspateh,-' are yon?".."Yes." .''Well, put that Jβ. "Ken'-we a habit of free expression in that paper. Say right oat that Mnfcer is a jockey, and the majority of .the others are Fireworks." In all on Tuesday Maber rode In Bye races, of which be lost one by a neck for the sufficient reason that Fiezer Iβ a poor sort te put aside the Pincushion colt.

Charles Morton, the trainer of the SU Leger winner, writing to the "Sporting Times," say*:—"l notice you have been very staunch in year opinion tlr«t Your Majesty wonld win the Leger, and that he was, at least, up to the form of average St. Leger winners, if not above the average. I hope he may go on, and make his name as a cup horse next year, wßic* I think be Very likely will do, aa he appears to be a natural stayer, and Is dead game. Iα faqt, he has not a. trick or vice in him, be« ing as innocent of any idea of doing wrong as a baby. The only thins Is that he l> very- highly strong, and inclined to, be a trifle fretfnl alter he Iβ saddled for' a race, which causes him to Weak'oni into a

sweat; but it is sheer excitement, and comes, I suppose, from ,St- Simon, although hia half-brother, Ravilioos, and his hsif-sister. Our liassle, were the same, and they '■ were both by different sires. He.'is quite big enoosfe. being 15-3 exactly, which mease, no doubt, about 16 hands next year—big enough for anything. He is a ntee roand barrelled home, with a good depth of girth, and a really.good back and Joins, beautiful dean limbs, end. big, well developed feet. He has enormously powerful fote-anne —I think the best I have ever Ms hocks are strong, well-enaped, sad as clean and weO-defined as-if made of steel, Instead of bone and cartilage. He nas «M fault, if it can be catedajeflt, ■ndthmt is, he is a trifle short m Us neck, wiiea he gets from his dam, a Melton mare. Otherwise, I think that, as a racehorse, be would be neafly perfect In ' aa9 ± M J i \fl J good hard colour, dark n*j, withwaelC points, and a resolute goer In Ms work, but not too' macs so; in fact, he i&*U*)ne~ceu** wish in teat respect." -

Dealing with the mast Aritme to eO-me~ ceptances far ate htatatlo race, the Great Ebor Handicap, at Home, a Uedaa ettle writes:—"ln the face ol Tery e»enlte*Br facts, Iβ tbe present a. projtftinfte moment for attempting ne» mecttngn? We have lost In a little wiate conic of the meet liberal patrons of tfce Turf. By die death of I the North Country bookmaker, Mr George Cooper, a huge sum of money made on the Tnrf, will be permaneeUy wßbtfrawn from the Turf. While Cooper we attwe there was the money for owners to tave a fling ' at. That money —It wffl be found to hare been a huge sum, every fwtMug of which came from owners and baelceri not owners is lost to the Tnrf. The consequence is tKat the Kins Iβ minns>4na.t money* It is not there to be won, and the difficulties of backing horses for sobetaatfal stakes are not lessened thereby. And nates titer can bet on fairly equitable terms, 99 per cent of owners no more care for ownership than an average sportsman moU care to try and wing birds with paper pellets. The Tnrf at the present time is in a bad state. ! Execntivoß hare tried to make a trasiaesa lof a pastime. They have overdone me--1 ing. Tbe number of meetings is out o£ • all proportion to the needs of the nation. 1 I do not say there are any insolvent ineeti Ings, but there are many on the border ot Insolvency — where the Mack swollen ! I tide is only stemmed by the 'mischief of , grudging and the martins of grasping.'' X ! I am not pleading for the reduction of days at i! certain meetings. I go tbe "whole hog" of ex--1 tinction." ! The greatest trotting race erer held In the world's history took place on August 25 at Ueadville. Mass. This Taee, called the American Trotting Derby, has been the talk of the harness morse enthusiast throughout the whole world for the past six months (says an exchange). It was unique iv many ways, for in the first place it wa3 the first attempt to handicap a big trotting ' event in America, ami the general conditions governing the race were entirely differj ent to what the American reinsmen were .accustomed to. The am-otrat of the purse ! (£10,000). the number of starters (3D), and I She attendance ol spectators (25,000) all eon--1 stituted records for this class of racing. The 'handicap was a very close one, the great I champion mare. Sweet Marie, being only I handicapped 167yarde, or, say, rougMy, 10i. ,dn the mile behind the limit horse, and it , , speaks well for the class of trottors that 1 are being raced in America at the present ■ day when the green, or maiden, horses were Handicapped to trot 2.10 to the mile, and . ! non« of the first record horses were placed '. lin the first six who finished in the rar-e. The ■ nijrlit before the event the Association do- ,', cided to divide the field, and go two pre- . ' Uminary heats. In each of these heats : eight only would be allowed to start In the ' final. Thirty-eight owners made the final payment, which gave 19 starters in each division for the prettmhmry heats. Sweet ■ Marie and Del Coronado were the onlrt™ : w^ffSS&t^ *& . tan 7s&£*&f2?2£ ra&sg ! winner's time, 373 to them-He. The mam- ■ 'moth purse was cut up as follows: Flrat ,£6OOO, second £2000. third £1000, fiJBBBUI I*6oo, flf-th £300, eisth £200.