SPORT AND PASTIME. The Turf. [BY CRACKSHOT.]

RACING FIXTURES. July 2 and <\— Xapicr Paik R.C. Whiter J. Prosper abandoned tho proposed trip to Victoria A\ith The Guard, a* his presenco was requited at l'onruu to atteiut to Ins numerous string there. He did not care about hcndiag iTio Vauguaid gelding on such a long journey without being with him hiuucit, and therefore decided lo allow Tho Guard to roma in in tho colony and compete at the Wellington and.Cantcrbiuy _ Sleepicchufee. Mttetiug if ho goes on all right and tho weights suit. Prosser took L«obo to Hastings this week. Blaiiioy, who won the Wanganui Cup and a number of other good races a few years back, was nominated for hack races at tho Hutl! When Ms owner discovered ho was ineligible, to compete the horse was scratched. People who aro backing horses to win the New Zealand Cup beioio the wcigius aro out must bo considcicd pietiy game or foolish. According to tho published reports the public htvvo supported 'several candidates \ery Htiongly, itncl they deserve no sympathy if they "fall in." Their Mipport to a hoi-Mi al this early btage might affect his weight, as attention is thus drawn to particular animals. Not that 1 am suggesting that it would inilue.nee Mr. Henry's opinion in his pro sorat Neiv Zealand Cup Handicap, but it might occur lo other handicappers. A few years back a big run set in on a Newmarket Handicap candidate- in Australia that had performed very poorly in public, and the, result was that the particular cundidalo was weighted about a stone higher than was expected. It. was pointed out at the time that tho backing -of the horse uudoubledy influenced tho bandieapper in making • his adjustment ; he doubtless thought that the horse's exposed form was not correct j and thus took no notice of it. Tho jjolo pony Brown Bess, ab ono time owned by Mi-. E. D. O'Rorke, in Christclnirah, has won eleven races in India sinto being taken there about eighteen | months ago by Mr. W. Hawkins, the re- | gular India trader. TLo following business is publifihed as having bcon transacted in Ohristchurch over tho Now Zealand Cup: — 800 to 40 agfct. Nonctte, 700 to 24 Cruciform, 400 j to 15 Renown, 400 to 10 Bowman, 300 t<> 14- Pampero, o^ to 6 Kelpy, 200 1o 8 Torlulla, <-w to 6 Grand Rapids. Some backer or backers mtiht nave an idea tbai Gobo, who disappointed his owner at Wanganui and Auckland, falling in tho steeplechase at both places, is going to repeat last year's performance and win tho G.J.C. Grand National Steeplechase, as he has been supported in doubles with Huku, Reliance, Tireu, Tresham, and Cavalicrio in lho Hurdle- Race. J. M'Taggart has received Gold Spec, j by Goldreefi— Dreadnought mare, into his stable at Pivlmerston to train. The filly ran second to Himalaya in a fivo furlongs raco at Otaki this mouth. M'Taggart also has in hand a tine-looking colt by Quilt — Aio. Reclaimed is back again in Waiignnis; for the winter months. Sir Agnes has been taken up onco more in tho Wairarapa., George Hope passed through here lost week iv diargo or Will-o'-tho-Wisp, on his way to tho HawKes Bay Meetings. Tho HutC tracks have* been in such a bad v state of ' ia te owing to the recent rains th'jy would not bo used by trainers, and. thcrefoio tho horses are not as torwy.vd as could bo desired. The success of The Hempio in the Hawk 3S ]} ay Hurdle Raco on Thursday wouf d d 6 Vein. Collelo, her ownertraincr, tt good turn. He has not beon having much luck for some lima past, ancc iv was j,i s t lmi i 0i 0 xeceivo some of -tnci 'spoils. Tho Hempie is, as most of V }7 I l-eaders will know, a half-pister to * je good steeplechaser Norton, and it ' was -rather curious that Noi ton's relative should v perform so well at tho first meeting held after Norton's owner (Mr. S. H. Gollan) had returned to tho colony. Tho Hempio has been Collelo's '"bread-and-butter" for a few seasons. She did fairly well for him'on the flat, and gave good promise when put- at the jumping gamo. But bad luck followed her in hurdle- events, and although she has won several, her record would have been fat* better had she had a bit of luck on her sido. At tho Fielding Easter Meeting she had a very easy win iv the first .'day's Hurdlo Race, but hurt herself in the course of it, and it was thought at' tho time that she would never i'un again. But with careful attention she got round, and was able to compete at the Wanganui Meeting last month, finishing second to Frost in the second day's Hurdle Race. •'On that form sho was entitled to respect in the Hastings race, but lho public evidently neglected to take much notice of thut performance, for » v .» was allowed to pay an £8 dividend — tho straight-out machine. Like, most Natators, Tho Hempie requires to be cuught we!l and iv the liuinour before she puts her best log forward, but when in that condition she it useful to her owner. If sho trains on satisfactorily her chance "of further adding to her winning list this season seems a good one. Rufus, who ran second in the Hawkos Bay Hurdlo Race, was unluckily at tho Auckland Meeting. Ho was one of the number who fell over Trislnun in tho Hurdlo Race. His rider was unseated, hut the- horao continued on his journey, and in tho photograph of the finish of tho race he is seen finishing fifth. Rufus was offered at £150 to a Wellingtonian when the latt«r was on a 'visit to Auckland last Christmas, but he would not tako him at that figure. Sinco then, however, he has won several races, and doubtless could not bo bought for that amount now. Rufus is ono of the. big little sort, and what there is^ of him is good. Mr. G. P. Donnelly's fino big Torpedo maro Kahuwai mado her debut over hurdles ut Hastings on Thursday, and performed creditably in gaining third position. That gallop in public would doubtless do her a dual of good, and she might bo worth watching during the next few meetings. Tho West Coast champion hurdler of a couplo of seasons back (Plain Bill) was" expected from good quarters to Win tho Hawkes Bay Hurdle Race, aud there was moro money iv town for him than anything else in tho race, but ho let his backers down badly, aud finished out of a place. It was thought he was buck to his old form, but that opoinion wat not borno out by results. In his old form what a good thing it would iiuvo been for him with lOst 91b! Winter racing is very perplexing. For instance, Dexterity could not. win a hack raco at the Wanganui Meeting, yet sho goes to Hastings and puts down soveral fair performers in- Ideal, Convoy, Will-o'-the-Wisp, Dingo, and Loch Erin. Of course -she was receiving weight from them; but still ono would think that there was more than 241b between the ox-hack and Ideal. Dexterity is a halfsister to Elusion, by Sou-wester, and gavo good promise- at Christmas time by winning the Maiden Hack Race at Palmer3ton, and the Ashhurst Guineas. But she has failed to run up to expectations sinco, although she seems likely to yet fulfil tho good opinions formed of her at tho commencement of her career. Kelpy, who won the mu'h- coveted Ladies' Bracelet ut Hillings on Thursday, ia the Hon. J. D. Oimond's New Zealand

Cup candidate that bus been meeting with :>uppoit at outhido prices lululy. 'lho owner ni" Calibre is reported to havo taken £2000 about his horde's chunco in the New Zealand Cup at 100 to 2. Wellbcch received support in town from tho South this week at 100 to o. The system of paying a straight-out dividend on one hor.se only, and alho ' dividends on first and second hurnes was given a, trial at tho Hastings Meeting, but it doe* not appear to have been a success. 1 think it is far preferable for clubs to havo only one system of paying out dividonds, as tho public are loft, in an undecided state of mind as lo which way they should invest their money to most advantage. With only one syltcm of betting they havo no* choice, und therefore mako their investments without unnecessary delay. In their belting over the Hustings Mooting tho Wellington public remained loyal to the one-two system, and 1 think this system has found favour with the public, i would like to see some uniformity arranged between clubs as lo .tho number of starters requiruiT before tho machine pays out on two horses. At present esich club ha's its own particular number, and tho pulsulo public have to make their investments offtin without possessing any information on the subject. The coming Racing Conference might take tho matter up with aclvantI'lio Committee of tba Australian Jockey Club has just given further ovidenco of its determination to discourage sjiriut racing. For some years no logistcrcd club in Now South Wales has boen allowed to have races over a less distance than sixfurlongs, except for two-year-olds, mid at Rondwitk there are very few six-furlong races ; but in- tho opinion of the committee proprietary clubs are too fond of sprinting, and tiiuyTiave decided that in future, whore there aro six races on n programme, three must bo run over a. mile or more, and there must bo £100 given to a-'iaco of not less than a mile and a quarter. Joseph Cripp, 'who has boon training hort.es jn Victoria for 27 years, was disqualified at the Oaklands (V'ictoriu) Hunt Club Meeting for tho running of Arise ia a hurdle race. Tho rider (M. Dunn) and the lioi'ko also received tho 1 sume punishment. ' In ono year the West Australian Turf Club has reduced its overdraft from £9000 to £2000. Previous to winning the English Derby Ard Patrick was easily beaten by Lord Rothschild's Royal Ivy in a thrcc-year-old race at Kompton Park. The Derby winner was conceding to Royal Ivy 101b, and it was* expected at the time that ho could bo made fitter by Derby Day. It was thought, however, that lho colt ran ungenerously in his rate, and his supporters for lho Bluo Riband did not lilco his chance any too well on tho colt returning to tho paddock. Royal George defeated the Carbine horse Wargrave comfortably in the Kompton Park Great Jubilee Handicap. Koyal CJeorgo ran ; the inilo and n quarter in 2min Bscc with 6st 91b on his back, which weight was also curried by ». ivrgravc. Tho field included Santoi (Bsf 131b), Revenuo (Bst 71b). Volodyovski (Bsb 101b), and St. Malson (Bst Sib*). In the Payne Stakes, of £700, ono nnd a half miles, at tho Newmarket Meeting, the Carbine colt Pistol scored in an easy fashion from St. Uncombcr nnd Long Tom. On Pistol's foim in tho Two Thousand, tho raco cnu indeed look a good thing for him, but the extra half milo was thought, all against him, after his apparent failure- to *tay in the Esher Stakes at Sundown. The geireral view its lo Pistol's lack of stamina was quite dispelled by the running, as at the Bushes Pistol joined St. Uncombcr und Long Tom, and, drawing right away in tho dip, scored in very easy fashion by nearly U'o lengths. Carbine has, indeed, had n splendid rccoid lately on the English turf. Sceptre's two big wins have, of course, placed Powmmon at the head of the list of sires, but Carbine comes out easily first with regard to tho number of winning races, and is now only £1578 behind Persimmon as regards value. The figures are— Persimmon, £10,642; Carbine, £9064.