IN A NUTSHELL.

" — The colt f oaf by Suwarrow from Lurline is dead. — Dan O'Brien returned from Melbourne this week. —Mr H. Beasley was jto have ridden Why Not in the Grand National. —Threes to, one was taken about Donovan for the Derby when the last mail left. : — A jockey named Cotter rode the winner in' every race at Arthur's Point. This is a record ! —Frigate was at 25 to 1 for the Grand National when the last mail left, and Why Not at 100 to 9. ! — Ashburfcon Racing Club offer £400 in stakes I at the meeting on May 9 and 10. Mr G. Cutts will handicap. — John Osborne, the well-known English jockey, celebrated his fifty-sixth birthday on I January 7 last. ! — A prize is to be given to the horse that finishes fourth in the Sb. Stephen's Prize, run, at Buda-Pesth. —Paddy has won three of the five races in which he has started since arriving in N.S.W. from New Zealand. '■ —A Sydney cablegram states that £2000 has been taken about Manton for the Sydney Cup at odds down to. 7 to 1. —Bed Ensign has been scratched for all engagements at the Autumn meeting of the i Geraldine Racing Club. . i —Nobody seems to know how Patrick is bred. | I have inquired of several persons, and all say that his pedigree is a mystery. • i —Mr i\ F. Richards is to be the recipient of a present in recognition of his services as secretary of the Arthur's Point Club. —The Palmerston Club show their appreciation of Mr Dowses handicapping by voting him £5 extra for his services afc the spring meeting. . — Robert Bpnner recently remarked : "As the owner of Maud S. I am free to speak. I consider Lucy Cuyler the fastest trotter in the world." ! —A Wanganui writer says that Daniel O'Rourke's owner has been asked to let the horse stand the coming season in Christchuroh, — At Arthur's Point there was a dispute about the ownership of Viking, and the Cotinty Pre&s; says that Tom M'Kay took forcible' possession of the horse. : — Shifnal and Assyrian King have been blistered and turned out. Sam Mercer now has nothing in training. Shifnal run loose for about nine months. — The Oamaru Coursing Club start the season with a credit balance. The first meeting is to be held on Good Friday, when the Treasurer's Cup will be run off. ' ' — The Sandown Grand Prize— a handicap hurdle race— run on February 20 was -won by the first favourite, Mr C. Hibbert's Castilian, by Statesman— Queen Katherine. — M.P., who gained a place in the Grand National, won the Open Hunters' Steeplechase i at Sandown, and was backed on the course to win £3000 at 20 to 1 in the big race. — The racehorse Manton was shipped for Sydney from Wellington iv the steamer W&kafcipu, Mr P. Butler, owner, and R. Derrett, jockey; were passengers by the same steamer. < —Johnny Taggarb purchased the trotter Rose, a • mare -that ■ has more than once given away her chance by breaking at a critical moment, and has since sold her to Mr M'Kewen. — Taranaki races .on Monday seem to have been confined to> local horses, and it is sufficient to state that the Autumn Handicap was won' by Eileen and the Welter Handicap' by Olga. < — The owner of the Taamanian colt Chaldean was asked, after the V.R.C. St. Leger, to put a price on him but refused. £1000 was subsequently offered, but did not effect a separation. — The New Zealand-bred pony Masher Maid beat Farmer in a trotting match at Elstemwick Park on the 16th nit., but was disqualified for breaking under the wire at the finish of the race. — Ossory and Prince 10, the well-known English racehorses, both of which had be.en sold for large sums for exportation to South America, , died on the passage from exhaustion consequent on the severe weather experienced in the Atlantic. ' — "Gipsy King" is of opinion that Teddy Barns, who has trained Recluse for all his races, ctn get- the colt as fit as anyone else can and I

adds that if Reclase goes to Victoria Barns will, go with him. ' The following horses have been struck out of the Sydney Gold Cvp :— Tradition, Tranter, Oakleigb, Mozart, Chaldean, Volcano, Minerva, Locksley, Centaur, Claremont, Minstrel Boy, Eclipse, and Bluenose. "We heard some time ago that Kirkham was the name selected-by the-Hon; J. White for one of the , colts that are bred to compete in the "Epsom Derby;- and it is now stated that the name of his mate is Narelian. —The Queensland Stud Company is to be revived, and with that' view 'two stallions and 20 mares are to be imported from England by way of a commencement. One of the stallions, it is understood, will be by Hermit, and the other by Galopin or Speculum. —The- sum of £235 was passed through the totalisator at the Vincent Amateur Turf Club's races. In' the second trot a protest was entered against Sam, on the ground that his rider had dismounted before being ordered by a steward to do so, but the objection was not allowed. ' —A novelty in the shape of a saddle which weighs lib Boz is being exhibited in Sydney. "It lias the ordinary tree, a double' gullet plate, and is plated right through. The seat is of buff, and the flaps and skirts of kangaroo, and it is long and roomy enough to seat a steeplechase rider. ■—At the sale of the late Mr Robert Howett's racing stud the highest price was 950gs, paid for the hurdle-racer Sherbrooke. Prior to Sherbrooke winning at Leicester and Manchester, Mr Howett offered him for 500gs to a neighbour, and subsequently, in Messrs Tatfcersall's sale-list, a reserve of 600gs was placed upon the horse. " -r-A new racecourse afc Rome was to be inaugurated by a meeting on March 24. It is at Tor di Quato, which is within a short drive of the Porta del Popolo. The situation is a moBt picturesque one, 1 and the course will be the finest in Italy. A stake of 2000sovs is to be established, and there are already races of 800sovs| and 400sovs. * \ I — The programme of thefirst Dunedin Plumpton Ooursing meeting this -year is issued. The dates fixed are the 9th, 1 10 th, and 11th May. The programme consists of the Forbury All-aged Stakes, for an unlimited number of .dogs at 2sovs each; the St. Leger, for an unlimited number of puppies ; and the Consolation Stakes.' Nominations close, on the 18th inst. ■ —Mr C. J. Hainlin, of .New York, has been asked by Washington persons to sell Chimes, his famous young stallion, and has replied that he will sell him for 50,000d01. Chimes was bred by Leland Stanford, was foaled Aprll.4; 1884, has aj two-year-old record of 2min 33§sec, was sired by Electioneer, and is a full brother to St. Bell. : — An Auckland telegram states that at a race meeting held, at Epsom on Saturday under the { auspices of the Onehunga Racing Club the Pony' Cup was won by Secret, which, however, finished' last in the first event. The jockey (Cook) acknowledged that he did not ride to orders in that race, and the stewards disqualified him for three months. — The annual meeting of the New Zealand Stud Company, fixed for Friday, lapsed for want of a quorum. The report stated that the ship-, menc of horses to India in August last year proved unsuccessful, principally because of the overstocked > state of the market." The profit and loss account 'showed loss caused by death and by the revaluation of stock. A small profit was shown on the working account. — The|Prince of Wales has succeeded in purchasing a brood mare from Mr Moore, the famous Yorkshire hackney-breeder, for the new stud at Sandringham. Mr Moore has hitherto refueed to sell any of his mares. The animal which H.R.H. has bought is Rosebud 505, a six-year-old, and she will be a valuable acquisition to the royal stud, as she is bred exactly as was the oelebrated mare Princess. The Prince of Wales has also purchased a yearling oolt from Mr Moore. - — At Gattenberg (America) visitors were treated to a novelty in the way of a strike got up by the jockeys ' who had been fined for disobedience at the post, and who refused to go on and weigh unless the fines were remitted. After some discussion Starter Carr, rather than embarrass the officers of the day, remitted all the fines, and in future when a jockey misbehaves he will be either suspended or kept down for good. " ( Considering (says " Gipsy King ") that Re cluBe was first favourite for the Hawke's Bay Cup it appeared strange that he should pay £4 inside and,4)6 7s outside, bub Mr Hearn informs me that one of his legs were slightly enlarged on the morning of the race, which had the effect of putting him back in the totalisator. In reply to the question " Have you been offered 800gs for the colt ? " he said, " I know nothing about the offer. Mr Ray did inquire if the colt was for sale/jbut got the reply- Don't be covetous.' " —Plunger Walton, since going into the hotel business in' the East, has (says the New York Sportsman) been vainly endeavouring to sell his last relic of his racing' days, the famous stallion, imported Richmond. - The equine is now at Captain Sam Brown's stable, being used for stud purposes. Walton offered the stallion to a wellknown Pittsburgera few days ago for 25,000de1, then 16,(J00dol, and finally told him to name his price.' Captain Brown still has a year's lease of the stallion. •—Fred Gebhard has made another beginning to stock his ranch in California, :he having bought several high-bred, horses and mares imported last year from England. The stallions include Greenback and Friar Tuck. The mares include Restless, by Orest out of Lady Middleton, by Surplice ; Miss Josephine, by Straun out ofj Maid of Harris, by Flageolet; Peril, by Holmby out of Fairy Belle, by Wingrave ; and Lizzie Hampton, by Hampton out of Dynasty, by Sterling. — The " Sportsman " recently issued a circular, to several Australian owners and trainers to furnish their views on the improvement in horses between two and three, and three and four years of age; The replies show that there is a unanimous opinion that a three-year-old is better in the spring at a mile than he was as a two-year-old the previous autumn, but the experts differ widely on the question of his advance' from three to four years. They think, though, that many horses are absolutely at their best in the latter end, of their three-year-old career. — Duchess, the well-known trotting mare at one time owned here by Mr J. Fleming, .won the Two-mile Handicap at Moorefield (N.S.W.) on the 13th ttlt. She started 15sec behind scratch, and the time was ,6min 4sec. An objection was lodged by Mr E. S. Rowe on the grounds of incorrect entry, a New Zealand performance of many months ago being omitted, it was alleged; but (says a Sydney paper) as Duchess has been a constant competitor for along time past at meetings oE the Sydney, Driving- Park Clnb and consequently identified fully enough for all purposes, the stewards very properly disallowed it. -—Robert Bonner, the millionaire publisher, and the owner of the trotting turf queen, Mand 5.,-is negotiating for the wonderful two-year-old filly Sunol, who made the phenemonal- record of j 2coin 18sec the past season. Sunol Belongs to Senator Leland Stanford, and is stabled in the Polo Alto .stock farm in California. Charles Marvin, the manager of the farm, states" that

the proprietor has set, a price on the great filly and he is in great ■•fear he 1 will be snapped up at the price named, 50,000d01. —An ingenious device has been invented for controlling excitable horses. It is attached , to the brow-band of the. bridle; and. a light but firm cord runs through, loop's along the reins to the hand-piece. In case ot frighfpnll the' cord, and 1 instantly < the 'horse' is" blindfolded. ! This diverts his attention from the object of fright, and puts him to another train of thought. Let go the cord . and the double spring instantly withdraws the blinds from his eyes, and rblja them out of sight. This device ' is not clumsy and does not clog in action. — It is well known (writes a London correspondent) that whea Lord Randolph Churchill ■ resigned Ministerial office and . declared , himself for the time disappointed with politics, he turned to find corresponding relaxation on, the turf. He entered ioto copartnership with Lord Dunraven, and by this , time the joint stable shelters an exceedingly valuable and sucoessfd stud. The noble partners rarely :give over 5,00g for a horse, but Lord Randolph Churchill is sal to have paid 800gs for Blue Peter,; which h bought from, the Duchess of Montrose.' Lor Dunraven is the business man of the concern Lord Randolph Churchill supplying the orna mental accessories. J , .. . , ■ _ '-.'•,• — Speaking on the question as to the advisability of abolishing the allowance to geldings, a Sydney paper says that the champion two-year-old of America— Prootbr Kriott— -is a gelding, so are numerous other sterling winners there, while our own records prove that the emasculated fraternity of years agone wereamqngafc the principal prizetakers. ' Included. in the number might be mentioned Jorrocks, one of the best horses that ever carried a saddle, Sampson, Ben Bolt, Strop, De Hestr'e's Spider, Inheritor, Stumpy, Lord Harry, Mata, all good as well as the present, day. Willeroo, Spoilt Child, Lancer, Fuse, Plutarch, Centaur, Frisco, Ensign, The Yeoman, Bernardo, Latnond/and Rudolph', and there are many o'tbere'th'at, could beenume^ rated to show that instead of geldings receiving an increased allowance", cause might with very good reason* bo'ask'eil' why ' they should not meet entires op' even terms.