TALK OF THE DAY.

BY MAZEPPA.

*** Owners will please take cognisance of the fact that the Ashburton Racing Club's Spring meeting is to be held on October 16 arid 17. The fixture is nicely placed in the calen dar, coming a 8 it doea between the Palmerston and the North Canterbury meetings, and I fully expect to see a ready response to the invitation for nominations, which clobo on Saturday, September 28, at 9 p.m.

*** Merrie England was sold on Monday on behalf of the executors of tho late Hon W, Robinson. All sorts of mysterious stories have been afloat as to who is tho purchaser of the colt, but I believe that it will ba found that the luoky people— lucky becauee I am sure they have got a bargain— are ft syndicate represented by Mr Victor Musgrove, of Dunsandel. There ia, further, variation in the reports as to the price paid. The latest story is that the colt was sold for lOOOgs, and I rather tbink this will prove to be somewhere near the mark, though <f~~it be true the aon of Rupee is certainly not over valued. One thing is pretty certain, and that is that Marrie England will next .November race in New Zealand, though I observe that he was tha other day supported for the V.R.O Derby. On Monday several porsons who do not as a rule go it blind, were going about Danedin picking up all the 100 to 12 money they could get about the colt for the New Zealand Cup, and I take this as pretty good evidence that the Melb6urne folk were on the wrong scent. Merrie England's present prica is 100 to 14. He remains, I believe, in Horry Lunn's stable in the meantime.

%* The increasing popularity of pony racing i 3 one of the most pronounced of the many changes that are creeping over the racing world. In India it is and has been for some time past the most prominent game on the course, and at the present day is as much in favour as ever ; in Australia the contests of the pigmies are part and parcel of important suburban meetings, and this is in spite of the frowns of the governing clubs ; we have much the same experience, though on a smaller scalo. in New Zealand, tho fashion inaugurated np North being countenanced even at the Forbury ; and from far away conservative England comes the tidings that r, club for the promotion of pony and galloway racing has been formed atfMoulaey Hurst under tha auspices of . auch bigwigs as the Duke of Baaufort, Sir Frederick Johnstone, Mr Leopold Rothschild, the Duke of Portland, and Lord Cholmondeley. What does all this signify ? Something more, surely, than a mere paßßingfancy. We must take it that there are people who really enjoy pony racing, that there are others who see their way to making a profit out of it, and others again, perhaps, who welcome this branch of sport simply because it is to some extent a novelty. Anyway, whatever the cause, pony racing is with us, and, judging by the discernible signs, it ha 3 come to stay long enough to make it the duty of those in authority to concede it not only recognition but regulation. And I could not, if pressed, give a valid reason for regretting this newest development. Personally, I would not go across the Btreet to see a pony race, but then my taste ia so peculiar that I have before now given serious offence to an American friend by declining to take treacle as an acoompanimenfc to salt pork, and I cannot for the life of me see sport in a dog fight, and on the only occasion that I ever saw a ploughing match I was able by an effort to keep comparatively calm while neighbouring spectators were hurrahing and encouraging their respective favourites for a final spurt. But personal

liken and dislikes have not to be studied. If a man objects to pony racing he may atay away and perchance satisfy his soul with cribbage ; if cribbage is distasteful to him he has a varied choice in tho allurements of draughts, lawntennis, marbles, and a ecore of innocent amusements. Let everyone pleaae himself and not venture to dictate how his neighbours ehould enjoy themselves, always provided, of course, that the enjoyment is within the bounds of humanity and decency. If a particular sport has not a sufficient number cf patrons it wiU not flourish ; if it hap, it will gain a footing somehow.

%* All this is but a roundabout way of saying what I might perhaps have eaid quite as well without any preamble : that the Wellington Conference has made a grave mistake in ignoring pony racing, I have said this before, and shall cay bo again and again until some action ia taken to repair the error of this BbortBighted policy. Pony racing is the fashion — apparently it is to continue the fashion — and the question is simply whether we are to have it acknowlsdged and regulated, or whether it ia to bo allowed to generate the abuses and evils which ultimately grow up in the absence of & wise restraining influence.

*** Speaking on the question as now presented to the English public, "Pendragon" thinks that piny racing will have to be recognised by tho Jockey Olub and Grand National Hunt either for incorporation or as a kindred institution, and he gooa on to say :—": — " The very thing to make (so called) pony racing, which for mnny years was not quite so respectable as dog fighting, and nothing like so honest, a reputable institution, has been engineered through this club Fate has decided that certain swell-course bosses should not ba associated with success in racecoutße management. But about the Ultimate effect of raising the standard of the revised branch of cport 1 have no doubt whatever. Neither have I that the new old game would not have la- ted long on its present basis. There is a hardy assertion for you, one which may bring down on my dovotedor olh?rw_ise head a whole flood of indignant contradic'ion, blowipgs up. and the like. All the tail talk about what has been done for pony racing, wbich, as I have previously mentioned, is so-called pony racing, but may now oxplain is not pony racing at all, ia of no account. Thoso who have done best out of it in the year or two of its revival are the pcoplu who havo brought off the biggest ramps. A sort of official look- out is kept at meetings, and Captain Armstrong and Co. supposed to be held in terror, but roping and cross work of r»ll borts have been painfully plentiful. Again, tho system Of measuring is open to strong objection. In order to get the little horees under a certain standard all manner of dodges are used. It is not necessary for ono of these racors to pass under tho standard on a lace day. Being registered at a height it so remains, which is strange, considering that thought is taken to lessen the creature's stature, and, as a preliminary to official measuring, its hoofs softened and pared, pared and softened, till tho quick is almost on the ground. After this all right has beon called by the standard merchant the pony is put by to mske new hoof-born, and runs so much tha higher. What mo*fc strikes the horse racing visitor v.-ho does not happen to be informed on the subject of racing peny and galloway business is that tho typical pony of commerce— the little fellow of robust build — does not exist in the pony racing calendar Competitors are simply undersized racehorßes. A curious point in this connection ia that breeders now are being worried to find small foale, good bred ones who lock size. For example, the market in thoroughbred twins is qui f o brisk, on the supposition that doublets will no!' grow up to average ; and I have heard of a case in which the accidental administration of gin to an equine orphan in trouble has turned out an almost unmixed bles&ing to the blessed babby horßO in so Btunting its frame aa to make it quite a prize for a pony racer's stud. When this game baa blopaomfd into importance, varicu3 little matters will have to bo considered, On the face of it no reason exists why limiting the height of fiVt vaceis or jumpers thould make horso racing more or less respectable — or I 6hould write reputable — than where no restriction'is imposed. A racei ia ft racor for all that, whether big or little, and, if the swells score in the cew spec, will bo so recognised."

*** " Will have to be recognised." That is the prophecy of a man who can gee a-i for ahead aa most English writers. And. though I do not confeaa to be clad in the cast-off clothing of the prophet, I venture to affirm that the necessity will also be forced upon us in Now Zealand. Our laws, though barely as yet out of the revigprs' hande, will have to be pgain amended. It was mp.nitcatly the duly of tho Wellington G nfoience to have tucklcd tho 4 whole tubject o£ pony r.nd trotting rt»ces,' either by way of formulating a scheme by which the=e branches of the sport should bo managed by bratch associations affiliated <o tho metropolitan clubs— wbich I think will be the ultimate arrangement, though perhaps hardly praoticabh yet awhile— or by taking these Bide sports under their own guidance and framing plain rules providing for regulation by the existing administrative machinery. The fact is that our present racing laws are in a moafc outrageous muddle, and ii is likely, according to appearances, that they will be vanoualy interpreted by the different metropolitan clubs.

*** The complications are pretty well focused in the rule which provides for the disqualification of all men and horees taking part in race meetings not held under Jockey Club rules. Aa the rule reads in the old code, that which came into force in January 1886, horses only were liable to disqualification j but it was found that this was not sufficient to discourage those moetinga that were held in opposition to the metropolitan clubs, and the law was enlarged in its ecope by extending tho penalty bo aa to include nominators, trainers, owners, and jockeyd who patronised these meetings. The original intent of thia rule was not to smother pooy racing and trotting ; that if, I think, plain. But certain of the metropolitan clubs construe the absence of any reference to ponies and trotttra in tho newer code to mean that such racing- is not to be sanctioned, and on this assumption refuse to pass programmes which include event? of this description. Other metropolitan ( lut a favour a less stringent reading of the rules, and hence we find fcha Auckland Metropolitan Club passing a programme containing a pony race, while the flawke'a Bay Metropolitan Club sends back programmes to one of its clients with a request that the pony racing be cut out; wbila a further anomaly iH to be found nearer home, in that the Dunsdin Jockey Club held a meeting at which there \vaß both pony racing and trotting, while the Canterbury Jockey Club talked of a wholesale disqualification in connection with the same class of sport afc the Heathcole meet iog, As "Spectator" tersely puts it, "tho whole bufinoss as it ia being mismanaged just now must make New Zialand the laughingstock of tho colonies."

* # * As a matter of opinion I think that the rule to vyhich reference bar' been specially made waa intended by the conference to oa stretched so as to bear the interpretation put upon it by the Canterbury Club, and hence I

consider the C.J.C. were justified in taking notice of the Heathcote affair. But we want something more definite than an opinion as to w hat is meant. We want a law that shall be capable of only one interpretation, and there will ba such a precious hubbub kicked up all over the colony that the delegates will have to reassemble &"d finish the work they so imperfect!} perform' d at the Wellington Conference. This* reassembling cannot very well take place until November, and I am much mistaken if in the two months' interval public opinion is not forcibly expressed in a demand that trotting and pony racing shall be placod on a proper basis. As to this forthcoming conference, if it is held, as I presume it will be, I hope the members will be prepared to sit down and do their work thoroughly, instead of making it the excuse for a holiday trip to the Exhibition. The Canterbury Times makes the suggestion, which in many points I endorse, that " there should be some preparation for the next meeting of delegates. If the secretaries of the various metropolitan clubs would place themselves in communication with other secretaries, tho representatives of the press, owners, and every man from whom tney would be likely to obtain an idea, they could submit these suggestions to the conference, which would very much facilitate a thorough revision, It in too much to expect the delegates will devote weeks to tho investigation of details ; but it is not too much to expect that they should know what is wanted before they attempt to do it."

*£* All that it was possible to do to enBure a successful meeting was done by the South Canterbury Club, and though early spring racing is not, as a rule, of the best quality — one or two well conditioned horses having all the best of it there was a fair proFspecfc of decent contests until the bad weather intervened and upaet the apple-cart. The course is a good one, and a fast one in fine weather, but it becomes quickly sodden with rain, and I am told that on this occasion it was anything but safe to raco on, the horses sinking into the turf and leaving every hoof ■ print as deeply embedded as though the ground was so much new cheese. Under such circumfttaacoa the form displayed must not be too devotedly relied on ; indeed, it is questionable whothor it is of any value as a guide to future events. St, Malo, for instance, will not havo things all his own way when the real business of the season commences, and I reckon vre shall see both Lorraine and Wolverine more formidable than they were at'Timaru. Of Wakatipu lam not quite so hopeful, for my information is that he is pretty well advanced in his preparation for the New Zealand Cup, aad should bava made a better show. Lorraine is. they say, more backward, and Wolverine has a lot of galloping in front of him before he will be good enough to take 10 to 1 about in the two-mile race. As to this son of Tangi, his owner tells me that the simple explanation of his poor display is that he would not try in the mud, He has notions of his own, I am sorry to say, and does not always try earnestly. At Timaru he certainly objected to do even what he could, and returned to the paddock without a sign of distress, though Sharp, in obedience to orders, had driven him along as much as possible. The racing is narrated at length in the report which I have taken the liberty of cop, ing from tha Press, and I do not think that lengthened comment is necessary. Poole was rather lucky in scoring a double win with Waitangi, but for all that the success was well deserved, as the horse waa nevbr before so fully prepared. The sum of £3434 was passed through the totalizators by Messrs Mason and Roberts, whose style of doing business is favourably spoken of.

* # * The London Sportsman says that the Goodwood Cup fell in 1829 and 1830 to the famous FJeur do Lys, the property in the first year of George IV, and afterwards of William IV, JTleur de Lys was owned during the early part of hor running career by Sir Matthew White Ridley, of Blagdon, Northumberlaud, and ran ia his name and colours for the Doncaster St. Leger of 1825. When holding a good place about a quarter of a mile from home tbe filly fell, a mishap that has more than once befallen a competitor that a moment before appeared dangerous for the race mentioned. She was sold to King George after running a dead heat with Memnon for second place in the Doncaster Cup won by Mulatto in 1827. It was of that race, if I remember rightly, that the late Sir 1 rancis Hastings Doyle wrote so stirring a description shortly before his death. With regard to Fleur de Lys, Zinganee, and The Colonel, all the property of William IV, it was that his Majesty gave the oft-quoted order of " Start the whole fleet 1" This was for the Goodwood Cup of 1830, and they finished firßt, second, and third. At last defeat overtook the mare in the Duke of Richmond's Park. She endeavoured for the third time to win the coveted prize, and suffered defeat from the renowned Priam, who won in a canter. Her overthrow caused much disappointment. One amusing writer of the day has left on record his experience of the race in these words: — "During the last two years it was my good fortune to encounter (by accident only), on each occasion, a boy who was employed in his Majesty's stables, who, of course, knew all about the old mare and her condition. In return for some trifling service I happened to render him the first time (catching his pony, I believe) he kindly let me into the secret that ' nothing had a chance with her,' and the first person on the Thursday in 1830 that I recognised was the diminutive monitor of the previous year. ' It's all right 1 ' whispered the grateful pigmy, as if afraid of trusting his words even to the swallow careering above him. Surely, then, it was natural to be (in 1831) once more on the look-out for the brownie in drab gaiters, but, alas 1 1 looked in vain, and my heart Bmote me with a gloomy presentiment of hiß Majesty's defeat." The writer quoted was lucky to back Fleur de Lys in the years of victory from the " tip " of an urchin who stated that he was employed in the King's establishment. People who nowadays put money on all the horses whispered to them as good things by people alleging that they have facilities for acquiring information respecting horses in great stables would probably, ere long, take their walks abroad without boote.

*#* The Hon. J. White is an everlasting wonder. Horses may come and horses may go, but his luck goes on for ever. Not altogether his luck, either. That is an unfair way of putting it. There must be some luck about all these big wins- luck that his purchases or his homebred ones train on to a finish j but judgment has at least as much to do with the result. These remarks are evoked by Saturday's racing at Sydney. The Kirkham stable certainly went down in the valuable Epsom Plate, but the Derby win was of greater consequence to a breeder, and there was a nice little haul to be made even out of the Spring Stakes, m which Abercorn put down a field of five, including our own Manton and The Australian Peer. I suppose we have seldom had a better horse in the colonies than this Abercorn. Prior to this season he had started in 29 races, of which he won 15 (including a dead heat), was eight times second (one dead heat), four times third, and only twice unplaced— in the Melbourne Cup won by Dunlop and in the

Melbourne Stakes won by Australian Peer. And now that the son of Cinnamon is starting on his five-year-old career he seems as good as ever ! This iB the horse that should have been sent to England instead of Plutarch. He would, if well, have quickly disabused the minds of English sportsmen of any fallacy they may entertain as to Ringmaster being one of the best in Australia.

* # * As to the A.J.C. Derby, the result was somewhat unexpected, it being generally considered that Rudolph was the better of the Kirkbam pair, and he seemed on the Hawkesbury running to be held safe by Merriment. But this Merriment, it appears, is a miler and nothing more ; he compounded abruptly after going the Hawkesbury Guineas distance, and was beaten by both of Mr White's. The reason why Rudolph was preferred to Singapore is of course to be found on the surface. Singapore had by his success in the July Stakes brought on himself the steadier of 8.0 in the Spring Handicap, one mile a quarter, run at Sydney Tattersall's meeting on August 24, and was unablo to gain a place, the race being won by the lightly-weighted Bustler from a field of 23, In selecting Rudolph for the Derby, the crowd followed public form, and were put in a holenot for the first time, I may remark. We may be sure that there would be a lot of bad language used when the outsider won. Rudolph would, I should say, have suited the public very fairly, but Singapore would be a bit of luck for the fielders. 'Tis the fortune of war, my masters. The Hon. J. White evidently won with the one that suited him beat, •and no one can blame him. Appended is a list of WINNERS OP THE A.J.C. DERBY.

From this it will be seen that the Hon. J. White has now won this race five timeß. The three placed horses in this Derby are engaged in the Caulfield Guineas and also in the V.R.C. Derby, for which event Dreadnought is apparently a much firmer favourite than Singapore. I don't understand this, but there must be a reason for it, and perhaps it may be that Singapore had very little to spare in his race, while Dreadnought showed particularly good form in the Epsom Handicap whioh he didn't win. Something ole this sort is probably at the bottom of the present move ; but, with all due respect to the judgment of our friends oa the other side, if I had to back one for the V.R.U. Derby I would prefer the fellow that won to the fellow that didn't win, especially considering that my fancy is at a better price than his mate.

%* The second day of the A.J.O. meeting found that great horse Abercorn again in winning form in his 31st race. There does not seem to be anything speoial about the race for the Metropolitan. The son of Cinnamon won pretty easily, but it was a good race until the finish. Ellerdale's collapse was the surprise of the race. This member had been privately tipped as a particularly good thing. The following table shows the WINNERS OF .THE METROPOLITAN STAKES Two miles,

* Including 31b penalty, t Including 51b penalty. As to the other events, they are of only secondary interest to us, and being fairly reported I need not comment on them further than to remark as a not surprising occurrence that the Hon. J. Whito's Derby mare Spice (full sister to Abercorn) won the Oaks. By next week we shall have particulars of the whole meeting.

%* Many years ago (says " Augur ") the Hon. W. Robinson was a pillar of tho turf in South Australia, but he did not confine himself to Australia, for in 1865 his colt Eltham ran third to the famous French horse Gladiateur in the English Derby. At the Ascot meeting Eltham ran a dead heat with Baron Rothschild's Breeze in the Gold Vase, the gift of her Majesty the Queen j and Baron Rothschild being anxious to obtain the trophy, offered .Mr Robinson a consideration to allow him to retain it. "Not if you were to fill it with sovereigns," replied Mr Robinson. " I shall run off." Eltham won the deciding heat, so Mr Robinson secured the prize which the Baron so much coveted. Eltham, it may be remarked, was bought out of a selling race at Newmarket by Mr Robinson, who had run Becond with a colt by Hobbie Noble from Yarra Yarra. AMr Kent claimed the Yarra Yarra colt, and Mr Robinson's cast-off subsequently became notorious under the name of Kangaroo, for whom the Marquis of Hastings gave 12.000g5. Kangaroo finished his career on >a cab-rank in London.

*** "Joe Davis, the four-year-old sorrel Creole-bred pacing gelding whose speed was recently discovered while pulling a butcher's cart around in the Crescent City," says the Horseman, " and which has since become the property of Captain P. Galvin, of New Orleans, is looked upon by the horse enthusiasts of that city as the possible two- minute horse of the future. And such fond anticipations and hope are buoyed up by the fact that with four weeks' work, after his transformation from a butcher's drudge to a gentleman's pet, this yellowhaired son of the Pelican State paced three heats over the Audubon Driving Club's halfmile track in 2min 22|seo, 2mio 20aco, and

2min 16£ sec, and has shown quarters in 32seo, a 2.oßgait. Lew Glen, his trainer, said after the trial that over any good mile track he could have driven him handily in 2min 12sec on that day. Such a showing by a young green horse is certainly vary good grounds for the • great expectations' of his ardent admirers. He is to be sent North to compete in Beveral of the rich side-wheel events. Among his engagements is the 3000dol pacing event ia New York, and bis owner and friends expect him to wiggle under the wire in season to secure the prize. His sire is given as Rex, a grandson of the famous American Star."

*** A good story is being told by the London Court 0 ournal in connection with the Ascot meeting. An American, who was used to going into racing booths in his own country, paying a dollar, and ordering lunch, found himself an hungered at the royal meeting, so he walked into the first tent handy, and told the attendant to give him something to eat. The latter put a sumptuous lunch before him, which the visitor did ample justice to. He then banded the attendant ss, and received his thanks, and was bowed out of tbe tent, in* wardly congratulating himself on the moderation of the charge. A friend whom be met outside said, " I did not know you were acquainted with Lord H." ■ ." "Neither I am," replied the Bostonian. " Oh, I beg your pardon," replied his interrogator, " I thought you were, as you came out of his tent 1 "

*** The acceptances for the Hawke's Bay meeting not having been forwarded to Dunedin on Tuesday night, I am at a considerable disadvantage in attempting to foretell the results, and indeed cannot profess to formulate a " tip" in the orthodox style. Perhaps it is jußt as well to be relieved of tbe task, for it is a riaky thing to hazard even an opinion as to the doings of horses whose condition oan be but imperfectly known ; but there is a demand in many quarters for newspaper selections, and the Press Association should see that the acceptances for such an important meeting are forwarded. It is to this meeting that we look for enlightenment as to the form of several horses that may play prominent parts at the leading fixtures of the season, and it is this that invests the gathering with special importance. Having got off this justifiable growl, I may it mark that from what I can make out Scots Grey its likely to win the Guineas (with Renata next best) and Leopold or Whisper should take a lot of besting in the Spring Handicap. I am utterly in the dark as to whether Leopold has accepted, but given an acceptance and a start, I should look no further for the winner,

*** Corunna would doubtless have played an important part at the meeting if he had remained all night — the Guineas at any rate was regarded by those in the know as a " moral " for him— but just when he waa going at his best he had the bad luck to meet with injury, and though there epems no reason to apprehend a standing infirmity as the result of this misadventure, it is sufficiently serious to not only prevent his taking a hand at Hawke's Bay, but also to prejudicially affect his chance in the more important events to be decided at Riccarton or Melbourne in November, Such, at any rate, is the tenor of the information I have received. There iB, however, room to hope that the accident may prove not bo serious as at first reported. I hope that this may be the case, for it is a colonial misfortune when a really first-class horse is disabled, and Mr Beresford himself is deservedly one of the moßt popular owners in the colonies. %* Mr Dowse has, I think, pretty well concealed the winners at Kurow. I fhould not be surprised to see Quibble win the chief event, notwithstanding his steadier of 9 10, for h6 is pretty well just now, and he is a bit better clasa^ than his oponents, bar, perhaps, Ixion, who is placed very nearly on a par with the old horse, and besides, Quibble can carry weight, Murat is the horse that ought to win, but I am afraid we must vote bim an'unworthy relation of Antelope and Sultan. Silver Prince is likely to go well in the Trot, and I would as soon take Balla Donna as anything else in the Novel Race.

*** Don Jose, one of the best horses ever sold from a Dunedin stable to go up countiy, was decidedly the hero of the Lake County meeting, this son of Black Bess being able to win two of the chief races '. but there does not eeem to have been very formidable opposition, the next best horse at the meeting being Warlock, who can hardly be quite fit as yet I acknowledge the report appearing elsewhere from the columns of the Wakatipu Mail, which adds that the weather was fine, but the attendance unusually poor— attributable mainly to the fact that miners and settlers who, until the last fortnight or so, had remained in enforced idleness for months through a very severe winter, could not spare the time. Messrs Mason and Roberts worked the totalisator and passed through the sum of £400.

V The Canterbury Trotting Club's first meeting of season was hold at Lancaster Park last Saturday. The Maiien, of ISbovs, was won by Murfitt's Primrose ; the Harness Trot, or 25sovSj. two milaa, was a very soft thing for M'Rae's Farewell, who had 35sec start ; the Saddle Trot, of 35aovs, fell to Jones' Jubilee II ; Leonard's Jane beat a large field in the Novel Race ; the Three-mile Harness Race was a' soft thing for Harris' Butcher Boy (403 ec) ; Brian's Billy won the Pony Race ; and Lynskey's White Rose was successful in the Saddle Trot, of 25sovs, two miles.

IN A NUTSHLLL.

-The Eclipse Stakes of 1892 has closed with 196 subscribers.

—Scots Grey has gone to Napier in Dick Mason's charge. — Cabala (dead) has been struck out of the Melbourne Cup. —Maxim has at last been scratched for the Melbourne Cup. - Silence is scratched for the Hawke's Bay Spring Handicap. — The Wellington Cup distance is reduced to a mile and a-half.

—Messrs Kane, Ewing, and TTrquhart will handicap at Wanaka. — Mr Evett is reappointed handicapper to the Wellington Club. —Silver Prince has joined J. A. Lang's string at Flemington. =Wanaka programme passed by D.J.C. The stakes tot up to £207. — St. James was not taken up to Geraldine. I expect Quibble to win the Cup. — The other day I saw the Forbury trotter Jane carrying a butcher's basket. — Palmerston weights appear in this issue. Notice is deferred until next week. —Engagement has been scratched for the New Zealand Cup and sent to St. George. —Don't forget that the Hon. J. White has a team of eight in the V.R.C. Derby. — The Duke of Portland's winnings for tbe season up to the end of July came to £81,829 XvQf

— Inoluding the A.J.O. Derby, Singapore has started four times. Twice he has won and twice been unplaced. —Close on £200 has been collected at Nenthorn for the races which it is proposed to hold on the 15th November

— The Otago Hunt Club have received from Canterbury a present of two couples of harriers, and fine hounds they are. Brighton Cup, one mile, was won by

-£-£ The Baron (10.3), with Vasistas (10.0) second, and Tom Cribb (9.2) third, — Singapore's Derby win lands him in another penalty for the Melbourne Cup, in which he will now have to carry 7.6. — M Jacquemin, " the gentleman who has been buying blood Btock so largely for South America, has offered £14,000 for Tristan. — Donovan has added mother mammoth stake to his already unprecedently long list of winnings. See " Racing in England." —I am pleased to learn that Mr A. T. Price is recovering, though still confined to his room. The doctor hopes to have him about in a month.

— The Cromwell paper understands that the trotting sire Goldfinder, lately owned by Mr C. G. Mountney, has become the property of Mr C. Smith.

— Some of those who backed Waitangi at Timaru did so— that is as the yarn goes— be-, cause Poole had him stabled in a building that was built for a church.

— Mr M. Taylor, a man of good repute, advertises that he is prepared to lay market odds about the leading spring events in Australia and New Zealand.

—Major George's Reprisn l , Fiesole, and Vendetta, arrived at Christchurch by_ the Rotomahana from Auckland. They will be trained by Mr E, Cutts, — The imported thoroughbred horse Buckthorpe, by Doncaster— Jessie Agnes, has been purchased by Mr James M'Gill, of Blacklands, Ipswich, Queensland, for £1000. — A Clarence River exchange states that £1000 has been offered and refused for an unborn foal by Somnuß from Lady Artist. This is not the New Zealand Somnus.

— Sommeil (9.0 up) started in the Rosstown Handicap at the V.A.T.C. September meeting, but was not placed from a field of 20 starters. The event was won by Don Giovan (8.1). — It has been decided to establish a stud book for Shetland ponies. Lord Londonderry, whose stud at Seahatn is one of the finest in the world, is president of the new society.

— The Tasmanian horse Soottish Chief has been sold to Neil Campbell, bis trainer. The price was £1000, with a contingency of £500 for winning either Melbourne or Caulfield Cupp. * — The Goodwood Cup is of grand workmanship, weighing 680oz, and it stands upon an ebony plinth, mounted in silver. The design is chiefly occupied with stags and hinds, and the whole is of storlicg silver.

— At Nottingham, the well-known trotter Juggler was backed for £100 to cover five miles in 14min 30sec, a task he succeeded in accomplishing with ssec to spare. The horse had to trot 18 laps and 430 yards.

— A somewhat novel match for £5 aside came off at Eagle farm recently. The competitors were the little 12hds 2in racing .pony Georgie Powell, and the old grey racehorse Warkworth, the distance being two furlongs. Needless to Bay the horse won.

— The will of the late Joseph Morrison has been proved at £13,330. The will was made on August 17, 1889, and Morrison died on August 22. The property, which was valued at £7542 realty and £5788 personalty, has been left to the widow and children.

— The p.J.G. Committee at their next meeting will be called upon to settle whether the third day of the Exhibition races is to be Monday ,or Tuesday. The idea is not to miss the holiday, in the event of St. Andrew's Day being celebrated on the Monday. — Mr Justice Ohitty has decided a question arising on the settlement of the late Fred Archer, the celebrated jockey, on the occasion of his marriage with Mies Dawson. He held that the infant daughter of the marriage is absolutely entitled to the £20,000 settled. — The police are still raiding the betting clubs at Home. One man was fined £300, and 67 others bound over in the Bum of £50 each not to go to those places in the future. In another prosecution the chief offender was fined £100, and his companions smaller sums from £50 down.

—Of the three mares that left Stephenson and Hazlett's for Eldorslie, only one will breed this season. Fallacy slipped twins; Ouida proves to be not in foal ; and Titania has produced a filly foal. The mares were served by Le Loup. I hear that Ouida will be raced again. — It is a pity that Amphion was not entered for any of the classic races, for, were he to oppose Donovan at oven terms, it is by no means certain that General Byrne's three-year-old would have to play second fiddle ; in fact, many good judges would stand Amphion to beat Donovan.

— English papers announce the death of the* distinguished courser Mr T. D. Hornby, of Liverpool, who, for more than a quaiter of a century, acted as hon. secretary to the Altcar Club, and with the Earl of Sefton played a principal part in the management of tho great Waterloo meeting, — An English writer says that two courses are open to Sir George Chetwynd. One is to accept social extinction with good grace for a while, and so purge his misdemeanours, and the other is to stick to tha turf and such frienda as will still nod to him, and sink to the level of the ordinary smart " sharp," —The Jockey Club having disqualified Jezreel, the winner of the Great Tom Stakes at Lincoln in 1887, in favour of Sorrento, who ran second, on the ground that Jezreel did not belong to Mr Macksey, who entered the horse in his own name, the latter has refunded the amount of the stakes to the owner of Sorrento,

—It is said that the consideration for the transfer of Lord Alington's share of Friar's Balsam to Mr Henry Chaplin was SOOOaovs. At the moment when the sale wbb being negotiated Mr Robert Peck was negotiating for Friar's Balsam, and had actually offsred £10,000 to send the horse for stud purposes to Hungary. —Mr Warren de la Rue has challenged for the Whip with his horse Trayles, winner of the* Goodwood Cup. The Duke of Beaufort, the present holder of the trophy, has replied by nominating Benburb, who was unplaced in the Eclipse Stakes, to represent him in the battle for this old trophy. The race is to take place on the Beacon course in October.

— If Bowes on the best of the two Australian colts (unless, of course, it is a real marvel) jumps off the instant the flag falls at Epsom, and simply goes along up the hill as hard as he can split, it will surprise me (" Rapier ") very much if he is not hard at it by the time the Bell is reached, while one or two others are going within themselves, and rapidly beginning to close.

— A Timaru telegram states that at the settling up over the S.CJ.C. meeting the following amounts were paid : — Clifford, £99 15s; Twomey, £90 ss; Hobbs Bros., £85 10s; Poole, £66 103 ; Alexander, £28 10s ; M'DoDald, £23 15s; Wederell, £23 15s; Russell, £23 15s; Rhodes, £19; Digby, £19; M'Leod, £14 ss; JotamoD, £14 ss ; Rae, £9 10s ; Watson, £9 10s ; Binney, £4 15s ; Popham, £4 15s.

—The Moscow races have caused the inhabitants of that town some vexation of spirit. Two prizes were carried off by American horses which had only arrived a short time before the commencement of the races, tne indignity of which was increasd by the fact that Krylaty, one of the winners, is a horse of

Russian 'decent, which bad been sold to an American as not being very promising. — At a special meeting of the Canterbury Jockey- Club, held on Monday, the rules of racing proposed by the Wellington Conference ■were adopted. It was suggested that their adoption should be delayed, but the chairman urged that this would be discourteous to the delegates, and it was ultimately agreed to assent to another conference during the Exhibition meeting at Dunedin if desired by other clubs. — The Rouen Court of Appeal has given judgment in the cause of the Publio Prosecutor v. the Paris agencies who undertook to execute commissions for their customers. The court holds that as the "mutuels' constitute a legal lottery; anyone can advertise or offer to do commissions for persons "anxious to improve the breed of horses " by purchasing the pools which are drawn under the Goblet circular. ■ ...

—A correspondent writes to the Mataura Ensign suggesting that a race meeting for the Plains district should be arranged for with as little delay as possible— say, on the old course at Wantwood, which would no doubb be readily placed at the disposal of any organised body. There ia a nice little nest-egg in the shape of come £70, and the recent hunting carnival has infused some life into the sporting men of the district.

— It does not fall to the lot of every trainer to b9 able to boast of preparing seven winners of the same important handicap, but that has been the experience of Alec Taylor. In carrying off the Goodwood Stakes with Ingram ho followed up the victories of the Manton-trained Stourhead, Carlton, and Winter Cheery in the three preceding years ? and Prince George in 1877, Norwich in 1878, and Bay Archer in 1879 all hailed from Taylor's stable. —One from " Dagonet " :-I am going to daringly and strikingly original. I am going to write of Goodwood without calling it Glorious. I ha\e a brand-new name for it, which has in one sense the advantage of being an accurate detcription. Inglorious Goodwood I shall call it, and, so far as racing is concerned, I think that is very near the mark. As scsnery it is perfection, as a picnic- ground it is delightful, but so far as sport is concerned Ichabcd mignt be writ large all over it. —The American trotting mare Polly seems to have spreadeagled all her opponents iv the Grand Prix run at Moscow over three miles recently. She is said to have as'onished the Russians and to have broken the record as far as trotting iv that country is concerned. Her first mile was covered in 2min 32sec, the second in 2min 28sec, and the third in 2min 343 ec, making a total of 7min 34sec for the whole distance, Poll thus won the 6Coaovs which make up the Grand Prize for international trotters afc Moscow, beating Blue Bell, second, by 19f *cc. The best time made as yet in Russ'a is 7min 35£ sec

AUSTKALIAN CABLEGRAMS.

Sydney, September 26. Dreadnought has been backed to win the V.R.C. Derby for £4000 at 4 to 1. Dreadnought and Silverton have been backed to win £5000 Cup and Derby double— ab 1000 to 10.

Three thousand was taken last night about Boz for the Caulfield Cup, at 500 to 4. The following doubles on the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups have been taken at 1000 to 2 to the extent of £5000 each :— Charmer and Carbine, Bravo and Antseus, Charmer and Silverton, Bravo and Silverton, Meteor snd Silverton.

The Poet has been scratched for the Melbourne Cup.

September 22. For the V.R.C. Derby, Dreadnought remains favourite at 4 to 1, Singapore 6 to 1, Dunkeld 8 to 1.

The sensation of the evening was the rushing of Merrie England into the market, and the colt was backed down to 7 tp 1.

Yr. Owner. Winner. w wt. S. Time. — L 866 LBG7 1868 L 869 LB7O LB7l 1872 [873 1874 L 875 1876 .877 1878 L 879 1880 .881 iBB2 LBB3 1884 [885 [886 1887 1888 :8 6 9 JLee De Mestre J Tait W Winch W Winch A Town Bloomfield De Mestre T Ivory J Tait Evans JTait J White J Mayo J White J Mayo O Roberts J Mayo D Proudfoot Halinbourg T Jones J Chambers JCook Hon J White Bylong Tim Whiffler The Barb Circassian Croydon Rosebud Dagworth Horatio Sterling Goldsbrough Nemesis Amendment Democrat Secundus The Pontiff Hesperian Masquerade The Gem Sir Modred Acolyte Bohemian Cardigan Lamond Abercorn 3 5 5 6 4 6 4 4 4 5 5 3 5 4 4 5 stlb 5 6 8 8 9 10 7 ll* 7 8* 6 12 7 5 7 3* 7 6 9 2 6 2 5 8 8 2 7 4 6 4 7 8 6 0 8 7 8 10 7 0 7 1 6 llf 6 4 9 7 6 17 11 12 16 13 15 14 19 16 16 16 10 15 13 18 18 13 17 16 19 14 11 15 m s 3 42J 3 38 6-10 3 37 3-10 3 444 3 43 3 40| 3 35 8-10 3 42i 3 36i 3 32 1-5 3 33 8-10 3 35 3-10 3 38 3 36 8-10 3 31 6-10 3 32J 3 33 3 36J 3 34| 3 3l| 3 3lf 3 33? 3 37} 3 53J a 5 a 4 5 5 3 4

Yr. Owner. Winner. S. Kider. Time. .865 ,866 867 .868 1860 LB7O .871 :872 ■873 .8U .875 .876 1877 LB7B 1879 LBBO 1881 LBB2 LBB3 LBB4 LBBS LBB6 LBB7 LBBB 1889 Cheeke J Taib JTaifc I Thompson H Fisher J Tait TLee W Winch TEyan H Robinson B Jellett C B Fisher Silberberg Do Mesbre ELee W Long Osborne De Mesfcre J P Jost J White J White J White J White W Gannon J White Clove The Barb Fireworks The Duke Charon Florence Javelin Loup Garou Benvolio Kingsborough Eichmond Eobin. CrusoeWoodlands His Lordship Nellie G'nd Flaneur Wheatear -j Navigator Le Grand Bargo Nordenfeldt Trident Abercorn Melos Singapore 10 6 ■J 11 10 6 6 10 6 11 8 10 3 7 7 5 4 5 A. 5 5 4; Martineer Stanley Stanley Bishop Morrison Stanley Kean Brown Brown Yeomans Hales Morrison Colley Morrison Colley Hales Yeomanß Hales Colley Hales lUlis Hale B Hales Power Huxley m.H. 2 51 2 48£ 2 48 2 50 2 Hi 2 51 2 47 2 46^ 2 48§ 2 50 2 45 2 431 2 49 2 55 2 sl£ 2 45 12 52 2 48f 2 46| 2 421 2 47| 2 38 2 39£ i 46 I 41