TALK OF THE DAY.

'in oompany with Mr G. M. Barr, the ] engineer, who then and there received instructions, | understand, to get plans and estimates ready for laying before the committed at their meeting to-night. In the meantime no fresh developments are reported ii> I regard to the negotiations foe oonfctaui':g %b tht> Forbury, and I c«nuot say whHhr' Any pro- , gresshas been made. A week or two at fuitheFt j Bhould finally set at rest this question one ! way or the other, and the sooner it is settled the better, in the interests of the olub itself, and also for the sake of the trainers, who naturally would like to know as soon as possible whether »c>j change is to be inadft. J *** I am very pleased to hear that, sinoe the conferenca do not seem inclined to take up the ' matter, Mr A, D. Willis, of Wanganui, and Mr Elliott, the editor of previous volumes, intend to jointly produce another iseue of the New I Zealand Stud Book. The publication has so ! far, 1 uLder.'Sand, beon no source of profit to i p.cyoae, kuti it i. on that accoaut Jargcly that I have urged the conference to arrange som6 scheme. If Sir Willis and Ml- Slliotfc are again willing to run the risk that pare of the trouble is no longer a drawback ; and as they are competent for the *york a- id will be doing a general servict to tho turf as a whole, I am sure that { eterybod. who tun wife be only tio pleased to ! assist in every posribld Tray. ##* The' Anti-Gamblers of England proceeded against Dick Dunn in July last on a charge of betting at Hurst Park. Dunn is a ' prominent bookmaker. Tbe benoh of magiß- • trates decided that Dunn hid not used she plao? for the purpose of illegal butting and tha «ymmons war di'misse^., but the magistrate agiee^'to stiite » ca«.e fci the consid'erauou o? m - superior court;.-- Comuentiug on this matter the Sportsman's special nays : Mr John Hawke and his precious crew are at it again in their endeavour to drive betting out of the orderly, well-managed enclosure* into the hands of the welsteri) and r»mpnrs who cannot proouir »-lmifliion to any ring. It cannot be too plain';/ pcintod out that the object of the speil-sports L to destroy ?&oing 'indet the specioi'.o pretext of preventing gambling. The proof is ready to hand, for it will not be disputed tu*t enoiosei? gate money meetings have bee:. 1 the salvation of racing in che neighborhood of 7 Loudon, where the old style of free, uwenolowd mee^r.ss had btfoiuo amply irapnasible. But a Tattoraall'* t<Dn>osur.' doer x>os >!'&(* except ir> yoioi vf n-<y> frcm an enclosed ta.'scf.nrse, and if ot,' ii ' ' a place " within tbe meaning of the act, so, too, is the other, and Saudown Park, Kemptcn, Hurst Park, &0., would have to stop business? right off, fov, .of course, it is boyond human oowor U> bring o£E a race meeting without bttting, and the vhote ground being or. encloßUi* or •• plew," everybody in it woulf! bpunishabie., It is well to bear vbeae fact* it, • mine? when wt are contronteti wich i&eso PeokSMiffiap hypot^itea who pretend that they would uphold racing. Against street bookmekibg there may be something to nay ; against stay-at-home betting there generally may bo something to say— though in all such oasea why o* earth shsrald not people ba treated &> aaop being*, at liberty to follow their owis iuo-toa-tfona ? But on. an ao'.uaJ iac»Ms6ursa Httle or rw harm m don«o, tor 93 out ofc 100 who go thejecan afford to lcs? what they bet. Moreover, I incidentally to race* there is * vast amount o f j money circulated among the working classes, all of whiob would be stopped were the Oh* dhands of the Arti-gambling League to hay j tbe?r way. . *„* The S.^ia*/ Darby ts tc be rat vi. t'a? 12th. Forfeits &<-e not due until to-dajr, bri^ th^ field is sure yo b*> a small one. Thr local writer " Umpire," disousaing the chances, say# tihirt Gozoczar has not improved as might have bee'u expected, and bin public running is anything but attraotite.' Tht. Carbine tolt Charge ii &i> improving colt, oud will b« cnf> of Coils cppoc-2£)ts Tire si'&peu bo' tor ta»o auy of th» Derby oandid^tes on che trauiMg traok, &r>£ I' Coii is to be beaten it may b?. by the 'Mea'alliop gelding, who will strip with James ftkrisghr.n'? polish on him when the day comes. He hardly ?Gofcs like * Derby winner, however, and tbe cbaucee are chat Ceil, wbo looks and gallops well, though be nev?? (&<& auything dentai.oDal, will pot hiJVo e^y aericus troablß »bou*. ":aim>ng another ck&sis bracket tvt thr> fAiaily waose repute h9 uas to tr» i^nil kee^t up. V 7 Miller has a ded of trouble to keep Sabretache moving sufficiently without scouring t. breakdown, and though he g*vt» promise of being a good cole, I am afr»id he will not shoir tn advantage at the meeting. Le Var need not be considered for the Derbj-, but he is *1-iing v2i-> well. U.- H. C. White wM bf> represented by Hurts, and if the D'tYy was all a mild hs would make it interesting, fiuret is in fair form, and at his last public appearances ht showed that he was pretcy good. He is more of a Derby, colt than m&ny others In the list. Vivian's brother Vigilance is engaged both in the Derby and thtEpsctn Handicap, but h's Rosehill performance m Saturday dufts nob aa; much for him. Peka, judgiug by the way he hss bee'i backed, may Dot run in the Derby here, and Coombwood is not olasf enough. The Carbine colt Fucile makes no improvement, and if Mr Hordern is represented in the Derby it will probably be by Le Nord or Snapshot. *^* Speaking o! the projeoted invasion of the English turf by Mr A. Belmont, the American, and bin powerful team of racer*," " Vigilant " says; We shall gladly welcome the famous Henry of Navarre and his companions, Don de Oro and Octagon. The last-named pair are engaged in our Derby of 1897. Many who read these lines will remember the excitement caused in the "fifties" by the arrival in England of American racehorses and the curiosity felt with regard to the form that they woaldabow. The.iuuning of the Lecomce colt, Umpire, for the Derby of 1860 was watched with the deepest anxiety, and had he won the success would certainly not have been so popular as that attained 21 years later by Iroquois. During that period the two peoples had reaohed a better understanding of eaob other— by this time, it is to be hoped, complete, those who make it augbt else being either fools or malignant fomenters of mi6ohief . On the Derby Day in 1860 I was but a young man,, and may admit that the notion of our cracks being beaten by a horse from the other side of the Atlantic was not relished at all. As a two-year-old Umpire had won the Goodwood - Nursery Stakes in a canter, subsequently passing satisfactorily the examination of Professor Spooner and Mr John Mannington, who were called in to pronounce as to his age. Later in j the year at Stockton he twice defeated fonce very easily) High Treason, who carried the colours of the late Mr R, M. Jaques, and was known by me to be a pretty good horse. That his conqueror was a dangerous candidate for the Derby one therefore thought highly probable, uutil just before the race, when, in company with a little group of Yorkshire horse lovers, I saw the American colt, and liked neither him ■ nor his condition. Umpire had, however, many ■ ( enthusiastic 'admirers who would not listen £> I aucKrefttinna of defeat, and he Started at 8 to l» •

Luke Snowden having the mount.. Yorkshire was itrongly represented in the race, " Doctor Nichol running The W : zard, whilst from the same stable (John Soott's) Cape Flyaway did battle for Lord Derby and Tom Bowline tot Lord Glasgow, other competitor* from the ci.unty of many acres being Sir William (the property of Thomas Dawgon), High Treasoq (whose oTvner ran & risk of being without a irckeyj, Cramond, and Lanohester (an outsider, belonging to Lord Zetland that carried the ''brass " of a few Riohmondians). The opinion of experts that the course would prove too long for Umpire was born out, the American colt being beaten at the end of a mile and a-quarter, a o»rrlflc shout). I remember, proclaiming that he viai in trouble. As the leading horses passed we it was any ode's on the winner, Tbormanby, »nd if it affords any amusement to Mr Henry distance to know that at that awful moment his face was marked by a brosJ grin, let ma assure him that euoh wao the case. Umpire did not fiuith in the first ha!f-dozaa. ' This was a very speedy henje, ;t; t musO be tdded, and as ft sit-year-old jrco a good sacond to the turnedloose Adventure: for the City and Suburban HandhEip, giving him 301b. That allowance was a pretty liberal one, considering that not many weeks afterwards Adventurer was capable of winning the Queen's Vase- at Aacot, beating Wingrave, Atherstone, Anonyma, ' Marigold, Zetland, Buckenham, a<irl Hurricane.. *** "TerliDga," of tub Ausbrelaftian, writes t One of the bet steeplechase horses of his own or any other day was Swordflsh, who won two Onkaparinga Steeplechase?, was second under 13.4- for another, and was burned in his stable when being prepared fot hi» fourth race on the Oskbnnk course. Swordfish was a .horse who could not fhll, art! be could stay tor ever. Unfortunately lie nevei oam6 to Melbourne, or ha ' would have vhown himael r equal to any Adelaide 'chasers sent this way except Sarchedon. His daughter Coral was only a pony, bnt shel managed to run third to Maybe and Busaco in the V.R O. Grand National Steeplechase oE 1991 Tho gcinf wai terribly heavy, or she taiglt have done betver. S^ociHrfU was a poor ir.an's home (b. -r»»s treatea v. , one. %t all events), ana be Ai? stud datr for half tbe year aud r»ced Vac other bait. Unoer tbese circumsUnofls it wan impossible to get him into the uld Ballaiat conditioc, aud, a» a matter of fact, he was never fit. As a rule be' Was taken np &bont tjtw middle of January to ran for the Onkapaiitiga Steeplechase at- Easter, and after ruoing o,'. u'.ti'i August Lc started ou his rounds .tgMv Mo lit,)*- was riut on thtf uuraber oZ uiare. taken w> him, aiu\ i urn «tV(viu to say how many Itis on ncr told ms ha was given v, oue year. Had be come this way when in his prime it is probable he would have been bougbij by Martin LoughliD, and in bis hands, vmall aa be was, this pocket Herouloe would probably hivfc taken very high amours as a 'chticr. Ha h>A on.« frnli At dn?e» ho would cefane, and 'when he 'lid stop at a fence tbex, watt bo getting him over ib. This' hMt of banLking ha got om« of boop after ha c&me to Adelaide, howbvei, and for the ia,it three years of hi^ career he never stopped. Swordfish was rarely mated with a thoroughbred mare { but-- he has left • r ucnlier of jumpers hthind him, and one of them i* All Fours, who won the A.R.O. Grand Nationrl Pteeplochaia Tit A.R C. goo a fate ?ac<> for tiei' £400, at) 16 horsuv ran. aud fouc ct fi^e baa chonceft ar the last ffnea %* Rl»jor "Roddy" Owen, who died in Egypt last Jant<, w».B bora at Cheltenham in 1858. He commenr.ed his riding career at the «.g3 o! 19 by winning the Duke' of Beaufort's Blue Coat r«c<* at D*untae.; on Hr E. ChapUn|g br.fß6, HolUnd. Froti that iima up to 1892 his w'uolu sou] was, wrapped np in race-ridiDg, and except when his mifitary dufaiec called him abroad he pursued hi« favourite sport mosb a enthusiastio^lly. Being a ke'on soldier, says one of his memorial notices, his military duties always proved a great bar to his riding trials or gallops TMs, of coutße, placed him at a diladranta^* wicw orher jockey«> but neverliheles* be woe seme good races neiably at Punohei* to^n, Leopardsrown, *nd Faity .House, a gnofl d&y'; work at the last-named place being worthy of record For onti of tbe races he had to get down a stone, and went into., somewhat hard (raining to accomplish this object, when to his artonishment h<3 found he had reduced hi* weight two stone instead of one. In spite of t.iif» serero ataain ho rode three winners darirg the day, and r.fcoss who have ridden in a throe" mile steenlechace over a stiff Irish course will undcrttand with that means. One of the races was for the Spencer Challenge Cup, in whioh he beat Mick Hartigan, who hud won it two year* ir succession. Captain Owen's mount was % frur-year-old belonging to Mr H. Croker, and he carried 13.4— n0 meivayer'ormarce either for horse or in*n Ovsr hurdle* Dalesman was perhaps the best performer this 'fine rider ever, rode, and those who have set>». Captain Owen ride hurdle races will perhaps not be surprised to^hear that he preferred them to steeplecbasing, for he was a man bf iron nerve and great judgment, and as he himself said, " You see.. I think the sticks are the best game, for races ove? them ar© run faster, *nd you have to be'^m'-rtsr in getting yoar place." In 1891 Captain Owen was riding in rare form. Hs accounted for the Sandown Grand Prize on Mr Deacon's Maypole, that being his second victory in the big hurdle race in successive years, for in 1890 he won on Captain A. B.WhiUker's Franoisoan. He had long wished to rida che winner oi the Liverpool Grand National. He made altogether five attempts to achieve thu height of hit arnbitioc, and at length succeeded in 1892, vheu he steered Hit Grenf ell's Father O'Fljnu— a 20 to 1 chanca —to viotory. In 1887 Ballot Box fell with bitti at the second fence, and in 1889 Kilwortb, whoße prospects of success were highly esteemed, refused. Speaking of Lord Dudley's old 'chaser, it is a curious fact that he ran a better and gamer horso in a large field than ia a smalll one. Indeed, C^.ptwn Owen, who thought him one of the besb horseß he ever rode over a country, averred that he would watch his opponents come out of the paddock, and -if they were numerous would run a good hers* { if, however, they were few he would probably refuie before goinfc fai. Possibly his reason for behaving in this mfcoter a*> Livarpool was hia keen remenvbrarce of a Bound threshing he once received there at tbb l\nnd« of the late John Jones, the Epsom trainer. After his triumph at Aintree in 1692, Captain Owen engaged in very little race-riding. Indeed, shortly after that event hie military duties took him to the West Coast of Africa. In 1894, on his return from Afrioa, he was once more s«en in the, saddle, his last mount being on the Dukeos Portland's Simony 11, who ran unplaced to fcha Prince of Wales's Florizel II in the Corinthlaq Plate at Goodwood that year, ' A few ' months^ ago he volunteered for service in Egypt, and accompanied the expeditionary force to Don* gola, where he has succumbed to cholera. *#* The Gore Club's annual meeting was held last week, when- the report submitted showed a profit of £40 odd on eaoh of the tw6 meetings, and a credit balance of nearly £lj9 the whole transactions for the year. Thi following office-bearers were elected i President* Mr G. M. Belli vice-Dresldents. Meisri %,

Ireen and A. J. Gibbs ; treasurer, Mr John Latham] secretary, Mr R. Dewar; auditor, Mr G. Brett. The following new members were elected t Dr Low, and Messrs J. J. Green, 3. Holland, $. A. Slmson, P. Oullen, Horn, T. B. Carroll, and T. G. Laurenson, The committee afterwards met, and made the following jappointments t Judge, Mr T. Green j starter, 3Mr W. Martin; totali»ator olerks, Messrs "•Poppelwell and J. Latham | handioapper, Mr Gibbi | clerk of scales, Mr T. Grieve r olerk of course, Mr J. M'Ewen ; timekeeper, Mr Gibbs j turn. BurgeoßS, JDrs Donaldson and G. Copland j Stewards, Messrs Inder, Brewer, Wallis, Neave, and Latham. Messrs Inder, M'bwen, and W. filartin were appointed a ground committee, and > Messrs Brewer, Dolamore, and Latham a finance committee. The scale of fees for train- j ing permits was fixed i Single' horse 15s per Year, two or more horses 10s each, monthly picket for single horse ss ; holder of a yearly ilioense to be allowed to substitute another horse in the event of a breakdown for 5s extra.

*v* On the opening day of the July bJood■tock sales at Newmarket the chief feature was the disposal of the stud belonging to Lord IJODsdale. The highest price realised was fllOOgs, given by Mr J. G, Moienthal for the three-year-old colt Oronsay, by Senanus out of Effle Deans, and the bwod mare Vesta, by Hermit out of Bonnie Lassie, went to,M. R. Lebaudy for 810gs. In the evening iw»-t«wy hi a !i' prjees w«r* obtataea,'~43ogfl for a filly by St. out of Rosy Morn, knocked down to Mr G. Stevens, representing the heaviest deal. ,Waen the sales were resumed the following pjorning a good proportion of the lots submitted found purchasers. In some cases very fair prices were realised, the top figure of 600gs being given by Mr G. Lambton for a filly by Juggler out of Axiom. At 530g<! a h».if-brother to Isobar, by Sir Hugo, went to Mr C. J. Merry, and a colt by Adieu out of Pomp wag purchased for 450gs by Sir S. Scott. On the Closing day, in view of the pauoity of buyers, jsany lots were withdrawn, and the net result nf the proceedings was the disposal of a filly f^al by Torpedo out of Bride of Netherby to Mr Wallace Johnstone for 200gs, and tha purchase ror 45gs by Mr W. Waugh of the three-year-old filack Rock, by Hawksworth out of Roael.

*«* Ms Power haa made two more purchases in England, presumably on account of Mr .Hordern. One is the brown four-year-old mare by Marden out of Sunstroke, by Blair Athol out |pf Albatross, by Buccaneer, with a colt foal by Morion at foot, and covered by him again. The other b the two-year-old filly by Prince Rudolph out of Angola, by Macheath out of Angelica {sister to' St. Simon and dam of Ormo). Th« filly wa» in training at Robinson's (s*j« a .London paper), but bad not yet been galloped, as she stands over 16hds, with immense substance and bone, and was not Intended to run till three years old. Mr Power may be con- ' gratulated on thus having secured a member of Jthe Agelioa family to cross with the Musket Jtlood in Australia, There are only four ' daughters of Angelica in existence. Two of )them, Angola and Blue Roie, are the property * 'of Mr Bryant ; Dingle, the eldest of the four, ' to the owner of Carnage"; and Mezzo- ' tint was purchased for 2000gs by M. Lebaudy three years ago. The filly bought by Mr Power " Trill, of course, Se the only representative of - Angelica in Australasia, \

■ *#* The Eclipse Stakes, run at Sandown Parkin July, brought out only four runners— {the smallest field that has started since the race frae initiated in 1888— and St. Frosquin won in good style. The Sportsman's special says: played his part as pace-maker right well, and when he let Regret take his place as they turned into the straight, the Kingeolere champion had a big lead of the favourite, and Was going, aB far as oould be seen, well within himself. At one part of the back stretch St. JPrusquin had ohanged his legs and travelled pone too freely ; and again, as they were fairly pn the way home, he appeared to have taken on too big a task. Indeed, I know that Mr Leopold de Rothschild thought he was beaten, but the fact is that the horse took umbrage at dust flying in his eyes, and for a few strides would pot gallop, until T. Loates pulled him out into a clear course. Then he began to wove along with a vengeance, and M. Cannon showed symptoms of anxiety. J^ohn Porter tratched with almost more anxiety than I have ever seen him display over a race, and at a mils lie might have had to lead in Regret a* winner, fcut after this St. Frusquin began to manifest clear superiority of stamina, while Regret has jpalpably shown that like many another grandaotioned one, he does not stay. Fainting at fcvery stride, he nevertheless showed no laok of sameness, and thai he improved a length on his jNew market running he proved by fini&b/ng that dißtance 1b front of Xroon. St. Fruxq.iin, howfever, shown still greater improvement, and not only added an extra half-length to the distance which at Newmarket divided him from ftegret, but did so at the actual finish "with greater ease. How icunitely superior the horses of this yeax are to those of l»sb we now pee, for Troon is one of the best representatives cf last year, and yet he is well behind Regret at ■Weight for age, who ftgsin is a stone or more feehind St. Frusquin. The time, 2min 12 4-ssec, tvas good, but not bo good as that of Orme. St. Frusquin appeared to run the best race of bis life.

* ft * They seem to be very strict' In the old country about the proper entering of horses. A late paper says : Although Intense had been tent' all the way from Humbleton, in Yorkshire, jfco run for the Surrey Juvenile Plate at Sandown Park in July, and the filly was walking •.bout in the paddock before the race, she was pot sent to the post, the reason possibly being that in making the entry the sex had been infcdvertedly omitted, so that an objection would doubtless have followed in the event of viotory. It may be added that Vigo, who had also undertaken the long journey from the same stable for a race at the same meetingj waa within an jß.ee of likewise returning without carrying silk, Pis entry, whioh had been made by telegram, not been confirmed when his jockey pre- «« himself to weigh out, and but for the ble taken by the olerk of the course, who tt some 10 minutes in hunting over th« ring end paddook for his owner, the number would hot have teen allowed to go up. As ithappened. Sir W. Newton waa found aiad the omission put rlghtj with the result that Vigo ran and won.

*«* Mr Tobias, one of the northern bookmakers, replies in this issue to my request for * statement of the relationship existing between fcho Auckland olubs and the bookmakers. The framework of this understanding was pretty •sell known. What was wanted was the inner ineaning of it, and . this is expressed by Mr ffobias with ft particularity whioh carries weight low that it is put in print over the signature of i responsible person. Mr Tobias says, and t tooept his statement with frankness, that the wokmakers have given their word of honour lot to lay totalisator prices, that the olubs ' Kwepfc the promise, and that the condition is triotly carried oat by .the layers of odds, It Is 'latisfaetory io turn to Answer of this sorb—*

straightforward statement whioh if not oorreot can be at onoe challenged. Prior to the receipt of this letter 1 certainly had grave doubts as to whether the Aucklsnders were not making the arrangement with the bookmakers a medium for self-deception to some extent. I had the suspicion that the olubs "winked the other eye" and lei the bookies do as they pleased provided they paid the fees. Mr Tobias absolutely denies that such practices are prevalent. lam bound to accept his statement, and admit that, through his agenoy, the bookmakers have now, as the lawyers phrase it, made out a case for the other side to answer. If Mr Tobias is not contradicted, we shall be justified in assuming at any rate that Auckland's experienoe is a warrant for the trial of the licensing system in other places, t was going to. say we might take it that the clubs and bookmakers' problem might be considered solved ; but I observe that the Auckland Olub is now demanding an increase of the fees to nearly double. What are we to gather from that fact P Time will show.

*** Mr Dowse has praoj^cally confirmed my remarks about the relative merits of- Gipsy Grand and Euroolydon— the remarks made when the New Zealand Oup weights appeared, to the effect that Gipsy Grand ought not to concede weight to Euroolydon. In the Otago Cup, which is run at a mile and a-half, a distance over which Gipsy Grand has won, the pair are put together at 9.6. I am satisfied that this is about a fair thing. As to the rest of the handicap, it is in many respects on similar lines to that of the New Zealand Cup, and presumably this will .please owners who have accepted for the long race. As to the hones engaged in the Otago Cup and not in the New Zealand Oup, I shall have more to say presently. What strikes me at first Is that Barmby and St. Clements ara very well treated.

*** While 24 have paid up for the Vincent Trot, 16 have dropped out. This is a rather larger list of defections than I expected, but the chances are that most of the malcontents are of the crowd that are proved no good, that theory being more feasible than the alternative one that they are frightened of something which it presumed to be chucked in. If there is 'a chuck In I have not discovered it. I did spot May ai being specially well treated, but it turns out that indifferent writing (as bad as my own) misled me. There is no May entered. The animal's name is Mag. and I know nothJDg aboat hot. Of those that we do know, I seleot Laracor, Maniao, Ned, Mabel, and Ophir as the best, and leave ft narrower selection till nearer the day.

*#* Capital acceptances have been received for the South Canterbury meeting, to be held on the 17th and 18th, no fewer than 74 making up the aggregate for the seven races on the flrst day 'B card. My selections are as follows-— Hunters' Hurdles, Dundonald, with Freebom next best ; Maiden Plate, Salvo Shot or Bogengang; Hurdle Race, one of the three top weights, Ilex or Lobo for choice, which ever represents the Oamaru stable; Cup, Hippo* menes or Cannonahot, with Plotter handy; Welter Handicap, Speculator or Salvo; Plying, Lord Zetland or Warrington.

*** The trotting trial by Brooklyn on Saturday was not by any means exhaustive of the horse's capabilities. The track was dull, if not aotually heavy ; and Brooklyn had not been in harness for eight days previously, the weather being so bad. That the horse did smin 6seo under those disadvantages is greatly to his oredit." lam sure that he will at least knock off the s*eo if specially trained for it and tried again on a firm track.

*** I understand that the North Otago Olub .has formally claimed March 23 (Anniversary Day) for the opening day of ' its Autumn race meeting. I make the statement as scon as possible bo ac to prevent a rush by other olubs for the date abandoned by the D.J.O.

*** On Tuesday of next week the Farmers' Agency Company will sell, at Otakia, a number of young blood stock belonging to Mr Johnson, of Berwick. There are youngsters by Occident among the lots, and the brood mate Vaultress, in foal to Medallion, will alio be put up. This ehonld be a good chance to pick up some promising youngsters.