THE "OBSERVER" TIPS.

At this early date it is impossible to say with any certainty what will win the races on the 27th inst. I have therefore determined to post a list of latest selections in (and outside) the Thistle Hotel on the morning of Cup day. Meanwhile the following are hazarded : — Maiden Plate KENILWORTH Free Handicap BILLINGSGATE Hurdle Race THE AGENT Cup FOUL PLAY Railway Plate BILLINGSGATE

The Great Shropshire Handicap -was won by Misenus syrs., carrying 6st. 101 b. Tliis year's Middle Park Plate was worth. £3520. Robert the Devil has won £18,970 in stakes, this season. Mr. Sabin, of Newmarket, sold Robert the Devil's dam and half a dozen more for about £50. It was reported that Lord Howe had bought Robert the Devil, when the mail left. The Paris municipality has determined to withdraw the annuity of £2000* hitherto added by them, to the Grand Prize. The well-known English steeplechaser Jackal, who ran second for the Grand National of 1879, was shot on Oct. 14th. Fordham had seven winners out of twentynine mounts at Newmarket during the second October week, and Archer eight out of twenty-three. Several Aucklanders have drawn horses in Tonk's Champion Sweep. Mick Gallagher has got Progress, and Pickett First King. Tom Cannon received £500 from Brewer and Bliinton, for winning the Cesarewitch. Many jocks have got more. James Smith gave Freddy Archer £1000 when he won on Kosebery. After the Cambridgeshire Prince Soltykoff tried to match Lucetta against Fernandez for £3000 at the same weights as they carried on that event. Mr. Gritton, however, declined the contest. " Beacon " states that Mr. R. Mason leased Libeller from Mr. Walters for the Dunedin and Oamaru spring meetings, and that is the reason he ran in his name. " Martingale " states that " Beacon " informed him, that Titania had a foal a few weeks ago, but nevertheless will, in all probability, put in an appearance at the Dunedin meeting. With such horses as Isonomy, Robert the Devil, Bend Or, Fernandez, Dresden China and Chippendale to contest the next year's Ascot Cup, it ought to be one of the grandest races ever run. The holder of an amateur book on the Derby of 1881, laid £10,000 to £100 each against St. Louis and Town Moor when they were yearlings. No more than 10 to 1 can now be had. AdaDyas, half-sister to St. Louis, the Middle Park Plate winner, fetched 520g5., the highest price of Mr. Howett's lot, at the Newmarket sales in the second Oct. week. Baron A. de Rothschild was the purchaser. The renowned Cup horse Isouomy, who was to have been put to the stud next spring, is to be specially prepared, in order to meet Robert the Devil in. the Ascot Gold Cup. St. Louis, the Middle Park Plate owner, is half-brother to Pellegriuo and Pilgrimage, who were respectively second and third to Chainant and Beauclerc for the same event. Bal Gal was Lord Falmouth's seventh Clearwell Stakes winner. The others were Atlantis, Queen's Messenger, The Repentance colt, Farnese, Silvio, and Jannette. Joe Gallagher, who looks in fine fettle, is back again, and open to do any amount of business. Joe wishes to intimate to those who havn't settled with him over the Melbourne Cup that the sooner they do so the better. ' The Duke of Westminster, at the Newmarket Houghton Meeting, determined to sell early in January all his horses in training, with the exception of Bend Or and Evasion ; owing to the ill health of the Duchess of Westminster, whose death has since been announced by cablegram. The well-known Dunedin trotter, Native Cat, has been backed by a Dunedin sporting man to trot anyhorse in New Zealand, three miles, for a stake of £200 or £500 a-side. The challenge has been taken up by Mr. Kirkwood of Christchurch, who put down a deposit, and was to name his horse this week. The match is to come off within a month. A correspondent, who assures us (London. Sportsman), of the correctness of his figures, has reckoned the result of backing the undermentioned jockeys' mounts from March 15th to October 15th, inclusive. A. stake of £25 on each amount forms the basis of ' his calculations: — Archer, £750 gain; Constable £480 gain ; Fordham, £310 gain 5 Rossiter, £300 gain • T Cannon, £1000 loss; Luke, £1150 loss; C. Wood £3700 loss. Mr. Carter's new importation, Stud Queen, arrived at Christchurch by the Rangitikei from London Stud Queen is rising four years (English time), and was bred by Lord Zetland. Got by King Lud, her dam Mysotis by Newminster from Souvenir by Chanticleer Birthday by Assault. King Lud, her sire, is by Kine Torn from Qui Vive, sister to Vedette. The mare was never trained. I noticed in my last batch of English, files that a two-year-old own sister to Stud Queen has been sent to Newmarket to go into training. I hope to have the pleasure of recording a successful debut. Stud Queen was stinted to Camballo (son of Cambuscan) previous to leaving England. '

If my friend, "Phaeton," would only confine liinself'to copying pars, from the Bulletin, which, originally appeared in these columns, he would be all right, but when he ventures on strange ground .alone, Jie makes dreadful blunders. In last Saturday's Herald I noticed five or six. It is stated, for instance, that Petronel's starting price for the Cosarewitch was 2 to 1, and Robert the Devil's 3 to 1. Now the Observer stated, exactly five weeks ago, that Petronel started at 5 to 1, and Eobert at 9 to i for this very race, and on referring to the Sportsman of Oct. 16th, I find those prices to be correct. Common sense would tell most people, that it was scarcely likely any favourite would start at 2tol in a field of twenty-one. Again "Phaeton" says, Brewer and Blanton won £90,000 on the Cesarewitch. As a matter of fact they did nothing of the sort. The commission is estimated by the most reliable papers, to have been between £2000 and £3000, and as it was executed at an average of about 12 to 1, the outside winnings of the pair couldn't have exceeded £36,000. By Avay of demonstrating the folly of paying extravagant prices for "fashionable" mares and yearlings, Truth says : " Five years ago Mr. W. S. Crawfurd purchased Marie Stuart of Mr. Merry for about 4000g5., and, having won the Brighton Cup with her, sent her to the stud. Each year she has been mated with highpriced sires, and has never yet produced anything- whatever. In addition to this tragical transaction there is Ms not less deplorable experience of Franlein ; the mare is a half-sister to Petrarch, by Nutbourne, and Mr. Crawfurd gave, so far as I remember, over 3000gs. for ler, and then sent her over to one of Mr. Lefevre's lOOgs. sires at Chamant, Mortemer. The result was a colt named Fatherland, now a two-year-old. A fortnight ago this same animal was sold, being useless for racing purposes, for about 40gs. What with interest on the cost of the mare, the sire's fee, and the expenses of sending her to France, her keep and that of her foal, and the training expenses of the latter, Mr. Crawfurd must be o\it of pocket quite £1000 ; and, in addition to this, I am dismayed to find that Fatherland, who no doubt was one of that legion of expensive impostors, a "promising" yearling, was entered for no fewer than thirty heavy engagements, the forfeits for which amount to £900.