SPORTING NOTES.

Albufera pulled up lame after racing at Hhe season at the stud Palla* L^TsX* -n J845,000 an states in France last year . Plain Tom was badly knocked about through striking his hurdles during his southern try?. The yearling sister to Silkworm goes to England and her twin brother to South Africa^ Tie general entries for the. Dunedin Cup meeting number 214, as against 194 last year. General entries for the Canterbury Jockey, Club's Midsummer Meeting close to-morrow. Gladsome has good claims to be regarded as one of the best mares that has raced in New St Denis ia (reported to have lost his dash and brilliancy, and his recent form support^ ■that view. . _ Kremlin, who is performing well in Otago at present, ia a full brother to Muscovite, by Siepniak — Eileen. , <->■ The Malater has been purchased by onOtago owner. lie has plenty of pace, but is sadiy lacking in staying power. . ' The yearling 'fillies by Phoebus lApollo from Field Rose, Aida and Vivandiere go into Harding's stable at Gisborne. . • At the last meeting at Hosehill, New Soutli Wales, the Hurdle Handicap was won by Frontier, by Cuirassier— Ganza. The two-year-old colt Persistence, by Per--1 simmon— Laodamia, was sold by the King in December for 1000 guineas, to go to Canada. Mr T. H. Davey, M.H.R., has been asked to act as handicapper for "the Oxford Jockey Club's meeting, and has replied accepting the position. • > . . ! Muskburn has been suffering from lameness in front for about a week, but is now almost right again. The Beat of the trouble was in the hoof. "■■■ The two-year-old "Uranus and the yearlings purchased in Auckland by Messrs G. G. Stead and J. B. Reid arrived in Christchurch i last week. , Brooklyn, by Loyalty, has been showing good form in Victoria of late, and he is now regarded as one of the best suburban milers in training. ' , The " Otago Witness " states that there is no truth in the 1 statement that the Phoebus Apollo— Vivandiere yearling filly was purchased'for Mr A. Moss. The yearling colt by Seaton Delaval—Stepfoldt, purchased by Mr Stead at the Sylvia Paik sale, got entangled in a fence at Auckland recently, but was not hurt. St Amant and Henry the First were quoted at 5 to 1 for the Epsom Derby when -the last mail left The Flying Fox colts, Ajax and Gouvernan-fc, were backed at 7 to v l (coupled). It is und'eratood that a Betting Bill will be brought forward in England this year under Government auspices, and that its main provision will be the bringing of street betting under the pains and penalties of the Vagrancy Act of 1824. In Austria the rule as to " doping " is to be altered, so as to permit c*« trainers giving their horses such stimulants as brandy, whisky or wine. However, it is provided that these are to be administered with the permission, and in the presence, of a delegate from the stewards. VRacing stewards frequently decline to sit on the hearing of protests, etc., because they are financially interested in •the result of a race. It would be well «nd highly desirable, says a writer in the '" Witness," if they should also decline io sib when there is every reason to suppose that they are open to bias from strong .personal motives. The magistrates recently deciSod that any person, other than the official employed at the offices of the " Mutuals," and actually invested with bis functions, who shall take money, and offer to act as agent, either paid or. gratuitously, for its investment at the "Mutuals" commits an offence under the Gambling Act. • It Has been ruled that anyone offering to oblige a friend by carrying his money to the race lottery becomes a bookmaker, and is liable to fine and imprisonment. An English, writer says that the late Sir J. B. Maple's breeding and racing etud mus£ certainly have placed an enormous balance on the wrong side of ihe ledger, and. without the big " feeder " he was fortunate enough to possess, it would have 'tried the resources of most owners. That some at his -mares "may in the future make mamea . for themselves is likely enough, but when one con'si'dera how few are heard of out of the (huge' army now returned as at the stud, the chances against this certainly seem considerable. Chatting about the expense attached, to keeping up a racing stable in America, a writer in the " Sports of the Times" (New York) takes that of Corrigan's as an example, and says: — "With a string of a.littlct over sixty, and valued at £20,000, the month's average expenses are £850. Up to the cloao of the Chicago racing season Corrigan's stable winnings were £6440, and this may reach the £8000 mark -before the close of the year. As £10,000 covers the expense account, thero is a loss on the season of £2200. It is not telling tales out of school to state that Corripan speculates pretty heavily at -times, and whether in that direction he is ahead or behind on the season is one of .those problems not to be solved by the outsider." The results of some interesting experiments which have been made 'at the Utah Experimental Station are reported in the " Breed- . ers' Gazette." Among these is one which referred to the 'watering of horses — whether before or after feeding, the conclusion arrived at being that those watered before showed •the better appetite, and retained their, weight better than the others. The food, however, appeared to be, digested equally well in both cases, and, in the opinion 'of the station, it is advisable to water both before and after feeding. Experiments were also made in feeding horses upon cut hay or chaff and grain mixed, and the same feeds separately, but threß exhaustive trials failed to show that any aSvantage was gained by cutting the hay and mixing it with the. grain.