NOBLEMEN AND THE TURF.

The Australasian's London Spirting correspondent writes :— Din-ins; the week rumour was busy with the names of a couple of well-known racing men, the Earl of Lonsdale and Captain Machell to wit. It Beems that in about a couple of years Lord Lonsdale has managed to play ducks and drakes with the fine property —over £100,000 a year— left him by hi 3 father, and has become fearfully involved ; it being currently reported on the heath that nothing but five years' strict economy could pull him together, and it was stated that a large firm of jewellers in j Bond street held his bills to the extent of j £125,000. Captain Machell has been managing his stud for him for some time ; it will be remembered by my readers that about a year ago Lord Lonsdale bought the whole of the clever captain's stud of racers and steeplechasers at so much a head all round, and during the last week he has been selling some of them, and those that he has sold without the captain's advice have been parted with at absurdly low prices, and, to make matters worse, the captain has now stepped in and objected to the Bales, as he asserts he has a lien over them, and since that, it has been reported, that *' Captain Machell has purchased from Lord Lonsdale the whole of his valuable stud," and during the Cesarewitch week the horses ran in the captain's colours. It is a sad pity that a young nobleman should, on coming in for such a magnificent patrimony, commence by seeing how great a fool he can make of himself, and in h"w short a time he can divide it amongst a tribe of hangers-on, who are only too ready to flatter until the smash comes, and then to turn from flattery to ridicule. As an exarapb of the silly tricks this young lord nas been p'ayins, I may mention one. On the completion of the bargain which transferred Petrarch to Lord Calthorpe for 3000 guineas — the horse would have fetched at least double the amount at auction — Lord Loudsdale said he must have a cheque for £600 down at once, for he was very hard up, and the only reason that he had sold the horse at so low a price was that he wanted ready money. The request waa complied with, and the cheque handed over just as the race for the Great Eastern Handicap was

being run. The race jHf'wa&bjiXjei c/* 1 on Lord Lcnsdale'a F|2kth'>rw,\iKl iwj riwßen, 4||Uer,'' uand«^^ihn'a^fl<m;«(u^ Llgi Oalt|Brf^ cheqofcfor the%6<& 1 & Us -a i£— *v ; !