SPORTING NOTES.

(By " Polonius." y, ■ ■, As matters tailed out, "Mr Robertson " made a big mistake when he entered Capclla for " nil" in the Selling Kace at Onehunga on Saturday last, which the daughter of Cap-a-pie won. When the bidding commencefl, it was at once recognised that there was a buyer in the crowd, and though i the significant little tewi "nil" was frequently addressed to him, he continued bidding in spite of the pathetic request, and j it was not until i>63 10s was reached that he cried a-go. As the whole of -this sum goes to the Club, they secured a nice little " div " over the sale. What the opinion on Mr Barnard's work in Melbourne respecting the handicaps for ■ the Melbourne Cup will be, is of course mi:- -: . possible to say ; but on paper there seems to ■ ; bo plenty of food for the critics, and I shall 1 be much surprised if some of the conclusions arrived at by the V.B.C. handicappor are not warmly dissented from. In the face of the brilliant form displayed by Abercorn and Australian Peer last season, it was only to be expected that they would get big imposts, but in giving them Ost 81b each, and asking them to concede weight to Malua (9st 71b) and Dunlop (9st 61b), who have both been equally brilliant performers, is a conclusion that few would have dreamt of. I consider ' that of the aged and six-year-old horses Dunlop, Oakleigh, and Spade Guinea stand out as the most prominent, while of the Uve-year-olds Cardigan reads very dan- 1 gerous. Of the 1 four-year-olds Cranbrook is the oue I have most fancy for, and of the threo-year-olds Bernardo, Benzon, and Carbine appear to me to stand out as the ones most likely to distinguish themselves. \ ' The New Zealand Stud Company have V airoady secured about 100 horses with a '""view to sending a shipment to the Indian marlcet. Major Walmsley, the managing director of the Company, is at present scouring the Northern districts in search of suitable horses. . , SUyio was shipped to Sew Plymouth last week by the s.s. Ghirloch. It is said that Munn has every hope of gelling another big race out of Waitiri. 'i'here havobeeu inquiries about St. Clair for the New Zealand Cup. The little son of Musket is still located at Cutts'. Mr Bobbett's pair— Libeller (by Traducer — i'atterina) and Maorilaud (by Goldsborough — Maritana) — are still on the sale list. '■ The Southern writer, "Eata," has iv bis opinion of White as a horseman, as in ;i)i article on jockeys he says : " There are feW professionals at present in practice in ; England' tfiat could concede White a single \/ ounce." Tl Though Merry Hampton pulled up lame - aCler his efforts in the City and Suburban . Handicap, there seems to be good grounds for supposing that the horse was " got at," as his rider (J. Watts) states that ho was quite duzod and stupid during the race.. An Knglish writer, commenting on the affair, gays : — "' How the thing was done, is the question — or, rather, when? — for several horses have been poisoned since Zoedone's strange display in the Grand National, and, it seems pretty certain, all by the same method — a sub-cutaneous injection of morphia. A skilled rascal could no doubt do this unperceived in an instant, while running his hand carelessly down the , animal's leg, and it would leave no trace. . In each case the horse's symptoms have indicated opium in some form. The only puzzles are the moment of injection, and now owners' .and trainers' precautions have I been defied." ■ I hear that Mr AValters suffered a severe loss during last week by the death of his brood mare Fisherwoman, Prom what I gather of the matter, it appears that the mare by some means got into a ditch, where she lay some time before being discovered, and died beofre she was extricated. Fisherwoman was a daughter of Yattendon and Fanny Fisher, and though the loss is a severs one to Mr Waltere, it is fortunate that the blood will not be altogether lost, as, - in addition to having Fanny Fisher, the Fapakura breeder has also Fishgirl, who is a full sister to Fisherwoman. There are very good fields for the Wel- \ Steeplechase meeting next Saturday, f and as the handicaps are pretty good, there ' should be some close finishes. I have not 'seen the acceptances, and may possibly be out |in some of my tips, but I think the following will be pretty near the mark : — ** TKIAL STEIiWiEOHASE. To Ngamu 1 Long Roper . ■ • • . . 2 Oddfellow 3 IIUItDLES. . Germaine . . • . . . 1 Armourer - . . . . . . 2 Wailangi . ■ • • . . 3 HAING. The Gem 1 Hufiis 2 Sylph . . • . . . 3 ' , STEEHiECIIASE. V Mangahone . . . . . . 1 Waitangi 2 Denbigh 3 WIXIEB OATS. The Spy 1 Charmer 2 Armourer 3