TURF NOTES.

FIXTURES.

December 26, 27—Lower Valley J.C. December 26, 27 — Manawatu R.C. December 26, 27—Taranaki J.C. December 26, 27—Reefton J.C. December 26, 27—Dunedin J.C. December 26, 29, January 2, 3—Auckland B.C. December 28—Ashurst-Pohangina R.C. December 31, January 2-Greymouth J.C. January 2,3 —Wairarapa R.C. January 2, 3 —Hawke's Bay J.C. 2, 3—Rangitikei R.C.

Nominations for the Wellington Racing Club's summer meeting have come in satisfactorily. This district is, as

usual, well represented. \ V. Cotton will have the mount on Romeo in the Auckland Cup, C. Jenkins

as to ride Ghoorka, F. Davis, Melodeon, jmi E. Kemp, Starshoot. Leopold de Rothchild has decided to send the English Derby winner, St. Ainant, to Chattis Hill for the winter, to ibc exercised over hurdle 3 and small fences, under the care of Tom Cannon, jun. This will, it is hoped, restore St. Amant's courage. St. Amant has put up a series of disappointing races since winning the Derby. The writer's selection for the Auckland Cup is Romeo or Ghoorka. The Railway Handicap should be settled between Savoury or Kremlin. Gallinule (sire of Pretty Polly) is spoken of as the stallion with whom that great mare Sceptre is to be mated next s .season.

Mr E. Sullivan has leased Laertes to Mr F. Martin. The lessee intends to give the Soult gelding a short spell, and is now at Greeumeadows (H. 8.) No fewer than thirteen race meetings will be in progress on Boxing Day, be-

•sides three trotting meetings. In June, 1891, the totalisator was first; introduced on French racecourses, and during the following six months £266,000 was put through. Since then, though, this method of betting has so thoroughly

taken the fancy of the French public that

«i year .£9,620,000 was invested, tain percentages of the money inted are put aside by the Government for the purchase of sires for breeding purposes, and for tbe relief of the poor. At the Christchurch races, last Saturday, L. H. Hewitt rode five firsts and one second out of six mounts. In France, the railway companies thoroughly recognise the effect some of the big race meetings have upon their traffic,' and it is in consequence that the live principal companies add £2000 to the Grand Prix de Pav.s. The ex New Zealand mare, Gladsome, who has been spelling for a few weeks, has again been taken up by F. MeNamara. The spell is reported to have dove Gladsome no end of good. It is almost certain that Slow Tom will be taken over to Australia next autumn.

Pretty Polly's earnings in prize-money has reached over £80,000, but it is very probable that she will reach Sceptre and La Fleche's figures. The two latter each won over £40,000, and the most successful mares on the American turf have been Miss Woodford and Firenze, who each won over £23,000 in prize-money. England, this season, Trenton's have won thirteen races, yalue 24550.

The Tauherenikau-trained mare Waitoti is to be turned out for a while. Her behaviour on the track has been very erratic of late.

Up to October 28th O. Madden was at the head of the winning jockeys in England this season, with 147 firsts out of 715 mounts. W. Lane, who is still suffering from the result of an accident received some time ago, was next, with 124 out of 568; then came Maher, with 111 out,of 430. The latter, however, was the best average. In France G. Stern heads the list with 128 wins out of 430 mounts, which is a particularly good performance. Auckland Cup and Railway Handicap will form the " doubles " at the Auckland meeting on Boxing Day. Since his arrival at Caulfield Grand Rapids has been very sore. He will probably require a spell before being put into active work.

In England next season Carbine will do stud duty at a fee of 200 guineas. Trenton's fee is only 46 guineas. Athol Brose (Hotchkiss—Maid of Athol) and St. Alba (St. Leger— M'slba) have been sent on a visit to riwee. Hackler's Pride, who won the Cambridgeshire Handicap this year, is reckoned by mo3t of tbe critics to be the best four-year-old in England, superior even to Rock Sand, who has done so well this season. In winning the Cambridgeshire, she put up a record for that race by running the nine furlongs in lmin 52 4 osec. Hacker's Pride was a cheap yearling, being sold at that age for 75 guineas. Presto 11. easily defeated Fifie in a match at Paris, last month, for £1000; and, to show that there was no fluke about the result of tbe Prix dv Counseil Municipal, the former's owner wants to run him against Pretty Polly for £4000 a side, on the came terms as they met in that race—namely, the colt to carry Bst 51b, and tbe filly 9st lib.