NOTES BY "ACHILLES."

It i 9 understood that J. Lowe will leave for Sydney with Solution hi a couple of week's time. The yearling brother to Wairiki by Soult— Rose and Whiter which was purchased on behalf of a Victorian owner at the Auckland 6ales, will race under the name of Seddon. Kremlin, Exmoor, Tirole. Waikato, and Welbeck have been entered for the Winter Cup and Grand National,, Hurdle Race, both of which events are "run on the same day. The V.E.C. Grand National Hurdle Race is set down for decision on Saturday next. At the Kempton Park Meeting on May 11, two sons of Carbine,' Ramrod and Gingal, fought out a stiff battle for supremacy in the Manor Plate/ of 500 soys, Ramrod winning by a short head. Prior to the Carbine • colt Spearmint earning distinction in the Derby he showed himself up in attractive colours in a trial with Pretty Polly and Hammerkop. The latter, who is a good handicap performer, was in 6ore difficulties before the final test came, and with Pretty Polly well out in the front, it was thought that the young one would" have to succumb to the great Irish mare. Not so, however. The colt took hold of his bit in a manner befitting a son of "the greatest horse that ever carried eilk under the Southern Cross," and as the trial ended he was level with his doughty stable mate. There was tlo questioning the brilliancy of Spearmint's trial, and he immediately jumped into the position of second favourite for the Derby. It is predicted that Spearmint will be a great Cup horse. According to present arraugmoiitfl, Protty Polly is to endeavour to recover th© laurels she los*; in France, for she is to run in the Prix dv President de la RepubKque over a mile and four and a half furlongs, at Caisoiifi Laffitte, on Sunday, July 15. No horso at Riccarton ia looking better Hiim Slow Tom. The sen of St. Ives was schooling over the big fences one day last week, and acquitted himself remarkably well. Tirole began his schooling work seriously Inpt week, when he was twice sent over the H^ hurdles. H~ fenced well, though he hit one or two obstacles rather hard. Among the 13 runners for the 'Trial Handicap Plate of .£176. decided over nine furlongs at Kempton Park last Saturday, was i lie good-looking four-year-old New Zealand horse Noctuiform. now owned by Mr J. Buchanan. It was Noctuiform's racing debut in Ihe Old Country, and the handicappera saw to it that the stranger should not win at, the first time of asking, for ho gave Mr Buchanan's importation 9st 41bs to carry nnd the New Zealand horse had to •oncede from 121bs to .?st 91bs to its rivils. Noctuiform was not fancied by his connections, and started at 20 to 1. Staring slowly, the horse was in the rear all the way, and finished nearer last than first, fhe race being won by the six-year-old Vincula, 7.13. Noctuiform was ridded by the »x-New Zealand horseman, F. Jones. Says an Englishr paper: The ex-New Zealander Noctuiform, which was making liifi first appearance, seems lightly built for carrying welter weights, although he is a smoothj stealthy-actioned horse. Eurus is looking well and getting hrough his Grand National Steeplechase in a satisfactory manner. His table companion, Graduated Tax, is also oleasiug his trainer. A claim for ,£4OO has (says "Whalebone" :n: n the Auckland Star) been made by the widow of the late S. Fergus on D. Mora»han, the owner of Silicia, the horse the infortnnate jockey was riding when he met vith the injuries which resulted in his leath, 'and Moraghan has sent the claim m to the trustees of the accident fund of ';he New Zealand Racing Conference. Mr P. Earl, a committeeman of the Auckland Racing Club, has generously offered his services gratis on behalf of Mrs Fergus and her children. A well-known detective who has been far years employed by racing clubs to rid their meetings of undesirable persons, woke up on Saturday morning in the hotel at which he was staying, at Hastings, to find his money and watch and chain had been stolen. A southern etarter who occupied the same room was similarly treated. He iocularly remarked to the Auckland Star's Napier correspondent that the thief or Ihieves deserved a certain amount of credit for bringing off the double, but he would have been better pleased had they confined their attentions to a well-to-do squatter who occupied* the next room. It

is supposed that this was their intention, but that they mistook the room. Just before the stait for the Hawke's Bay Hurdle Race on Friday week last, at Hastings, the band commenced playing "Irish airs." and had just finished the lively tune of Killarney when Irish was declared the winner. Breeders in this district will be pleased' to know that the services of the thoroughbred stallion Motor (by Hotchkiss — Mantilla) will be at their disposal this season. Although Mr W> H. Blythe. the owner of Motor, has received very tempting offers to lease the son of Hotchkiss for stud duties in other parts of the colony, he has determined to keep him in Wanganui. As is well known, Hotchkiss is a son of that king of sires — Musket, — and as Motor has proved himself one of the surest foalgetters we have ever had on this coast, and l<is stock are of tho v<>ry best, breeders will be glad to learn that his services will be again available. Solution has been awarded 8.7 in the Epsom Handicap, to be decided at Randwick in September. This should leave her with a chance, as she is quite capable of running a very fast mile. In the Melbourne Cup she has been only allotted 7.8. Achilles figures in pride of place in -the I Epsom and Metropolitan Handicaps. In the first-named event the New Zealand champion has been allotted 9.12, the next on the list being Marvel Loch 9.8. Lady Wallace and Maniapoto ajre each on 9.6, and Mahutonga has 9.1. In the Metropolitan, 1J miles, Achilless has 9.7, Marvel Eoch 9.6, Emir 9.5, Boabdil 9.4, Lady Wallace Maniapoto 9.2, and Mahutonga 8.12. Solution has 8.2. General Kuroki (late Kuroki) had to carry 10.2 in the hurdle race at Warwick Farm last Saturday when he finished' second. The top-weight was Oblivion, 11.12.

In the Warwick Handicap, 1J miles fiat, Melodeon was asked to carry 9.5, being top weikht, whilst in the Pace Welter, six lurlongs, Chivalry had 10.12. The cablegramer did not inform us whether the two latter started in their races, or how they fared. The price paid for Rangiwhenua by Mr Mackersey, of Hawke's Bay, who purchased the grey last week, was — which appears to be his full value. Walter Raynor had the son of Rangipahi in tiptop form at the last Feilding and Wanganui meetings, and also for the Napier Park gathering, but though the gelding rnn well, he was not class enough for the opposition. He had bad luck to bump up against Exmoor here. It is quite on the cards that Mr Maclcersey will pick up a few race 3 with the grey, providing he is properly placed. The gelding will in future be trained by Hickey, the Hawke's Bay mentor. The distance of the Ascot Gold Cup, won by Bachelor's Buttons, is 2£ miles. The winner carried 9.4, the second horse (Pretty Polly) 9.1. Walter Raynor's many friends were pleased to see him score a win on Faro at the Napier Park Meeting last week, and it is to be lipped that now that he has quite recovered from the effects of the accident he met with when Science fell at Feilding at Easter he will quickly follow up last week's win with other successes in the saddle. What with the death of Science and the disposal of Rangiwhenua, Walter ia left with no homes to train, but such a painstaking, capable, and thoroughly reliable mentor is not likely to be long idle. Sleepwell was so seriously injured when she fell in the June Steeplechase at the recent Hawke's Bay J.C. Meeting that it is doubtful whether she will ever race again.