Turf Topics.

By "The Tout."

THE Wangamu autumn meeting will be continued to-morrow (Saturday), when the nchly-en-dowed Jackson Stakes w ill come up for decision. The final payment leaves the following still engaged. lush Rifle Bst 111b, Helen Portland Bst 111b, Oarissima Bst 111b, Bunyan Bst 81b, Gtenculloch Bst 81b, and the two-year-olds Millionaare and Gravitation, each with 7st 21b. As there are no Elevations amongst the three and four year olds, the two juveniles may be safely left to annex first and second money. That clever light-weight, Hatch, will ride Elevation's half-bro-ther, Gravitation. As an instance of the different opinions held by handica-ppers, it is worthy of mention that Marguerite is, according to the handicap for the Dannevirke Cup, estimated as 211b better than the useful Waitapu over a mile and a-quarteir, whereas in the Wsrnganxu Cup handicap, of one and threequarter miles, the difference between the paw is 161b. The Wellington handicapper's estimate, when he weighted the pair for the Summer Handicap, of one mile, was 221b. The framer of the Wanganui Cup handicap evidently considers Marguerite best suited over a short couirse, whilst he has handicapped Waitapu as ft stayer. Another Newmarket Handicap has been decided. The winner, Scotland, on his past performances and track form, had the race m hand from the time the handicap was declared. Victorian Tacmg experts agreed that it was only a matter of health for Scotland to win. This opinion, was endorsed by a prominent Australian metalhcian, who is also a horseowner, and m a letter to a, Wellington friend he stated that "all going well the race for the Newmarket Handicap is a moral for Scotland." The question naturally arises, how did it happen that a well-performed five-year-old got into the handicap at a weight that made the race such a -certainty for him (if well on the day). There were more than a score of Sootland's opponents fit and well on Saturday, but they were not even given "Buckley's" chance of winning. Had such an important New Zealand event been declared on all hands a one-horse race, there would have been a score or so of owners and not a few turf scribes looking for the weighi^adjuster's scalp. The New Zealand-bred mare, Munjeet, ran up to her best form. She is, unfortunately! a slow beginner, and from the cabled report of the race was apparently never prominent until a few lengths from the winning-post. Probably had the trace been seven furlongs, Munjeet would have secured second place, but at the weights could have had no chance of beating the "thrown in" Scotland over any distance. Grenadier, another five-year-old by Soult — Hotcherina, and bred by W. Walters, Papakura, had the luxurious impost of 7st, and, with the four-year-old Akim Foo, 6st 71b, filled the places. Hack racer Dusky Morn showed up for three furlongs, but when, the pace was put on he, as might have been expected, retired gracefully. As the Tace occupied lmin 14|sec, Dusky Morn's New Zealand newspaper trials must have been "all bunkum." Apologue, another New Zealandbred one, by his easy victory in the Essendon Stakes, weight-for-age, proved that he still retains the form he displayed on the Flenungton racecourse last November. The half-bro-ther to Gladsome should prove a cheap horse to his royal owner, H.H. the Chief of Kagats, and if taken to "furTen" parts should prove a good advertisement for New Zealand. Apologue will, before these lines reach Lance readers, have contested the Australian Cv" for which, by the way, the V.R.C. handicapper did not err (as was the case with Scotland) on the side of leniency in awarding Apologue 9st 111b. French statistics for the year 1907 in connection with sport over obstacles show that M. E. Fischof won £21.930, being a long way in front of other owners. A. Carter heads the list of winning jockeys with 139 wins, while Parfrement scored only two less, Piggott being third with 58 wins. Saint Damion was the most successful sire of jumpers, his stock earning £14,200.

According to a London exchange, Colonel Baird lecently lefused a Hungarian offer of £32,000 for the St. Leger winner, Woolwinder. In England one of the National Hunt's new rules is to the effect that no hoise is eligible for entry until it has been named. Another is that wheie the prize-money for a day does not exceed £250 the progiamme shall not include more than two huidle .races. A South Island scribe writes that "some owners do n.nt like certain handieappers, one of the chief objections uiged being that they are too ready to iump at conclusions legarding the running of their horses These owners, however, have then remedy, and it is worth noting that it is the men who follow this policy who are most successful with their adjustments." The possibility of a "conclusion jumping" handicapper piovmg successful is really to absurd for argument. Eveiv man mteiested in racing knows the name of Mr. John Porter, who a season or two ago gave up training to look after the interests of the new course at Ne>wbury, but the record of his principal wins, as given, in "Fry's Magazine." for January, will probably surprise the oldest amongst them. ' In the month of July, 1843, and at the age of twenty-five, he took up his residence at Kingsclere (a place since grown famous the world over), and became private trainer to that celebrated sportsman, Sir Joseph Hawlev ("the lucky ba.ronet," as he was then called). Since this beginning Mr. Porter has trained for His Majesty the King, the Duke of "Westminster, the Duke of Portland, the Earl of Orewe, the Earl of Portsmouth, Earl Spencer, Baron Hirsch, Lord Arlington. Sir F. Johnostne, Colonev Alexander, Mr. F. Alexander, Mr. J. G-retton, Mr. F. Gretton, and Mr. W. Lowe. He has won for them in. stakes the enormous sum of £794,017, and the profits on the sale of horses he has had under his cha-rge would bring the total _ up to over a million pounds sterling — an amount which has never been exceeded by any other trainer, living or dead. A story of a stipendiary steward comes from Australia. When the owner of a certain horse, whose running had created suspicion in the mind of the official, was asked to explain, a reversal of form, he couldn't do it satisfactorily. "Is your horse hardmouthed?" asked the stipendiary. "No " said the owner, innocently, "not that lam aware or." "Do you know any reason, then, why the bridle rein was coated with ground resin- 3 ' asked the suspicious steward. There was evidently a puller somewhere in the business. To the January number of "Fry's Magazine" John Porter, the old Kingclere trainer, contributes an article on Newbury racecourse, the idea of which was conceived by him, and which, he says, is probably the most perfect racing venue in the world. The 300 acres of land comprising the estateonly cost £30,000, and about £100,000 has' been spent on the undertaking. The course is situated in the heart _ of a great training country, something like 1700 hoTses being trained in the sixty establishments within a radius or a few miles.