IN A NUTSHELL.

♦— Vanilla has been mated with Etiroclydon. i — Chokeboro scratched for the Caulfield Cup. — Nihilist and Fulmen are both coming on gticely. — She (dam of Bobadil) has this year proved Jjarren. — Foul Shot's foals are highly prized in America. — Picture is not nominated for %.e Caulfield Guineas. — Plain Bill's full brother has been named Plain Joe. — There are only four nominations for the .Wincon Guineas. — Connop has renamed the half-brother to Euroclydon, calling him Sirocco. —Mr J. Stephenson, of Dunedin, has "been spending a holiday in Australia. — The Wyndham Club is going in for a stand to seat not fewer than 200 persona. —Mr Sydney James sends a copy of the D.J.C.'s book of programmes, neatly got up. —Mr Hungerford wants to sell or lease Wyvern, by King Cole— Wai, now in New South Wales. — Gaulus, winner of the last Melbourne Cup, is to do stallion duty at Tucka Tucka this season. — Shaughraun, winner of the Hawkesbury Handicap, is another of the conquering Lochiel family. — -Prior to winning the South Australian Derby, Hainault was backed at 500 to 50 for the V.R.C. Derby. — Picture is engaged without penalty in the V.R.C. Derby, so are Lee-Metford and Cocos. LiKewise Bobadil. —An offer of £850 on behalf of the Indian Government was recently refused for Cydnus ( lrenton— Hypatia) . — New Forest is being spelled. His owner, J. Connop, has decided to mate him with a few mares this season. — lata Matthew Dawson trained his first classic winner in 1853. This was Catherine <Hayes, who won the Oaks. — The approximate balance sheet submitted to the South Canterbury Club shows a profit of ;£165 over the Spring meeting. — Captain Russell, unluckiest of horseowrers, has lost by accident a promising yearling colt by tit. Andrew from Lorna. —Mr J. Tait paid 650gs for Goldsbrough as a yearling, and after the horse had done racing Mr F. Reynolds gave lOOOgs for him. — Wyndham. races are fixed for January 2, when £180 will be given in stakes— an increase of £10 hy comparison with last season. — The question of Forbury versus Wingafcui is still not settled by the Dunedin Jockey Club, or it was not up to the time of going to press. . — Happy Jack, the winner of the Grand National Steeplechase in Adelaide, was beaten off in a selling steeplechase in Adelaide last May. — For trespassing on the grounds of the Canterbury Trotting Club at the last meeting, six bookmakers were fined at Christchurch 40s and costs. — The C.J.C. declines to alter the date of the . .November fixture of 1900 so as to suit the celebration of the Jubilee of the province of Canteibury. — M. Carmody has paid £300 for The Dreamer. Mr C. Field, of Tasmania, bought this gelding as a foal for £4, and has won several races with him. — Aurum has forfeited for the Cesarewitch and Resolute for the Cambridgeshire Stakes. The rest of the colonial horses, including Uniform, have accepted. — The death is announced of Mr Edmund W. Edwards, who came to Victoria in 1850, and had been practising as a veterinary surgeoa for many years. — The ancient Galopin retains his lead among the English winning stallions, but Donovan, Janissary, and St. Simon were catching him when the last mail left. — At a meeting held on August 25 at Maribyr^ong (Via.) another steeplechaser ended his career. Leslie fell and broke his leg, which bicught about'his destruction. — Mr "Mark Thompson's filly Picture ran six times last season, winning thrice— the Tyro Stakes and the December Stakes at Randwick and the Nursery Plate at Rosehill. — Surge,, for whom Mr J. M. Roberts gave £375 after he won the last V.R.C. Handicap, was recently doing duty in the shafts of a fcuggv, but he is now in training again. — According to his owner's last calculations Goldsbrough sired 271 winners, who got home in 530| races for a total of £71,777. No doubt, however, his stock have won more than this. — In consequence of the upper stand in the paddock at Flemington showing signs of wear, the V.R.C. committee have decided to renew the whole of it. Steel will be used in rebuilding it. — Bobadil will probably make his first appearance for the season in the Narre Warren Stakes at Flemington on the 24th inst. It is a weight-ior-age race, with allowances, but no penalties. , — The Caulfield Club has remitted the balanco of the five years' disqualification inflicted upou R. Mitchell in January, 1897, in connection with the running of the New Zealand-bred inari Ilium. — The events of the Dunedin Jockey Club's Swing meetine to b<* nominated for or the 17th mat. include the Hack High-weight Hsndican — the first of the new races arranged for to suit country owners. The Victorian Amateur Turf Club has decided to add a bit of variety to the Caulfield course. Some live hedges, similar to those at Dowling Forest, are to be provided, also a water jump in front of the stand. — The thoroughbred horse Highlander died recently at Warrnambool (Vie). He is said to have been owned by a sister of the notorious Ned Kelly during the time of the bushranging exploits of the Kelly Gang. — Winton office-bearers : — Judge, Mr C. D. Moore, starter, Mr D. Clark; clerk of scales, Mr Jtt. Wilson ; clerk of course, Mr T. liampert , clerk of totalisator, Mr G. Harley; timekeeper, Mr W. Nicol ; handicapper, Mr G. Dowse. — The Shah of Persia has a privilege of which he is extremely jealous. The tails of all his horses are dyed crimson at the tips for about 6in. Only the Shah and his sons may have the tails of their horses dyed in that manner — One of the thoroughbred mares purchased by Mr J. Thompson, of Widdin, at the dispersal of the Duckenfield stud has been stolen, so it would appear that the glorious old days of " duffing" have not yet ended in the Goulburn River district. — The Wyndham Club began last year with a ciedit balance of £84, and after spending 'over £50 in permanent improvements the year ends with a credit of £105. Mr P. Amos was elected president, Mr W. J. Currie secretary, and Mr G. Dowse handicapper. — James Cotton, who has had a lengthy experience of flat racers and jumpers, both in 'training and 'riding, and who still keeps a "handy * weighf'f or leaping races, being able to 'tide 9.T), is open to engagement, or would be '•willing to take rt 'horse or two to train. ■' — Falls that occurred in the Rosehill (N.S.W.) Hurdle Race on the 27th August were attended ••with serious results. Paddy "Began, the rider ■of Iron Duke, received a broken collar-bone, • and O'Brien, who was steering Larrikin, sustained fractured ribs. Larrikin was killed. • • — "Native" writes: Mr Tennant generally sets himself out to mn the Winton Guineas, and from my knowledge of the three other candidates I should aay that it is only a matter of Dmna Forget (Remembrance — Enchant) ghu) keeping well for him to again lead m a winner. — Repeater, who won the Welter Handicap at EtoßQw (Vie.), m by the Musket horse Mous,

and on the strength of a report that he had beaten The Musketeer in a trial went out at j a short price. He won in a ridiculously easy I manner, and it may be taken for granted that ' in his own class he is very smart. | — Some South Australian racing men had an idea that a second handicapper was required to co-operate with Mr -tiughes, and a deputation waited on the committee of the S.A.J.C. on the subject. The committee, however, quickly decided thai Mr Harry Hughes was quite capablo of having whole and sole control. — "Javelin" speaks thus of Matthew Dawson. That there is much in connection with racing of a defiling tendency may be admitted, but it is no less certain that England's veteran trainer, who was in tho chick of it for over half a century, has gone to his grave leaving behind him a reputation which an archbishop might envy. — When the French bookmaker was abolished by law and the pari mutuel established, it was suggested that betting would gradiially die out, as the risk of winning a big- sum for a small stake would be minimised. The first day that these machines operated at Longchamps Manes d'Albiron rolled home, bringing in J2260 for 163. — Mr Hoagland, the American horse dentist, speaks in glowing terms of the manner in which Mr J. A. Buckland's trotting establishment is kept up. He says it compares favourably with the best American trotting establishments. A two-year-old brother to Fritz is showing great promise, and is expected to turn out a champion some day. — " Milroy " writes : Abercorn has been accounted a failure, but those who have condemned him are probably not aware that Chester's great son has only had 62 mares since he went to the stud. They did not have the proper mate 3 for him at Kirkham, and would not take public mares until too late to save the horse's reputation. — A suggestion for '' Tattersall" is made in the Bulletin — viz., to draw all sweeps on the morning of the race, and " Tat." to pay the owners of the placed horses a percentage — say 10 — out of the sweep. This would be an inducement to owners to start their horses, and few of the lucky drawers would object to pay a fair thing for a start. — The first batch of converts from the pony anci galloway ranks took part in the legitimate game at Rosehill on the 27th ult., and their presence invested the sport with more than ordinary interest. Though none of the newcomers scored a win, several of them shaped much better than many of the big horses with whom they measured strides. — Slipper, who won a double at Marihyrnong (Vie.) meeting last month, in the Messrs Miller's colours, is by the Melbourne Cup winner Mentor from Clare, by Richmond from Lady Wilton, by Countryman from Instep, by Lord Clifden, and is a half-sister to Clarion, who has been well backed for the Melbourne Cup. She was purchased at the break-up of the Lerderderg stud for 65gs. — Mr W. T. Duff has a faithful slave in the grey steeplechaser Warrior (says the Age), who is getting on to 20 years of age. The handicappers and the ringmen as a rule despise him, and yet he -wins as frequently as any jumper in tha colony. On the 27th ult. at Caulfield he took the field off their legs, and outjumping them gained the Steeplechase prize. — It is remarkable that of the four thoroughbred sires whose progeny have so far won over £10,000 in England this season, one is Galopin, and the two others his sons St. Simon and Donovan, the fourth being Ayrshire, and all but Ga-lopin belong to the Duke of Portland, who has the satisfaction of seeing the progeny of his stallions carry nearly all before them. — Those in the colony who know nothing of a leading jockey's life in England will be interested to learn that Mornhigton Cannon had a special train to convey him, his valet, and others from Manchester to London on June 4, in order that he might catch the boat to Calais that prening. The idea of a jockey with a special train is enotigh to make Frank Buckle turn in his grave. — When Mr H. Power went to see La Carabine saddled up for ihe run off at Flemington on the 20th ult., he noticed. Dreamland being treated to a liberal allowance of whisky. "Ah! well," said Mr Power to Mr Redfearn, " if they have to dose him with whisky I ought to win." " But hold on," said Mr .Redfearn, "we have just bought a shilling's worth of whisky for yours." As it happened, each of the deadherters v/as loaded with whisky for the runoff. — Fucile, notoriously a slow horse in starting, refused to face the barrier in the Rosehill August Handicap, and got off so indifferently that he was last out of tho straight in a field of 28. It was not until the back stretch was reached that he got an opportunity of improving his position to any extent. Then he worked his way Ihorugh rapidly, but though in a handy position at the bend, he could never quite reach The Captain, who, with 6.10 up, did the mile and three furlongs in 2min 27sec. — The best horse Lord Falmouth ever owned, he declared, was the generally considered miniature Wheel of Fortune. She was, according to M. Dawson, " not so small as sho looked — just on 15hds, lin under the standard. She was also smaller in front in proportion to the re.t of her frame, and she was remarkably lengthy and greyhound-looking. He tried her with the four-year-old Oaks and Leger winner, Silvio, at a little less than weight for age, and she won easily enough." — A Derby and Melbourne Cup candidate in G'ardainon ran a public trial (says " Goodwood") at Caulfield on the 27th ult., when- he appropriated the Victorian Club Handicap. There was nothing to gush about in the form. To.} distance was only a mile, and Cardamon was lucky in winning. But for John Bunyan running out wide at the turn, Cardamon could never have got through, and under any circumstances Burrahari, who came with a late run, should have beaten him. Cardamon did not impress the good judges on Saturday as an ideal Derby or Cup horse, but it is said that lie can stay. — Coining to the first obstacle in the Hurdle Race at Rosehill on the 27th, Dalmahoey was leading, attended by Messenger. The former made a tremendous leap and unseated Conlon, who clung around the horse's neck and struggled vainly to get back into the saddle. E. Humphries, who was riding Messenger, seeing Conlon's plight, raced up alongside the leader, and, catching hold of Conlon, pulled him back into the saddle by sheer force. Dalmahoey won the race, beating Messenger, and after it was over Conlon publicly thanked Humphries for his unselfishness, which not only gave Conlon the race, but saved him from a certain fall.