IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 50

IN A NUTSHELL.

— Nomination for the Dunedin Jockey Club's winter meeting close on Friday next. — Tuesday, th» sih of June, is nomination day for the A.J.C. Epsom and Metropolitan Handicaps.

— If Makaroff can repeat his Ashburton form at Oamaru, whatever beats him in the Oamara Cup should about win.

— Vampire, the dam of Flying Fox, who ia barren this year, has been mated with "William the Third, a son of St. Simon.

— The Johannesburg Turf Club gave away .£38,500 in shakes last year, and in entrance foes alone received a -return of £12,400.

— Mr E. Paterson's mare Solution will probably he taken across tc Sydney in order to take- part in the A.J.C. spring meeting.

— Casabianca, who was racing at Ashlmrton last week, was foaled in 1897, and must be one of the last of the St. Legers to carry silk. — Hilarity ran very well np to a certain stage in both h«r races last week, but appeared to be racing beyond her distance. — Some of the racing at Ashbuarton last week did not look too pure, and it would not have astonished the writer had a carpeting or two taken place.

— Ths Southland owner and trainer Mr P. Hogan has purchased the Grafton horae Heroism, which formerly carried the colours of Mr Dan O'Brien.

— The English Derby favourite. Lally. is reported lo have grown to over 16 hands high during the winter, and to have done very well in every way. — After getting beaten twice by Achilles, to whom he gave strong battle, Porcelain registered a deserving victory in the Hawke's Bay Stakes last -week.

— The cTick French-bred colt Val dOr, ft son of the famous Flying Fox, has been purchased by a. South American breeder, and will join a stud at Buenos Ayres. — 'Frisco, who won the Juvenile Handicap at Hswkc's Bay, was sired in England, is out of an American mare, and was foaled and won his first race in New Zealand.

— It is reported that in the water jump contest at the Bemokba. (NIS.W.) show, Mr C. Black's Hiawatha, afier winning at 29ft lOin, gave an exhibition jump, in which he cleared 31ft Bin.

— If rumour is correct, says the Sydney Referee. Mania-poto's failures at Randwick have not caused his owner to lessen his value, well over £2000 still being the price put on the Souit horse.

— For the third quarter of the present season Lochiel's stock have won 79 racea in Austialia. and the value of the stakes amounts to £17,669. Graf ton is next on the list with 95£ winners of £12.547. — Owners are reminded that cceptances for the first day of the North Otago meeting must be declared on Thursday, the- 17th, at 9 p.m. Entries for the Trial Plate and Shorts close at the same time.

— In the State of New York Assembly c. bill has been introduced to prevent the docking of horses' tails in that State, and to compel the register of all horses in the Stato whose tails are now docked.

— The horses Hutana. Kaitere. Apiti. Kremlin, Lull, Shrapnel, and Black Reynard, which have been withdrawn from their New Zealard winter engagements at Auckland and Wanganui. go to Australia shortly. -^-It is worthy of note that sportsmen with a minimum of time at their disposal can leave Duuedin pt 8 a.m. and be back by 9.15 p.m. each day of the North Otago meeting and witness a, day's racing in the interim. — The death is announced of the American stallion Longstreet, who during his career on the turf won 36 races value £16,273. He defeated the record-maker Sa-Ivator, who ran a. mile in 1.35 i, and at on© time belonged to Mr Crokev.

— St. Ilario had his first winning representative last week when Miss Doris, ft two-year-old daughter of the son of St. Leger and Cissy, scored a double. Miss- Doris is out of Maybud, a daughter of Medallion and the- Cadogan mare Rosebud.

— Manjess ran a couple of fairly good racea at Ashburton, but did not look -the muscular Manjese who proved himself a good 'un befor» he Tan his head into the noose of disqualification. The Mannlioher pony, however, should improve on recent showings. — It is a long while since the writer noticed so many badly-conditioned horses racing at a. meeting as what were- stripped at Ashburtom last week. They have been well, but they did not look it, and their showings in their races •was on a par with their appearances. — The going was a, bit heavy at Ashhurion, and probably that was the reason why on« owner sent his horse out to race in ordinary shoes, as it is possible he was und«r the impression that the extra weight would 1 give his representative a better grip of th© track. Though the late Mr Gubbins rode close on 18»t, he was always in the first flight with* hounds, and his hunt«s generally made fancy\ prices. He once refused J2OOO for four from the lat« Marquis of "Waterford, with whom ha used to staj for. a p_qrtign of the Curraghmor* season.

— Myosotis, in lowering Fiita'a track record on Saturday last, went her first quarter m 32sec, first half in lmin 6sec, and full journey in 2min 17scc. She was all out at the finish. Taut her performance was a, very creditab'e one. as the track was slower than when Fritz made his mark.

— During recent year* the Ashburton Racing Club have always licensed bookmakers to bet, but this year they declined to do so. Nevertheless, the fielders were present in fairly large numbers, and during the course of ihe meeting three or four took their departure when ordered to do so.

— Solution scored comfortably in the Hawke's B-iy Cup, and ran the journey in 2min 8 2-sssc, which is the fastest time put up since the race was reduced to a mile and a-quarter. Last year Mo-niapoto carried the same weight as Solution, and did the distanee"*sn 2min 9 l-s£ec.

— It is only natural that horses at this tiire of the year are likely to look a bit rough in the coat, and not present aa taking an appearance to the eye as at other parts of the season; but the time of the year would not account for the backward appearance of some of those which carried silk at Ashburton last week.

— A recent visitor from Australia was recommended to buy Makaroff. but on looking him over at Riccarton declined to have anything to do with the horse. Had tJie gent'eman witnessed the son of Arline score so decisively at Ashbur+on last week there is a probability that fome of the horse's faults would have been converted into virtues.

— A filly named Peaceful, who was amongst the starters at Askburton, is a lialf-sisteT' by Mahaki.to the hurdler Com Fort. Peaceful was down in ihe book as a two-year-old, but it is understood that this age was erroneously returned; as the filly is said to be a three-year-old. Vista threw fillies to Mahaki in 1802 and 1903. and it is quite pcss-Ible the pair got mixed.

— A notable thing about the support that was accorded some of the trotters at Ashburton was that Success, who won the first day, was only supported to the tune of a- fiver on the second day, whilst Prince Warbeck. who started favourite on the first day. and looked •s if he was unlucky to lose, -was one of the outsiders of the party in the second day's racte.

— Starshoot was not destined to carry Mr J, Buckley's colours for any great length of time. ?.s the son of Hotchkiss has been sold to Mr S. Nettlefold, and will be taken to Australia in company with M»lodeon and Savoury. Starehoot will, however, race in Mr Buckley's name at Oamaru. as delivery of the horso is not to be taken until after that gathering. — Some of those who witnessed Makaroff's three consecutive wins during the past few days Have been predicting lots of high honours for ihe son of Siepniak, but Bis two front pasterns display a ringbony appearance, which may shorten his turf career. His present owner, it is understood, bought Makaroff far use as a station sire, and cot with the object of racing him. — Some ouestionab'e horsemanship took place at Ashburton, and in one race complaints were ( rife about the manner in which a rider tried' to imcede the progress of some of the field in order to. make another's chance of ■winning easy, but, pleasing- to lote, it was without success. Tlie stewards evidently saw no cause for. action, but many a rider has been stood down-ior less.

— Th© judge's verdicts at Ashburton last week did not correspond in every race with the opinions of some of the spectators, and whilst fully recognising- that it is impossible to give a decided opinion unless one in in the box. still, there appeared to be a mistake nude in tho final erent of the meeting, when Zetland waa placed second to Matuku instead of Grosvenor, whom many believed defeated the son of Obligado by a good head.

— Convoy was a strong fancy in some quarters for his race *.t Ashburton, and no doubt if be ran up to form he would hare taken a lot of beating; but he didn't. When he went out on tbe tTack hs looked well, and cavorted down to the post with his well-known powerful action, but when he was playing for money he lost his dash, even though the vigorous riding of M'Comb was calculated to remind him that he- was out on business.

— Th« Ashburton Racing Club had an excursion train running from Christchurch on both days r>i their meeting, and as it lefi at the convenient hour of 10 a.m.. and was back at 7.30, it materially assisted to swell the attendance at the gathering. The weather on the first day did not look too promising, but on the second day it was beautifully fine, and the exowTsionist* appeared to muster yo larger numbers than they did on the opening day. — As a contrast to the handsome douceurs to jockeys which we often heat of. it is interesting to note the peculiar presents given to one o f the most famous jockeys that ever crossed a saddle. George Fordham, when quite a tiny mite, and very young, riding a remarkably fine race, won the Cambridgeshire on Little David. He was rewarded for bis victory by the presentation of a Bible and a gold-mounted whip beariug tha inscription, "Honesty is the best policy.

— ;The Haon filly Myosotis. who clipped the fraction of Fritz's track record of 2min 17 2-ssec at Tahuna Park .on Saturday, is out ■f Georgina, a daughter ol Lincoln Yet and c Paer. anaxe. Mr L. Wilson imported Huon from Australia for the express purpose" of mating him with Lincoln Yet mares, and Myosotis stands aa a pleasing result of his judgment. Huon was imported from America by Dr Slats, and was bred by C. J. Hamlins at Buffalo. New York, in 1879.

— A prominent English writer has fallen foul of the well-known trainer W. T. Robinaon for saying that Sysonby could win the English D«rby five years out of six. and the critic's reason for saying so is that Robinson has never eeen the horse run. Sporting writers all over the world frequently tip horses they have never seen to win raoes. and if Sysonby is really the best horee that America has produced, Robinson had excellent reasons for making a statement which was credited to him. but which it has since transpired he never made.

— As in Ireland, so in Russia, says an Irish paper, there are some pople who seem to think that jockeys' fees might be reducd with advantage to owners. It is suggested that the Moscow scale should be generally adopted — viz., "Twenty shillings each losing rid« for jockeys having a full license, six shillings for 'home riders,' and two shillings for apprentices." On each of the 28 days' racing to be held at Warsaw next season two events will be reserved for owners who have not won £3000 th» previous year — small owners, as they are styled.

— The Apremont gelding Bombastes looked rather bigger in condition than usual when he went opt for the Fairfield Welter, which he won with nothing to spare from Bagpipes, •who'did not appear to pace it too well in the early stages of th© race, and had to give away over, two lengths' start from the home turn. -Bombaste? did not run so well on the second day, when the distance was shorter, and geneTally imagined to be mure to his liking, whilst Bagpipes, who had a good deal of weight off her back, put in a run at the finish of the Autumn Handicap, and nearly ousted Hilarity from second place. —Mr A. Yuille. of the firm of Messrs W. C. Yuille and Co., received a. letter by the faat San Francisco mail from a well-known

breeder and sportsman in California. This gentleman desires to visit Australia, and in doing so expresses a desire to witness how a gcod Amencan-bred hcrre will shape with the -A.nst37a.Kazi iaceho-r£e He is amacns to learn whoii entries close for the Melbourne Cup, and all the principal races, go that he may enter his horses. The idea of the writer 13 to bring over three horses, presumably all possessed of distinct peculiarities so far as stamina avd speed are concerned. No doubt Austrslian sportsmen will give the plucky American a hearty welcome, and his horses every chance to display their merits. — Assegai, the daughter of Benzoin and Corselet, who carried Mr J. F. Buchanan's colours to the fora on esch day of the Ashburton meeting, is a rather good-looking sort of a filly showing plenty of size and qualify, whilst her form would quite prepare one for seeing her do something better in the future. Tt was noticeable, however, that on the second day she raced with her fore cannons encssed in bandages, and she mored a bit shorter in her preliminary than she did on the pievion? day Once going, she made small potrtoes of hsr fields, even though on the secor>d day she lost a good deal of ground through getting interfered with when Count Gorton got bung up in the tapes, and it is to be hoped that there is nothiDg seriously amiss with the fiUv.

— There wa3 no ruagic about either of lfak?rcfFs wins at Ashburton last week, and his form was so convincing there that some of his poor displays during the present season take a bit of understanding. The son of ATlino ha-3 been dubbed a rogue, and he has frequently run like one. and. again, his bad form has also bsen accounted for by the fact that he gets his tongue over the bit and chokes himself. Makaroff has frequently been raced with his tongue tied down, and last week his bit w?s kept in a desired position by two straps running across his cheeks from the rings to the top of his bridle. The writer was inclined to give Makaroff a rough chance in the Great Autumn, and bad he run in that race up to last week's form the eon of Stepniak and Arline would have been either first or second.

—An earlier generation attached more importance than we do tc trifling characters in the horse. An old writer says : " The ' Roman tword,' so called fxcm its resemblance to the sword used by the ancient Romans, is, in fact, nothing more than a long feather, or a kind of furrcw formed by the nair being inverted, limning along the top of the neck near the mane This mark is very rare, and accounted a great beauty, for which reason, those horses which have it are bought up at almost any rate by those who pique themselves on being uncommonly curious about a horse's coat. The ' feather ' — the point where the hair parts as from a centre — on the forehead, breast, or belly was regarded by some experts as a sign of merit. Many Eastern races attach great importance to the position of the whorl or feather on the face."

— The management of the recent Ashfrnrton meeting was fairly good in many respects, but a long and vexatious delay took place before tbe field was sent away in the Wakanui Handicap, and it was particularly noticeable, as a large number of the attendance weie excursionists from Christchurch. who were naturally anxious that they should bo- in good time for their train home The starters- in this race went out to the track about 10 minutes before the advertised time of starting, and after they had preliminaried they were kept waiting at the post c'.oee on 10 minutes before the starter attempted to marshal! the horses' at the barrier. In fact, the starter did not leave the paddock until after the advertised time of starting, and the long delay at the post did not tend to make matters easy with a Matuku in the field after b?ir;g kept fiddling round for about a, qtwrter of an hour.

— The vexed question whether - person makiag « bet in ,t paspige ! eading to a tenement of hoiifes i« lisb'e to prosecution in Scotland was finally gel tied in Edinburgh recently by a decisio-i given in Ihe Justiciary Appeal Court there The question arose out of an appeal by Thomas Vallance. a Glasgow cornnmsion agsnt. against a conviction in Kilmarnock Burgh Court, when he was fined £40 for having used a passage leading to two dwcihng houses as a betting house. The judges quashed the conviction on the ground lhat :t wa* e=sential to a conviction that 'bore ehoul.l be some agreement or association betwesn the person U3ing the passage for betting and the owners or occupiers of the house?, or that h«- used the passage with the permission of the owner or occupier. The conviction was therefore quashed, and Va!lanca allowed lOgs expanses.

— Aniongat the yearlings auctioned at the Randwick sales was a colt \>y Haut Brion — Trieste, whom moie than one expert picked to bs about the most promising-looking yearling to go rnder the hammer, and likely to make top price. According to a photo, of the colt he loos hard to bept, and '-Terlinga," commenting on his realising 910gs, said : "The Trieste colt is, I think, about the handsomest yearling I have ever seen in a ring. He is a real swell, possessing size, length, character, beautiful colour — in fact, he looks to have all the attributes of a smashing good racehorse. Why did he stop at 91Ogs? some will ask. I faucy it was because Hauturier and Istria, full brother and sister, proved unsound, while another sister in Eleanor waa not tco ea<?y to trai i. However, this fellow looks all light, and as prices went, 910gs did not seem enough money foi him."

— Some of the critics were inclined to cavil at Mr G. G. Stead for not allowing hit crack filly Isolt to meet Achilles in the Wellington Challenge Stakes, but apparently he had excellent reasons for withdrawing his representative from the race. Isolt has only been on tha turf one season, and that is the one which is fast waning to an end. During that period Isolt has never been defeated, and had Achilles met IfoU at Wellington, it would not have been the Isolt which took such high honours at Randwick, Riccarton, and other tracks, where she proved herself one of the best fillies we- have had. but an IsoJt which is now physically unfit to retain her unbeaten record if she were pitted against Achilles when he is at his best. The writer has it on excellent authority that Isolt has become affected in the respiratory organs, and if that is an unfortunate truth, no one could blame her owner for declining to allow Isolt to run the severe Tacewhich she would undoubtedly have had to undergo if sent out to lowei Achilles's colours —In America drivers are not now allowed to carry a watch during a race, and, referring to this", a Chicago paper says . "No class of men connected with trotting sport should be better posted in the rules than the drivers, yet it is a notorious fact that they are not. It is therefore in order to impress upon them the importance of obeying the new rule which prohibits them from carrying a watch during a race unless they receive a permission fxom the judges. We believe this clause to be bad, for the ordinary horseman will not be abl» to uudVrsta/id why three or four men in a race are not permitted to uee the watch, while one or two arc. The path of safety for the judges will be to ignore the permissive clause, and treat all the- drivers alike. While it is true that some drivers are better judges of pace than others, it is also true that a man who habitually relies upon his watch will never learn It 13 also questionable whether a man can do his horse full justice in driving when he is watching the v.akii. Ho has all he can attend to m driving

his horse to the best of his ability in an honest effort t to win ' — .Relative to the high-jumping records put up by horses owued by Mr H. D. Morton, ptib 1 -sfc-scl in a recent iesrue of tire Sv-<i»-ey Mail, end <o which exception ha-3 been taken, Mr Morton writes in the paper named . " The height, 6ft 10m, jumped by Desmond at Albury show is correct, and admitted as the lecord Desmond jumped this height over looss poies, the same as are generally used at all propariy-conducted shows. Rattler certainly jumped 6ft 10|in at Singleton, but the noes were tied, »o that does not constitute a record, as they must be loose. Mr W. Mnggridge was judge at Singleton when Rattler made this height. He will support me as to loo?e poles not being used. He saw them tied. Mr A. J. Morton was judge at Albury when Desmond jumped 6ft 10m over loose poles. He and others can verify this. As to All Fours clearing 6ft llin, and Moral. Strathmore. and iCewhaven doing likewise at Bendigo — well, this is the first I have heard of it. I can find no record of it, nor can I find anybody who knows anything about it. Referring to Heatberbloom's jump of 7ft 9in, in America, I arc creditably informed that it was doua by the aid of a spring-board." — The Ashburton racecourse is not the best place in the world to view a race, as, apatt from the lack of accommodation ou the stand, the "terrace" is very small, and a large iron fence \vhich divides the enclosures blocks- one's lire of vision if standing on the level gTOund. A result of this is th?t a number of people c!amb3r on the high fence which lines the straight, with the effect of making matters aven worse for the habitues of the lawn Little or co improvements have been carried out at Asliburton during recent years, but if the rhib's finances were to permit it. an increase cf prize-money and extra accommodation should convert the gathering into twice "as^gcod a meeting as it is at present. For instance, it is within easy distance of Christchurch, and if the stakes hung up offered reasonable inducement, no doubt, a. number of horses which are left at home would come down from the city of the plains, whilst the same remark also applies to hotse3 owned in the south. The accommodation for horses in the saddling paddock requires additions being made to it, and if the- comfor+s of the mare human who enjoys a day's racing (and pay 3 for it) cou'.d b» placed on * better standing, the club would not lo?e by the alteration.

— Mr J. P. Buchanan's Assegai, who w-as a double winner at Ashburton. was bred by her owner, and got by the imported horse Benzoin out of Corselet a daughter of Trenton'? brother Cuirassier, and Rubina. the dam of Vandal, Florrie, and tha flying Machire Gun. Her breeding was briefly alluded to here when she won at Chrisioaurch, but it may prove interesting to some to learn that her sire (now defunct), in addition to proving himself a good performer, was imported from England by Mr G. G. Stead, and was got by FriaT's Balsam out of a mare by Bendigo from Lady Paramount, who was got by Musket's sire Tbxophilite from Thrift, the dam of Tristan, one of the best horse* ever raced in England or France. In fact. Tristan was once matched against the famous St. Simon, but the latter comfortably defeated him over 10 furlongs. Amongst the other starters at Ashburton was a- promising-looking two-year-old bjt Stepoiak from Corselet, alao owned and bred by Mr Buchanan, and who bears the name of White Shield, which, if it ultimately proves a particoloured one, it is hoped will become so by the fruits of victory as well ps the ashes of defeat, as her owner keeps a fair number of horses in commissiop without winning too often.

— There is no more brainy or up-to-date trainer in Australasia than D J. Price, and the f?ct that some of the "wiseacres" are inclined to ignorantly smile at lnethod-s which they don't understand does not make Price's capabilities any smaller. A rather pmusing story has reached the writer abo'i* Price when the latter had Machine Gun in Victoria to try and capture the Caulfield Futurity Stakes. It was very hot at the time, and after working the son of Rubina Price -o'uetirres gave the horse a cooler by sponging his head One morning one of the leading trainers in that part of the world, whose curiosity w*3 evidently aroused by Price's methods, waa found to be surreptitiously smelling the sponge and tasting the water in the bucket used ou "bis Mac." If the t.-ainer was unaccustomed to the taste of pure water he would no doubt be prepared to swear that some of the new-fangled dopes v.ere used on the horse, and that he derived his marvellous sueed through having his head sponged. If that is so, Price should have sponged the caudal appendage of the horse as well, and Machine Gun would have gaJloped twice as fast as he would with only one end sponged. In fact, the projectiles from a quick-fire machine gun would have been about the only things that could have paced it with our prince of sprinters if having both ends sponged would have acted as a speed doubler.

— American racing statistics for last year make rather interesting reading, and (says a writer in an exchange) it will probably surprise many to learn that the prize-money distributed in that country came to more than double that of England, Ireland, and Scotland for the same pericd. The American total was £1,095.590, and it 13 estimated that only for legislation adverse to racing at Chicago. St. Louis, Kansas City, and in Indiana the amount would have been £50,0GC more. The Coney Island Jockey Club was most liberal, its 180 races carrying a total of £114,260, which was an average of £3806 for each racing day. The New California Jockey Club gave away £•90.029, but only averaged £690 a day, and bad altogether 907 races for its money. The Westchoster Racing Association's total was £75,198 for 180 races, and that of the Biooklyn Jockey Club £69 833 for 182 races, next in order coming Eri^hton Beach. £65.099 for 170 race?; Latonia. Jockey Club, £60.185 for 666 races; Crescent City Jockey Club. £60,034 for f3O races; and Saiatoga Association, £56,768 for 132 races. In all, 7763 raoes were run on the flat at distances varying from three furlongs up to four miles. At six furlongs, no less than 1607 were run. and at a mile 1042. Only 46 races were run at a mile and a-half, five at a mile and three-quarters, eight at two miles, seven at two and a-quarter miles, two at three miles, and a similar number at four miles. Altogether, 5500 were run at a mile or under

— The English writer " Vigilant " is responsible for tho following- — "There is not so much scheming nowadays to Ret a horse well into a handicap as there used to be. Time v.-a 3 when he waa often run for two 01 three years without once having his head loose. We have at length begun to realise that the edvautage gamed in weight is often more than neutralised by the loss of strength and capacity in the jockey, and the dictum of the late Mr Tom Law ley that the top- weight is often the best handicapped horse in the race is by most good judges admitted to be sound. In a, genera 4 way. however, there is still a hankering for a light weight, and. having succeeded in it. an owner's troubles begin. Unless he succeeds in getting a good jockey he might as well keep his horse at home, and if he ;s; s fortunate enough to Eecure the services of a crack rider he must pay heavily for him. and be content with a short rate of odcls. Even with a fashionable light-weight in the saddle, however, it is. on an average, from 6 to 10 to 1 against a horse, and with

an inexperienced jockey Very much. more. With betting returned at ' 100 to 8 the others ' for horses who are not well backed there must, ia dealing with the light-weights, be a heavy loss to tte ba-elccr. !L'lio best a-dLvdoo that wo could possibly give would be to ignore the light-weights altogether, and look for the winner amongst those horses that are ridden by jockeys of experience. Above all, even with heavy-weights, do not bet on every race, but only when you see some horse that on its merits appears to have a good chance of winning, and which, will not lose the race for want of riding."

— In a recent number of the Sydney Mail " Milroy ' makes the following' remarks regarding the success of stallions with outside mares- — Since he retired from the turf, on which he greatly distinguished himself, True Bule (by Hotchjriss— Rose of Wellington) has had few mares outside of those belonging to his owner; therefore, he has lost many of the benefits that are derived 1 from public mares. Many stallions have made their best hits from mates selected for them outside the stud limits. For instance, Carbine got two of his best three horses — Wallace and La Carabine — from " public mares," while from visiting mares Lochiel sired, among others. Tartan, Le Var. Lord Ullin's Daughter, Marvel Loch, aod Holbrook. Bill of Portland is another stallion whose two best runners, Bobadil notwithstanding, -were ~ out of visiting mares — I allude to Maltster and Merriwee. Abercorn was not allowed public mares, and very few ruares of any kind, a state of things which probably account? for his partial failure as a stallion. During his years at Kirkhain. Abercorn bad less than 70 purebred ma-res ; but if he had had 40 or 50 a yea*, with public mares included, as Carbine had, it is more than likely that he would have got more than one Cocoa. While on tfie subject it is worth remembering that Lady Wallace — about the best animal Wallace has sired — waa not bred by that stallion's owner, and Trenton's dam wa3 not a member of the stud over which Musket held sway. Lady Trenton, too, is out of amare sent to Trenton, and the two best horses — Lord Cardigan and Postillion — that Positano got are out of " visitors." If Simmer had been retained solely for his owner's mare 3 his best horse, Dividend, , would never have been foaled, and' by far Medallion's best, Achilles, is from an outside mare sent to the horse.

— An English paper, in referring to the refusal of a record price for America's champion, Sysonby, says: "At far aa prices are concerned, from the time of Stockwejl himself all the records have been cut in turn by descendants of Stockwell; but until now they came through the -exalted line of Doncaster, Bend Or, Ormonde, and Orme. Apparently the one to cap them all comes from the humbler ranks, end it is to a 20-potmder son of Stockwell that we owe in descent Master Kildaxe, Melton, and now Sysonby. Next to the Stockwells, the Vedettes, through Galopin. have fetched most money. Vedette was, of course, a classic winner, notwithstanding that in the long run. he was disposed of for 16 sovereigns. It was his alliance with Flying Duchess that gave us Galopin, and through him such descendants as St. Simon, Donovan, Persimmon. Florizel 11, Diamond Jubilee, William 111. St. Frusquin, St. Ainant, and St. Serf. We often wonder what \von73 be the state of the English tttrf now had M. Fridolin, who once owned Lord Ronald, retained possession of him, or a foreigner had come along and bought Vcde^'i. or a farmer, after a race at Shrewsbury, had taken Flying Duchess and run her in a cart! She was entered to be sold for a bagatelle, and yet all the great horses of this line that we have mentioned are descended from her. Still more remarkable is the fact that, going back to the year 1810, we find that the dam of Whitelock, who waa the great ancestress of the Voltigeur line, was bought for the small sum of threj sovereigns. We also have it on the authority of Mr Melrose. the much-re-spected chairman of the York Race Committee, that the famous Thormanby was very nearly being bought by his brother, who had an idea, of cutting vim for a hunter. Cosmopolite, who could win a fftir miles steeplechase one day and the next bowl over a big field in a T.Y.O. handicap with lOst on his back, actually ran in a Paris cab before it was found out wSiat a wonder he was.