CONDENSED ITEMS.

The South Australian two-year-old flyer Helene is to have a spell. The final payment for the Danedin Cup is due on Monday, the ISth of February. Liberator, the winner of the V.It.C. Normanby Stakes of ISBI, has been put in training again. Hurricane, who ran third to MartiniHenry and Sardius for the Victoria Derby, has been turned out for a holiday. Two Australian jockeys, Sims, who can ride 7st 101b, and James Smith, Bst 71b, are now in Dunedin, in search of employment. General regret was expressed in Sydney that the New Zealand Stud Company did not send over Martini-Henry's sister for disposal. The Adelaide Racing Club will this year give 500sovs. to the Birthday Cup, and are limiting the nomination and acceptance fee to lsov. each. It is said that George Fordham, the celebrated English jockey, will have to pass the winter abroad on account of failing health. The Waitara Jockey Club have received 14 nominations for their Derby of 1887. Musket has one representative in the shape of a filly out of Queen Bess. Navigator is reported to bo doing well at Terrara, so there is every probability of him measuring strides with Commotion, MartiniHenry and Co., in the Champion Race. The Glenormieton stud has been withdrawn from sale—Mr Finlay, sen., who lately returned to Victoria from England, having determined to carry it on. At the Takapuna Jockey Club settling on Wednesday night, the owner of Yuba Bill accepted 1500 to 45 that the son of Day Dawn would win the next Auckland Cup. Mr J. Enko notifies by advertisement that he leaves for the Dnnedin Meeting on Thursday next, and during his abjenee Mr May will have charge of his book, and pay and receive on his behalf. Australian paper? state that Barlow, the English jockey and cross-country rider, who has been most unfortunate there, has gone to New Zealand under engagement to a prominent breeder. The sentence of disqualification passed on Joseph Brennan by the Victorian Trotting Club, for suspicious riding at Elsternwick Park, has been endorsed by the Victoria Racing Club. Mr Montague Smith has disposed of Herculaneum (full brother to Fitzhereules) to a Gisborne sportsman named Mr W. Bailey, and his Hippocampus—Venus Transit filly to Mr Hugh McLean, of the same district. At the annual meeting of the Australian Jockey Club the report showed the financial position of the Club to be highly satisfactory, and signal success had attended the new rule providing for the registration of country clubs and raco meetings. There seems to have been a considerable falling-off in the value of the principal races of the English turf for ISS3, for only thirtyfour of them have been worth a? much as a thousand pounds, whereas last year fortyone ran into four figures. Progress's half-brother Ironmaster, owned by Mr J. Whittinjrham, has at length succeeded in appropriating a race. At the Moonee Valley races (Melbourne) he managed to beat a lot of moderates in a Maiden Plate of 2osovs. The annual sale of the Bundoora Park yearlings will take place at the Pastoral Hotel, Newmarket, on February 20, the day preceding the V.R.C. Autumn Meeting. The catalogue contains the names of 26 youngsters sired by Angler, Tubal Cain, and Quamboneson. Mr H. Sandford, the American sportsman who visited Englnnd a short time ago, not placing implicit reliance on the time taken on English racecourses, made arrangements with another American to test the records. The result was that he found they were generally wrong from three to five seconds. Hales rode Linda, the winner of the Geelong Gold Cup, and the other starters were Little Sister, Agitation, Guesswork, Aide-de-Camp, Lesbio, Essex, Ferryman, Doneaster, and the much-talked-of Wheatmeat, who finished fourth. Precious Stone, a full brother to Turquoise, won the Trial Stakes. Very few of the crack two-year-olds of ISS3 are engaged in this year's English Derby. "When the mail left, the filly by Hermit out of Adelaide was favourite at 10 to 1, the only others backed being Fritz and Harvester. The Adelaide filly cost about £3,500 as a yearling, and last year she got back her purchase money by winning the July Stakes and the Dewhurst Plate. The "Melbourne Sportsman" is endeavouring to discover the opinion of its readers as to who 13 the most successful and popular trainer in Australia by issuing a coupon weekly. Up to the 30th January, Mr F. F. Dakin headed the list with 372 votes, Mr De Mestre coming next with 365, and Mr Fennelly close up The final state of the poll was to be published on the sth February. Transferred, who will be remembered as running third to Tyropean and Colstoun for the last V.R.C. Newmarket Handicap, beat Gudarz and the English horse. Father Prout, in the Trial Stakes at Calcutta, and ran the mile in lmin. 44sec. Transferred was conceding Father Prout 91b. and Gudarz 141b. The latter finished second, and j Camballo (-who has been re-christened I Loyola) third.