MISCELLANEOUS.

Advices from Sydney state that tho Auckland-bred horse Martini • Henry is likely to be sent to England shortly. This is the horse who first made the name of. the defunct Auckland Stud Company and who electrified tho racing world of Australasia, when he won the V.R.C. Derby and Melbourne Cup. Martini-Henry had many opportunities at the Kirkham stud to make a big name for himself, but he lio-h not turned out a. stud success. At the same time he has sired winners. The two-year-old filly Hermosa goes up for sale by auction at A. Buckland and Sons' on Friday next at noon. Auckland will be represented at the Hawke's Bay J.C. Steeplechase Meeting next week with The Sinner and Castashore, who were shipped yesterday afternoon by the s.s. Westralio. The Melbourne Cup nominations this year total 142, as compared with 131 last year. Weights arc due on Monday, s!7th June. Bobadil appears among the nominations for the V.R.C. Champion Stakes. Adam Byers took Miss Nelson to Brown's Island on Saturday last, at which salubrious spot she is to be indulged in a good spell. Weights for the New Zealand Cup are due on the Ist July. The Musket horao Thunderbolt, atone time in J. Chaafe's stable at Ellerslie, has a unique record. Out of 31 horses sired by him that have appeared on the turf no less than 29 have up to the present won races. The Sydney sportsman, Mr S. Hordern, has nominated seven of his yearlings for the A.J.C. December Stakes, Champagne Stakes, Derby and St. Leger. He has also nominated Welbeck, Nor -East, and Miss West for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and other important engagements. Erom Melbourne comes news that the New Zealand 'chaser Donald McKinnon has changed hands at 300 guineas. He appears among the nominations for the V.R.C. Steeplechase. Caulfield Cup entries this year total 157, as against 149 last year. Mutiny is reported to be doing good work at Hastings. The ex-Auckland gelding Ditto is to be taken from Sydney to Melbourne for the V.R.C. Grand National Meeting. The hurdle racer Unaslopogaas is already at Iticcarton undergoing a preparation for the forthcoming Grand National Hurdle Race. Levanter figures among the nominations for both the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race and Steeplechase. Handicaps are due to-day. Levanter, Lady Marion and Rex go across to Sydney by next Monday's steamer. Mr J. J. Russell asks me to contradict & statement going the rounds that Waiuku has sired twin foals. It appears that the Taranaki sportsman has a filly sired by tho New Zealand Cup winner from Lady Onslow, one year old, and a filly foal bred the same way. The number of two-year-olds running on the English turf increases every year. In 1827 there were only 140 two-years-olds running, and nearly 1,400 ran during the past season. The other day a wager of 500 to 20 was written locally against Daystar for the next New Zealand Cup. Uluminata, the dam of Ladas, has foaled a bay colt to Royal Hampton this season, and has visited Sheen.

The death is announced of the English brood mare Sanda, dam of Sainfoin, who won the Derby in 1891. The much boomed American jockey Tod Sloan is trying to get the Fleischmanns to release him from his contract so he can ride in England this year. Lord William Beresford and Pierre Lorrilard have offered him £3,000 for first claim on his services for this season.

An English scribe describes Newhaven IT. as " a horse of a washy chestnut hue." The Victoria Racing Club is anxious to charge for admission to the flat at Flemington. At present it is prohibited by Act of Parliament from doing bo. Strathbraan, the Wellington Cnp winner of 1897, is being schooled over hurdles at Biccarton in view of the National Meeting.

Ib is not generally known that Mr J. W. Larnach, owner "of the Epsom Derby winner, Jeddah, is a son of tho late Mr Donald Larnach, of Melbourne, who loft behind him a big fortune in station properties. Mr Larnach is only a recent acquisition to the turf, yet he already possesses a stud farm, and races on a big scale. Euroclydon won eight of the 20 races in which ho started, and his winning in stakes comes to £3,060. In England stecplechasing is going down hill fast. Tho last season is described as probably the worst in tho memory of living man. Of the late Mr Hamar Bass, the English brewer, who died in April, "Vigilant" writes : No man spent money moro liberally both on racing and coursing, and no one was more consistently unfortunate. It is, of coup.se, absurd to suppose that his rooted dislike to naming bis horses had anything to do with his ilUortuno, yet the fact remains that tho only two he ever owned that did him any. real good were RusticuH and Lovo Wisely. Mat Harris, the Sydney jockey, is not (writes "Javelin" in the "Leader") one of the recognised wits of the turf, but he scored off a swell punter one day when he was riding Marvel at Flemington, After saddling, he was riding the famous son of Marvellous out of the bird-cage, when a total stranger, who was immensely "got up," approached, and said, "Haw ! Is he worth a couple of sovereigns, Harris?" Mat looked stolidly at his interrogator, and, without moving a muscle, said in a most respectful tone, "I don't think they want to ficll him, sir !" The Two Thousand Guineas Stakes, won on 27th April by the Derby favourite, Disraeli, was worth £4,000. When Galtce Moro won tho previous year the stako was worth £3,700. Ho did tho Rowley mile (one mile and 11 yards) in lmin 40 3-f>see, particularly good timo, and •! l-ssou faster than Disraeli registered. Disraeli was not in much favour after being inspected in the birdcage, and he retired to 100 to 8. Jeddah, in a lield of 14, started third favourite at 6 to 1, and ran fifth. How ho could have receded to 100 to 1 for the Derby in these circumstances is most mysterious, Jeddah wan ridden by J. Watts, who probably had the mount in the Derby. S. Loates, who rode Disraeli, had at the same time been engaged to ride Nun Nicer.in the One Thousand Guineas. She also won. Tho death is announced from Sydney at the ago of 23 years of tho stallion Warlock, by Kelpie. The Hobartvillo stud — the .birthplace of Merman, Patron, Kuenalf, Patroness, Hopscotch, aud a multitude of other noted performers on tho turf—is to bo put under tho hammer in New South Wales in September. News comes from Sydney that a party of gentlemen interested in turf pumnLs have started a stud farm on a rich patch of land near Aberdeen, on the Upper Hunter. The new venture is called the Kinsley Stud Company, and the lord of the harem is to bo the brilliant Doncaster horse, Hussley, at one time owned by Mr G. (J. Stead. Lochie) is at the head of tho winning siren' list in Australia this season. His descendants have won slakes to the value of £14,145. Among the onlookers one morning nt Randwick recently were Curset Jee Cober Jce (handictippcr" for Western .India), Colonel Anderson (late head of the Indian Army Veterinary Department), and Mr J. L. Tulloeh', the Indian horse buyer. From Sydney comes news of the death of Olga by (Piscator—Beatrice). (Jlga wan the dam of Ruonalf, Patron, and other*. She was foaled in 1880.