THE RACING WORLD.

By ASHBY.*

RACING FIXTURES

October 21, 24—Wellington R.C. October 27, 2S—Danuevirke J.C. October 2S, 29—Gore R.C. October 20, 30—Poverty Bay T.C. October 29, 30—Mastertou R.C. November 7—C.J.C. Metropolitan (New Zealand Cup)

At Bethlehem (Pa.) on September LI. Prince Alert paced a mile in 2m 3is. whieli is a world's record for a half-mile track.

Edith W. broke the world's record for pacing mures on a half-mile track at Anderson (uid.) on September 4, in the free-for-ii.ll pace. Her time by quarters was 33J8SC', lm ojs, ltu 'Mi, 2m 7s.

Revenue, who was so severely injured in the Australian Cup of 1902, is now apparently all right again. He has been taken up from the paddock by Mr Macdonald, and will shortly be put into work again.

The crack ■trotting gelding Major, Delmar got over a anile in 2.0.1, at .Syracuse (X.Y.) on September 11, lowering the gelding; record by ljsec. Three days later Major Del'liiar attempted to improve upon His own record, tout failed to do better than 2.0}. An offer o£ £0000 was subsequently made Tor Major Ccimar, ami refused.

The American crack. McChesney, was in ■good form last month, and among the races die accounted i'or was the Twin City Handicap at S'heepsheaxl Bay (New York). He carried 9.3, beating , 10 others easily in 2.4 O-usec for the anile and a quarter. His lowner, Smathers, is credited with having? won 5U,000d01. in bets.

The V.R.C. ..stewards .held an exhaustive inquiry recently into the circumstances connected with the fall of Czarovitch and Duke of Grafton in the October Stakes. AH the jockeys 'engaged in the race except Fielder, who was absent in Sydney, were examined, and the stewards came "to the conclusion that there was no ■evidence of foul play, but that the occurrence was purely accidental.

In response to the request -that they should require suburban clubs to increase slake money and distances, the V.R.C. committee have decided, subject to the approval of their members, that clubs racing within a radius of 20 miles of the Melbourne Post Otiiee shall provide £050 stake money cm Saturdays and holidays and £300 for ordinary day fixtures. No club shaill have more than nine days' racing, and any club holding more than three days' racing in the season must include at least three races on the flat of not less than a mile and a Quarter.

' Although the A.J.C. Derby winner, Belah, made a rather inglorious display in the Caulfleld Guineas on Saturday, it does not follow that he is altogether out of court in connection with the V.X.C. Derby (says

••Martindale" in the "Town and Oountiy Journal"). The history of these races for three-year-olds shows that during the past twenty years only twice have the Guineas winners suceeded In capturing the classic FlemiUgton event, Strathmoro doing the trick in 1801, and Wallace four years later. Last year Abundance, like Emir on this occasion, was sent for the Caulfield Stakes, and while the Pilgiim's Progress colt beat Great Scot in the Derby, the latter, who was unplaced in the Guineas, turned the tables on Strata Florida and Oakwood, who fllled tirst aud second places in the mile race at Caulfleld. There is little doubt, however, that Scobie regards the Wallace colt as the best of his good three-year-olds, and, that being so, Emir, taking "last year's running as a guide, certainly stands out as the Derby winner, especially as he went very well on Saturday.

The following par. by "Merlin" in the English "Referee,-" will interest trainers, caretakers, .and others who have to do with training tracks in this colony. He says:— "One of the mistakes of the day is preaching about thick coverings of herbage. If you uaYe a covering with plenty of matted roots, you dou't want long stuff on top; in fact, the two are inconsistent, and the latter 'is apt to be very treacherous in wet weather, because the muddy earth works through, and horses slip about on it disastrously. Besides, leaving the grass long hides Inequalities, and, I may add, is, somehow apt to induce too much faith in rollers. Personally, I hate rollers, especially the heavy ones, and wouldn't have one on a "ttllop of mine, except for use, perhaps, twice or so in a year. You can safely bet a hundred to one on a track treated by putting men on to see to the hoof-prints mid plenty of bush harrowing against the latter-day over-rolled courses. If you want downs spoilt, place a Young England trainer of the Newmarket school in charge or .1 "round. In a season—more particularly winter—he will probably undo all the good :m experienced manager of the old school has effected in years.

"Pilot" in the Sydney "Referee" has the following par re Sweet Nell's performance in the'Caulfield Guineas:—The Caulflold track must have been very fast on Saturday, ancl in winning the Guineas in 143 Sweet Nell put up a record for the race, improving half-a-second upon Strata Florida's time. Prior to Saturday, a filly had not been successful since Volley scored, in ISBS. Swot i Nell does not seem to have had much to spare from her stable-com-panion, Hauturier, on Saturday, but there was probably a lot more in it than "won by a neck" would 'suggest, otherwise she would not have subsequently been made such a strong order for the Caulfield Cup. When in Sydney recently Swoet Nell looked none too bright, but all the same ran well in each of her races, and going on her showing in the Derby and Metrop.. there is no doubt that a mile and a half is well within her compass. She was expected to make a good bid for the Metropolitan, but she was unlucky in that race, us Lewis was uuprnpared when the.barrier 'went up, the result being that the filly was absolutely last at the end of the first furlong. She' finished sixth, so that, taking everything into consideration, her performance was a good one. Some good Melbourne judges were of opinion that the Sydney trip would knock her out, but the reverse was the case, as she is said to have looked particularly well on Saturday.

We learn that Ard Patrick, the Derby winner of 1902 (says the London "Sportsman") will not again be seen in public. His remarkable victory over Sceptre and Rock Sand in the Eclipse Stakes in July is to be permitted definitely to end his racing career, and the colt will probably go to the stud forthwith. It will be remembered that shortly before Ard Patrick ran at Sandown Park in July he was sold to Count Leundorff for 20,000g5. a similar price to that which the Russian Government gavo for Galtee More, though with the important difference that Mr Gubbins had throe valuable races to the good. In other words, Ard Patrick was .to be permitted to fulfil his weight for age races this season before proceeding to Germany. He won the Eclipse Stakes, as all the world knows, and he would probably have won the remaining two races had he run in them, these being the Jockey Club Stakes of 10,000 soys, to be decided at the Newmarket First October meeting, and the Champion Stakes, of lOOOsovs, added to a sweepstakes of oOsovs /each, to be ruu at the Second October meeting. The net value of these events to the winners last year was a little over OOOOsovs, and it is possible that Mr Gubbius has received recompense in some way for the loss of a like sum, which there was every probability of the colt "picking up." During his career on the turf, Ard Patrick, who i.s by St. Florian out of Morganette (Galtee Mores dim) won six races and lost five, crediting his owner with 2C,Glosovs. Of this sum he won 266GSOVS as a two-year-old -4SO *ovs as a three-year-old,' and lG,4<o&ov.<, during the present season. Mr Gubbius led the colt, and that he has done well v Win is a point upon which he must feel hotou"htv satisfied. Ard Patrick, however, Is a grand horse, and comes of a rare Jt, .«/ At the stud he will, in all probability treK enhance his reputation. It may be interesting to give the amounts won by other noted horses during their raeinc careers:— Isinglass won 07.45550T5, Donovan 0E5,15350v5, Flying .Fox 40.W6sovs, Persimmon 34,70650v5, Orme -S4,G2osovs, St. Frusquin 32,9G050v5, Ormonde 23,26050v5, Galtee More 27,01950v5, Velasquez 26,885 soys, and Ladas 18,51650v5.

The field for the V.R.C. Derby lias nor* dwindled down to 19. but it is fair to assume tluit loss than half thjit number wH go to the post, says "Martinda'le," in ih : "Town ana Country Journal. - ' As in the Guineas, Scobic plays a strong hand, as the R alia rat trainer having such representatives as F.J.A., Emir. Sweet Nell, ami Hauturier. Belah, Jacobite. Praleon, and Kitty Graf ton are left in to uphold the honour of this State, but the last-named is a certain non-starter, while the others will have to improve very considerably on their recent displays if they are to bring the l>hie ribuon across the bonier.

We occasionally see some very curious eases at law reported in the newspapers (says "Martlndnle" in Hie '-Town and Country Journal"). The following is one that occupied the attention of the Breslau Tribunal (Germany): In a garden at Soliciting, formerly the estate of Count Gootssen, n well-known racehorse. Jesuit, had boon buried with due honours, after having carried successfully the colours of his owner. A grave was made and surrounded with a hedge to mark the spot, and the Count in his will imposed an obligation on his successors and future purchasers of the land to maintain the place as it was \s£t by him, under penalty of a sum of £30. to be devoted towards some deserving local charity. Evil times compelled the sale of the place, and the purchaser—who did not earn for the grave of a horse in his private park —levelled the mound, and cleared away all traces of the spot. He was sued by the executors of the Count, and has been' compelled to pay the £30, which has been handed over to the School Board of Schoitnig.

The record? of the "StU-fl Book" (says "Vigilant," Xt Ihe London "S.portsman'"> 'have been altogether unfavourable to first foals, as few of the best mares of the last century produced a iirst-born of any great account, and those that did produce a really first-class racer at the first 'attempt seldom produced another that was worth a de*L l-o take a dozen famous mares, they might bo named as Alice Hawthorn, "Beeswing Crucifix, Poeahontas. Queen Mary, Mendicant, Paradigm, Madame Eglantine, PriEM •cess of Wales. Lily Agnes, Thistle, an<S Perdita 11. Alice Hawthorn began very; badly, as she missed in her first two years,' and .the first she dropped, Young Hawthorn, was 'by no means a good one; her best Tshormanfoy, was her ninth foal, and she was then 19 years old. Beeswing's first. Uild Port, by Sir Hercules, was very modeirate, and all the good 'he did to the stud was with Exmoor ponies. The good old mare missed her second year, had a good one in Nunnykirk in her third year, and her 'best, Newminster, was her fifth produce.: The first produce of Crucifix, Cowl, was, perhaps, a speedy horse, but his forelegs "would not stand training , for any leng-th of time. The pride of Danebury missed her second, and her third, Crozier, could fun a bit, -and her fourth, Surplice', was her best. Pocahontas uvatie no great promise when she produced Cambaules, and, like many others, she missed in her second year, and. her three g-reat sons, Stockwell, Rataplan, and King Tom, were respectively her seventh, eighth, and ninth, 'being a 12-year-old when she produced Stockwell. Queen Mary may be taken a; 3 one of the exceptions to produce on/j better than herself as a first foal, as there car. tie no question that Haricot was very useful, but not so good as Blooming Heather, Bonnie Scotland, or Blink Bonny. Mendicant's first, a filly called Miserieorde, died before she was put into training, und she did not breed anything of very great account until her fifth, Beadsman. Paradigm's first son, King at Arms, foaled when she- was a four-year-old, was a winner of numerous races, but in -class 'he was not within two stone of Lord Lyou and Achievement, her eighth and ninth productions. As a dam of fi number of winners, there is f nothing in the "Stud Book" that can be'wcll compared to Paradigm, as King at Arms, Man at Arms, Rouge Dragon, Blue Mantle, Gardevisure, Lord Lyon, Achievement, and Hatchment all won. The Princess of Wales started TuU'C-u better than other heroines, as Albert Victor "was decidedly a good hors-e, but the ■hero of the family, George Frederick, was the fourth, and the rest were of mixed. quality, Albert Edward and George Albert being anything but iirst-class. Madame Eglantine commenced with a moderate filly by Charleston, and her second, Monica, was by no means -as good as her fourth, Rosicrucian. The fourth produce it has been: often seen have turned out the best. There was nothing remarkable about Lily Agnes' first produce, Narcissus, as he was only moderate, and Eastern Lily and Rossington were bad. Farewell, her fourth, was a. great improvement, and her fifth was the mighty Ormonde. Thistle's first son, Larkspur, was no good, and, allowing that Perdita 11. grot one that could run. a bit in Derelict, he was not in the same company with Florizel 11., Persimmon, and Diamond Jubilee. It is necessary to have patience In the anticipation of what mares may do, for, as a rule, they do not produce their best in their earlier years. Queen Mary ■and Paradigm 'had. no work racing, whilst Beeswing, Alice Hawthorn, and Crucilix had been very hardly trained. Such as tfhese might -always want five or six yeara of peace in a paddock life to restore the vitality that tad been sapped by their do-. ings on si 'racecourse.