SPORTING.

FIXTURES.

May 17 and 18— Egmont R. C. Winter. May 20 and 24— Takapuna J.C. Winter. May 24 and 25— Wanganui J. C. Winter. June 2 and 3 — Dunedin J.C. Winter. June 3 and s— Otaki Maori R.C. Winter. June 3, 5, and 7— Auckland R.C. Great Northern Steeplechase. June 21 and 22— Hawke's Bay J.C. Winter. June 28 and 29— Napier Park R.C. Winter. July 6 and 7 — Gisborne R.C. WiKer. Bolbrikoff was not started in the Porangahua Handicap at Hastings. No doubt it was considered that it was setting the ,big fellow too severe a task asking him to carry 10.6. in such heavy going. " ■ ■ The Cornet, who won the -Autumn Handicap at the AshJßurton meeting is a four-year-old ibrown colt bj Handsome Jack from the Goldsbrough mare Orchesjtra. He was ibred ,by Mr. W. F. Mcßeth, of Wanganui, 'but his form has ibeen very moderate hitherto. A. noticeable fact in connection with English racing is that while several winners of the One Thousand have annexed the Oaks and the St. Leger. not one Has yet been successful in the Derby.Eight of the riders in the Liverpool Grand National, including the successful horsemen, were amateurs. Sunstar, having- now placed the Two Thousand Guineas and Newmarket Stakes to his credit, will probably be a warm favourite for the Derby. There can be no doubt that he is a .good colt, for as a two-year-old, he started six times and won three races to the value of ;£2llß, while this season he has already annexed two valuable events. Sunstar was got by the one-time crack sprinter Sundridge '(by Amphion) from Doris by Loved One, from Lauretta Iby Petrarch. The colt has won at a . mile and a mile and a quarter, so that it looks as though" he should be able to stay ithe Derby bourse at Epsom: He is .also engaged in the St. Legrer. Sportsmen are proverbially .superstitious, and here are two well-known authenticated instances which' will interest the believers in dreams and omens. Frank Morgan, the English steeplechase jockey dreamt two nights before the race that he saw Glenside come in alone in the Grand National, and told Mr. J. Anthony of his remarkable dream just before he got into .the saddle. The latter replied, "Let us hope it comes true." Mr Michael Reddy, M.P., was one of the fortunaFe few who backed Glenside, and he did so as the result of a tip from a clairvoyante. Some while ago he. found, himself in' Dublin with a few hous to spare, so he wandered into the Rotunda — where entertainers and side-shows gather in pence for the liospital next door— and patronised a clairvoyante, who happened to be there. "What shall I tell you " asked the mystic. "The winner of the Grand National," said Mr Reddy carelessly. "Glenside," was *he prompt reply. On his return to the House, the Irish member made no secret of his tip, but found no one but himself sufficiently bold to act on it. When F. Burn failed to draw the weight after winning the Onkaparinga Hurdle Race at Kulcurna, one of the owners of the horse is reported t<> have made a suggestion about weighingr the plates on Mis feet. Though tliis was, of course, considered to be out of the question( an Adelaide i>aper recalls the fact that Mr Seth Ferry once had an argument with the' Hon. W. B. Rownsevell, at Morphettville as to whether boots and bandages could be weighed, insisting that everything a horse carried could be legitimately included. Mr Ferry wrote to "Bell's Life" on the subject, and the English authorities, in replying, asked the question, "What about shoes and plates?" Mr Ferry explained that the horse did not carry them all the time, because he was continuously placing ; them, on the ground. In their' final letter the English people said they were inclined to agree that Mr Ferry was -.right In his contention. Those responsible for the proper conduct of ' horse-racing are at times confronted with some knotty problems. John, who has been doing excellent worlc on the tracks recently, and was shaping particularly well " over the hurdles, is .understood to have shown symptoms of unsoundness during the last few days, and is regarded as a doubtful starter at the Egmont meeting next week. Frank Lind, who has decided to take On riding again, was to have given him a turn over the hurdles yesterday morning, but the cuirrassier gelding has not Ibeen sent out. Jo"hn was looked upon as a very likely winner of the Century Hurdles on the 'strength of the good work be had been doing, but it would seem that the bad luck which has attended this gelding is still sticking to him. ' v Lull, now owned by Mr. C. Gordon, is making friends by the way he is acquitting himself over the big country. This gelding has Ibeen treated to a course of swimming exercise lately. This appears to have , agreed with him; as .he looks very well, and is jumping in first-class style' From Waverly comes word that Auratus is doing excellent work and is apparently quite sound. He is said Jto be jumping splendidly, ' and his connections are hopeful of. seeing him win the Century Hurdles. . In all likelihood he will be given, a run in the i Manaia .Handicap next. Wednesday at the Egmont meeting.. AN . ALL-ROUND HORSEMAN. , the well-known New. Zealand jock- • eyi W-. Young, once/came wkhin an

ace of riding 1 the winner of a flat race, and a " trotting- race within a very short period. The feat, although remarkable, would not have been unprecedented. The late Duke of Hamilton was once asked to patronise a meeting at "Glingendaal," close to the Hague, and as Mr. Dan Thirlwell was on his way to Germany with eight horses belonging to his Grace, three were entered there. The stakes were small, and the class .bad, and the events consisted of steeplechasing, hurdle and trotting- races. Now, Mr Tliirhvell had ridden trotters when a ■boy, and having- made friends with some of the trotting- men during 1 the week, he stayed there .before the races, and used to ride some of 'heir charges on the' course in the morning- for his own amusement, and, (as :t turned out) profit,, "for on 'telling the Duke about it on arrival, the latter, on racing commencing, ibacked "his jockey for a large sum of money to win on the flat, another over hurdles, a steeplechase, and a trotting- race all on the one day, and that his was not a case of misplaced confidence may be gathered from the fact that the accomplished Dan won the flat race on Cosmos, the hurdle with Bolero, walked-over for the steeplechase with The Captain, and won the trot on something- else. THE POSITION IN AMERICA, llkferring to the racing position in America, the New York correspondent of the London "Sportsman" says :— "Outside New York State we have news that racing will probably be restored in the State of Missouri, under the control of a State Commission and with .betting on the panmutuel system. West Virginia has. passed a liberal racing law, and it is understood that several prominent eastern owners and supporters of the turf will establish a meeting or series in that State this season, lhe codes Committee of the Texas Senate has favourably reported a' measure which will revive racing- at Dallas, San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Houston. It is almost certain that sport will -be resumed in Tenessee, and that Nashville and Memphis will again be the centres of great horseracing and breeding. Throughout the country there is a healthy revival in the sport of Kings, and it is -probable that in this State the -present Legislature will go a considerable distance to revoke the preposterous measures which have so seriously affected a large and important part of the population, and which, after all, have 'not satisfied the so-called reform element, though they did really secure ex-Governor Hughes a life position on the Bench.

The reply received -from 'Tun-.h" to ' Mr. Gilbert Little's-, ouesron, "What is a Scotsman?" to the effect that lie is "A man who has the supreme gift to laugh at himself," is calculated to upset some preconceived notions of the Scot, and challenges familiar dicta as' to his inability to appreciate good humour. Punch's experience goes to support the daring allegation, for (so the editor informed Mr Little lately) 75 per cent of the jokes appearing in his columns contributed by those not on the permanent staff, come from Scotsmen — including jokes which tell against the Scot. •

Mr. A. D. Bayfleld, of Westport, waited upon the Patea Harbour Board last Thursday, and asked for an option over the foreshore under the Board's control, with the. view of developing the ironsand industry. The Board decided to grant him an option for six months at a sliding scale rental, on being- satisfied as to- his bona fides. In the old conditions an expenditure of ,£IOOO was provided for within two years, and Mr. Bayfield said he was prepared to increase that amount . toy 100 per cent the first year, £>ut he considered the wharfage rate, Is per ton, .too-higii,. -