SPORTING NOTES. [BY A CORRESPONDENT.]

In a late number of tho Examiner, under the heading of " Sporting Notes," an interesting account was givon of the recent matches between English and French wrestlers, and also of the great game at billiards for the championship, between Cook and Roberts. An occasional article on sporting affairs in tho old country would, 1 believe, not prove unacceptable to many of your readers, and particularly on affairs of the turf, which are everywhere popular with Eng-lish-speaking people. The great three-year-old races of the year — the One and Two Thousand Guineaß, at Newmarket ; the Derby and Oaks, at Epsom, a month later * the Cup races, at Ascot and Goodwood ; tho Doncaster Leger, and the big handicaps, at Newmarket, in the autumn — are all regarded of sufficient interest to be telegraphed to wherever the wires will convey the intelligence. But the fact of learning that Pretender has won the Derby, and Pero Gomez the Leger, can offord very little iuterest unless something is known of the antecedents of the horses, and the company they run against. As another racing season has commenced, and one which is likely to possess unusual interest, I propose to furnishyou from time to time with such turf " Notes " as shall enable your readers to know something of the leading turf events in England, and the names of the winners of the great races of the year will then have a real interest for them. As a rule, horses which run successfully as two-year-olds, furnish the winners of the principal three-year-old events. As racing is now conducted, it is a rare occurrence for the owner of a promising animal not to run him at two years old, but it will sometimes happen that colts and fillies which run unsuccessfully at that age, are highly successful when they reach three years old. Still, as a rule, the clipping two-year-olds are foremost in the betting for the One and Two Thousand Guineaß, run at Newmarket early in May, and the form they then exhibit is taken as a guide for the Derby and Oaks, which follow at Epsom. At the present time, then, the probable winners of the One Thousand Guineas, a short mile for fillies, and the Two Thousand Guineas, over the Rowley mile (one mile and seventeen yards), for colts and fillies, are looked for almost exclusively among the animals which distinguished themselves last year, and the following list of those which were most successful furnish most of the prominent favourites : —

These were the most successful youngsters of last season, out of about 300 winners. Taking the three-year-old races in their order of running, the first will bo the One Thousand Guineas, which this year has seventy-one nominations. A large proportion of these animals will probably never be known to fame, but the list includes several animals of undoubted excellence, since tho fillies of last year were far more successful than the colts. Standing at the head of the list, is Mr. Merry's wonderful filly, Sunshine, byThormanby, out of Sunbeam, the winner of nine races in the best of company, out of ten for which she started, and losing the Middle Park Stakes by a Bhort head only through being " cannoned " by Kingcraft at the finish, which enabled Frivolity to steal the race. As it was, Sunshine won £7,633 in stakes alone, and had she netted the great Middle Park Stakes, she would have carried to Mr. Merry's credit about £11,000 — an unprecedented sum for a two-year-old to win. Sunshine is remarkably good tempered and light-hearted, and her friends entertain sanguine expectations of her three-year-old career, notwithstanding the recent examples of Lady Elizabeth and Achievement, fillies that were highly successful as two-year-olds, but whose aftercareer did not sustain their early reputation. Next to Mr. Merry's filly comes Frivolity, and Hester, and these may be regarded as occupying the first rank, and then follows Mantilla, Atalantis, La Calonne, Calypso, Cestus, and Asterope. Several non-public performers will probably also start, some of which are very fashionably bred, but as public running governs the betting, the winner is regarded as pretty certain to be furnished by one of the first three animals named, and, baring accidents, it is thought Sunshine can scarcely fail to carry off the race. My next " Note " shall be devoted to the Two Thousand Guineas, which being open to both sexes affords a wider range, and is regarded as a pretty sure index to the Derby. A New Favourite for the Derby. — A curioua illustration of the blunders in telegraphy is to be found in the late news from England, via California, brought to Auckland by the Wonga Wonga, from, Honolulu. The intelligence as given in the papers, announce a change in the Derby betting, and is thus stated : — "Morris's Col M c Gregor,by Macaroni, is now the first favourite in the betting for the Derby." For which read, " Merry's colt Macgregor, by Macaroni," &c. Macgregor was Mr. Merry's third string for the Derby, his filly Sunshine, and his colt Sunlight, having occupied the leading positions in the betting all the winter. The son of Macaroni and Necklace did not appear in public last year, but large sums of money were invested on him at outside odds, and the books at the end of last year Bhowed about £75,000 laid against him. Something must have occurred to bring the colt into the foremost place as favourite— probably a private trial with one or other of Mr. Merry's other two horses.

Sunsliine frivolity . iingcraffc Mantilla . Ltalantis lester . ?ete Lgility . . itepbanotis . Tenos . . loina . . Jueen of Hearts )uptivator Swift . Astrolabe lawthornden >unlighfc . .Vhite Slave . it aces. 10 5 9 12 9 11 23 11 20 8 10 U 9 14 4 6 13 16 Won 9 4 6 7 5 4 7 5 8 6 7 10 4 4 2 3 3 10 n. fr,633 5,300 3,765 2,770 2,020 1,840 1,801 1,719 1,710 1,654 1,520 1,455 1,300 1,235 1,100 1,007 1,000 896