IN A NUTSHELL

— Captain Webb is as fresh as paint. — Culloden is said to have grown into a fine colt.

— Quaesitum won the Gold Vaso at Ascot, with Sarana second and Barmacide third.

— The racehorse Kent has been sold for 195gs. and Swordbelt for3sgs, to Mr A. W. Cave. — As it is believed that Tempest is in foal, she has been turned out at Mr Johnson's place at Berwick.

— Isinglass is not going on as well as can bo desired in his preparation for his four-year-old engagements. — Selections for Hawke'a Bay :— Hurdles. Mklinitjj, after a race with Kulnine ; Steeplechase, Morao. — It is reported by " Castor " that Mr A. Boyle has accepted the position of permanent starter to the Canterbury Jockey Club. — The Press tells us that St. George is a long way ahead of all other stallions in the list of winners for the fast dying season. — No decision has yet been arrived at in regard to the question as to whether Mr Mossinao's year* lings now in Dunedin are to go to Queensland. — It is stated that La Fleche has visited Morion. The famous mare has, however, been kept ia training with a view to her engagements at Ascot. — " Ribbleden " says that Bonnie Scotland grows more like Loyalty every day, but will be a more powerful colt than Dan O'Brien's favourite. —A trotting club has been formed at Washdyke, to hold one annual meeting ; tho first meeting to beheld on July 26th. The sum of £120 will be given in stakes.

— Malcolm Allan is one of the unlucky sufferers by tho prohibition movement, his house (the London) having lost its license. No complaint was alleged against the landlord. — A Napier telegram states that the Jockey Club and Hunt Club meetings have been postponed until Thursday and Friday of next week on account of the wet weather.

— Ihe veteran steeplechaser Lone Hand died at Hamilton (Waikato), where he has been knocking about on a run. The last spell of bad weather finished him off. — Press correspondent. —Robin is among the entries for the N.Z. Grand National Steeplechase, and Empire and Jacob Faithful represent Otago in the Hurdles. A very fine entry list is made up for each event. — Maribyrnong, who is for sale, is now running at his owner's place at Warepa, but will nob be allowed to giow too gross. There is a possibility of his being entered fdr somethiug at the Grand National meeting. — Lyttelton Times says that the trotting ttallion Jay Gould, which belonged to the late Mr Edward Chapman, of Springbank, was disposed of last week to Mr H. Kerr, of Fairlie Creek ; the price was close upon £200. — Bulletin says that jockey Hayes's law expenses amounted to £800, but barrister Duffy generously returned a large sum and advised Hayes to drop further proceedings, "as there was too much . influence on tho other side."

— The Auckland Racing Club has decided to institute a race on lines similar to those governing tho Challenge Stake?. The event will be* a weight-for-age race for two and three year olds, to be run over six f urlongc. — ill'.OO reward has been offered for the conviction of the person who poisoned General Owen Williams's horse Pensioner, by HamptonLegacy, which fell dead in the De Trafford Handicap, run at.the Manchester Whitsuntide meeting on May 19. — The Grand Prize of Paris, run on the 17th inst., wa3 won by a French-bred hone, Dolma Baghtche, by Ktakatoa— Alaska, owned by one of the leading French breeders, Baron Schicklor. Tho unlucky Matchbox finished second, beating another French representative. —.Mr George Smith has patented or is- about to patent an adapted contrivance for compelling a horse to drink. It is a simple and inexpensive apparatus, and one that I should think is likely to meet with general favour. Anyone desirouß of seeing it can do bo by calling at the City billiard room. — The report is being revived, says " Spectator," that several jockeys in the North Island have so incurred the displeasure of the authorities that there is a likelihood of a renewal of their licenses being refused. I hope that such will not prove to be the case, but more than one I know has sailed close to the wind of late.

— Commenting on the presence of the totalisator at Adelaide races and the absence of the bookmaker, " Ribbleden," thus breaks into verse :—

Not a sound was heard, not a bookie's note, As round the enclosure I hurried, The only note was the tick of the tote, The bookies were dead — and buried.

— " Castor " understands that it is Mr Stead's intention to use Strowan as a hack. The son of Manon is not lame, but his joints have been giving some trouble. His mother was troubled in a similar manner as a young mare, and Mr Stead fancies that if Strowan is not trained again for Rome little time he will recover just as his mother did.

— Tho newly.formed American Jockey Club haß decided not to allow jockeys to own racehorses. This decision will be incorporated into the new rules, which will be presented to turfmen as a souvenir next Christmas. The new rule will afflect many of the leading jockeys in America. Those at present owning horses will be allowed 12 months in which to dispose of them. — The declaration of the weights for the V.R.O. Grand National Hurdle Race and Steeplechase led to a fair amount of double-event speculation in Melbourne. For the Hurdle Race, Tim Swiveller, Goldreef, Bill, Bisehoff, Captain Webb, and Ebor were backed in various combinations with TrojaD, Corangamite, The Actress, Busaco, and Mon Ami for the Steeplechase at 100 to 1. — vSays "Ajax," of Melbourne: Recently the total is* tor as a means of betting has gained many friends, and I believe th<*re is a reasonable chance of the bill for its legislation passing both Houses this session. The Adelaide clubs can give sp'endid stakes, owing to the revenue derived from the totalisator. There the tandeucy is to increase the stakes. Here the opposite is the case. — Illuminata, dam of the Derby winner, was mated with eight different stallions before Bhe threw Lidas to Hampton, her other produce being failures as racehorses. H r first mate was Kisber, and she was put to the Austrian horse a second year, and then in succession followed Kaunitz, Dutch Skater, Foxhall, Town Moor, Master Kildare, Foxhall, Dutch Skater, Hampton. — Referring to Response's display in the Royal Stakes, the Sydney Referee saya : - Shalooked well, and gained admirers by her freo style of going in her preliminary canter. Had she got away she would probably have won. She came with a brilliant run down the straight, and galloped down three-parta of the field with ease. She must be a flyer to finish where she did, and it was bad luck for Mr O'Brien she got such a wretched — There is yet existing, the property of Captain A. Smith, of Opotiki, a mare, probably the oldest in the colony, if not in Australasia. Jessie is undoubtedly the last equine survivor of General Cameron's troops, and still bears the brand " 0.T.0. 846. 8." She is close upon 38 years of age, and has raised no less than 19 foals, taking several prizes with them. Her last foal was dropped whenlshe was 31 years of age.— Sydney Referee. „_ , „ , — The Argus says that Mr W. Allen haa received an addition to his " museum at Kirk s Bazaar in the shape of the shouldor bone of the Grand National Hurdle Eace winner ihe Agent, who died a few months ago. rhe bone was broken, and afterwards knitted together at the joint, where a bony enlargement occurs. Mr Allen has also the shoulder bone of Commotion, which is knitted together in the same way, and the bones of the two horses, even to the shape of 1 the enlargement, are as like as two peas.