TALK OF THE DAY.

BY MAZEFPA.

* # * Twenty-five horses are still engaged in the New Zealand Cup, which is to be decided en Tuesday of next week, but a payment of £10 per head is due to-night to maintain the engagement, and some will then go out. One I o»n speak of with certainty. I refer to Hippomenes. He did a final gallop on Tuesday morning, and, failing to ihow his best form, though he went fairly well, it has been decided to abandon the trip altogether so far as he is concerned, and as a matter of fact the stable will not be represented at the meeting, tho owners deeming it wise to wait for the Dunedin races at the end of the month. Another about whose starting some doubt appears to prevail is Clanranald. After him, taking the list of horses in order of weight, they read like sure startera till we reach the name of Dilemma. I hardly know what to aay about this fellow. On Saturday night he was practically knocked out in tbe betting, but a gallop of a mile asda-balf on Tuesday morning seemed to liven him up rather than do him any barm, and the latest intention, I heir, is to t»ke him up to Christchurch to-morrow and give him a run in the Cup. I therefore expeut to see him start, but as there is juut a chance of bis dropping cut at tho last moment I cla»s bim as a doubtful. If he ohould hwe a go he will be ridden by Moody Campbell. Mahaki's defection would Dot surprise me, and there are two others lower on the list concerning whom there is a certain amount of suspicion. They are Casket and Pmepo. The latter I fancy will start, but I cannot speak with cert*inty. As for Casket, it is sett'ed that he will pay up, but the owner has not yet decided, so ns authorises me to state, whether the colt Biiall have a run in the Maiden and then hold off for the Derby or whether he shall make a •plash for the Cup. That will not be decided till about Monday. Aldershot is a sure starter, though his p-rty do not profess to be very hopeful. If all the five go out there ■wi.l still be a field of 20, and a very open sort of race they seem to mfcke of it. Here is the list, as nearly as I can fignra it out, of Probable Starters and Jockeys. St. lb. Prime Warden ... 8 8 ... F. Cochrane Au Kevoir ... 8 6 ... Stratford Rosefeldt 8 3 ... Lindsay *Clanianald ... 8 3 ... W. Clarke Skirmisher ... 8 3 ... Burns Saracen 8 2 ... M'llroy Royal Rose .;. 8 1 ... Connop Rangipuhi ... 8 0 ... M'Taggart Pegasus ... ... 713 ... Taylor Vogengang „ 7 13 ... Derrett Beadonwell ... 7 11 ... White Impulse ... ... 7 9 ... Matthews Lottie 7 8 ... Smith *Dilemma 7 6 ... M. Campbell *Mahnki 7 5 ... Ready Scot Free ... 7 4 ... Barry Captive 7 4 ... Rainbow Three Star ... 7 4 ... Gallagher Magazine 7 3 .. Wilson *Casket 7 2 ... M'Combe •Pmepo 7 2 ... Watts Westniere ... 7 0 ... Kingan Aldershot ... 6 13 ... Pine Leontine 6 12 ... C. Jenkins *Doubtful starters. Hippomenes' name is left out purposely, [he beiDg virtually scratched. And now for tbe all-important consideration, what is going to win? Prime \Wden has come through a c*reful preparation, aud there is no reason to suppose that he is any less dangerous than he would be were his stable mate Saraoen not engaged. Murray Hobbs rail two out for the Autumn Handicap and also for the Timaru Cup, beicg first and second in each race, and there is every reason to believe that the companions will just as eealously represent individual interest* on the forthcoming occasion. J therefore five (t that Prime Warden will be a trier, but

am not at all sure that be can do the trick. J£p had only 8.7 when beaten by the placed horsea j in the last New Zealand Cup ; he was licked id the Autumn Handicap whon carrying precisely the impost now eet against his name ; and aa he is now past Ir6 prime, I hardly expect tp see him win a race which has twice proved to be beyond his powers. At the ssme time he is at his best a br.lliant performer up to his own distance, whatever that may be— say a mile and a quarter for choice— and if ife is not a ?trong-run race throughout he may take a lot of doing at the finish. Au Revolt has better credentials. He bas practically accomplished all that has ever been asked o£ him ; he is at his best age, has done a searching if somewhat hurried preparation, and what I specially like about him is that be is a bulldog at a fiuish. If Rosefeldt wins it will be the best performai.ee she has ever shown. A bit of weight seems to find her out, and, though some of her followers seem to rely on the recent Wanganui performance as a satisfactory trial, she shall not carry my half-crown till the gets a little lower in the handicaps and out of ths neighbourhood of weight-for-age horses. More* over, she has a leg, they say, and may crack up in her flsial gallops. Clanranald also it under suspicion, and there is no evidence that h« has oonie through quito the sort of preparation that Lunn would have liked to give him.

*** Skirmisher must be treated with respect. He has been all the distance and a bit further (in the Canterbury Cup), also he won the Derby in fair time, snd better still he when above* himself in regard to condition beat a fair field with a brilliant run in the Provincial Handicap, • carrying 8.3. Th«t was a very tidy perform- ' ance Since then he has gone through a long; steady preparation, and I fancy that M'Ginnis is s&titfied as to his fitnef s. If so, this hone must be exceedingly dangerous. It would ha risky also to ucder-rnte Saracen. This moke is to some extent a mystery ; but there wag merit in his Timaxu running, and I fancy him in preference to Hobbs's other candidate. Royal Rose is another that has & show, tn the strtngth of his Sydney ruuniug. I should, howover, like him better without the halt-stone penalty ; and, besides, didn't he Jail to last oat the mile and three-quaiters at Randwick ; and then, again, the voyage across will not be ft poiut in his favour. Add to these considerations the further one that Three Star is in the same stable, and it seems to me that backers of Royal Rose cud not feel so confident as they let on to be. He m»y win, but I prefer two oc three others. Raugipuhi is not to my liking ; but wo next come to five that are not to be SO cavalierly thrust aside — Pegasus, whose Auok» laod Cup win ought not to be forgotten ; Vogengang, a quiet tip from select coteries OI knowing ones ; Beadonwell, who carries tha full confidence of his owner, and has by all accounts thapod uncommonly wtll cince arririug at Riccarton ; tho St. Leger gelding Impulse, speoially prepared for this race ; ancj Lo tie, m whom our old friend Jim Kcan pro* fesses the utmost confidence. *#* If forced to a choice between this quintet, I should perhaps reject Pegasus because he is not well "spoken of by the touts, Impulse for the reason that he has lately been in *btire> meat, Lottie because she is a mare, and then, I should be stuck for a choice as between Beadon* well and Vogengang. Thank goodness, I can avoid trusting to such considerations, ana openly avow what I believe to be a fact— that the whole five have a show. Of the others 1 prefer Captive, who was neve" better in his life, and Magazine, who is quietly backed with a certain amount of assuredness by people who do not as a rule throw their money away on mere fancies. The truth is that the race is q particularly difficult one to try to pick, but I feel fairly satisfied of a good run with AU REVOIR, and oh nil experience a sense of satisfaction If the tip should come oft. inasmuch as this horse was one of those that I mentioned so loDg ag<ji &n July as being a dangerous candidate. Skirt I misher and Pegasus are a pair that I expect tO «cc finish close up, but no one can pretend to ; sny what will occupy the places, and I merely mention their names as an indication of my opinion that one or the other is more likely to effect a surprise than some of the betteij favourites are — that is if anything is to beat Patsy Butler's gallant chestnut. The latest calling of the card in Dnnedin shows the follow 1 ' ing to be the ruling odds : — I NEW ZEALAND COP. 100 to 16 ag3t Au Revoir and Saracen 100 —12 Prime Warden ' 100 — 10 Rosefeldt, Lottie, Royal Row, and Magazine „ 100 — 8 — — Vogengang, Beadonwell, and Impulse 100—6 Clanranald, Skirmisher (tk). PegaßUß. Westmere, and Three Star 100 — 5 — Hipporaenep, Rangipuhi, Purepov and Leontlno 100 — 4 Scot Free, Captive, and Mahaki 100— 2 Dilemma (tk), and Casket (lit*) 100— 1J Alderahot. * # * Aud now just a few words about the other races of which a fc recast is possible. In the Hurdles I ta"ke Clarence, Balquitber, and Nen^ thorn to be the best three, and if they a\K ' accept I pre'er them in thnt order. As to th.es Riccarton Welter, such a cloud of horses are engagea that ib i* almost a hopeless task to search for the winner, and I would merely remark that Speculator and Georgie Sharp, a 0 recent winners, are worthy of support if they face tho starter. For the Welcome Stakes I Bhall stand by Wcodlender and the bo far untried Buroclydon, who is a brother to Blizzard, wad h»s come on nicely in Goodman's hands. Erameline, I may observe, will not go up front Dunedin. War Dance and Chaos are a likely pair for the Ladios' Purse ; and for the Stewards Handicap I see nothing that I prefer to St. Clements, though Jess has a fair outside show. That disposes of the first clay's races. On the second d*y there comes the Derby, for which Bluofire seema to be a really good thiDg, though should she happen to disappoint her friend* there will be a show for Caskob ; while on the third day Mr Stead's filly just named seems to be a moral for the Oaks. The Canterbury Cuphas a very open appearance, and I shall defer *n opinion regarding it till nexfc week. For the Steeplechase I select Mechanic and Robin.

* # * The day after to-morrow is the appointed time for the Danedin Jockey Club's committee to meet for the purpoße of considering what race meetings should be abolished in order to fulfil the requirements of the new rules governing the use of the totalisator, which are to come into force at the end of the current season. Countrydelegates are invited to attend the meeting, and it is to be hoped that the meeting will be ss representative as possible, for it is really nasty work that has to be done, and all who have * right to speak op. the iubject ought to make writ effort w bear their share of the responsibility,.

#J* Under the title of "Among Meij aad flittses," a Captain Hayes has recently produced £ trork in wbiob appeara tbe following advice tin giving water to horses when they are in a fcated condition :— " Applying the golden rale Mtreating a horse as I would wish myself to ba treated, I Introduced in India many years ago the practice of giving a horse in training a Sdrly liberal drink o£ water immediately after be- had done his work before sending him back tohfe stable, and with the happiest results. By ti« example and writings I destroyed m India We old and cruel myth of a drink of water being "dangerous to the health of a heated horse. Suptwine, of course, that the water was not too cold/ Take, for instance, a man who is exhausted and steaming with perspiration alter doing some violent work. What, may I ask, it the first thing that he doeß P • Takes a drrnk, if he can get ifr,' you naturally reply. 'And after he has had his whisky and soda, glass of bwr, o» shandygaff, cup of tea, or glass of wate^r, what docs he say?' 'By Jove! that hat done me a power of good,' or words to tnat effect, you answer. Right again, my reader, ftnd so would your horse say, under similar circumst»nces, were he able to speak.

# # *The correspondent of the Southland News writes thus of the doings at Wmton :— James Lawson has six horses m work, ot whowtßobinisin great form at present, and tJhonSl run well at Cbristohuroh despite his burden, of 12.5 in the Steeplechase. Dora is doing, and going well, and should run forward at the W.J.C. races if fairly treated by the handtcapper. Master Moore, by Le Loup— Marjory Moore, is a good-looking colt, who may B»wdl in the Maiden Plate, but is hardly food enough for tbe big eveDto. Masterpiece is ttot in the form of last season, and does not race at the local meeting. Nimrod is looking well, and, if be goes straight, should have a chwioa in the hurdle raoea next month. Surefoot is vi fair condition, and going well in his work. K. Brown has charge of Winton, who is doing well, and will probably win a race here if he retains the pace he showed as a three-yenr-old. Huntsman is being schooled over the hurdles, and takes kindly to the game. He is very well, and will surely run well in the hurdle race (one and a-half miles). " Caliph and Kiwi arrived last week from the goldfields. Both are usef ul-look-Jog customers. Mr T. Lawperb ha* the speedy Balfour going well, and although a flighty .gentleman he may sbow to advantage in sprint *vent§. He can go very fast when he choo.-es. Bit 1? Finn (Wairio) has Johnny and Jenny m h»nd, and both are improving. Firefly, who fain, so well at Wairio races, is showing excellent form, and may run well in the Maiden at W.inton, Fairy Queen is going satisfactorily in .•view of her hurdle race engagements. May ,Qaeen and Watermark are in work. The best Blown of the trotters here in work are Eliza- &, Nelly No-Eye, Dolly, Fancy 111, Fcregtait^ Rasp, Ivy, Jobs, Advance, and Highland

JM Owners met a very tame market at the titoening of the Doncaster blood stock sales in September. The b ; ghest figure realised on the first day was the 320gs given by Mr G. Clement for a colt by Btrathpeffsr out of Smotherfly, &nd the next best was the 300gs Mr Locke paid lor'SurefeeS a son o! Surefootand Miss Livingstone. On th« Tuesday there was considerable Initiation, and the prices obtained showed a &)od average. The highest Sum reached was VtSOgr. given by Lord Marcus Beresford for Craig, a colt by Barcaldina out of Lucy Ashton, And at 50g» lees a filly by Hamptt-n out of Polka went into the same hands. Another lot to run tofco fonr figures was Bruntwood, taken for llfiOgs by Sir J. Blundell Maple. Borne capital -trices were realised on the next day. The lot of nine sent up by Sir Tatton Sykes sold exifttanely well. Among them was a colt by Oalopin from Mimi, for which Mr Wall&t c Johni'tone gave 2000gs, and at the same sum a coit by Rosebery out of The Empress Maud, in Mr ja. i» Harrison's lob, went to Captain Machell Afietf considerable competition.

*+* The Sydney betting market, says the $Wrtiman'» correspondent, is a poor index, toejp times, of whab is probable or possible rb fp' finalities at Melbourne. One time, and flat so Very many years ago either, the local market was, if anything, the better guide. Now $£*eU the least said the better. A very few fc^terst&ke hundreds *° flveor seven, and a still tWer owners take 600 to 25 or 35, but the dayg kthea a big stable move meant first favouritism have apparently gone for ever. I mind well a fray, about seven years ago, when the late 'fomented James White wanted to back a mate ijf his, who shall for the nonce ba n»meles«, for a big race at Randwick. He did not go splashing tound Tatt's. but simply sent for Charlie OT^stbrook— -sent a civil note acking the little leviathan to meet him at the Union Club, marlietoddled upstairs, talked five minutes to Mr White and a couple of intimates, merely lasted for the market." and laid the Squire of fcirkham. £6000 to £600 about the mare. That was most satisfactory to her owner and his j'riends, and also to the then champion cash fielder, wh,o walked into Tatt's and calmly Sacked it back, most t>f it at a better price. frae mare won, and so did Westbrook — heavily. Th&sadaya have apparently gone for ever, for, 'ftawadajfr, if a commissioner, an owner, or $ bookmaker who has overlaid it puts £50 on a Jhoree, he's at eight's before you can spit on your hands.

„ .>** Alec Taylor, one of the cleverest of XSDgland's trainers, died on September 13 after 9, protraoted illness. He was, above all others ofjiis time, the trainer who went for wins with ouf»id6rs.. Bern in 1823, at Bretby, in Suffolk, he was the son of a trainer-, Tom Taylor, and fcegan his profession in the forties, when he had charge of horses belonging to Sir Joseph Hawley, for whom in 1849 he won the Metrojpofttan with Fernhill. Two years later the stable made its name by the sensational win M' Teddington in the Derby. To quote from the' notice of a leading Home journal, the colt, ■who had been purchased for 250gs and a contingency from a blacksmith at Stamford when tally three months old, ran in the name and colours of Sir Joseph Hawley, but it was genejralW supposed that he was partly the property Of Mr Stanley, it being unnecessary in those 'jlaya to register partnership. The betting on the r*ce was tremendously heavy, and the amount won by the stable something prodigious. Davis, the leviathan, was said at the time to have lost something approaching £100,000, and though the amount probably was exaggerated it is certain that it was a sum which few rißg men before or since could have paid down on the nail on the following Monday as be did, witbout asking for, or desiring, time. At that date, presents to jockey?, wben man *t all, were wont to be of an i»fii>/nW -.ir-t de-jHptiou, occißionally a £10 n» fc b*s«g cots- Jarda sufficient mark o? Rp/ir.oia>i"n, while £100 was r«ari*ed •» pclexdy. To the horror, however, of *'-'iit"i( Bcw», wfcorauch disliked the idea of -w*»& la ar,y sh»pe or form, Sir Joseph otih Ux Stanley presented Job Marson, the triumphant rider of Teddintton, with a cheque for £2000, and altogether there were such gniet Utfle Wiltshire town of

Marlbdrough as to thia day are not forgotten. In later years Taylor trained Musket for Mr George Payne, and one of his chief patrons over a lengthened ptriod was the Duchess of Montrose, while in recent years the Duke of Beaufort bad bis horses trained at the Manton establishment. Aphrodite, Savern3ke, Gang Forward, Clementina, Craig Millar, Petronel, Thebsis, St. Marguerite, Corrie Roy, Reve dOr, St. Mirin, The Cob, Madame d'Alb*ny, and Ragimunde— the-e are a few of the < bes t horses that the deceased trainer has had tbe handling of.

V* My fancies for the leading events of the V.R.C. meeting are Bonnie Scotland for the Derby and Carntge or Loyalty for the Cup. Our Melbourne correspondent, whose letter is of peculiar importance in view of immediately eDsning proceedings, says that Carn«ge is stones abo»e the Carnage of last year, and I attach great weight to that pronouncement. At the tame time, however, "Hori Poeoe" namei three to beat Carbine* relative, tnd that circaros f ance ia significant. He takes Tarcoola, Loyalty, and The Sailor Prince as the best three in the Cup. There must be some Bound reason for this preference, and I desire it to be understood that th^s is the Witness tip. My »electi&n of Carnage or Loyalty— and I should like to add Tim Swiveller as a possible—is merely a fancy, given for wh%t it is worth. Our Melbourne writer spe*k» from knowledge and enlightened observation, and those of the public who have watched his bra'ny efforts in the past will know that if th»y follow him this tiase tsey ar« going on the very be»t of information procurable.

*** Daydream, entered to be sold for £600, started in the first racs afc the Doncaster meeting, the Fitzwilliam Stakes, six furlongs, and after leading for a short disti-Bce died away, but she managed to finish third, and I notice that the winner (Rainbow) is iv the same stable. Colonists present would probtbly not fall for much, as Rainbow started a hot favourite. They may, however, have dropped a bit the some day on Saintly in the Champagne. This filly, owned by an ex-Australiau, MrD. Cooper, was considered good enough to back at 2 to 1 on, but never made the least show of winning, and finished out of the tirsfc tbree. Eolaro, who had run twice previously, scoring a, win and a meritorious second, was bred b/ his owner, and is by Ualopin from Capri, by Springfield from Napoli, by Macaroni from Sunshine, by Thormanby. It is a real honour to get on the list of Champagne winners. A bad one very seldom captures this prize, and amoog the celebrities in past years are Cremorne, Cambollo, Charibdrfc, Balgal, Hauteur, Minting, Ayrshire, La Fleche, and Ladas. Sixteen started for the Great; Yoikshire Handicap, this beirig the largest field the race has attracted for a quarter of a century. Lord of the Dale made the ranning for nearly a mile and a-quurter, and tben retired! in favour of another outsider, Egerton, who showed the way to the distance, and then left Bushey Park and Dumbarton to fight out a finish which resulted ie favour of the former by a length *nd a-half. Bushey Park is by Hampton irom Bunsbine, the maio whose name is mentioned above in Solaro's ptdigiee. He is a well-known perfotmer of the unlucky class, having thi3 season been pieced four times out of five starts without eecuring a win till he went to Doncaster, Thiost'.e, the half-sitter to Common, had run seven times previous to doing the trick in the Legt-r. As a two-year-old her first appearance was in tbe CLescerfiold Stakes at Newmarket, when she was beaten a head by Speed. At Goodwood, when the ouly opponent of La Nievre for the Molecombe Stakes, she succumbed by a length and a-half, anal her third show was in the Kempton Perk Produce Stakes, when uer stable companion Matchbox, won. Her reappearance this year was made in the One Thousand Guineas, for vrbioli the failed to finish in the first tbree, and then at Avcot the got horns by a bead from Royal Victoria for the Coronation Stakes. At Sandown Park Throstle ran fourth for the Eclipse Stakes, and Goodwood saw her a winner of the Nassau Stakes.

* # * Let ns read what the Sportsman's editor has to say about the Leger race. To commence with, he Bays, the pace struck me as being very f»ir throughout. Throstle was quickest on her pins and went away at once, followed for about a couple of hundredyards by None th« Wiser, Matchbox, and Hornbeam, Ladas lying last. In fact the favourite brgan in really wretched style and seemed quite unable to go the pace. After travelling ha'.f a mile Legal Tender was driven to the front and went on at his quickest, followed by None the Wiser, Matchbox, and Throttle, Hornbeam and Amiable coming next. Laaas was still in the rear. So to the mile post, where Legal Tender was about done, and being joined by Matchbox; None the Wiser came closer, with Hornbeam and Throstle handy. Still Ladas was last, and for a little time I began to think that something was amiss. But about half a mile from home, whiUt Matchbox and None the Wiser were having a race in front, followed by Hornbeam, Amiable, and Throstle, the favourite begin to make op leeway, and at such a terrific pace that by the time the bend for home was reached he had actually patted everything except Matchbox. None the Wher was now well beaten, and when heads were turned homewards it looked what we all expected it would oome to— Viz., a match between the two favourites. Ladas challenged just below the distance and amidst a roar of excitement afc onoe had his adversary's measure, and a deafeDina shonfc of " Ladas wins ! " was taken tip. But juit when the triple crown appeared to have been secured, and jubilation at Lord Rosebery's victory sent us wild with delight, who should come npon the scene but Throstle, the mare whom people so lighly spoke of and so generally put down as Matchbox's inferior. With the defeat of her stable companion she simultaneously patsed him in six strides, and swooped down upon Ladas, whose jockey, on the alert for danger, was riding home to the best of his ability. T. Lo»tes was not caught napping. He could not have got another ounce out of Ladas had he known Thros'le's best abilities, and her challenge proved irresMble. A loud shout of triumph from the bookmakers now drowned all other cries, and amidst a scene of indeioribable astonishment Sir Frederick Johnstone's mare won a splendid race by three-quarters of a length, Ladas finishing two lengths ahead of Amiable, who was half a length away fourth. To say that the surprise was immense bat ill describes the feeliDg of tbe more than thousands. We •imply stood aghast, and a bigger boil over I do not personally remember.

*** The Dnnedin JocVey Club's commit* cc have pledged the club to affiliate with the South Australian Jockey Club. Rather an imposing appearance is made in the report of the D.J.O. committee's proceedings by the paragraph containing this announcement. And the matter js of some consequence. But the affiliation is only partial, for a special and well-defined pnrppse. The S.A. J.O. has taken upon itself the duty of forcing a bond oi union.

as between the leading clubs of Australasia with regard to diequaliflcations and the unpaid forfeit lisb ; and success has so far followed the project that the leading clubs of Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin are now enrolled. Each club works undtr it-* rul' s as before, but all join to exclude the defaulter and the disqualified person from following the gome of racing. And a verrgooa thing too. Acting singly, clubs bad but a tithe of the power which they posses m combination. Under the old system a rider refused hit licensein Adelaide could snaphis fingers at the authorities there and migr*te to New Zealand ; or a boy, after falling into disgrace here, could escape the bitterest portion ot his sentence by paoking up his portmanteau and taking a trip to Australia, wh'le owiiers and others were possessed of the like privilege of defeatin« the ends of justice. Now that an offence on one course means punishment on all, a two-fold beneficial effect will ensue. Sentences once inflicted will have to ba served; fines imposed will have to be paid; fees due will come in with some degree ot certainty. That ia tha first advantage. Tte second is that, realising the hopelessness of fighting against properly-constituted authority, pereons influenced on x y by the low-set motive of self interest will the more readily give obedience to the rulea and regulations which are fr»m6d in, the general interest. I regard the affiliation as moat important. It virtually means an Australasian Jockey Club with all the benefits derivable from a supreme body, and none of the ,jisadvant»ges which would ensue from formally g etting up such an in-.tilution.

*** We have before us the T»ieri handicaps, prepared by Mr Dowse, to interest tho-e of our sporting folk who cannot get away to the carnival at Ohristcburch. Tfce newlyestablished Trial Stakes has filled well, and may take more pickiug than some seem to think. Clnremont will be fancied, I expect, and should be able to make a decent sbow, f.ir be is pretty fit, but some of the well-bred light weights, of whom Leona and Mo<sbiuv are examples, will require a bit of doing. For the Trots the picks on paper are Btnoorn-tfeld and Welcome Lass, so far as I can see, but danger may proceed from the unknown division. Little Wiuchman has a fair show of pacing the Cup to the credit of Mr Goodman's stable; next to him I like Maribyrnong, for if he would prefer a t<horttr distance than a mil 6 and a-qnarter the same remark app'ies to nearly everything else in the race. Trixle should run forward in the Novel Race, the next belt of those I know being Moonlight and Armstrong, though the latter may be reserved for the Stewards' Purse, in which he s* s ms to have a rather bkfly nbow. Parainu if in the humour ought to be about in the Flyir-g, but Reflection is more reliable, and pt-ssibly this race may suit Esparto. I rather incline io the lat'er'a chance. Bnt my finals will be in time if kept over till next week.

*x* The Hon. G. M'Lean with Mr J. Cook and P. Miller wiJl represent tho Duutdin Jockoy Club at the coofereuce to be held at Christchurch, end their ins ructions from the cummittee ate to strenuously oppose anything in tha shape of a New Zealand Jockty Club. Such instructions will be no coubt loyally obeyed. No fear ou that bead. I think we may be sure of something further, aod that ia that our representatives will advance reasons for their club's action in standing out. This ii not absolutely incumbent upon them. It is for a person who brings forward a preposition to establish his case affirmatively; the other side may or may not debate the question before giving a vote. But, though the ocligation does not rest upon the Hon. G. M'Lean and his codelegates, I am rather glad to hear that they are likely to reply instead of simply taking up an attitude of silent immovability. Though not compulsory, it is the more courteous policy to adopt. And lam sure that no one, either the delegates themselves or the club or the public at the back of the club, desires that the proposers of this scheme should be treated otherwise than courteously. The besb relationships exist between the clubs, and, though diverse opinions on a subject such as this one may be firmly held and tenaciously maintained, the practical oneness of the various bodies in all matters essential to the welfare of our muchabueed sport will remain undisturbed. I say this with, full confidence, knowing that the clubs have at command as delegates men who are thoroughly qualified to act in that important capacity*

* # * Owners seem to appreciate the reducing of the Dunedin Cup distance The old cours» was 3760 yd s; the new one, 3212 yd s; cut off, 548 yds. The difference does not seem so much till it is expressed in figures. But 548 yds is as a day's journey to a horse that is in trouble. Eight yards is enough sometimes to stop him, to say nothing of the 500. And the present course is quite long enough to provide a fair test of stamioa, while it has attracted a few horses that to a moral certainty would h&ve stayed out had the old conditions prevailed. Thus we note an increase of 10 in tbe nominations as compared with latt year and of six over the total of 1893. This ia highly satisfactory. And in one sense the new distance is more likely to encourage stayers. Is this a parad#x ? Then let me explain. What I mean is this : that it takes a stayer to gallop 3212yds— no non-stayer can win at that diitance ; but some horses that have shown a little promise of developing staying power may try what they can doin theracenow, whereas theoid distancewould simply frighten them from ever attempting it. The reasoning seems clear enough, doesn't it ? Only one horse in a thoustnd is a real out-and-out sticker. Dilemma was one. Ho once ran a trial which proved it. I refer to bis race in the New Zealand Cup, when he ran up against such a snag as St. Hippo. Liberator is or was another. But horaes of that; stamp are co very rare— Nature doesn't make them of ten— that a club can hardly keep a race for them alone, and the better plan is to provide for the larger number of horsei of the class that can stay well up t« wh»t we may call racing distances. My own opinion is that the D. J.C. might without loss of dignity take another step in the same direction and cub down the Birthday Handicap to, say, a mileand a distance.

*>* At a meeting of the committee of the Cau#» terbury Jookey Clab on Tuesday, a letter was read from the South Canterbury Jockey Club asking that the disqualification recently imposed upon T. Stewart should be removed. The oommittce resolved to take no action on the ground that no reasons had been advanced in support of the request. It was resolved to alter the conditions of the classic events to be decided next fleason. The twecpstakea will be done away with. The value of the Derby will ba £750, of whioh the second horse will receive £100, and the third £50. The Oaks will be worth £300, of which £40 will go to the second horse, and £20 to the third. The Welcome Stakes will be of the value of £400, second horse £40, third £20 ; and the Champtgnq Stakes £500, second horse £50, and third £25. Sir G. Clifford, Hon. L. Walker, and Vt 0. B. Winter were j appoinjtfid delesaten lg:t;iei&cin£CQ&fereEO&' * "