TALK OF THE DAY.

BY MAZHPFA.

*** The last Gaming Act makes a reduction in the number of raca meetings at which the totalisator can be ÜBed. The conference of November last drew up a schedule of 133 meetings for. the season, and in that list Otago is entitled to 32 meetings, as follows : Al*xaudra, Beaumont, Cromwell, Duutroou, Kurow, Lake County, Lumsden, Manio oto, Otago Hunt Club, Palmerston, Riverton, Roxburgh, St. Bkthaus, Southland, Tapanui, Tuapeka, Vincent, Wiilmea Pinion, Wairio, Wiuton, Wyndham, and Wnikouaiti, one meeting e^ch ; Gore, North Otago, and the Taicri, t*o each ; and the D J.C. four meetings.

*** A fortnight ago we were coneidiring the statistics of the racing season that ended on the 31*t olt. If my readers will bear with me, and not r»ise the cry that th|y are getting too much old-f«gey Bluff, I will ask their attention to seme records of the turf dating back nearly 20 jenre. The earliest complete set of ntntistios in my possession relate to the racing year 187677. In that f etson lha added money came to a total of £25,468, or just about tho fourth of the sum that was disbursed in the season just closed. OUgo was well to tlia front in those days, 36 meetings having been held south of the Waitaki, to which £8723 waa given iv added money, while Canterbury was a poor second with 21 meetings and £4981 added nicney. For present purposes I do not intend to continue that comparison of figures. Such a task may be reserved for anothe r arfc ; cle, to be written — or rather finished, for I have already started it — when leUure permits. My immediate object is to call attention to a few of the best performers as they cropped up year by year in that now remote period, and show what they earned. We often speak of the "good old times," in a tone implying that money was easily earned on the turf in those days. This is a fallacy. There are .greater possibilities nowadays, for racehorses as well as men, than in the times gone by. Let us put this statement to the proof, i In the season named, 1876-77, the six leading winntrs were — 6nyFawkes,s ...£1425 Bribery, 3 ... £620 Fwhhook, 4 ... 1206 Dauebury, 3 ... 675 Tommy Dodd a ... 780 Ariel, 4 ... 470 Note here that the top fellow in that far-off season— glorious, hand»»me, and hardy Guy Fa wises — earned within £9 of the horse that heads th« list for the past year ; but the accumulated earnings of Guy and bis five mates above enumerated came to only £5076,. while the half d^z«n who lop the poll for 1894-95 raked in £7614. There i» not a great deal of difference iv that comparison ; but here is another of f»r more ftignific&ut import — namely, that in 1876-77 only 33 horses are named in the list of winners of £200 and over, while for the period jusb concluded there are — how many, do you think ? — One hundred and five. There is no need to presa the argument any further. Enough has been shown to prove that racing is not goiwg to the dickens. Let us go back to our records of horses. In 1877-78 the leading six were — Templelon, a ... £1510 Lara, 5 £868 Ariel, 5 1236 Mata, 3 765 Trump Card, 3... 1142 Danebury, 4 ... 640 Templafcou had in that year won bis second Dunedin Cup with 9 3, beating his stable companion 7.3, while Ariel, who for winning the Canterbury Cup had been apportioned t>p weight of 97, fiui>hed third, It was at that meeting also that Tompleton covered himself w'th glory by winning the D J.C. Handicip, thtn a mile and tbreo-quarter race, with 10.0. It was a great weight for a little horse, but old Bob Rny in the saddle was worth at least half a stone in weight. He was a wonderful ridw, | aid on that day he rode at hi b best. I can see the xt.c* quite plainly as I write. Temple ton waited on Ariel till reaching the quarter-mile post, and then he made the greatest) tffort of I bis lifa ond won. Trump Card won three Derbys that season — at Christchureb, Wellingtou, and Dunedin; Lara annexed the Auckland Cup ; Maia's solitary win was in the C.J.C. Handicap ; and Danebury owect his position in the list to a ran of luck at country meetings. In 1878 79 the six bosses were Maritana, a ...£2415 Mafa, 4 ... „.£lOlO Pinfire, 4 1385 Fishhook, 6 ... SJB The Agent, 5 ... 1330 Nemo, 3 704 The ex-hack Maritana had in that season rtiaked the C.J.C. Handicap, for which she wss weighted at 7.7 and ridden by Jimmy Wattie. A rare good mare she was, too, | tk»URh it took everybody a long time to make ' up ber pedigree, and she had really risen 'from the ranks, having at one time, it is said, car- | >ied a butcher's basket. In this season she won 10 rsces out of 18 starts. Pinfire, who helped Mat* to bring their sire Dead Shot into prominence, ran very consistently, scoring 12 firsts and beir-g only onca unplaced, while The Agent started 27 titnei and won 15 races. Ntrao was a particularly good co'.t, and it was a bundled pibitts th*t he died before maturity. He was regarded as the comiog champion. In 1879-80 we find four of Traducer's stock ia the leading half^lczen — Betrayer, 3 ... £15<i5 Foul Play, 5 ...£958 Mata, 5 1107 Soukar, 5 887 Chancellor, 5 ... 1020 Grey Momus, a ... 770 Betrayer, riddsn by Fuller, started at level money for the Derby in a field of eight, but he was too 6mall to carry the weight, and after chasing Hornby and Grip and finding that he could not get up, he eased off iv the straight and fiuished fifth, behind Hornby 1, Grip 2, Billingsgate 3, and On Dit 4-. But the lighter weights of the Canterbury Cup suited Betrayer, and bis, exceptional staying quality was also of service, the result being that he achieved a brilliant victory over Ray's p»ir, Hornby and Templeton. Of tbe pair Hornby lasted the longest, but Bttrajer lioked him by threequarters of a length. Three-year-olds bad a bit j more pull then at weight for age than they have I now. They curried 7.1 in the Canterbury Cup, while aged ho»e3 (Templeton was one) had 9.9. Betrayer won only two more races thafc season — the Wangwiui Cup (£IOOO that year) and the I South Canterbury Cup. By the time the I Wanganui race came on he wai carrying Mr Stead's colours. He beat Hornby by a head j after a capital finittb, the latter conceding 21b. | MaU's wins that season included the Dunedin Cup and the Flying Stakes at Chrietchurch, in which he had his great set-ta with Le Loup ; Chancellor* six wins included the C.J.C. Handicap ; Foul Play collared the Wellington Cup and other events ; Soukar placed to his credit the Napier Handicap ; and Grey Momus, who started 31 times, secured 13 wins. Come we now to the 1880-81 season, in which we find the list headed by

LeLoup,6 ...£1565 Foul Play, 6 ...£lll3 RandwicTc, 5 ... 1302 Natator, 5 ... 1048 SirModred, 3 ... 1294 SlrGoorge,3 ..... 1015 It ia a pingular coincidence that Le Loup's winning* are i-xaotly the same as those of Betrayer in the previous season. But Le Loup did not have to graft so hard. He collared all his money at the one meeting, the C J.C. Spring fixture, whereat he walked off with the leading tresb'e His only other race that eeasan was in the St. Andrew's Handicap, at Dunedin, where, carrying 9.12, he suffeiv.d dsfeat by Atlantic 6 10. Randwick, running for Dick Mason, won 13 races out of 24 starts, these including the Forbury Handicap, Wangauui Stakes, aud Nupior Handicap. Sir Modred made good his claim to high rank by wioniog the Dctby, in which Virginia Water and Badsworth followed him home. They were a bad lot taut year, bub Sir Modred could do no more than win. He also beat a particularly poor fl.ild in the Dunedin Cup ; but it was a moribonous performance on his part to win the Tiroaru Cup, a mil« and Hurt e-quarters, with 8 10, giving Lady Emma 19 b The other three of our chosen six all won cups — Foul Pity at Auckland, Natator at Wellington, and Sir George at Waugnnui There were some fair horses racing in the 1881-82 season, and when the returns were made up we found the leaders to be Grip, 5 £1455 Claretc^, a ... £1020 Hippodamia, 3... 1155 Nonsense, 2 ... 023 Lady Emma, 4.,. 1820 Tasman, 3 ... 85 J Grip, the horse of one season only, made his mark in exactly the same way as Le Loup did in the previous ssason — viz., by appropriating the treble of C.J C. Handicap, Cantebury Cup, and Chrietchurch Plate, in which he was ridden by Derretb. Louis dOr finished second to him in tho Handicap and the Plate, but could not get a shop in the Cup. Hipp>jd»mia did a great season's work, having started in 28 race?, of which she won exactly half, including the Hawke's Bay Guineas and the T»ran*ki Cup, which then was a two-mile race at weight for age. It was at this meeting that Randwick was so unexpectedly defeated for the JC. Handicap by the light-weight Larry, who mn.de the pace from the jump and lasted long enough to win by half a lengkh. Lady Emma h*d four wins, the first of the series in the Hutt Park Haud<c»p, this being followed by the thrvefold aeccess at Dunedin — in the Cup wibh 7.6, in the J.C. Hindi c*p with 8.4, and in the Forbury Handicap with 8.12. Clarence's money was all won in jumping races, of w«ica he secured a dozen, and ran teoond in the Grand National when giving 381b to Kiterfelto, the winner. That smart filly Nonsense scored the possible, getting home in the four events for which she started, theoe including the Champagnes at Dnnedin and ChristcbuFch ; and Tasman gave some idea of his g&meness by winning eight of his 17 races and running second six times. Quality was exceptionally well repreteuted in the runner* of 1882-83, and no one will pretend to find a fluker in the following half doz«n — Welcome Jack, 3 £2521 King Quail, a ... £1056 Tasmau, 4 ... 1506 Mischief, 5 ... 970 Sir Modred, 5 ... 1076 Leonora, 3 ... 905 Here we have a real tap sawyer to head the poll, it being beyond question that Welcome Jack was a worthy champion of kis time. He won th*t year nine rtces oat of 14 starts, his principal victories baing in the C.J.O Handicap, the Auckland Cup, and the Great Autumn Handicap. In the latter racu he had 874 to carry, or only lib less than Tasman, who was a year older. A capital finish was fought out all along the rails between this pair, Lady EU»m», and Salvage, and inside the distance it looked as if the four might make a dead heat ef it, bnhin the last 25 yards Charley Rudings g*ve Welcome Jack a touch vrith the spur, and he shot out for a decisive win by nearly a length. T»snna picked up a dozen second-sized fetikee, wherein, however, he was generally meeting good horses. Sir Modred landed the Canterbury Cup and three other races at the C.J.C. meeting — pretty nearly a record, I should s*y; King Quad secured the Wang&nui Cup among other races, aud broke down t-hurtly afterwards ; Mischief captured the Wftlliagton Cap and Napier Handicap ; and Leonora nicked the Easter Handicap at Auckland besides other events. Can*rd was close up in seventh position that season, and Adamant came next, his Duuedin Cup win placing htm 89 high on the list. Talking abjufc Adamant, it may not be generally known that when he was training for th* Cup he had a very suspicious leg. Thcvy v.i'M :vft-aid that a tendon would go, and iv order to ease him as much as p^siibie he was alternately swum and galloped. That wan the kiud of training ox which he won tiie Dunedin Cup. His success was not, however, such a surprise to his parky as to the crowd. He ran a really goad trial — to g«od that one man who saw ifc thought it gcod enough to s&onre a couple of hundreds straight out. At this sttvge I call a hald, promising to renew the subject and bring it up to da'.e before the racing season is far Advanced.

* # * The principal events of the Ascat meeting held in June are reported under rhe regular heading in this week's irsue. Concerning the two-mile handicap oa the first day we le&rn that not a bet of any kind was traceable to this affair before the numbers wore hoisted, but as soon as it was seen that Captain Machell bad decided to depend upon Ravensbury alone, Ibis horse was made a good favourite. And whit is meant by tha term "a good favourite" is shown iv the report. Ravensbury opened at 2 to lin a field of ninß ; and he won very easily at the fiuish. If such a set of circumstances came before us in New Zealand we should to a man "slate" the handicapper. In England they seldom do that ; it is, indeed, «r?ite uncommon to see a handicap seriously criticised in print. This L»s its advantage?, d.ubtless, but a handicapper worth his salt would, I should say, sooner work under a system by which, while awarded blame when he de served it, hie got praised when praise was warranted. But I am digressing. We were talking of the Ascot races, and to return I note thafc R»vensbury has established a record with respect to tha weight carried by the winner of the •• Stakes," the nearest approach to the 9.9 of Captain Machcit's horse beiog the 9.0 carried by the six-year-old Rosicruciaa in 1871, when there were 16 runners. Musket won this race in 1869, when, at a three-year-old, he was ridden by Chaloner at 8.12. Ravensbury's time, 3min 37sec, stands ai the best record since Ishmael won (1883) in 3min 34sec. Persimmon, winner of the Coventry Stake*, is own brother to Florizel 11, and both were bred by their present owner, the Prince of Wales. Persimmon was making his first public appearance in this race. He is a good colt and reckoned to ba a likely candidate for next year's Derby. If he stays as wsll a* his elder brother he will.ba go id enough — Florizel II cmi apparently geb any distance. He sins ply played with his opponents in the last furlong of the Gold Vase. Backers had no difficulty either in finding the winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes ; and if the actual favourite for the Roysl Hunt Cvp — Red Heart — made a poor show, the ttake did not go to an outsider, the winner being the four-year-old Clorane, for whom Mr Basset g&ve 1300gs after his success in the Cork Derby. More than Cloranc'a weight

(8.11) has only once been carried by a Royal Hunt Cup wiuuer— viz., by the erratic Peter, who, as a five-year-old, won under 9.3 in 1881. In the Coronation Stakes the Ouo Thousand and Oaks wiuueru found their penalties too much of a burden, and the well-performed Matchmaker was put down owing to a similar cause in the St James's Palace Stakes, but in the Ne^ Stakes punters had a turn by the success of Roquebrune, a daughter of St. Marguerite, for whom Sir J. Miller gave 4100gs as as a yearling.

*#* The Gold Cup race deserves a paragraph to itself, seeiDg that it is descriptive of another victory for that phenomenally - groat horse Isioglasa, who had been specialty trained for this particular race, while it was generally understood that, win or lose, it was to be his lash appearance on any course— a report, by the way, which the Sportsman* special commissioner discredits, saying: "Whether Isinglass will run again or n:t I do not know, nor indeed does his trainer ; but I should think that it is reasonablo odds he will continue to scoop the pool till the end of the present season." Wo th»U have to wait to see whether the son of Deadlock races again. But in the meantime there is enough before us to establish bis claim to the championship of England. In the Gold Cup, we are informed, he began as lazily as ever, and had to be woke up six furlongs from horn?, and for a moment coming into the straight it looked as though Reminder might b«at him for speed, but he soon put the issue beyond doabfc, and striding. along at hn leicura won in a oanter in very, slow time. And his record taken as a whole ii quite first class. Up to and iucluding the Cup he has wou 11 of his 12 races, and iv all he has credited Mr H. M'Cahnanfc with the exceedingly substantial sum of £57,455 in stakes, made up as follows : As a two-yesr-old ho won £4577, as a three £18,860, as a four £31,493, and as * five £2520, the value of the A»cot Cup. He thus stand* well clear of Donovan, who had previously held the record with £55,154 10s. His only defeat was iv the Lanoaohire Pluto, when attempting to give Raeburn 101b.

*a* A writer iv the Australasian contributes the following story : — A singularly glaiing case with a steeplechaser has been told me by a racing authority, who was a witueis of the inoident. It was an up-country steeplechase, for which there were three starters — one a hot favourite, while the second had a chance, and tbe third waa almost a certainty — to f»U. It did fall at the second fence, bub immediately afterwards, to the ditnuay of the populace, the favourite ran off the coarse and Wlfcsd ittto tha bush. As there was only one horse left in the race then, it setmod a good thing for him, and tho layers were dslighttd— but the videt of thab partieolai horse was not. Ik had been so much like picking up money to baok the favourite that he wai on with the rest of tho crowd. Ho hesitatad for an instant only, theu galloped off into tho bush after the horse, and helped to bi iug him back on to the course. After tbat the favourite k«pb the coucae, faithfully followed by the rescuing party, whose action it was generally agreed was humane, sportsmanlike, ond commendable. This is ja»% whore a Glcand National Steeplechase at Fletbiogtou snffrr* by oo'bipar 13011. Should & horse fall, th>» others with brutal indiffertnco continue the course, and do not wail for the afflicted animal to be caught and n mounted.

*** A New York man sends to the Field a dtamal picture of racing as it is carried on in his State under the new arrangements. Last fall, he ssvYß, a bill was passed by the Senate, emanating from the Mawworms a-jd Methodists of New York, prohibiti»g bettitg, and so stringent are its enactments, and so imperative are the orders to the m.^tmidons of the law to see that it is effectively obeyed, that at the opening of the legitimate racing season ab Brooklyn Park both backers and bookmakers were dumfounded. A panic endued, and unless some raeaus are devised to drive a cosc'a and homes through this Rgressive act, as far as racing in the United Stales is concerned its death knell is Rounded. True, on the day of the Brooklyn Haudicap some attempt was m%do to bet ia dafiance of the notices put-up, bub it was unavailable. Pinker ton's men intervened, and on the following day the Jockey Club issued a mandate thvt, if illegal betting again took place wibbiu'the Brooklyn Park inc<o«ure, the executive would be held responsible for the breach of" of the law. Further, in the morning, before racing commenced, Mr Pinkerton himself, mounting a chair, delivered an orattoo, stating thab he and his merry men were employed, by the Brooklyn authorities to see that no money passed hands; that if it did so the parties would be arrested, and probably subjected to imprisonment. The ro*utt was that instead of the hubbub and excitement of betting, the halloaiag out of tbe adds, and the mad rush to get on favourites, all around was hashed and still. The scene was unique, and reminded ono rather of fuHoral obsequies than the orgie of racing. Betting was allowed "on the nod" amongst the big bugs, bu.fr the smaller fry were ruthlessly shut *uk in the cold shade of d«solatioa. No wonder, therefore, that the attendance was meagre, and unless something be deviled to resuscitate the old state of affaire, rasing in N«w York is doomed to extinction. It seams hard that the rich should be allowed to gamble and settle elsewhere, whilst the ready-money punter and bookmaker are suppressed, and walk about with their hands in their pockets, looking «s dejected and miserable as it is possible for human beings to look. The big bags, tho shoddy wealthy upper ten, may bet on credit, whilst the crowd can only look on, imagine they have fancies, and in a pecuniary sense remain quiescent.

*** We manage things better than that in New Zealand ; and can also show Australia how to conduct racing decently and give the crowd a show to participate in tho national sporb. And the reason, pure and simple, is that; we have the totalisator, the Great Regulator of the turf. We have seen above how the mob are shut out in America. Let me quote &n old Australian on the subject of racing in that country. He hae a short story to tell. It runs in this wiae : — I live close to a racing track in New South Wales and often go over when there is a meeting on. I always go among the oat* side crowd, and now and then have a mild flutter with a few bob. That Is when I fancy a favourite. I never back an outsider. The layers don't reckon to pay when outsiders g«b home. Such an event is regarded as lawful bunce. How is ib worked ? I'll tell you. I saw it done one d*y. A stranger went to ana o| the bookies and asked him what prioe Biases. That wasn't tbe name, but it will do. Moses. (* rom&utic title again) replied thu.t the prw3 was 10 to 1. The inquirer took £1 worth at that odds and received a card inscribed to fcho effect that he was standing £11 to nothing. Ho ■ bad paid bis quid. Blazes won, and the baolaa" went to collect. " Don'fc know yer," w*s tfcm reception he met with. " But I know you," came the answer, " and hero'o your- card." TUa backer, being ordered away, b«gan to cut up rough, whereupon a hulking lout standing about 6ft 4in sidled up to him and said, " He don't owe yer nobhink, mate." •• But he doee," replied

the, hacker. Without further ceremony the bully fetched the backer one-two straight between the eyes, and when the' latter attempted to rise he was atked again, "-Ho don't owe yer nothink, dbea he ? " And the poor fellow, Eeeing no sign of assistance from the bystanders, who apparently were accustomed 111 1 such scenes, made a feeble reply in the negative, walking off with his tail between his legs. Such was the story told me when I visited Sjdney a couple of years ago, and from the samples of ruffUns I saw •myself at one of the suburban meetings which I attended I can believe it to ba true. And yet the people over there teem half frightened of the totalisator.

**•* Ab one of the spring meetings at CbanHUy, Dick Figes, the starter to the French Hockey Club, bad despatched the runners for the last race — there were three starters-r-aud promptly jumped into his trap, which was. waiting, near the star tin g-pos-t, and hurried off to the station, in order to catch his train home to Le Vosinet. He had almost reached the railway station, when he oalled out to a Johnny, _who had seen the finish, and asked wb&b had ,won. " Dead heat ! " waß the reply, and Dick hastily realised that the dead-heaters might be ■waiting at the post for bim to start them in the run- off. So helter-skelter back he posted, and just as he gut there a friend called out, '•What ate you coming back for, Figes P R*cing is .all over." " Why, there's a dead heat for the last race, isn't there ? " exclaimed the starter. " Dead heat be hanged ! D'Ed Etc yon the race, old man ! " And it was so.

*#f Once on a time it was quite customary ODt the appearance of a handicap to find an owner affecting indignation and scratching hit borsfr straightway. Importance was,- 1 think, attached to tho moral effect produced ; in other words, the disaffected owner was not always so utterly disgusted as- he pretended to bs, but desired in his own clumsy way to bring pre«•ure to bear on the baodicapper in view of coming events. Saeb, at anyrate, was the case sometimes, though in a few instances it may-bo laeucved that the precipitate action wrs the outcome erf honest discontent. We read and hear very little of these lightning seratohings nowadays. Perhaps the handicapping has improved ; perhaps- owners' are leas positive about tbe ( correctness of their first judgments ; perhaps, it may be- that stakes are valuable enough to be '■worth muEing without waiting ; possibly all three influences are at work. Whether or no, the fact is as stated. The latest illustration to hand is in connection with the New Zealand ,Cup. It was on the whole, 1 believe, a good handicap that Mr Hemy prf pared, yet not faultless — the absolutely perfect handicap has never ibeen made- by mortal man — and still, though before us for some weeks, nary a one dropped out,, and the malcontents when the first acceptance was payable came only to seven, of whom three are out'of the country and one (Lottie) has gone amiss. This result is highly satisfactory, and Mr Henry may be congratulated. Something may be allowed, for the custom of immediate scraichings having become un.laehionable, but after giving this consideration due weight there is a residuum of fact which (betokens a capital series of calculations on the •weight-a^jtistcr'sr pait. The percentage of .in, I think, a record. Forty-nine .have accepted for the Cup, and nine haye 1 popped out— namely, Pounamn, Lottie, Bonuie Scotland, Golden Plover, Spindrift, Osculaior, «nd Bnoklot. Of these, Lottie and Spindrift 'are tbe only two that have been at all backed "by the public, and those not for much. Last '.year there wer» 51 acceptors) and 19 went out on the firet acceptance; iv 1893 Ihe corresponing figures were 45 aud 26 ; while for 1892 the acceptor* numbered 45, in 1891 they wero 44, irr 1890 the total was 38, and in 1869 it was 37.

*** I have very little to add yet awhile by way of advice to back era. The six I originally named as well treated — Prime Warden, North Atlaiitio, Skirmisher, Mahaki, Lottie, and Magazine — lose one of their number, Jim Ke&n haviDg taken his mare out; but I do not desire to select anything in her place, though if pressed to do io I should' probably pick on Pegasus. There are disquieting rumours afloat regarding both North Atlantic and Mahaki, but I know of nothing definite that can be quoted to their* detriment. The most>important feature of the -acceptance 1 list, to my < mind, is the retention therein of three horsey belonging to Mr GolUn. Tbe- fact is' already interpreted ai further evidence that the Hawke's Bay owner really intends to be represented, and ihe prevailing- opinion seems to be-that Sternchaser is the likeliest of bis lot. As regards the Derby and Oaks, the following figures show the result of* the' progress payment- as cornfated with previous years :—: — '91 '92 '93. '94 ■OS Derby ... 21 21 20 24 13 Oaks- 17 ID 12 15 9 The presence^ Mannlicherc no donbt has had something to do- with, shortening the list of acoeptois in' the Derby, but I do not see anything of superior calibre in tb«> O<ak3 lob. It will be seen that the nine Oaks Miics. represent eight different owners, arid as all seem to-bxve Bomo sort of a show, there may be an interesting race. •

*"** Reginald," in the Melbourne Sportsman, disonsses the- chance* of the V.R.C. Derby of 1895 : — Taking the most noticeable as they sppe«r on the' list before me, he fays, the first worthy of attention is Fortunio. This near relation to the flying Fortunatua has more than once exhibited remarkable dash in public, and, *8 he is a nioely- shaped, lengthy colt, it might be sb well not to allow him to slip our memories cext season. Meesr* Bailey and Orr'a pair, Onward snd Chit Chat, though well bred enough for anything, bave not, so far, done anything that entitles them to much respect. But Trentham, one of tbe St. Albans lot, is a youngster from whom something good may be expected. True, the half-brother to Lochiel snd Steadfast has not, up to date, shown any form under »ilk, but in his defence it can bo Eaid that fee has never yet been teen at his best in point of condition. When Trentham has. been got into proper fix I've an idea he will uphold the reputation of his family: In. bis two-year-old essays Redcourt, another of Mr W. R. Wilson'p, has scarcely been successful enough to encourage recommendation here. v About the next pair, however, there is a far~ different tale to tell. The j couple alluded to are Wallace and Challenger, and both have very solid claims to favourable ! consideration in connection with next November* battle for the Blue Riband. Of the two I- preft r Wallace, who appears to be the more even-ttmper d, and has tkeady shown uncommon ability over a mile. Challenger i?, undoubtedly, a dandy, but is orjeof the eager sort,, which are more famed for 6prin&ng than staying, and, all things considered, it might be safer to rely 00 Wallace befope - his big stable companion, unquestionably brilliant though ■ the latter is. Eallara's form hardly, approaches Derby standard, nor ba3 Cartridge acted up to what might reasonably be expected from ope of his parentage. But Cartridge may yet furnish into a colt of high class, fie is bred to both gallop and aiaj, Horse' of.

the century, Carbine, 6ired him, and he is from St. Albana'a daughter, St. Odille, who could go as fast as she liked. A really well-proportioned col 6is The Meiry Boy, and as Mr S. G Cook is in the habit of swooping down in the spring with a good three-year-old, it would not altoKe'herbo wise, despite his moderate two-year-old di"playg, to quite overlook the son of Trenton and Mara St. David, in point of look?, is from top to toB a Derby colt, but his deeds have not been in keeping with his "swellish" appearance.

*** Tho records of racing at Cromwell which were printed in these columns a fortnight ago have interested a large circle of readers, and in expressing thtir thanks some of them mention several matters which deserve to be placed on the record. One is that the once mediumweight rider Foote, whose name figures so prominently at the first and second meetings, is identical with the pvesant popular stationmaster at Pelichet Bay. Mr Francis Foote, whom I have (he pleasure of knowing personally, is, with Mr. G. F. Richardson (ex-Minister for Lands) aud. others who might be mentioned, a living contradiction of the saying that a man who begins with horses winds up by go ; ng to the dogs. Hl3 contention with racing came ab ut, however, rather by force of circumstances than cf di-iiberate search. He was in those days the agent for Cobb and Co. at I Clyde-, and in that capacity had a lot to do with horses, while i\n ability in the saddle was often demonstrated in other ways than raceriding. One of the winners he rode at the 1869 meetirjg was Roderick, in the Miners' Purse, and it' is related tbat Duhig, who rode his own horse and was following up closely in the straight, plied his whip over the- body of yoang Foote. The latter *tiood his punishment and got horns, and then had the satisfaction of sseing Dulrig disqualified for the resb of the meetiog. It was on the same day* jn tbe Ladies' Purse won by Madam, owned by Mr Dagg (the wrestler), thatCftpt&in Jackson B u-ry performed his much-viuntsd feat of " riding two horses in the one race, carrying part of th-: cwrfeon his back, and coming in s cond." Tfta redoubtable romancist weighed out on LiMe Nell, was I thrown io the race, and, citcbing hold of a bystander's horse, he cut across the coarse with it, smoth; red in mud, and csme in second ; bat of course he was r.ou in the race In the Hurdle R&ce won by Poison, in 1869, Harry Goodman rode Pasha, wbo fell at the last fence and broke hia neck, while two of the three placed horse? galloped over Goodman's head as 'he was partially fitting up. I learn also that the Mr Limbr>ck who owned Traveller is identical with the Joseph Limbrick who now acts as gardener for Mr Hall at Mataura and was called as a witness in the trial of Minnie Dean.

**.* Some agreement ought to bs come to as to the use of the title " Graud National."" We have two claimants in New Zealand, there are two in Victoria, and several others about the colonies. The last of which we have a repirb is the one at Ca,u>field, where the Hurdle Race was run last Saturday. It is- a rece forbOOaovs, of two miles and a-qua*fcer. E-nmalea, who was honoured with the crushing impost (for- a little mare) of 12.9, did not acc-p!;, but Bremer had two left in r Bill 11 6 and Ro*es!eai 11.7, and one of these; Rosestem, proved to be the winuer. The public seem to have got wind in time as to whif h' was the correct psa from this exceedingly lucky- ntable, for they backed R>se6tern down to 3 to 1, and as Bischoff 10 8 started at the ssnvs price the chances are that Bill did not go fco the posfe. • The cabled report states th*t on the f*ll.of J thefl4g Sylvan Prince 10.2 and Gratiano 11 0 were in the van, and this pair carried on the running for the greater part of the journey, but on rounding the turn for home Favour 11.10 rushed, to th« front and led Kipple 10.5 and Rosestem 11.7 over the last obstacle. From this out a dingrdong rnce ensued, and Rosestem, cutting- down Ripple, challenged the leader, and gradually catching him, just managed to f quetza home by; a neck, Ripple pulling up 10 lengths away. Time, 4min 28£ sec.

*i* The annual report of tho Victoria Ratting , Club's- committee for the past season which was* to be presented to members at the annual meeting on Monday of this week shows that the policy of retrenchment has resulted in a reduction of the bonk overdraft by £3221, notwithstanding that the receipts have fallen off considerably, and the working expenses- have been reduced by over £3500. It is pointed out that the effects of reductions recently made have not yet been fully felt, and it is anticipated that a further reduction of £7000 will be made during the ensuing year. Duriug the season. 1894-95 only £934 was expended in improvements; and the recent reduction in stakes was due to " the unprecedented bad luck of tbe Cup meeting of 1892, and the Autumn meeting of 1893, during which meetings there were six wet days out of eight days' racing, causing a shortage of at least £12,000 " The improvements to the course include the eieotionoi 10 of Pol&in's-starting gates, new water service, gate s, committee's' stand, and other works. The maintenance account includes the eo»t of 200 new hurdles, repairs to buiklings; and the supply of s*B loads of tan, 238 of ashes, 200 of soil, and 400 of loam. The figures show that the last Melbourne Cup meeting returned a profit; of £7950 after paying £14,140 in stakes. The profits accruing from the Grand Nations I meeting of 1894 was £1117. The New Year's Day meeting of 1895 resulted in a credit balance of only £395, and the profit on the last Autumn meeting was bat £44. The Q'leeu's Birthday meeting resulted in a- profit of £326. Members' subscriptions amounted to £4247 10a, registration fer s to £1596, catering contracts to £960, training ground fee», &o , £638 12s Id, and • ' sundry other fees " — whatever that may mean —to £813 6s.

**? Thirty-three horses have dropped out of tho Caulßeld Cup and 27 from the Melbourne Cup. The lists as made up afresh appear in this issue. It will be seen that St. Hippo has been paid up for in both, bub the public will turdly fancy him even though news should come- to band that he has been backed from the right quarter. The most important defections in tbe two-mile race are Patron (last year's winner), Culloden, Bessie Mac&rthy, and Pounamu.

*#* The question of the introduction of the totalisator came before the V.EC. at the annual meeting en Monday, and we learn by cablegram that the ballot resulted in an overwhelming majority in favour of legalising the use of the machine. This, of course, is only one etep in the right direction. Parliament; ha<? yet to deal with-the question, a» dthn fripnd3 of tbe machine will have to work ha-d t » thwart the iuQueuces which the ring will bring to bear.

*** My final tip for the Grand National doable is Norton for the- Steeplechase and Liberator for' the Hurdles. Kahurangi has "died.