IN A NUTSHELL.

— Eirkby, the brother to Portsoa, has broken down.

— The Taieri Club will give £265 in stakes at its Easter races.

— The new crass training irack at Randwick is 9 furlong* 3 chains 6G links round. — Mr 18. F. Yuille asks me to contradict the rumour that he is retiring from business.

.—. — Mr J. Kean put up Pegasus to auction during the Taranaki meeting, and SOga being the best offer, no sale resulted. — John S. was bought by Mr T. Uphill for 55gs after a selling race at Caulfleld, and will in all probability^ be sent to India. - — Atlas is to be taken in hand again shortly by J. Allsopp. The oheatn.ut'B injured hock has been greatly benefited by the spell. — It is said that "Tattersall" has offered the Tnsmanian Government £5009 & year for a 'monopoly of the aweep business. — The death is reported of Louis Homes, who was at one time in Mr Redwood's service and subsequently trained Rangipuhi. — " Gipsy King " eaya that negotiations have beeu peuoinst for the purchase of Flyiug Shot at £500 on behalf of a Sydney trainer. — The Taamanian three-year-old Tamino has been sold by Mr George Stebbings for £400. He will in future run in the colours of Mr Talbot, of Malahide.

— Little Pet, -winner of the two maiden races at the Tahuna Park meetiucr, was bought not long ago for £10. She had a " leg," which by careful musing has stood. — The Geylon Times understands that Martindale has completely broken down. Both his fore feet are split, and he is considered of little use in future except for stud purposeß. — The Bulletin's radical remedy.— "The only way to cure stiffness in the joints of racers is for clubs to notify (as a condition of entry) that all non-triors will be shot dead." — Buccleugh, by Goldsbrough from Aphrodite, has been purchased by a Singapore sportsman for 200ge, and the weli-performed brother to Keith has left for his new destination. — " Director " records the death of the stallion Camel, by Berlin— Southern Queen. Commotion, who was bred atLongbeach, was the best of his stock that has performed publicly. — Sir Visto is to be specially prepared for the Ascot Gold Cup, and as there is every indication of a very p®or lot going to the post for this especial trophy, his chance t>£ winning is particularly good. — At a meeting of the stewards of the Wellington Tr. tting Club it was decided to disqualify the niaie Floreuca (Ute Victorina) for five yeais, and her nomiuator. and .rider. (W.. .H. Marsh) aud trainer (Ja"mes Wright) for life. — The Avondale Jockey Club's annual meeting was held on Saturday. There was no totalisator. Frontignac (5 to 2 ag&t) won the Avondale Haudicap, Little Tom (2 to 1 agst) the Steeplechase, and Rex (6 to'l agst) the Flying Stakes. — Paris is iv work in Krgland in preparation for the racing season which starts at the end of March. He has been entered for the City and Suburban Handicap, . Chester Gap, Ascot Alexandra Plata, i&eam Gre»t Metropolitan Stakes. Aft

—At the Launceston races the pony Dolly Varden threw her rider, George Luck, and several other ponies trampled on him as he lay on the ground. Luck's skull was fractured, and little hopes of his recovery are entertained. The boy was for two years in AJhopp's stables, Sydney. — John Porter has never had so many youngsters in his st»ble as he has now (?oys an English writer^. With the turn of the New Year thore will be over 40 two-year-olds at KingEclere, and a second batch belonging to the Duke of Westminster is expected from the Eaton Stud. There should be some useful " cast off " to be picked up in the selling races at the Newmarket Spring meetings— when Honeat John has got through his wseding-out process. — There ia four times as much horse racing now as there \m when the Queen ascended the Throne. Notwithstanding the increase there is actually a decrease in the number of members of the Jockey Club, nor are they as representative of the sport as they formerly were. The "duties of stewards, on the other hand, are trebly irksome, and the difficulty is to find a member of the club who will consent to act as steward. Of the three present stewards, Lord Rendlesham has only one or two horfe3, and Lord Downes's colours are Been only on very iare occasions.

— The Indian Planters' Gazette states that directions have been received from Lord William Beresford to sell the whole of his horses at preseut in India, and Moth has already had several inquirers after her, but no one co far has been found willing to give 20,000 rupees, the price that is being a^ked for her. Ottoman and V irago are likely to find purchasers at an early date, and there is .sure to be keen competition for Virago, aa she is believed to have the makings of a Viceroy Cup winner for next year. She was purchased at Newmarket by Lord Marcus Beresford for about £500.