TALK OF THE DAY.

By MAZBPPA.

*** When the weights for the first New Zea, land Cup appeared Tasmau was at once selected as having a great show, and right up to the day he had a steady following, the machine pries being only a little over 2 to 1, though the bookmakers were quoting him ab fours. Nonsense; however, started ficst favourite. Up to the Issff there seemed to be a doubt as to which of the Hon. W. Robinson's pair, Nonsense or Cheviot!, would carry the owner's confidence, and report has it that this owner for ouce in a way neglected the betting ring, being content to plank £100 on to the mare in the tot&lisator, doing this quite openly In those days declarations were permitted. The public showed great faith iv the Robinson sbable when they preferred its selected one to Tasmau, for the latter was a racecourse idol, and he had the advantage of Derrett's riding, a disagreement between the Hon. W. Robinson and Derrett leading the latter to relinquish his mount on the mare and take the leg- up on Tasman. Moreover, a yarn was in circulation on the course that Tasman had changed hands on the morning or the race and become the property of the Hon. W. Robinson. Yet in spite of all these things Nonsense started a better favourite chan Tasman, being made about the greatest " pot" we have ever had for the Cup* And though the moral went down, most of those who saw the race thought that with an equal nhow, she would have be if en Tasmaa. Her chancn was prejudiced ficst by the long del:vy at the post — the race was starred three-quarters of an hour behind time— during which Nonsense fretted S3 badly that she wus all of a lather when the word was given ; and secondly, her opponent had a disI tiucl advantage in the matter of riding. Nonsense turned into the straight with a two leDgth* lead, Ta&nmi after her, gaining a trifle every few strides, bub he did not oaich her till within four lengths of the post, when, with a laab effort, he just got up and .pipped her by a head. Derretfc never rode a better race thaa that one. If the riders had changed mounts he would probably hwe won easier on Nonsense. By the time tue next Cup c»me round Derretfc was tiding for the Hon. W. Robinson again, and he had a.n easy win on Vanguard, the last of the Traduces. Tim Whifflsr and Turquoise pout out the running for a mile, where Tim fell | away, and Vanguard took second place. Poeb j made a bit of a demonstration at about five furlongs from home, but died away very quickly. Leonora's rush was of a more lasting character. She ran into second place as they passed the half-mile post, and waa on Tur-quoise-'a ghths in rounding for home. When fairly in the straight Turquoise cried enough, j aud Vanguard headed Leonora That was the | last move of importance, for they were all i pumped excepting Vanguard, who won hard ! held by three lengths trom Leonora, with Ike nearly a dozen lengths away at the head of a I thoroughly beaten lot.

*it* Several good horses started in Fusillade's Cup, but none of them excepting the winner and Administrator seemed to be anywhere near their best. Lochiel and Nelson hid nob at that time fully revealed their true form, and others, such as Turquoise, Black Rote, Sou'wester, Wapiti, and L*dy Emma, were past their best. With a tnuddled-up lot tuch as com" posed the fi»ld that year backers were fairly perplexed, and there was no particular favourite on the day Captain Web»ter was the horss that made the pace. H* sailed away in front for over a mile, and, though headed by Leoa for a furlong, he came again and showed the way round the last bend. Nelson and Administrator here challenged, and a moment later Fusillade and Hetmitage joined in. Administrator was first to draw oleav of the bunch, bub Fusillade caught him at the two-furlong post, and a capital race home resulted in favour of the youngster by a length. The bookmaker^ had a tidy win that year. And they did very well over the following Cap, Spade Guinea's, for there was lots of money for Nelson, Lochiel, Wftitiri, Disowned, and others all the winter, while Spade Guinea did not come seriously into notice unbil the eleventh hour, and five horses were better backed on the machine than she was. But, though not a general fancy,, she won very easily and in good time Huxtable kept her in a handy position from the jump off. She was for most of the way waiting on Lochiel, he in the lead. The great fancy, Disowned, was beaten at the home turn, where Nelson gob up and challenged the leaders. From thie point the race was just between the three, and while Nelson disposed of Lochiel, having him settled a couple of furlongs from the post, Spade Guinea as easily defeated Nelson, running in,* winner by a length and a-half.

*#* The Cap of 1887 will be remembered &a the one in which Lochiel gave the bookmakers a knock-out. They had made cocksure that ha was going to Australia, and never ceased laying him. 16 was curious business that spring. Backer* could always find money about; Locbiel at a price, but they didn't "drop" to the facb that fielders were taking liberties with Mr Stead's horse, and it wasn't until settling-day arrived that the true state of affairs dawned on them. Much of the money then won is still owing, and likely to remain so. The race was won decisively if not easily. Crachfleld headed the field until the last bend was reached, and he turned into the straight in advance of Beresford, Moana, Gipsy King, Nelson, and Lochiel in that order. Cruchfleld and Moana were in trouble at the distance, and Lochiel, after disposing of Nelson in a few strides, ran up to his mate (Beresford) and Gipsy King at the entrance to the rails. Thence an interesting finish was seen, and while Gipsy King afc last settled Beresford, the latter's chum came to the rescue and won by a short leDgth. Manton had a very easy win in 1888. He and Ex« change set the field a go from the start, and were joined at the top turn by Son of a Gun, who eventually split the pair at the finish, Manton winning with a lot in hand by four lengths, and Exchange coming in third a couple of lengths astern of the fancy-coloured one. Silvarmark had run a good trial for this race — one of the best gallops Goodman has ever managed at the Forbury— but this colt was a very troublesome one to keep condition on, asd hewes not at his best on the day of the race. Another slashing three-ye»r-old did the trick in the following year. I refer to Tirailleur. Scots Grey struggled along the straight with remarkable game-ness, and compelled Tirailleur to stretch himself, but the latter, once going, had a decided advantage over the challenger and everything else, and won by three-quarters of a length. Occident finished a poor third, bub might have been closer up if he had been made more judicious vie of. Wob verino brouehfc the stake to Obaso in 189&

There were some Blaßhirig three-year-olds in the field that year. Two of these, Freedom and Grackshot, made the pace, and held tbe command for a mile and a-qu»rter, when Wolverine passed into tbe lead. He showed the way into the straight, by whioh time, the pair of youngsters were done with, and challenges from Jeb d'Bau and Whisper having failed to Imperil his position, be had at lost nothing to beat but Dudu, who in turn got intp trouble at the rails, leaving the big fellow to win with more than a little in hand.

%* British Lion's surprise in 1891 has often fceen called a fluke, but I don't know that this Is proved. The simple fact as presented to us in fche account of the race is that the old horse outstayed a weak field. Flinders, one of the greatest impostors we have ever Been, started Favourite, but after several feeble spurts he ' finally retired at the top turn, and British Lion there took a lead of which he was never deprived. St. Hippo put up a splendid performance in 1892, winning in gallant style in the Fasteßt time recorded up to that date and with the heaviest weight ever carried in the race by a three-year-old. The manner of his win was very impressive. He went to work from the fall of the flag, and was never headed save by Awarua Eoee in the first furlong. The report reminds one of Newhaven's Melbourne Cap win

last week. Once only, and then but for_ a few Btridet, did anything seem able to live with St. ' Hippo. This was Dilemma, who made a cut at him in the straight and got him going at top. But his stride soon took him clear of the little Otago horse, and though the verdict was only a length and a-half it might have been more if wanted. In 1893 Rosefeldt won by a couple of lengths from Ich Dien, with Liberator third, Prime Warden fourth, and Hippomenes last; and, while the mare was not pressed at the finish, she made the time record which lasts

until this day. Prime Warden was a costly horse to backers that year, and Response's ■wonderful trials tempted many to lose money on tier chance. A p to the other Gups, it is snfficient to mention that Impulse beat Lottie and AlderBhot for places in 1894, and that Euroclydon won last year from Chaos and Gipsy Grand.

*** Chaos gob olossr to the Cup stake than any horse previously started by the Hobbs stable, and inasmuch as Euroclydon beat this fellow last year it is but tarn and turn about that his chum should bsat Euroclydon this time. A somewhat peculiar thing about Lady Zetland ie that, though long past the period usually reckoned as a horse's prime, she has delayed her crowning feat until burdened with the highest weight at which she has been handicapped in the race. Horses very often wait till the weight is lowered for them. Cases the reverse of this are sorely very rare. Yeb the

fact is that Lady Zetland was handicapped in 1893 at 6 12, in 1894 at 7.12, in 1895 at 8.5. and now at 8.9, when she wins for the first time. But then we have never seen such a Usfcer among, racing mare* ; very seldom, indeed, among horses of any kind. The Lady is this . season nine years of age ! Two seasons Ago we thought she must be on the verge of de t-riora-tion. Yet she keeps ; nob frequently, Srhaps, but meritoriously every time, and ough she cannot last much longer she must - now be at her very best. Is not this wonderful P I for one am compelled to admit that ebe

bus fairly beaten all my calculations. I Jbiad it figured out, as I thought cleverly, that «ince she declined the contest with 6.12 and

' 7.12, l and was put on one side in favour ■ of Chaos when handicapped at 8.5, she

was not likely to be formidable with the added weight. That she should after all prove to be the best of a powerful stable, and actually win, shows her to be a better mare than she was generally thought to be, and I am quite willing to admit that it is a pleasure to be "taken down" by such a marvel. Lady Zetland was bred in 1887 by Mr K. Gates, got by Perkin Warbeck II from the English mare Forget-me-not, daughter of King Lud, brother to King Cole. I have set out the pedigree at length in another column. It is distinctly a 2 rue pedigree— peculiarly rich in Touchstone blood, this arising to some extent, however, from what would be ordinarily deemed a Berious fault, namely, the incestuous -combination found fa Perkin Warbeck 11, whose sire ' and dam were, begotten by tbe same horse. Having drawn attention to this peculiarity I leave the pedigree to tell its own tale to those who study out such matters. Personally, I don't think tbe subject worth all the attention that is given to it, because if hones owed their merit primarily to pedigree it would be a fair thing to expect brothers and sisters of great ■ winners to turn out smart, whereas as a matter of common experience the man who takes this theory as bis guide is on a ehori route to bankruptcy.

*** We shall probably be told now that Lady Zetland is the best mare we ever had in New Zealand. As a matter of fact I bave already beard the rematk made. Tbe point is not one that I am at present concerned about arguing. This is Lady Zetland's week, and as a great admirer of the mare I am not going to make comparisons to her disadvantage. There is" one thing about her on which we must all bs agreed, and that is the point of lasting. In this respect she beats any racer we have ever had in New Zealand, so far as my memory serves me. - Others — a few — may have kept going as long as her, or perhaps longer, bub nothing that I can call to mind has retained its brilliancy as this mare is doing. This is her supremacy. Having said 10 much, I may add that Euroclydon fairly lhared the honours of the race. It wai no alight task to concede a lump of weight to Lady Zetland and then flniih close up to her. A.t the last moment she was tbe one the Joroclydon party were afraid of, several of the wires during the day or two prior to the race mentioning themareashaving a good show. lam told that she was the general tip of the trainers, and results bear this out, for on the day of the prace there was quite as much baekingln Duntedin and at the Taieri for Lady Zetland a« for EEuroclydon. What beats me ishow, in face of these facts, she came to pay so large a dividend as £9 2s. It was certainly far above what was generally expected. This is what helped to make her a bad mare for the fielders. The leading local men in this line tell ma that so far as the day's business was concerned, she vim absolutely the worst one in the Cup for them. They also had to stand pretty heavy payments on account of straight-out books, and all who had double books seem to have got struck for larger or smaller sums, though tbe takings out of the ring in this way are hot nearly so large as they would have been if fUnroclydon had gob home. As to the other apries in tha race very little need be said. Fabulist's defeat was a sore trouble to many, »nd Captive's party are left lamenting, and so fere other parties. The race seems to have bean confined to the two horses. None of the others £aye their supporters a hope in tbe race. Perhaps if Day Star bad kept right he would have lad a say. This seems possible, taking a line through Defiance's runnina. Bat Ido not think

anything else could have had a gay as against ■ the two that fought out the finish. j

*** The Trial Stakes at the Taieri bronghb out some high-pedigreed candidates. The Gleaner, daughter of Trident, made her debut in this race, and shaped fairly well for a beginning. She is what George Smith terms "a listener" — one of the sort that leave their grub to find out what is going on, — and a mare of this kiod wants a bit oi experience before beginning racing in earnest. False Impression also comes of blue-blooded &t,ck, and so does Campbell, the aon of St. Glair and Gitana, He ought^ to have won. He had his field licked 100 yards from home, and then eased up, with the result that the Vanguard gelding Pickett, who won a race at Kurow, pipped him on the post. Campbell's rider is not to be severely blamed for this. He -was justified in assuming that the others were all finally disposed of, and no one could have anticipated that Pickett had such a ran left in him. The Cap was a good race for a mile and mote, but Van Baron asserted himself in the straight with such effect as to place the result beyond doubb long before the post was reached. Bay Bell, though much above herself in point of condition, ran very well, and maybe has another race in her. Tae Novel Handicap, generally voted a good thing for Ulva, produoed a slashing finish. U*va got; home, certainly, but she had nothing to spare in her straggle with Crown Prince, and if the latter had got away on even terms he would probably have won. He is a much-improvedhoree. M'llroy handled Stimulant very judiciously in the Stewards' Purse, timing his run so as to make sure of the result, and not knocking the horse about. The Flying brought about a great get-to between Arline and Campbell, the end of which was that the unBexed one got beaten by his sister by a nose. A protest on the ground of interference was dismissed. So also was the protest in the second Trot, alleging that Harry Sneaker had been dissembling in the first Trot. Mr Crosean, owner of the Sneaker, told the stewards that he had £10 on the horse in the first race, and only £2 on him in the second one, and he added that the horse would probably have won the double if be had gone kindly in each. There was no evidence on the other aide in support of the protest. Mr Sinclair, who lodged the objection, said that his witnesses had left him in the lurch. In these circumstances the stewards had no option in the matter, and they very properly dismissed the protest. Messrs Mason and Roberts passed £2242 through the machines, or £211 more than at the last spring meeting.

* # * Newhaven is the idol of the colonies. Sportsmen here, there, and everywhere are worshipping him and telling forth his praiies. I join in tiie homage. It makes a fellow's pulse quicken to even read the story of the race for the Melbourne Cap. In the first halfmile this great colt; raced to the front and stayed there, having his field thoroughly beaten at the home turn, and running home at the easy pace which in a race we call a canter a winner by seven lengths. The race was just like that for the Derby. Newhaven in each event made his own pace, thus securing immunity from blocking, and the beat of the going if there was any choice, and the shortest/ route, as being on the mils all the way. These are tremendous advantages in a race like the Mel* bourne Cap ; but they cannot be obtained by any ordinary three-year-old. To head the field and make every post a winning-post means continuous pressure until all the crowd are i defeated,'and it is only once in a lifetime that ; a fellow comes across a youDgster that is so • absolutely safe as a stayer as to adopt this policy. Ido not think so much of Newhaven'g feat in this way as I should if he had not brought off the trick in the Derby just previously. Gardiner must have had a very good line for the Cup by the way the three-year-old race was run. Still, it was a great trial, and , the parties connected with the colt showed unbounded confidence in his stamina and bottom when they seb him the task. One must admire Newhaven. He has come through a great ordeal with phenomenal success. Still, it is possible to carry praise too far. I emphatically dissent from the statements which some wor- i shippers of the rising sun have given expression to, to the effect, that this is the greatest performance we have ever had in the , Melbourne Cap. Newheven has not yet come up to Carbine's great feat. " Old Jack " had exactly a stone over weight for age when he won this race, while Newhaven has won with only half a stone over the scale weight. The trifling difference in time is also in Carbine's favour, bat we may let that consideration alone, since neither was pressed at the finish, and Newhaven could certainly have gone faster if pressed. My argument is solely confined to the matter of weight, and on that it is plain that Carbine's performance was the better one. There eeems to be no escape from that conclusion unless it be shown that the weight-for-age scale is no test. Some persons, I am aware, argue that the scale is not a fair one, but their contention is invariably that three-year-oldf are unduly favoured. Personally I don't think this is a sound argument. It may be conceded that three-year-olds win more weight for age races than say four-year-olds, and more than five-year-olds, but the explanation of this appears to me to be that there are more three-year-olds going for these events, that arising from the fact that numbers of our best horses become more or less unsound after passing their Derby season. A really good five-year-old, or a four-year-old if not bothered with teething troubles, has as fair a show as the younger horses. First King, Commotion, Melos, Carbine, and Portsea are prominent cases in point. But Ido not think the subject is worth arguing at length in the present connection. The weight-for-age soale may very well stand as the criterion, and, judged by it, Carbine is being unjustly treated by those who extol Newhaven as the king of the Cup winners.

*** All the same, while not forgetting onr old mealy bay, I can cheerfully shout "Hurrah" for Newhaven. He has won with a higher weight than was ever previously taken into a place in the Melbourne Cup by a three-year-old. I do not think, speaking from memory, that any horse of this age ever started with 7.13. A look a.% the doings of three-year-olds in the Cap shows what a really great thing it was that Newhaven did. In what may be called the early days of tbe Cvp — say the first 10 years — the only three-year-old performance worth mentioning was that of The Barb, an exceptionally fine colt, who won with 6.11 up. It is true that Banker and Lantern had previously scored, but they had nothing very much to beat, and Banker carried hut 5.4, while Lantern had only 6.3. Compare Banker with Newhaven, and we get a difference of 371b in weight and 15£* ec in time as the calculable preponderance in favour of this year's winner I And he. carried 161b more than The Barb had t Beyond these, no other three-year-old got a place in the first decade save Queen of Hearts, who with 5.12 ran second, and a very bad second, to Tim Whiffler. Daring fche lecond decade we had Irish King 6.0 finishing third in Pearl's year; then that excellent colt Richmond, who was good enough to win the A.J.C. Derby and later on the Chamoion Stakes.

suffered defeat, though carrying only 8.3, when Wollomai won ; the Following year was a lucky one for three-year-olds, inasmuoh as Briseis won and Sybil ran second, both with light weights; then we had Chester's victory under 6 12, and in the same year Savanaka 6.2 ran a good race ; in Darri well's year Buwarrow (the Dorby winner) was unable to get any nearer than third with the light weight of 63 ; and in the next year Grand Flaneur 6.10 and Progress 5.10 were first and second. After an interval of a couple of years MartiniHenry put up the three-year-old record hy winning with 7.5, and then, after an interval of three clear years, Australian Peer failed in precisely the same task, since after winning the Derby he was only able to get third, with 7.5, to Dunlop. In 1888, when Mentor won, the Derby winner's failure may be left out of count. Ib was the year of Ensign's extraordinary defeat of Carbine on the Saturday. In the Cup the ■Chester three-year-old broke down. But it is significant that Melos, grand horse as he was, finished unplaced with 7.5, baing, in fact, never in the hunt. This race, by the way, will be remembered as the one wherein Spade Guinea broke her leg. In 1889 there were no three- j year-olds better than Rudolph 7.8 and JSingapore 7.6, and both ended unplaced behind Bravo. Correze 7.3 was third in Carbine's | year, but it was a poor third, and The Admiral, j who had won the Derby like a stayer, found 7 9 ' \ atop him from getting nearer than fifth. Another slashing three-year-old in Strathmore I (also a Derby wiuner) went down in Malvolio's Cup, being third with 7.6. Camocola with 7.7 was nowhere in Glenlofch'a year ; Carnage 7.7 had to put up with second place in Tarcoola's Cup ; and a -year ago Wallace with 7.6 finished un- : placed. I had almost forgotten, aleo, to mention | Nordcnfeldt's failure in Sheet Anchor's Cup. ' Altogether, previous to this year, the Cup had been run 35 times, and there were therefore 105 opportunities for a place, yet I find that only 19 places were filled by three-year-olds — namely, seven firsts, six seconds, and six thirds, and most of these "shops" -were secured by horses that were very lightly handicapped. History, therefore, makes Newhaven's feat a most remarkable one, and he will stand out, even if he goes no further with his wins, as a wonderful youngster. On the point of time, the best records have been :—

*#* While Newhaven's great feat stands as bhe one feature of this year's Melbourne Cup, the surprise to sportsmen in this colony was bhe way that Bloodshot shaped. He was the particular candidate that wa6 derided by the urowd. Here I may venture to remark that this derision was not quite universal. One party of backers, at least, gave the son or Maxim and Iris their support to the extent, it is said, of a Very tidy sum. They fancied him, I presume, on his work and on lie breeding, as "being a New Zealander. It 3ould not have been on any public reputation tor staying. Yet, however the thing cam* nbout, the adventurous ones picked a really good horse, able to beat everything but the winner; and, since Bloodshot has since anoexed the Fisher Plate, we must now abandon bhe theory that he is a non-stayer. As a matter of fact we sever knew that he could not stay, because he had not been tried over a distance, but we thought he would be sure to be proved at Yaldhurst, as he probably was. The reasonable inference is that Bloodshot's brilliant speed is helping him to stay as he is putting age on. We may rely on it that he will be well watched in the future by New Zealander»; and perhaps they will lose their money, for, though able to race over a greater distance than was thought to be the end of his tether, he was decisively beaten by Hopscotch in the seven-furlong weight-for-age race on the third day— a feat indicative that he is not a marvel — and whenever he does race now it will be under big weights and at the price of a horse that is respected. These considerations should make backers chary of plunging on Bloodshot in the future. The other races at the meeting may very well stand over until we have full particulars.

*£* For tbe benefit of those who have heard only garbled accounts of Nimblefoot's Meloonrne Cup and the £1000 to eight drinks story, I reproduce the seasonable tale as told by " Nunquam Dormio." In the year 1863, he says, a Tasmanian mare named Quickstep, bred by the veteran Mr John Lord, and got by Lugar out of imported Esplanade, threw a colt foal to Panic which was known to racing fame up to three years old as Nimbletoe, but was subsequently called Nimblefoot. This youngster displayed much brilliancy as a three-year-old in Tasmania, and was brought over to Victoria by Mr Joseph Thompson, where he proved fairly successful for a time. Then his way of racing life appeared to.fall into the " cere, the yellow leaf," until in 1870, as an aged horse, he was considered only entitled to carry 6st in a Melbourne Cap. At this time he was the property of a Ballarat sportsman named Walter Craig, proprietor of the Royal Hotel. In the early days 'of racing there was very little doubleevent wagering indulged in ; but all at once a rough, thickset, middle-aged man named Slack appeared on the scene, and planking £2000 in the bank, he advertised the deposit receipt thereof and launched forth as a " doubleeventer " pure and simple. He was far from being an educated or even a cultivated man, bub he was thoroughly honest, laid long odds, and drove a thriving business. Early in September 1870 Slack was up at Ballarat prosecuting business, and in the course of his peregrinations dropped into Craig's Hotel with half a dozen clients. During the course of conversation Mr Craig remarked to the leviathan Souble-eventer, " What tfill you lay me a rough outside double P " " What do you call a rough outside double ? " inquired Slack. " Oh, say Croydon for the Metropolitan and my old prad, Nimblefoot, for the Melbourne Cap," was the reply. lf Well, that is an outside double, I'll admit," aaid the bookmaker ; " and — let me see, there are eight of us here — I will lay you £1000 to eight drinks, if you let us have the drinks now." Mine hott supplied the drinks, and signs were on it 1 Croydon won the Metropolitan Stakes and Nimblefoot the Melbourne Cup right enough. Just prioi to the V.R.C. meeting Mr Craig had a remarkable dream — that Nimblefoot won the Cup, and that his jockey wore a crape arm-band. He was not in particularly good health at the time; but still there was nothing materially wrong with him — so far as his medical advisers' opinions went t but he died before the race, and young Day, who piloted Nimblefoot to victory, wore the crape arm-band, as Mr Craig had dreamt would happen. On the opening Saturday of the meeting Nimblefoot carried off bhe Hotham Handicap, of a mile and a-half and a cistance, with 63. and by so doing inonnei a 31b

penalty. He won easily enough from Lapdojj, Valentine, and 25 others in 3mm 37seo, and Mr Slack banded over to his widow the dam of £500, which the, lady accepted in lieu of all demands.

*#* The old-time Vioborian trainer Robert Sevior died on the lasb Wednesday in October, after a lengthy illness. " Terlinga," recording the event, aays : I suppoie the only prominent trainer now alive who goes back as far as Bevior did is W. Lang, the owner of Ro*ella, Both their names occur frequently in Bell's Life in Victoria for 1857, and neither was exactly a boy then, Sevior never seems to have been thoroughly prosperous. His best time was when he had the late Austin Saqui's horses. With Warrior he won the Melbourne Cup of 1869, the Australian Cup of 1873, and numerous other rao9B. Sevior should have done well while Warrior waßiß form. It was remarkable that Warrior's chief opponent in the Australian Cup was Nimblefoot, another old gelding, supposed by outsiders to be used up, bub known by his trainer, Lang, to be equal to beating all but Warrior. Sevior has often told me how the opposition kept him posted as to the futility of opposing Nimblefoob, but he was confident in the ability of his own veteran, and would not hear of pulling out. Warrior started second favourite, and won easily by three lengths, Nimblefoot being second. Sarcastic remarks were made in the Australasian about Warrior's sadden return to form, and Sevior wrote a column and a-half explaining matters. Misty Morn was a horse Sevior won races with, and about the last good ones he had to train were Sibyl and Aconite. The former ran second in the Melbourne Cop and won the Australian Cup. Sevior was a man well liked among his brother trainers, whom he was always glad to assist with advice when a horse was in Queer street.

*** Labrador won the Foal Stakes at Newmarket in September after a close finish when he ought to have had everything beaten at the distance. The Sportsman remarks that if he had been beaten it would have been a very salutary lesson as to the folly of cantering and lobbing along until close home and then having a scramble for the posb. Labrador is a thorough stayer, and under no conceivable circumstances except one could he be beaten in such company. This one was that they should run the race exactly as they did, which was not to begin to run it at all till a mile of the distance had been covered. At that point everything had an apparent chance, and Glow was pulling double. Serfdom came with a rare dash of speed out of the dip, and it was on the cards that Labrador would be beaten, bub there was jusfc time for Cannon to fairly get at him before the postwas reached, so he won^though he deserved to be beaten. The rich Jockey Club Stakes found Persimmon at 11 to 8 on in a field of 10, and he landed the odds in fine style, going with the fire and dash characteristic of a first-class horse. The only opponent to get within hail of the Prince's «olt was Sir Visto, who was, however, beateu by a couple of lengths. Thu« the winners of the Derby and St. Leger in 1895 and 1896 ran first and second. Persimmon has not scored an easier victory. The course (one mile and two furlongs) was covered by the winner in 2min 14 3-sspc. and the value of the stakes to his owner was £8985. .

*** Mr A. Goale, a Melbourne veterinary surgeon, sued S. Griffiths, a trainer, in the Frahran Court last month, claiming half a guinea for visiting the racehorse Sunray. The defendant is reported to have said that, acting on Mr Goule's advice, he had sold Sunray (who was said to be suffering from albuminurea) in Kirk's Bazaar for 20gs, and a week or so later tbe horse won a race, and 10 out of the first 14in which he afterwards ran fell to his share, the purchaser refusing 300gs for him. The chairman, in giving a verdict for the plaintiff, remarked that if a veterinary surgeon actually killed any horse he was called upon to attend, he could still claim his fee, but the owner of the horse had his remedy, and could sue for damages.

*£* At the Town and Suburban Club's meeting m Hawke's Bay, C*pon Rouge (£6 17s) won the Maiden, Aphony (£1 17s) the Prince of Wales Handicap), Drury L»ne (£3 9s; the Hack Hurdles, Kingsmtm (£5 3*) the Tarad&le Handicap, Cologne (£7 14a) the Meanee Handicap, SylTanus (£1 8s) the Welter, Waitangi (£2 18s) the Selling Race, and Kingsman (£1 18s) the Flying Handioap.

1890— Carbine „, „. 10 5 ... 3min 281 sec 1887— Dunlop .„ ... 8 3 ... 3mio 28jsec 1896— Newhaven „, ... 713 ... 3min 28Jsec 1895— Auraria „, ... 7 4 ... 3min 29 sco 1891— Malvolio 8 4 ... 3min 29Jsec 1885— Sheet Anchor ... 7 11 ... 3min 29Jsec 1883— Martini- Henry ... 7 5 ... 3min 30Jsec 1893— Tarcoola ... ... 8 4 ... 3min 30* sec 1879-Darriwell ... .M. M 7 4 „. 3min 3l)fsec 1888— Mentor ,„ ... 8 3 ... 3min 30Jaec After these there is nothing to heat the 3min 31sec of Areenal and Patron.