Sporting Brevities.

«►■■ (Cani-erbury Times.) The Victorian horse Muscovite has been sold to go to India. Mr Harrie Smith, secretary of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club, is dead. Carbine was to have covered a couple of mares soon after hie arrival in England. Mr R. E. Hurley, the well-known amateur rider, arrived from the north on Sunday. H. Piper has been appointed etarter to the Napier Town and Suburban Bacing Club. S. Loates gained the nnnsual honour of riding the winners of both Derby and Oaks. Curzon, who finished second in the Derby, is stated to be touched in the wind. St Hippo is stated to be looking much better than he did when he arrived in Sydney. It ia stated on good authority that Mr Gollan's team will return to New Zealand shortly. The Dnke of Portland thinks that Carbine ia an improved and Btronger likenesa of Orme. It is reported that Ormonde has become almost impotent, and bas developed a frightful temper. The Victorian correspondent of the Sydney Referee thinks that the Victorian j Totalisator Bill will be lost. It is probable that Kent will take part in the flat races at the Canterbury Jockey Club's Grand National Meeting. j There are many worse doubles for the Grand National Steeplechase aud Hurdle Race than Mutiny and Couranto. Mr C. Siddell, cf Hawke's Bay, has purchased the Tasmanian-bred horse Moonraker, a son of The Assyrian. North Atlantic, Skirmisher, Irish Twist, and Magazine have all recently been well supported for the New Zealand Cup. Osman has gone wrong, and will probably be unable to fulfil his engagement in the Grand National Hurdle Race. Norton, Couranto, Mutiny, Lascar, Repo and Mystical arrived by the Mararoa from Wellington, in charge of Hickey, on Saturday. Mr S. Hordern, the New South Wales racing man, haß named a colt by Nordenfeldt, from Miss Westbourne, most happily — Nor'-west. The English-bred horse Mostyn haß been scratched for the Caulfield Cup, and Oxide has been withdrawn from the Melbourne Cup. Ripple, who started favourite for the Victorian Grand National Hurdle Race, was, it is stated, made too much use of during the race. The programme of the Victoria Racing Club's Spring Meeting, together with lists of horses engaged in classic races which have closed, is to hand. Dart Hat 41b started favourite for the Hurdle Race at the Williamstown (Victoria) Meeting on Jane 29, but could only finish second to Bill Hat 101 b. Although it was not Lottie who was recently brought from Waikato Co Auckland; it is stated that the daughter of Muskapeer is in work at the former place. It is stated that the meeting of Victorian train ers at Caulfield, which passed a resolution against introducing the totalisator was by no means a representative gathering. The ex- New Zealander Quadrant Bst 71b started favourite for the Stewards' Mile Welter Handicap at Moorefield (New South Wales) Meeting on June 28, and won by a head. Although Mutiny and Couranto were brought from Wellington to Riccarton by J. Hickey, their trainer, G. Hope, came down on Sunday, aud is now in charge of the horseß. The Joker, who is engaged in the Grand National Steeplechase, struck himself recently, and although he appears sound enough now, he is bound to be backward next month. Mauser and Musketry have been nominated for the Epsom Handicap, and Mannlicher for the Metropolitan Stakes, to be decided at the Australian Jockey Club's Spring Meeting. Bush Boy, who went ont second favourite for the Winter Handicap at Williamstown (Victoria) on June 29, delayed the start by playing np, and finally refused to move when the barrier went up. Lady Diana: " You're a good judge of horseflesh, aren't you, Count?" The Count (misunderstanding) : " Ah, out / Yen he eea good he ees Buperb, but yen he ees bad he taste like leather." Bushboy was among the unplaced division in the Winter Handicap at the Williamstown (Victoria) Raoing Club's Meeting on June 29, and Mikado 11. finished unplaced in the Steeplechase. Mr H. P. Cohen, who, in conjunction with Mr W. Stock, works the totalisator for the Hawke'a Bay Jockey Olub, has disposed of his interest in the business, and ia about to leave New Zealand. Sir Visto ia described as a powerful wellmade specimen of the thoroughbred horse, but with less quality than is usually found in Derby winners, and he carries a somewhat split-up unfnrnißhed appearance. The Duke of Portland intends keeping tbe yearling colt by Carbine, from Novelette, until he is fonr or five years of age, and then trying to win some of the long distance races at Ascot with him. At a meeting of members of the Victoria Bacing Club, held last week to consider the Totalisator Bill, a large majority of the committee and members expressed themselves Btrongly in favour of the machine. So far from there being any surplus this year in the Derby, the subscription amounted to only £4715, and therefore the sum of £1285 had to be added to make up the £6000 won by the first, Becond and third horses. It is reported that at the next meeting of the committee of the Dunedin Jockey Club, a resolution to introduce a threefurlong race for two-year-olds into the programme for the Hunt Club Meeting will be discussed. The story that Le Var met with an accident the day before the Derby and was scratched for the race is incorrect. A horse did collide with a bicyclist, bnt it was not Le Var, and the son of Isonomy, after all, started in the Derby. The Indian, who has the reputation of being the beßt all round horse in Australia, and who has been purchased to go to India, will be accompanied by Mr W. S.Cox, jun. This crack amateur will ride the horse in his engagements there. Feeling concerning the totalisator is running very high -just now in Victoria, and a trainer who has freely expressed his feelings in favour of the machine has lost some horses, the property of a client who beieves in the old system. Kirkconnel, who was thought by some people to have been unfortunate in the Derby, was, immediately after the race, shipped to France to run in the Grand Prix de Paria. If the son of Royal Hampton did start he finished unplaced. When True Blue fell in a race at the Sydney Turf Club's Birthday Meeting, he injured himself bo seriously that he will have to undergo a rest of six months. The son of Hotchkiss was thought to possess a capital chance in the A. J.C. Derby. Mikado 11. fell in a steeplechase at the Williamstown (Victoria) meeting on June 29, and injured one of his stifles. This probably prevented the son of Apremont from fulfilling his engagement in the Victorian Grand National Steeplechase. When Response finished second in the Moorefield Handicap at the Moorefield (New South Wales) Racing Club's Meeting on June 29, "Umpire" of the Sydney Referee stated that the daughter of Richmond looked handsome and slightly above herself. Tho Woodcote Stakes, the principal two-year-old event of the Epsom "Summer Meeting, wbb won by Mr D. Cooper's Serpentine, a half-sister, by St Serf, to Float and Glare. The Australian racing man won the same race laat year by the aid of Saintly. Nasrulla Ehan, the. heir to the throne of Afghanistan, who is now in England, was much pleased with the Derby. Only he thought, says the Pall Mall Gaz te that it was all arranged beforehand that the Prince of Waleß should win the first race hesaw, and the Prime Minister the second; which is probably exactly what would have happened in Cabul.