TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1971, 29 August 1889, Page 23

TALK OF THE DAY.

BY MAZEPPA.

*#* Once more the Dunedin Jockey Club ask the attention of owners to an important announcement, the neglect of which may involve loss. It is that the nominations for some of the Exhibition races close on Saturday of this week, the 31st inst. The races for which nominations will then be taken are the three hurdle races, each of 150aovs; the Dunediu Stakes, of 250sovs j the Commissioners' Purse (welter handioap)i of 150sovs; the Onslow Plate, of 250sovb ; and the Jubilee Plate, of 300sovs. The first payment in each of these events is lsov, excepting the Onslow Plate, which is 23OVS. The Dunedin Stakes is for two-year olda only.

* # * The weather on Sunday morning was specially favourable for working horses, and the training tracks were in excellent order ; but my visit to the Forbury was not very fully rewarded, excepting that it provided a good " constitutional," for, as is the rule in these parts, several of our trainers were having an " off ' day — not, I Bhould imagine, from any promptings of devotion, but simply and solely because they find by experience that under ordinary circumstances an observance of the Fourth Commandment is beneficial to horses as well as men. One of the first I saw working was the steeplechaser Waitangi, who looks very well indeed, and seems to be quite as fit as when he was taken to Christchurch. He did a long, Blow canter with Le Temps. Poole subsequently tookadraughty-lookingtrotter named Tans o' Shanter for a spin round the tan, and had all bis work cut out to keep him steady. Gipsy Prince, the full brother to Gipsy King, was ridden by Billy Sharp, and with the trotter Jane (16st up) for a companion the Roman-nosed chestnut put in a long easy canter at about the pace of the trotter. It is evident that Gipsy Prince has not been idle of late— he looks very well, indeed, and should be fit to have a fair trial in the spring. Mr Myers' hunter Bugler was taken over the jumps in view of the coming races, it being intended, I understand, to start him in the Maiden. He is not a fast horse, but as honest a jumper as I have seen. James Allan gave the youngster by Duntroon out of Elgin Maid a nice useful spin in company of a pony, and later on brought out a trotting pony named College Girl, that will, I should think, require all her 70360 start in the Three-mile Trot. Harry Goodman sent Silvermark for the slowest cantor a horse can take. Being closely clothed, I was unable to judge satisfactorily of the Cup horse's condition ; but from what I could Bee I should say that he is not very forward in his preparation. He moves freely, though, and does not walk like an invalid. Apres Moi has a rather poor appearance, and Blizzard, who went with her twice round, is not one that will take the eye on first acquaintance, for ho has cot grown much since last seen out, and has a certain stiffness in carrying his bind legs when walking. When going faster, however, Blizzard is eeen to have the free use of all his limbs, and it may be that he is in better condition than one would judge on first appearances. The filly by Apremont out of 6-ilda, now named Apology, was receiving the rudiments of her education, being restricted to spurting and walking. Mr J. Stephenson, jun,, had on the course an upstanding clipped mare called Taihoa, intended, I think, for one of the Hunt Club races. Tommy Bowie got her over the jumps without any difficulty, and being thus ready she cleared away from Hampden (a maiden jumper), who three or four times stuck up at the log fence down by the distance post. Sam Mercer worked Belvidere and the trotter Violet in company with Goodman's Don Caesar. They all went slow. Belvidere has a nice way of cantering, as was shown in a spurt with the Don at the finish, and many judges regard him as one of the most promising of the Gortons we have esen.

*** A well-known figure on the turf for nearly half a century was that of Lord Exeter, the owner of the famous horse Stockwell, the grandsire of Minting and groat- grandsire of Saraband and Ormonde. His Lordship was a little man, and always dressed in black. Half a century ago gentlemen did not wear shirt collar's, their tbroatß being envoloped in huge starched cravats, and Lord Exeter was quite conspicuous on account of wearing this unfashionable appendage. He would walk rom one end of Newmarket High street -o the other, and no matter bow many beads W9re uncovered as he passed, he would not notice nor acknowledge any salutation. During fb.3 meetings he lived at Foley Houaa, while hia trainer Hortaok, who trained his horses at fha racing capital, lived at Exeter House. Joined to each establishment was a long covered ride, where he used to exercise his horses in wet or frosty weather, and waa thus enabled to keep them out of sieht of the touts, for whom be had a great abhorrence. If his horses were

beaten in their mns, he would have them all tried over again the nest morning, notwithstanding that some of them' were engaged on the same day, and made them fulfil their engagements just the same. As a natural result the animals often ran Btale and broke down. But nothing would prevent him running them in every race for which they were entered, if they,bad the slightest chance of winning, or even if they had no chance at all. Lord Exeter retired from the turf in 1866, after a career of half a century. *** Opinions will be divided as to whether Mr Dowse is justified in asking Wolverine to give 51b to Occident in the Kensington Handicap. The creditable show made by Mr Turnbull's horse in the 0.J.0. Derby and Canterbury Cup, and alao in the St. Andrew's Handicap, causes one to think that over a distance he should concede a little to Occident, as in the New Zealand Cup ; but Occident won over the Kensington Handicap distance in February in the fastest time ever made at the Forbury, and in view of that performance it might not have been asking too much of him to place him on equal terms with the son of Tangi. But it is not a certainty that the better of this pair will win. They have more important engagements ahead, and may be reserved therefor. La Jttoee has, on pure book form, the worst of it as compared with Le Tempe, seeing that in this very race last; year Bhe waa beaten when conceding 81b to the chestnut, but she was not defeated on her merits. Mr Dowse and everyone else saw that, and seeing that Bhe subsequently performed well I think La Rose has earned her weight. If I knew she would try I would stand her as soon as anything in the race, for Bhe i 8 very well. St. James I have no fancy for at the weight, but Ixion may have a show if be is very well. Quibble ia done for, I am afraid, or I should go for him in one. Stonehenge is not badly treated, considering that he waa well thought of in Tasmania last season. St. Malo I know little about, Le Temps may very likely be heard of, for he will improve a good deal by the day of the race. Little Shamrock is perhaps hardly bo likely as Blizzard, who may run a good race if he trains on well. I shall at present content myself with Baying that I think the most likely three ara La Rose. Le Temps, and Blizzard, though Occident should very nearly win if the stable come for him at the finish. I should take Monteagle to be a particularly dangerous member in the Tally-ho Steeplechase. Ahua is, I hear, not likely to accept. Waitangi is bound to be the favourite with the local people, As to the Shorts, it seems to me a rattling good handicap, and I cannot pick it, though 1~ have a fancy that Don Pedro may be heard of. I shall purpoßely avoid saying anything about the Pony Race and the Trots until the acceptances appear. *** Attention is directed to the Palmerston and Shag Valley Jockey Club's programme for the meeting to be held on October 11. There are eight events to go for. Mr G. Dowse will attend to the handicapping, and the general arrangements will, as heretofore, be in the hands of Mr J. T, Gwynne, the honorary Bocretary. Nominations for the handicaps close on September 10.

*#* William Day tells a very good story in his "Reminiscences" Bird on-the Wing had ran bo well as a two-year-old that Milner laid Mr Merry £5000 that she would beat his filly (Sally) at the next year's Oaks. And just before Epsom she beat Joe Miller at a mile and a-half at even weights, and two others. But as the day approached the state of the odds looked suspicious. On the morning of the race she was eecond favourite at 4 to 1, but before she started she had gone back to 20 to 1. Yet every one knew she wqb the beat mare of the lot. Sam Rodgers rode her — and lost. But it was bo evident to the public that he could have won that he was nobbed on his way to the weighing stand, and narrowly escaped rough usage. The next week Bird-on-tbe-Wing won the Produce Stakes at Manchester, easily beating six competitors Her next trip was at York, when Frank Butler rode, but v/ith no better luck than Rogers, as he pulled up a bad third. On the following Friday she won the Queen's Plate by two lengths against a large field, Frank being again in the saddle ; while she took the Park Hill at Doncaster with the same ridiculous ease. And now for the explanation. It is alleged that Frank Butler in the Winter had made a heavy bet that he would win the DerbyandtheOaksthatyear. He had won the former on one of the poorest beasts — Daniel O'Rourke — that ever captured the Blue Riband, and he prevailed on Sam to give him the Oaks. After such an obligation as that, what could Frank do but play the friend for him at York as he had for Frank at Epsom ?

*+* That game colt Le Temps has again changed hands, having been sold at Laughlin and Condon's sale to Mr Johnson, of Berwick, owner of Tenakoo. Le Temps has since been placed in the hands of Poole, who took charge last Saturday. I had a look at the horse on Sunday, as he waa been attended to after a long canter with a rug or The morning being warm a good scrape was got off him, though he had not done anything extra. Le Temps is apparently sound and very well, but there is a lot of galloping in front of him before he will be hard enough to laet over a distance.

*** The sale referred to above was, I understand, practically for the purpose of adjusting and closing the partnership. Jack Laughlin intends to carry on in the same place with whatever horses may ba entrusted to him, the nucleus of his team being Warlock, who was bought by Laughlin on his own account for 59gs, lahmael, the half brother to Gipsy King, wag full value, 1 should say, for the 17£ga paid for him by Mr M'Kewen. La Rose was bought in. Neither of.' the partners waa anxious to buy, but could not let her go at the price offered, so Laughlin bid lOOga and took her home pending the forthcoming of a private purchaser. L 9 Temp 3' price was 44gs. Jaok Poole parted with his Barwon hack, Cuddy, at the same sale. I understand that La Rose may be shipped to Melbourne unless a bargain is soon made for her.

*** This is what " Pendragon " has to say about the Chetwynd-Durham award :—": — " This way of giving a plaintiff a verdict and awarding him v/ith it a ftu thing damages maybe all very well for jurieß, who are not expected to do anything either courageous or logical. But with arbitrators who were selected because of their thorough knowledge of the question in debate, and at least one of whom is very proud of his cour&go trader difficulties, we were encouraged to expect something at cn«o bold and decided. This farthing damagea farce etrikes mo, and I dare say will strike other 3. as away of wriggling out of an rmpleDßswit duty, and when men begin to think they will find they looked for something better and stronger from ench high and mighty folk (when they arc dealing v/ith the lowly and tha undefended) as the stewards of the Jockey Club. Wo ars now exactly where we were when first the t rouble began — with Wood and Sberrard offered up aa sacrifices, and a couple of very h?avy lawyers' bills incurred. Providing Lord Durham proved all he said at the Gimorack Glob dinner against Sherrard'a stable, taking that stable in bulk, and said what he did in the public interest and for the public good, it is a cruel thing to compel him to pay heavy costs which,

when a defendant pays them, are just as heavy as damages, though they don't happen to be called such. On the other hand, if Sir George Chetwynd has been so much maligned that ha is entitled to a verdict, why Bhould he not have one that is real, and therefore vastly different from this, which is nothing more or less than a delusion and a mockery ? From the very first the arrangements in Chetwynd v, Durham have hardly been calculated to carry with them the confidence of thinking men. An ordinary court of inquiry is good enough for ordinary people, but an entirely new range of machinery had to be rigged up to suit the requirements of men moving in superior society. This is the soft of thing which gives demagogues an opportunity of talking about one law for the rich and another for the poor, and such opportunities are only too eagerly Beized on. The feeling of dissatisfaction iB bound tr- grow stronger when we find such comparatively small dear as Wood and Sherrard being virtually put to the torture and exposed to treatment which naß no parallel in an English law court, or substitute for an English law court, since the days of the Star Chamber. Far be it from me to wiah to stand forth as the defender of such an awful evildoer as Wood bis been made to appear, or even of such a comparatively minor offender as Sherrard ; but no man with his eyes open can help seaing that both were handed, bound and helpless, to the torturer, who is none the less a torturer because modern custom calls him Bimply a cross- examiner. If Wood and Sherrard had been parties to the suit, and therefore represented by counsel, attd by thoir counsel advised and protected, they would • have been in a very different position from that in which we now find them. No doubt Wood has done many things he ought not to have done, but it is infamous, and imbeoile v ac well, for anybody to assume that he waa all but alone in bis wickedness, or that the whole of the rest of the racing world— jockeys, owners, trainers, stable-boys, everybody— is now the very pink and pattern of purity and innocence."

%* Locbiel will be remembered when better horses are forgotten. His New Zealand Cup victory will suffice for this, involving, as it did, widespread embarrassment among those who were fielding at the time, and the complete ruin of more than one. I have no wish to recall the affair to mind— it is not a pleasant subject at the best, and I would not wantonly stir up mud that has begun to settle ; but the old trouble has been one of the chief topics of conversation this we' k owing to the posting of two Dunedin men by a brother fielder whose patience iB exhausted, as well it might be, considering that the race was run so long ago as the Bth of November, 1887. I understand that the individual who sent away notice to Tattersall's last Thursday was willing to give a clean receipt on payment of about 10 per cent, of the wagers, and did not resort to the extreme measure until all hope of compromise was dispelled. And still some people tell us that it would be a good thing to abolish the totaliaator and return to the embrace of the Ring I

*** At the sale of Mr j. Shand's stock the Tiaducer mare Envy, in foal to Sir Garnet, was bought by Mr Johnson (owner of Tenakoe and Le Temps) for £16. She was bred by Mr Mallock in 1867 (by Traducer— Asucena, by Towton), and is therefore 18 years old this foaling. The Duntroon and Sir Garnet yearlings were bought at from £4 to £7 10 a per head j the two-year-old filly by the trotting horse Honesty went to Mr W. Hastie for £80 j and the trotter Ace of Clubs (by Bucephalus) was knocked down to Mr O, Gamble for £2.

* # * There is only one Melbourne, but its own Bcribea are not its only prophets. A Sydney writer thus frankly avows his opinions on the subject:— "The day will never come when we can vie with the Southerners with attendances they have at the Melbourne Cups. It may be argued that we do not try, but in response to such an equivocal pretext permit yours truly to say emphatically that if we did until the Day of Judgment and a wsek after, then we would not succeed. The fact of the matter is simply this. We did not know at the outset how to educate our people, and the day having gone by, the opportunity is loßt, never to return again. I verily believe that if the Australian Jockey Club were to offer a bonua of a ' fiver ' to every person who put in an appearance on the next Metropolitan Stakes or Sydney Cup day, they would not entice more than 25,000. If they did, the Lord known where they would put them. Randwick certainly was never so well adapted or so naturally situated as Flemington, but for all that had the buildings and appointments been erected on the southern side, a great difference and an incalculable improvement would have been the result. That, however, cannot be done now, and we must put up with the best of a bad bargain." *** What is the cost of a fashionable thoroughbred yearling; or, in other words, asks an English exchange, how much has a yearling colt. Buch aB Colonel North recently gave 3000gs for at Hampton Court, cost his breeder when offered at public auotion to the highest bidder ? Answers to this knotty question have been hazarded by many experienced authorities, of whom, perhaps, the weightiest is the late General Feel, who estimatel the expense at 120ge. That, however, was long subsequent to the time when tbjelate Mr H. S. Thomson, the founder of the Rawoliffe Stud Farm, near York, declared that no yearling ought to cost bis breeder more than £75, or when Voltigeur, at the age of 14 months, was offered to Mr R. M. Jaques, of Easby— who died last month— and declined, at the moderate figure of £100. The article concludes: "Enough haa already bean said to justify the oftrepeated assertion of Sir Joseph Hawley that no yearling, however promising and wellbred, is worth more than 500gs. Since Sir Joseph's death the fees of fashionable sires have become so high that he might now perhaps be induced to raise his tariff to lOOOgs. Certain it is that hundreds of the best performers have cost, like Goldseeker, less than one-tenth of what Colonel North has just given for a Hampton colt. Yet the rage for expensive yearlings is on the increase all over the world, and to preach against it would be the vainest and most unprofitable of follies."

*** The South Canterbury Hunt Club and Waimate County Harriers Club brought off their combined steeplechase meeting on Thursday of last week. It was purely a 3porting meeting — all jumping races ; no totalisator ; and mostly amateur jockeys in the 3addle, The racing may have been poor— it probably was ; but thote are many who would just at soon witness genuine contests of this kind to the more finished but less innocent d 1 splays that prevail on regular racecourses. The Tally-ho Handicap was contested by a field oi four. Slodger and Selim ran off together at the fourth jump, and did not return. Ivanhoe 3iado a grievous error at the first of the double, and Juggler followed suit at the second. Both, however, were set straight again, Juggler a little quicker than Ivanhoe, and this enabled Tuggler to run home an easy winner. There were five Btarters for the Summerleas Handicap, and a good raca resulted in Mr Lovegrove's Lucifer (12.8) winning from Blueboy (11,10) and Antigone (11.7). The Farmers' Steeplechase was practically a match between Mr Wright's Boband Mr J. Gibson'BLubra.and a rattling finish ended in a head victory for

Bob, There were 10 starters for the Ladies' Bracelet, including Nero (13.7) and Kingbird (11.7). Neither of these, however, had a say in the finish, which was fought out between Pastime (12.10), All Fours (12 4), and Juggler (13.4), who finished in that order, the winner being ridden by Mr G, Shaw. The Consolation fell to Ivanhoe (13.0), with Antigore (11.0) eccond and Selira (10.7) third.

*** The Sydney Referee says that Manton i 3 doing very well, and those in a position to know what Carbine, Maxim, and others belonging to the land of the Maori and Moa are capable of doing are not wanting in asserting that he is every ounce as good as Carbine. But that is not my opinion, though be it far from me to take any of his goodness from him. Extraordinary horses like Carbine do not present themselves every year, and until Manton proves himself capable of measuring strides with his illustrious countryman I for one, and if alone, believe Carbine to be the better of the two. Carbine, in my humble opinion, is the horse of this time. As to the Metropolitan, the race does not appear very bard to win. It never was an illustrious' event, and a more miserable lot of crocks than the majority which competed last year, when Lamond, a three-year-old, with 6 4, cantered home with no end of lengths between himself and his followers in 3min 37^360, do not go far to surround it with much importance. If Manton's lines should fall in such pleasant places' then he doea not require to be within at least 2at of Carbine to win. Ido not think for a moment that there is such a difference between them, and, fit and well, Manton should be hard to beat. My opinion is that the winner will come from amongst the following half-dozen : — Abercorn, Manton, Tradition, Cranbrook, Keith, and Lamond. But to tone them down still further, and if compelled to take four against the field, my selection would be in this order : Lamond, Tradition, Manton, or Keith.

%* The Cromwell Argus has another article on the position taken up by the local club in relation to the metropolitan clubs ; and in the course thereof my remarks on the subject are somewhat freely criticised. Ido not propose to say anthing further by way of reply. Several reasons exist why the discussion should not be prolonged. In the first place, there would be but little profit and no entertainment in maintaining an issue that if conducted on the line adopted by the Argus must necessarily be of a purely personal character ; and in the second place, I am encouraged to hope that the opposition will not be persevered with to a finish. Lowburn and the Lake County Clubs have boldly declined to become parties to the rebellion. I hear a whisper that Borne of the ringleaders in the movement are not animated by the most devoted sincerity ; and the Argus itself appears to have some doubt as to the result of the agitation, if one may judge from the following paragraph with which its last artiole concludes : — " Whatever be the outcome of the present agitation, whether the clubs who have joined the crusade will, in themselves, be sufficiently powerful to exist as a separate racing body in the event* of the metropolitan clubs refusing to grant the prayer of their request, we cannot say. But even if unsuccessful, the agitation will bear fruit in the future ; for it has raised up an important question, the settlement of which may be deferred for a time, but must be faced Booner or latter by the metropolitan clubs." Looking at all the circumstances, I have an idea that the dignified action of the D. J.C. is likely to attain the object in view, and I shall be surprised if the opposition proceeds much further. I would, while on the subject, remind the country clubs that owners are already asking whether nominating with this or that club will affect the eligibility of horses, and that those clubs that are yet wavering will have to make up their minds pretty soon, so that owners may know the position in plenty of time before the date of nomination, Dunedin owners are not likely to risk disqualification.

*** Severe comment is made by some press writers in New South Wales dn the treatment to which a jockey named Bemi was subjected by the stewards of the Moorefield races. The facts] as recorded are that the boy was engaged to ride Dolphin in the Stewards' Mile, and in order to do so he had to go to the trouble and expense of wasting. At the last minute, and after be bad donned the colours, he was informed that his services were not required as another rider had been engaged, and a demand was made for the jacket and cap. In a fit of rage Bemi wrenched them off, and in bo doing one of the cuffs was severed from the sleeve. This took place in the dressing room. The lad was immediately hauled before the stewards and disqualified for a twelvemonth ; and he was also summarily dismissed by his employer. I wonder what the stewards would have done with Bemi if he had committed a more seriouß offence. Boiled him, perhaps.'

*$# Early one afternoon a stray horse on the Glenelg sands was observed to make his way into the water and deliberately swim out to sea. People on the jetty watching the event expected him to proceed perhaps 100 yds or so and then return, but the 100 yds grew into a quarter, and the quarter swelled to the half, and still the horse kept on its seaward course. People naturally wondered how far out this latest long-distance swimmer would proceed, but on he went until bis body was but a spec on the horizon, and he was fully three miles from shore. Then he turned round (says the local paper) and leisurely returned towards land, and struck in the direction of the entrance of the Patawalonga creek. When quite close to land some boys frightened him, and he cooily turned to the left and swam down the coast for fully another mile, eventually landing midway between Henley Beach and Glenelg, after being fully three hours in the water. Dozens of people watched the occurrence, which waß the subject of no end of wonder. -

*** A good story comes from the Queensland Baleyards. At a late pony race meeting at the Show ground a man attempted to take, a rise out of his friend, and nearly landed himself in the lockup through his practical joke. About a month back A sold B a pony for £15 (his full value), took the money and gave a receipt. A couple of days bofore the races. A borrowed the pony from B, but on condition of not racing him. At the Exhibition meeting, however, A could not resist the temptation of entering him for a race, which the pony won. Unfortunately (I quote the Boomerang), the race was a selling one, and, as under the act the auctioneer could not sell after sunset, the sale was postponed to next day. Meanwhile B heard of the broken condition,' aud .quietly went down to the saleyard unobserved, but observing. Of course A was there, for the pony not being his own it v was necessary to buy him in in order to deliver him back again to B. When the auctioneer mounted the pulpit A, with a don't care a-deß air, bid the upset pricer £10. "Fifteen!" was the responpa from the toprail of the fence. " Sixteen ! " said A. " Twenty ! " from a dark corner of the yard. "Twenty-one!" bid A. "Twenty-five!" from behind the half-door of a loose box; "twenty-six" from A, .who looked round rather anxiously for the rival bidder; ."thirty "capped that quickly, and A, determined to silence opposition, for he knew he must buy under any ciroumatances, responded with a bid of "thirty-five." " Forty P rang

out sharply from behind a truss of hay in the loft; "forty*one," shouted A nervously and turning pale ; " fifty " from the mysterious bidder ; succeeded by rises of £5 on every bid of A, till at last the unfortunate joker waa allowed to secure the pony at 95g8. He-saved himself from" prosecution, possibly from gaol, and delivered the pony back to B, but, as Benjamin Franklin would have said, he paid very dearly for his whistle.

* # * Mentor and Carbine, the two cracks, are reported to be well. " Augur " has something to say about them :— " The champion, Carbine, I found in grand buckle, much improved in appearance, with grand development over tbo loins and quarters, and as bright as a newly- coined sovereign. His forelegs are neither better nor worse than when be won the Champion Stakes, and though I do not for a moment imagine that he can win the Melbourne Cup with lOst lib upon his back, be has thickened out so much, and seems so capable of carrying the extra weight, that even with such an impost it is quite possible that he may run into a place. His temper has improved considerably, too. In the autumn bis trainer often had a difficulty in getting him to work on the training track, but now there is not the slightest trouble with him, and I hear that he fairly revels in his work. Mentor was looking as blooming and mellow as a wellripened pear. There is still, however, a thickness about the sheath of the tendon of the near foreleg, but his trainer has strong hopes of the horse standing another preparation, and should he succeed in bringing him to the post fit and well he' shall be one of my selections for the Melbourne Cup. Mentor is a most lovable horse, if for bis temper alone. He is as docile as a cbild, and though Carbine is the acknowledged champion, I fancy Walter Hickenbotham has a stronger regard for the son of Swiveller than the New Zealander."

%* Country stewards may take notice of this extract from a Melbourne paper :— " On Tuesday ,J;he V\R.O. committee had under their consideration the case of the jockey W. Morrison, who was disqualified for six months by the Mordialloc stewards (Richfield) for suspicious riding of the pony Saucy on the 19 h June, a sentence which was' subsequently commuted to ' suspension ' for the period named. This alteration the V.R.O. committee have declined to endorse as when it was decided upon by the Mordialloc stewards there was onegentleman who took part in the consideration of the case who was not a steward at the time the offence was committed and the original punishment inflicted. Morrison therefore remains under disqualification until the 19th December, missing in addition to a lot of other riding both the V.A.T.O. and the V.R.O. Spring meetings. This case presented another amongst the many peculiar featurea that have made pony racing so remarkable during the last couple of years. The owner of Saucy was bo heart-broken at hearing of the severe punishment inflicted on the offending jockey that he sent £15 to the erring lad, doubtless aB an inducement not to do wrong again. Some people consider that this act of unusual generosity on the part of an owner towards a jockey who has 'had' him strengthened Morrison's assertion that in pulling Saucy he had merely obeyed the owner's instructions j but the , Richfield stewards could not believe that a man whose magnanimity would induce him to give £15 to a jockey who bad pulled bis horse could do such a thing, and therefore the boy is left to bear all the consequences on his own Bhould era. *** We were informed by cable a few days ago that Mara was scratched for the Caulfield Cup, but her name appears in the list of acceptances as cabled across on Tuesday evening. This ia awkward, and the more so by reason of the fact that this mare is in some demand. I know of several persons who have been advised that she iB worth looking after, and her name ia sometimes selected as the first leg of a double. I think we shall find by next week that Mara ia out of it. The acceptances, it will be observed, include the names of Manton, Cuirassier, Oorunna, and Dunkeld. Carbine is withdrawn, and Merrie England was not entered.

* # * There was a fire at Mr Arthur Smith's stables, South Dunedin, on Monday night. How it was caused no one Beems to know. Mr Smith himself was awakened' hurriedly, and seeing the glare rushed out to find the boxes in the grasp [of the fire- fiend. , He at once liberated Campbelltown, who quietly walked out of his box into the yard,* and Dispute was also rescued without difficulty. - George Smith meanwhile got Garibaldi out, the old horse moving away without any flurry though he ' seemed to understand the danger. Mon Loup, however, had a narrow shave. He was in a box the door of which opened into another • box, and hence the horse could not see a clear road to the yard. He thereupon laid down, and as the place was all ablaze it was touch-and-go whether he would not have to be left to his fate, but at the last moment he straightened himself up and was led out, not a moment too soon, for the rug oh bis back was actually on fire. None of the horses are in any way hurt. The stable was completely? destroyed. Mr Smith's loss is partly covered by insurance. He intends, I understand, to rebuild at once. All the Baddies and other gear were irretrievably damaged. %* Racing clubs will for the future have to apply for their totalisatpr permits earlier .than has -been the custom heretofore, otherwise there will be risk of the permission not coming to hand in time. There seems to be some new arrangement in the procedure in regard to these permits. Mr Sydney James this week received a note from the Lake County Club asking him to apply in formal mannor to Mr Carew, the seuior resident magistrate for the district, for the _ customary privilege. Mr Oarew thereupon J informed James that the new arrangement was that clubs desiring the use of the totalizator must in the first place make direct application to the Colonial Secretary ; that the application will then be referred to the magistrate for recommendation or otherwise ; that the Colonial Secretary will thereupon exercise his discretion in the matter, and communicate with the club making the application. It appears from what I understand that Mr Carew and the other resident magistrates have no option in the matter, instructions having been issued that this routine must be observed. The various transmissions will require some time to elapse between the period of applying and receiving the' permit, and it is as well that every application should be made as early as possible. Clubs would also do well to remember that every permit haa to be separately applied for— that is, there ia now no such thing as a general permit covering a racing aeason or any other period.-

*„,* I observe that a proposal has emanated from Hawke'a Bay in regard to the publication of Ihe New Zealand Turf Record, Messrs F. D, Luckie and S. J. Freeman having. issued a circular offering to bring out (ho book for the season of 1889 90 by August 31, 1890, and asking the olubs to subsidise the publication by granting bonuses on the following ecale : — Metropolitan olubs, and clubs other than metropolitan clubs holding four meetings a year, £10; clubs holding three meetinga, £7 10a ;two meetings, £5 ; one meeting, £2 10a per, annum. There is; Something about this that Ido not understand. Was it not some time ago decided that the question as to the

publication of this book should form one of the subjects to ba decided by the conference? I think it was, and if I am right bow comes it that the conference have said nothing about the matter ; and that, instead, we find Messrs Luokie and Freeman taking up the project ? I ask the question because it appears on the face of thejnatter as though Mr Whetbam has been' shut out. That gentleman has, I believe, collected all the necessary reports for the year 1888-89 volume, and would have proceeded with it but for fear of clashing with any arrangements that might be made by Mr Clifford and others, who took the matter on their own shoulders at the Napier conference. I have asked Mr Whetbam whether be haß been approached by anyone on the subject, and am assured that he has not. Would it not have been the courteous course to have ascertained his intentions before putting this new proposal before the public? I certainly think so. And there is another thing about the proposal that seems to require explanation. On the basis of the scale of subsidies above referred to, the income from Bubsidies alone would be over £650, or, in other words, there would be a profit, without sales or advertisements, of about £450, If anyone is to get this it Bhould certainly be the man who has so far lost money over the work. Further, if Mr Whetbam is shelved, to whom are we to look for the 1888 89 volume ? The whole affair seems to be in a muddle, and I fear that the Napier proposal will not help us. If it does, I shall be the more pleased.

*#* The n.ew rules passed by the "Wellington conference are not yet before us in a complete form, but I understand that the D.J.C.'s request for a reduction to £150 of the amount to be given per day by clubs holding two meetings a year was declined ; the conference emphasising this action by imposing a further restriction on country clubs, viz., to the effect that clubs holding one meeting per year must give £100 in stakes if the totalisator is used. Under the existing arrangement, it will be remembered, there was no restriction on clubß holding only one meeting a year. The D. J. 0., writing in reply to a question from Cromwell as to what has been done, say that they will continue to use their influence with the older metropolitan clubs to obtain the concession that has all along been sought for. I shall take a further opportunity of noticing the new rules.