TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 10 July 1890, Page 25

TALK OF THE DAY.

BY MAZEPPA.

* # * Mr Sydney James has issued the programme for the Otago Hunt Olub races on the 12th and 13th of September next. As mentioned before, the added money is raised to £700, equally divided between the two days. With this exception the programme is the same as last year's, less the hack [race on tho seoond day. There is no hack race on the programme at all now. The alterations from last season's bill of fare are as follow :— Maiden Steepleohaße.stakeraised from 40sovsto50aov8 ; Kensington Handicap from 70sova to 85sovs, the seoond horse to reoeive lOsovs and the third ssovh; Telegraph Handicap, from 65bots to 75ao\s, seoond horse lOaovs and third ssovs j Two-mile Trot, from 35bovs to 40sovs, second to get lOaovs and third ssovs ; Welter Handicap, from 45sovs to 50aov8 ; and Consolation Steepleohaae, from3ssovs to4osovs, Nominations for all handicaps are due on the 16th of August. **• The acceptance payment for the New Zealand Grand National Steepleohase has reduced the candidates to 10. Mangaohane has gone out for one, bis owner declining to meet Ahua on level terms, Oddfellow, too, is an important defeotion, this being a skilled jumper. Kangaroo we expected to drop out ; he is supposed to be amiss. But some professed to think that Auokland was likely to start ; and The Drover had friends if not supporters ; while Snapshot was in certain quarters regarded as real jam if he could be kept on his legs. The other malcontents, Trooper, Pastime, and Roll Call, no one knew anything about. On the whole I do not know that there is any reason to be dissatisfied with the acceptances, though several left in must be there simply on the chance of Ahua falling. I still think that this big-little horse will win. In regard to the ' Hurdle Race, there are 11 acceptors out of 24 entries; and we observe that Ahua's owner has shown his hand with the spirit of a true Bportsman by paying up for only one of the two events, and thus taking the public into his confidence. Of the 11 horses now engaged, none but Little Arthur can be said to be approved and experienced hurdle racers, about half of them, indeed, being absolute novices. My fanoy iB that one of the beginners, Ixion, will win straight out ; but with this race and also the steeplechase I may possibly see reason to alter my mind by next week. Meanwhile, nothing but Ahua and Ixion for the double.

♦ # * The committee of the Auckland Racing Olub at their monthly meeting had before them the dispute regarding the Autumn Handicap, run at the South Auokland Racing Club's meeting in April last. In the race St. Michael finished first, but the stakes were withheld owing to the fact, shown in a protest lodged several days afterwards, that the horse had not carried his penalty incurred by his having won a race at Taranaki. The matter was referred to the committee of the Auckland Racing Club as the metropolitan body. The committee, however, received a letter from Mr Earl, solicitor for Kean, owner of St. Michael, in which it was pointed out that under rule 131 they had no jurisdiction until a deoision had been given on the matter by the stewards of the South Auokland Club. They agreed with this view, and decided to refer the dispute again to the stewards.

* # * There are 15 nominations for the Cromwell Derby of 1890. I notioe one or two new^names among the nominators, but the blood represented in the horses is for the most part old in the district, Dead Heat, Rangatira, Bucephalus, and so forth on the sire's side, with a leaven of Le Loup and Gorton, and just a spice of Cheap Jaok, who has yet to make his name at the stud.

* # * If the C.J.O. handicappers have made a mistake as to the weight allotted to Tirailleur in the New Zealand Oup, it is that they have not given him enough. A horse that was so indubitably the champion of the season just expiring cannot be regarded as badly treated at 61b over his weight for age. As between him and Merrie England, it is good handicapping to make a 41b difference. Personally I fanoy that there is little if anything between these colts, but we have the fact before us that Tirailleur has stayed to all distances while Merrie England has never tried further than a mile and a-half, so the 41b is not unreasonable. Oooident is badly treated to my way of thinking. I assume that the beßt line we oan get as to the relative merits of him and Scots Grey was in the last New Zealand Oup, for they were both well then, whereas at the Exhibition meeting Scots Grey did not shape in his best form over the Oup course. Well, then, in last New Zealand Oup, Scots Grey carried 7.2 (or 41b lobs than w.f.a.)[and beat Occident, who had 7.9 or (or 191b Icbb than w.f.a.) Judged through the weißht-for-age Boale, there was 151b difference in weight. In the race now under review Ocoident has 61b less and Scots Grey 21b less than w.f.a,, bo that while Soots Grey beat Ocoident at a difference of 151b there is now only 41b between them ! I doubt whether Sects Grey baa quite earned his 8.12, and I am sure that Occident has done nothing to deserve his 8.13. Dudu at first sight looks well at 8.9, but really I think myself, after seeing her Autumn Handicap performance, that she has nothing more than a fair show, if even that. Recluse is well enough handicapped, having been put in on his worst form, but it seems doubtful whether he can be trained for this race. Leonardo probably owes his position in the list to what he haß not done rather than to what he has done ; or, in other words, having started only twice, he is put in as practically an untried horse. The principle which I understand to be here laid down is not by any means a bad one— l think it is a pretty Bafe line to follow ; but we cannot accept the application in this {'particular case, as Leonardo is not quite untried, and his double defeat should have earned for him a plaoe below a performer like Raglan, However, I am not going to seriously quarrel with the handicappers on this point. If they have erred, it is by not so much as some may at first sight think. Phormium Tenax is absolutely untried, and therefore very properly taken oare of, though I don't suppose anyone would care to take 100 to 3 about his chance. Raglan I regard as one of the beat treated horses in the race. Look at bis performances, and you will see that be has won at a mile and a-balf with 7.13 up, and that he has given Leopold 91b and a beating ; and those races were a year before this Oup will be run. Quilt is harshly used ; but we don't know bis present form. Neither Cyniaca nor Whisper can be reckoned as a good thing, for we want evidence that they can stay. Whisper, who is not now improving, was badly beaten with the same weight last year. Medallion may be a second Maxim, and I think he has fully earned his weight. St. Andrew is the champion of the Hawke's Bay district, but with all due respeot to the Northerners, that counts as something less than being one of the champions of Canterbury, and besides, we have Medallion's performances in Viotoria to give him a lift ; so that, all things considered, and having it impressed on my mind that Medallion is built like a stayer, I think St. Andrew has 6 to 4 the worst of it in being placed at level weights with Mr

Stead's colt. Dog Rose is perhaps the worst handicapped horse in the race. He has run only once, and it is on that account, I presume, that he is reokoned as praotioally ununtried. But, if be is to oount as untried, why place him above Master George, Prime Warden, and the Rosette colt, and within 21b of Medallion ? And if his one performance ia to be taken any notice of, it might surely be accepted as an exousa for taking something off instead of putting weight on his baok, seeing that he was only third in what we may look on as little better than hack company. Looked at either way, Dog Rose is very heavily and unduly weighted at 7.7, and what makes bis case the more pitiable is the faot that Wayland aud Oraokßhot, two colts of the same age as himself, and eaoh also having started once and been beaten, are put in at 111b below him; and it will be generally considered that this pair of colts might have been let off a little easier without jeopardising the success of the handioap. They are, at any rate, not " ohuoked in," though, as remarked above, in respeot to Leonardo, I don't think it is a bad rule which the handioappers evidently intended to govern these oases of praotioally untried horses, Being somewhat pressed for time this week, I am compelled to postpone further remarks on the handioap. They will keep till next issue, and by then I shall have the full list of performances ready for Witness readers.

%* Races were held at Oaulfield on the 28th ult. In the Hurdle Race, won by Prisoilla, a somewhat serious acoident happened to Martin Bourke, the popular veteran jockey* whose horse (Moondah) fell, and so injured his rider that it was considered advisable to remove him to the Alfred Hospital. He was found to be badly bruised, and his shoulder was dislocated, but he is be'ieved to have esoaped any internal injury. Moondah was in a leading position when he fell, and the acoident caused much sympathy to be expressed for Bourke, who is rather unfortunate in meeting with accidents. New Zealand had three representatives out of the nine starters for the Corinthian Flat Race, and one of these was returned the winner. This was Precedence, a four-year-old mare by Musket out of Maid of Honour (Freedom's dam). She carried 10.4, was ridden by Mr Inglis, and won by a length and a-half from Aglaoß (11.9). Soudan (11.0) was unplaoed. The Ladies' Trophy attracted 19 Btarters, and the winner was Little Bob, one of the first favourites. The Steeplechase, for which nine horses went out, proved a really good race, which is thus described in the Argus : " Curiosity, Dingo, and Vulture made most of the running, while Harvester fell early in the race, and Knight baulked, stopping Shanks at the same time. Vulture and Dingo then did most of the racing, Melville and Curiosity being behind. The leading pair were together over the last three fences, with Melville over 100 yds away. However, as they negotiated the last fence, Melville, whose chance of gettingnearthe leaders had previously looked hopeless, was brought along very fast, his rider, the English jockey Brazil, keeping at him all the way, and using every effort with his bands to urge his horse along. After riding a great finish he won by nearly two lengths, and apparently he had ridden his horse right out, as Melville pulled up almost immediately the jockey stopped riding him, and seemed to have had enough of it. Brazil's finish and unlookedfor win met with the recognition of the spectators, and he was greatly applauded on returning to scale." The closing event of the day was the Richmond Handioap, one mile, in which Mercy Merrick (7.2) won by a neck from Grown Jewel (6.10), with St. Paul (6.12) third. Russley, Audacity, Apropos, Soudan, and Tartar were among the unplaoed contingent.

\* It is remarkable says "Asmodeus," that in oonneotion with the Grand National Hurdle race, season after season the publio show an inclination to support some well known performer on the flat without having had any proof of the animal's ability to jump. Five years ago Sheet Anohor started a red hot favourite, and in his case the jumping part of the question had been settled in private to the complete satisfaction of his astute owner, trainer, and rider, whose three heads being put together, one would have imagined that miscalculation was almost impossible. Nevertheleßß, the result was a complete fiasco, the son St. Albans (though he subsequently proved capable of winning a Melbourne Oup) jumping in publio like a veritable tjro, and failing ignominiously to endorse the form he had Bhown to private. Many proofs have been forthcoming that jumping is not a gift with all horses, and that, moreover, even the most skilful schooling will, in some casea, fail to produce accomplished "leppere" from even the beßt bred and most approved performers on the flat. Nobody who saw it will ever forget the maiden effort over hurdles made at Flemington by Recall, who, after evoking roars of derisive laughter from all parts of the oourse by his awkward attempts to negotiate the hurdleß, wound up by turning turtle with the accomplished Scobie, although the latter had satisfied himself in private that the horse could fly hurdles splendidly." Old Wellington waß to have astonished the natives on one occasion, but the winner of a Derby and Champion resolutely declined to descend to the illegitimate business, and so obstinately refused to learn, that he was withdrawn and saved the humiliation of acting the equine clown ala Recall. There have, however, been exceptions such as Malua, Dizzy, The Yeoman, and others, who, on their first public appearances ovet hurdleß have jumped them aB though to the mannet born, and the most noticeable of these was certainly Malua, It was said that during his preparation and schooling Malua had jumped 90 hurdles without touching one, and we all know how in the skilful hands of his owner he cut down his field in the Grand National Hurdle Race two years ago, and won, though he had never before started in a jumping race in public. *„,* From a North Island sportsman I have received a letter, which I am sorry I cannot print, seeing that it i 3 evidently of a private character, demurring to my criticism of the proposal to form a New Zealand Jockey Club on the lines sketched out in the anonymous ciroular. I shall esteem it a favour if the writer of the letter referred to will forward a cortraucication for publication, for, though I do not approve of the scheme propounded, others may, and it is only fair that both sides should have an opportunity of argumont, Meanwhile I willingly give publioity to the information that the schema was not proposed by a Canterbury man. I am asked to Btate that so as to'prevent misconception. I may take the opportunity of adding on my own account that I believe Mr Wanklyn, of the Egmont Racing Club, was the proposer, and that that gentleman was unaware, when sketching out Mb scheme, that Mr Clifford intended to move in the matter.

%* A friend writing from Melbourne tells me that the Princess disqualification is looked on by those who know the facts of the matter as a vory bard case for Dave Price, who has got throe or four other horses as well as this mare. lam nßsured that Princess had not a thousand to ono show of winning this race at Elstenwiok Park. ' Price lost nearly £100 by backing her on a previous occasion when she

was put dowu» and on the form .shown in Jhat raoe he knew she could not win at iUaternwiok, and did not baok her. What caused the stewards to suspect that she was stiff was probably the fact that Effie Deans, the winner, is in the same stable, and waa ridden by Newton Price, Dave'a brother. * # * lam glad to hear that Jack Pooles venture on the other side ia by no means hopeless. Mammoo has been lame ever since he landed, but Waitangi's knee got all right on the steamer, thanks to continual bathing with hot water, and the blaok horse is doing so well in his work that he must have a show in the Grand National Steeplechaae. for which he is being reserved. It i 8 not, perhaps, a very good Bhow, but hiß chance looks as bright as it ever did. Water King is not aold yet, so far as I know, but Watercress was bought, after her raoe at Bendigo, by Mr Croaaan, of the Taieri, but now in Melbourne, for £80. # %* In the case ot the Napier Park Baoing Olub v. Captain Russell, a claim for the recovery of a stake won by Van Dieman, judgment was given for tho plaintiffs, with coats. After the stake was paid over it was discovered that the horse waa ineligible to start. The olub then paid the stake to the second horse, and on Captain Ruaßell refusing to refund, believing his horse to be eligible, proceedings were taken. \* Lardner, the light weight jockey who went across to Melbourne from Dunedin in the ateamer that took La Rose, had his first mount in Victoria in the Selling Race at the Bendigo meeting. It waa on the Otagobred filly Watercreßß, taken over by Poole with Waitangi and Mammoo. She carried 6.13 and waa a good third to Donoaater (3yrs, 8.6) and Wildfire (4yra, 6 2), out of 12 starters. Flood, ' who rode the favourite, Laaland, was reported to the Btewards for disobedience at the poßt. It waa the starter's intention that Lardner should albO be reported j but the clerk of the course made a mistake in identifying the offender, and so, while Flood was suspended for a month, Lardner was allowed to go soot fre 3 - , • %* The English correspondent furnishes the Indian Planters' Gazatte with the following incredible story :—" Whether the horse was to; blame 'or |not, the jookey deserves the highest praise for one of the most daring feats of horsemanship ever seen on a raoeoourse. Why Not, it will be remembered, oame down at the fifth fence, land M* Cunningham not only sprained a thigh when he fell, but received an ugly blow,on the head, whioh dazed him ao muoh that it iB aimply a marvel how he waa able to remount and go in pursuit. This, however, he did, and, to make matters worse, a stirrup-leather, whioh had 'come out of the socket, had to be carried until nearly the first circuit of the course had been completed, more than half a dozen fences being safely negotiated before this * undefeated sportsman ' could pull himself together to be able to slip the leather baok into its plaoe. All this time, it mußt be remembered, Mr Cunningham was suffering from pain in his thigh, and had not recovered from what was no lobb than concussion of the brain in a slight degree. His going on to the end and finishing fifth must, therefore, be Bet down as 'a marvellous performance, and, although Why Not might not have ibeateu Ilex, it is in every way reasonable to suppose that he would have again finished seoond had he stood up." * # * Speaking of the lately-defunct Hermit, an English paper aaya— "We had ocoasionto visit the late Marquis of Hastings at his hotel in Albemarle street a few days after Hermit won the Derby, whose success lost.the Marquis ■ ever £100,000, and when we were ÜBheredinto his presence we handed his Lordship a letter of introduction. As he was breaking the seal he > looked straight in our faoe, and aßked us if it waa a writ. We replied in the negative. Hiß Lordship, after reading the contents of the letter, said: ' I thought it was a writ. Good God, never give me a letter in that d d mysterioua fashion again.' Poor fellow, he was in the midst of nia deep trouble at the moment, and surrounded by a motley crew of blacklegs t" * # * There are 10 entries for the North Canterbury Club's Brookenhnrst Stakes, a 50sov atake over a four-furlong course. In it the firßt of July's stock will probably make their firßt appearanoe. It was partly because thia Btake waß so popular that 1 recommended the Taieri folk to found a raoe of that kind. I wonder whether they intend to do bo. The subject is at least worthy of consideration when the programmes are being framed. | *** The fact has already been noted that although the Duke of Portland won the One Thousand Guineaß with Semolina, hia aeoond string, Memoir, had to be bard held to let the mare, about which he bad made a declaration' to win, get home. "Pendragon" has the following remarks on the raoe : - "Never from the moment Mr Coventry gave us a start as good as Lord Marcus' of Wednesday was Memoir allowed to go as last as she wanted, and all the while she was well plaoed ; in fact, at one time led. Semolina, in pretty muoh the same berth as Surefoot's, made running for over half a mile, Igoing, I grant,' in beautiful style, and keeping a good line. On the loft, but in a wide gap between other horaeß, bo that plenty of daylight ohowed on each side of her, was Memoir fighting for her head, and galloping first to one hand and then on another, as horses will when they cannot go as they wish. At the distance Semolina had all the rest beaten, but stood no earthly ohance with Memoir, whose rider, George Barrett, waß in a terribly awkward fix. He must not beat Semolina if she could settle the others, but meanwhile was bound to keep handy enough to beat anything that might show danger to the favourite . He had to pull very hard to prevent the pot being upset, and must have been very glad indeed when the little mare beat him by three-quarters of a length. Legally, the situation was all right, and much may be said in favour of the rule which enables owners to do the bBBt they can for themselves through a fancied candidate, with another to help it in pace or act a sort of saver in oaao of accident. In this case, for instance, the Duka really favoured the publio by workiDg a rule bo that the B.P. might win if the one they were sure to prefer could win for him, while he was hedging a bit through Memoir. No backer should complain, as I heard some, who know racing law and practice. That is my honest conviction, and when you come to believe, a3 I do, that ownerß ought to be allowed the turn in all considerations where they aot above board, most sportsmen will agree that the proprietors do not get an inequitable advantage. Still, if you come to true prinoiplea of sport, every horse started should ba allowed to do so on understanding that it is sent to do its beat regardless of stable companion or anything e!«e, as ia customary in Australia." %* The Field is not so sure that Semolina won oa Hufferr»nco It ifi quUe possible, it says, whatever the public and whatever Gaorge Bamtfc, her jookey, may think to the contrary, that Memoir would not hava beaten tho game littfo Semolina for tbs One Thousand bad both been ridden out to the last ouace. Oa such a subject nothing is more falliblo, as Admiral Rous well knew, than tho judgment ofioofcoys. "You consider it impossible — such was one of the questions addressed to Admiral Rous, when examined before the

Seleot Committee on. Gaming in 1844— "t0 prove to demonstration that any horae could have won any race?" "Yes," replied the Admiral, "it ia impossible even for the' jockey, I have often made matches on the representations of jockeys that if they had not done bo and bo they could have won, and in 19 caaea out of 20 I have found them wrong. Any man who follows the advice of his jockey ia sure to be ruined." Perhaps the most celebrated instance of a jookey's mistake was that made by Frank Butler— otherwise a fine judge of raoing— when riding Loadstone against Surplice, both being two-year-olds, in the 300aova Produce Stakes at Goodwood in 1847. Lord Clifden declared to win with Surplice, upon whom the odds were 3to 1. There were four starters, and Surplice won in a canter j but j after tberace Butler told Colonel Anson and i Mr Francis Villiera that Loadstone could have | beaten Surplice easily. The former was a very , free horse and the latter a slug, but neither on I that day nor on any other waa Loadstone within 161b of Surplice. The result, however, of Butler's mistake waß that Colonel Anson laid the odds to £2000 that same night, for himself and Mr Villiers, against Surplice for the Derby i —a race upon which Mr Villiers waa all but ruined. Colonel Anson, more politic than his confederate, got his money back during the winter. ; %* Slander, whose death waa reported last week, waß not a conspicuous auoceßa as a racer, but as a brood mare was valuable, being the dam of Billingsgate, a colt that in hia day lowered the four-furlong record of New Zealand to 1.49J; Hippodamia, a remarkably useful and ( hardy sort of mare, notable amongst other things for the vast amount of raoing she lived ] through before Bhe went to the stud ; Foul , Shot, winner of the Auckland Derby; and Reproach, who, I have heard, showed .good performances in private. Of these, Billrogßgate was undoubtedly the beßt. It will be remembered that Frenoh brought thia colt to Dunedin, and with him won our second Champagne Stakeß. %* There are at present only 87 members of the English Jookey Olub, and of these 21 are honorary, whereas,' already in 1840 there were 80 aotive members, It counts as members the Czar of all the Russias, the King of the. Netherlands, the King of Belgium, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Oonnaught, the Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia, Count Festetics, M. Lupin, the presi- ' dent and three stewards of the Frenoh Jookey , Club, the presidents of the American Jockey Olub, the Viotorian Raoing Olub, and the Australian Jockey Olub— an array that may be , said to oontain the beat sporting elements of the world. %* The Government have stated definitely that they do not intend to propose any amendi ment of the Gaming and Lotteries Act this session ; so that unless some private member succeeds in forcing a bill through the House, which iB very unlikely, the totalisator has a; renewed lease of life. And properly so too. The country doeß not aak for a change. It likes i the maohine, and the member who agitates for i its abolition will not thereby inoreaae his popularity with his constitqenta. It ia:-Baid, but I can scarcely believe it, that the aup porters of Mr Perceval's Amending Bill will, if defeated, go straight for the delegating of the maohine %* In England and Australia, as well as in New Zealand, there ia obaervable a oonfliot of intereat between two Beotiona of raoingmen : one deßiringto inorease the number or meet* ings and widen the limitations with whioh the aporfc is hedged about ; the other seeking to draw these restrictions, closer and to discourage the spread of what is regarded aa to Borne extent illegitimate racing. We know ,the form thiß i question takea in New Zealand : it is a battle aa to whether the use of the totalisator ib to be oiroumsoribed, or, aa aome believe, the point is a narrower one, whether we are to have the < machine subject to conditions or lose it 1 altogether. In ' Australia the pony andgallo-i way men are up in arms— in- Sydney at least— and are proposing to unite for the purpose of running where they like, seeing that as matters now stand they are shut out from the uae of ■ several courses. Apropos of this matter, the* Melbourne correspondent of the Sydney' Referee says:— "An important decision as ! affeoting owners of ponies and galloways mi Sydney was given by the V.R.O. Committee reoently. The question was submitted to that: body as to whether ponies and galloways that, had run at meetings in Sydney not recognised by the A. J.O. were eligible to run in Viotoria at meetings registered by the V.R.O. in the face of the fact that theie waa reoiprooity between the two cluba named, as far an the en-< dorsement of disqualifications is concerned., The V.R;O. Committee deoided that Sydney; ponies and galloways were eligible to run at i meetings registered in Victoria. This decision; has given general satisfaction. It is, stated; that, in the event of , this question being, answered favourably two or three craok Sydney ponieß were to be brought over to Melbourne* ao that now we may look out for squalls." * # * In England, while tb.e< promoters of, gate-money meetings are contemplating agitating for licenses for their property.it has become very evident to the unprejudiced observer that at some places there ia a g^at deal too muoh racing as it is. So says Truth, whioh adds:— "Newmarket is a notable example of this, and especially haa this been shown during the last Craven meeting at this turf centre. The publio were conspicuous by their absence, and for all the intereat they took in the proceedings it might have been a private meeting of the Jookey Club in which a few bookmaker were permitted to participate for the purpose of betting with the turf legislators. Seven meetings a year at Newmarket are a great deal too many, and not until the Jookey Olub realiße this fact and considerably reduce them can they in reason increase the already over-numerouß race meetinga throughout the oountry." *i* Peter Osbeck, whose death is reported from Melbourne, was very nearly a firßt olasa horse at hie beat, though not one of the iuokieat. So far as my memory aerves, the first we heard of him waa at the Ohnstchuroh Hunt Olub'a meeting in August of 1885. It was in the HunterB 1 Hurdle Race, for which Presto with 11.0 was made a blazing hot favourite at 2 to 1 on in a field of 13. Towards the finißh of the raoe, however, it waa seen that Chance (12 3) was more than a match for Presto, and when they oame to the home turn both were challenged by Peter Osbeck, who romped home the easiest of winners. He carried 11.1 and was ridden by T. Kearney, his then owner— the man who lately brought Torrent here. How easily Peter won may be Been by the fact that he waa pulled out for and won the very next event, the Hunterß Flat Raoe, for which, however, he waa diequalified owing to bis rider (Kearney) being held to be not a maiden, jockey, and therefore not entitled to the 71b allowance which he had claimed. Pater's dividends in the race he won were £39 5s and £45 135. He was then a five-year-old. During that aeaaon he won £175, which but for bad luck would have been more than doubled, for Ootton has often told me that he should have won the Grand National that year for Mr Dan O'Brien. It will be romembered that he came to grief at the second fence from home, At that point be was just

raoing ,'into the lead from Canard and Faugh-a-ballagh, and as . a matter of fact had up to that stage never been called on in the race, His coming down was a pure mishap, due to his taking off on a foothold which slipped from under him. During the next season Peter won aix of the 18 raoea in which he Btarted, including the two-mile Hurdle Race at the 0.J.0. Spring meeting, when he gave that good horse Tree Sec 201b and a beating,— and the Hurdle Race at the Auckland Autumn meeting. He had at that time passed through the hands of Mr R. J. Maßon and became the property of Mr A. Drake, who sold him to Mr. M. Gallagher and afterwards bought him baok to take to Australia. Over there he proved himself a good horse, and was training on satisfactorily, in Corriganfs handß, up to within a week of bis death. Peter was one of Perkin Warbeok's sonß. %* Some of the English scribes were wofully out of their calculations about the Derby, and will find their prophecies difficult to explain away, " Augur/ in Sporting Life, writes :— On form I Bhould Bay that Sainfoin was quite the equal of Garter as a two-year-old,- but that he will prove to be so as ,a three-year-old I scarcely think, for whereas Garter, being by Hampton, may be expected to train on, Sainfoin may naturally be ■ expeoted to follow in the footstepa of the Springfields 'in general, and, ergo, deteriorate rather than improve with age. This theory I have worked up for a number of years now { with the result that events have justified me in doing so, and until the offspring of Springfield show charaoteriatica quite contrary to what they have hitherto done in the matter I indicated, I shall never make one of the family my choice for the clasaio races, no matter how good as a two-year-old Buoh may have been." Truth's man gives himself away in these termß : "If any of my readers, have -backed Sainfoin for the Derby, I advise them to hedge at once if they are in a position to do so. If this horse had a good chance of winning at Epsom he certainly would not have been sold by • Sir Robert Jardine and Porter, and under the ciroumatancea I should be sorry to take 100 to 1 about him. The practical conclusion to be drawn from this sale ia that Right Away is the beat three-year-old at Kingsclere, and I suspect it will turn : out that he is considerably the superior of Sainfoin. When Sir; James Miller'B unsophisticated intelligence is more developed by • experience be will recognise (hat clever people, who thoroughly understand what the Sporting Times defines as • the great game,' never cell a horse of high publio reputation,unless, as the Frenoh say, they have reason. I wonder that Porter did not pass on Sainfoin to Baron Hirsoh aa l a memento of Kingsolere. This worthy finanoier waß very astute in his dealings with the Turkish Government, but on the turf he is as muoh out of his element as a trout on a gravel walk, and the wronga of the Porte appear likely to be thoroughly avenged on what Lord Beaoonsfield deßoribed aa the ♦plains of Newmarket.' The sale of Sainfoin may be justifiably taken as an intimation that those excellent judges, hiß late ownerß, do . net fancy hia Epsom ohanoeß. We ahall very soon discover whether Porter and Sir Robert | Jardine have been thrown into a panio by I Surefoot, or whether it id that Right Away is j ao much the superior of Sainfoin that the latter is not worth keeping in ( the stable. In either, oaafrSainfoin need no, longer, be, thought of m connection with the Derby while Surefoot and Right Away are on their legs,"