IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 17 July 1890, Page 26

IN A NUTSHELL.

— Hollowback has been taken to Melbourne. — Steeltrap is scratched for the Melbourne Oup. — Maxwelton is now being trained by Jas. Allan. . , tv — Blizzard is among the .nominations for the A.J.O. Metropolitan. — Lochiel's legs are presumed to be infirm, and for this he is being swum in the sea. — Precedence has won another race, the Glenara Handicap at Caulfield on the lstinst. — " Asmodeus " seleots. Churchill and Tarooola as the pick of the candidates weighted for the Caulfield Oup. —Peter Flat, at one time in Dunedin, won the Point-to Point Steeplechase at Elwick (Tae.) on the 28th ult. — The Charmer has been soratohed for both Oaulfield and Melbourne Cups, and Sir William for the Melbourne Oup. — Honeydew has been found wanting, and his owner intends sending the son of Goldsbrough and Queen Bee to the stud. , —It is understocd that some members of the D.J.O. Committee are desirous of cutting trotting races out of the spring programme. —Rupture of an artery near. the lungs waß the cause of Peter Osbeck's death. He was schooling at Elsternwiok when the mishap ooourred. —To Raglan's performances, detailed last week, Bhould be added his running unplaoed in the Zealandia Handioap at Takapuna on the 29th January. —This Beaßon Mr J. B. H&ggin has no lobs than 100 yearlings to dispose of. This will give Australians an idea of the magnitude of the Calif ornian breeder's Btud. 1 —It in likely that a proposal will shortly be made to the V.R.C. in favour of doing away with the minimum weight (6.7), leaving the bandicapper to start at any minimum he pleases. . o , . —"Augur" erpeots the winner of the Caulfield Oup to come from the following dozen :— Rußsley, Oakleigb, Tantallon, Tourbillon, Swing, G'Naroo, Maggie, Sylvester, Oamden, The Promised Land, Litigant, Vengeanoe. —All Newmarket swore by : Le Nord for the Two Thousand Guineas, and affirmed he oould not be beaten, whilst it was said that £<«on RothßChild was so oonfident of victory that he ordered, in anticipation, a sumptuous banquet to fete the event. ; —"Nemo," of the Sydney Mail, thinks that of the Melbourne Oup horses down to 7.6 the bast in appear to be Oar bine; Dreadnought, Cardigan, Singapore, Marvel,' Tradition, Chintz, Prince Consort, Oakleigh, Whakawai, Titan, and Dunkeld. . «• Centaur's Index," a compilation exceedingly tisef ul to "raoing men, has again been published, and, as heretofore, it contains full reoords of- the p&Bt performances (up to June 21 last) of the horses engaged in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Records of times made in races and lists of entries are also given. —The Sydney Evening Newa has a cable dated June 29 whioh spates that at the sale of her Majesty's yearlings Baron de Hirsch gave 5500gs for a Bister to Memoir. This is the highest figure over paid for a yearling, the largest figure previously being 4100gs, whioh Robert Peck gave for Maximilian some years ago. —Lord Middleton's houcdf, says an English paper, have just brought to a olose a season of unusual brilliancy; the pack has literally beaten the reoord in the way of killing foxes. Since the 28th of August last it has been out 109 days, and no less, than 58 brace, of foxes have been killed. There has not been Buoh a season for good sport for 2Q years past. ' — A Napier telegram state's that at the annual paeeting of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club the rauort stated that,. in qpite of, the, .expenditure of nearly £400 on improvements; the overdraft had been reduced £136. The surplus assets pver liabilities are', £3958. The incoming committee are to consider the advisableness of offering a substantial stake for two-year-olds, and larger stakes fcr hurdle horses.

—I have received from Melbourne a copy of the recently-issued number of J, J. Miller's Sporting Pamphlet, containing all available particulars as to' the leading spring raoes, list of performances of horses engaged, oompreheußive statements brought down to date showing the beßt reoords in all departments of sport, and rules for athletic games. It is as good a shilling's worth as I have ever seen.

~-A Melbourna writer says of Firelock, who fetobed 700gs in 1886 :— " Thiß full-brother to the Champion winner, Matchlock, cannot be altogether passed by in the Pup, because 6.7 on such a. well bred, truly made five year-old is indeed a luxury. Bad as bis performances have been, I am convinced merit is still latent — which work, downright hard graft, will alone develop. He eats, drinks, sleeps, and enjoys himself, thus keeping on the substance that will assuredly, while it remains, not lead to the winning post." —The Linnington Hunt may justly claim the palm for economy : no hounds were ever kept at so small an expense in England. The well-known Jack Parker, who for 30 years has held the post of huntsman, has proved that for three years the pack was kept going on a total Bubsonption of £45— just £15 per annum. Farmers, of course, sometimes came to the rescue with donations in kind, one contributing some hay, another a sack of oats, and bo forth ; stilly that the pack ehould have continued to exist at all upon such terms can only be described ac a remarkable feat in hunt economy.