TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1952, 23 July 1891, Page 25

TALK OF THE DAY.

BY MAZEPPA.

%* It is a melancholy fact that Trimolite has had to be thrown out of work, and consequently he will not fulfil his engagement in the Grand National. No horse in the raoe oauld have been doinsf better than this son of BaadHeat up to Friday week, when, after performing satisfactorily at exercise, he was seen to be lame, and it was at once ascertained that hiß feet were troubling him. He always has been a little tender,- and the long spell of froßty weather lasted just long enough to induce a very pronounced form of that trouble known as fever in the feet, besidei which one of his paaternß is a bit puffy, though this is not serious so far as oan be seen. Trimolite has not broken down, but a very little wrong is enough to spoil a ohanoe in the National, and Jim Allan has very wisely resolvad to lay the horse up straight away and try and get him right for later meetings rather than keep him going and rißk a thorough burst up. It is a bit of hard luck for the stable, as Trimolite was, fairly handicapped and would have had the benefit of an experienced horseman. In his absence, Waitangi will be Dunedin's sole representative in the big steeplechase. lam glad to know that the old blaok is keeping sound and hearty and doing his work in a most satisfactory manner. He ia never jumped, this being considered unnecessary at all times, for Waitangi has never yet turned his face away from a fence however big it is. Poole tells me that be will leave here about the 30th, and will probably start Waitangi at the Plumpton Park meeting on the Ist of the month unless they give him too muoh weight to carry. He will of oouree ride the horse himself in all his engagements. %• Improvements are still being made in the training tracks at the Forbury under the direction of Mr Philp. The outer circle of the so-called tan oourse is to be made into a ploughed traok about 20ft wide, it being possible to do this without materially reducing the width of the serviceable part of the tan course or interfering with the used portion of what we call the middle track, since the ploughed part is, that which formerly stood on a slope ; and, besides this, I understand that the soft places in the middle traok are to be filled up and the whole top-dressed so as to induce a rapid growth of grass, which has been heretofore impossible owing to the quantities of sand blown upon it from other parts of the course. The material removed from the plough by making that part of the oourse level instead of sloping is to be utilised in filling up hollows in the inner enclosure, the coursing ground. I hope that the providing this plough and firming the middle traok will to some extent satisfy our looal trainers, who have had good reason to complain of the want of suitable going for exeroise. If the improvements effected are found not to serve the purpose, I have no doubt the olub will be prepared to listen to any reasonable representation made on the subjeot. The olub cannot, and so far as I know does not wish to, escape responsibility in the matter, it being an obvious duty cast upon it to provide suoh exeroise grounds as are necessary. On the other hand, it should be borne in mind that this part of the club's business is one that is necessarily conduoted at a loss. Training tracks are expensive to maintain, and the charge to owners and trainers at the Forbury is reduced to £1 per horse per annum, which is, I think, tbe lowest fee demanded in the colonies. At Ricoarton the oharge is £2, at Flemington £4, and at Randwick £8. I can well understand Treasurer Meenan talking in his sleep about the amount of unremunerative outlay he is oalled on to make up in this department.

*„* But I hope, as I have said, that the present efforts of the club will prove satisfactory,: and at any rate be accepted as evidence that the wants' of trainers are the subject of concern. We shall see how tbe thing pans out. If the olub ie approachable and trainers are reasonable there need be no more growling on either side. I may also take this- opportunity of suggesting that, as the racing track prcper is now looking so well, this would be a good season in which to try the experiment of clobing it up altogether during the winter and early spring, so as to give the grass a chance to come away. The committee might well consider the desirability of having the Hunt Olub races, flat races as well as tbe jumping ones, run on the middle course. The raoing on the regular track during those two days unsettles tho herbage just as it is getting root, and keeps the course rough all the Beason. If it were Bhut up completely until the November meeting, Nature would have a chance, and we might have the pleasure of seeing a really good oarpet of grass for the big meetings. I warmly commend this idea to tho notice of the committee.

%* Some interesting particulars in the Lioensed Victuallers' Gazette recall memories of the selebrated Fisherman. This horse, says the writer, must have travelled more than any racehorse ever known. Not only did he traverse nearly all the main roads of England during his racing career, but he was aotually exported to Australia. He was bred by a Mr Fowler in 1853, and be was one of the few

horses by Heron out of Mainbrace, by Sheet Anchor. In form, he was a large, brown, hard-looking colt, about 16hds 2in in height. He had a rather curious rolling gait when walkin?, but a very strong galloping aocion. Like many of our best Btayers Fisherman did not require a great deal of training. Plenty of walking exercise and very long gentle gallop 3 would bring him quite fit to the post. Distance or weight were seldom too muoh for him, and the harder the ground the better he seemed to like it. The amount of " roughing it " that he underwent during his numerous raoing oampaigns would have killed most horses, but his great gameness carried him through all his difficulties, for he was never sick, nor sorry, nor out of humour. It was as a two-year-old that Fisherman first caught the eye of Mr Thomas Parr, so that be had him duriog the greater part of his oareer. The purchase money was £500, but it was not begrudged, as his owner was satisfied that if a horse of his make, sha^e, and conformation would run at all as he was as a two year : old, it was very certain that he would show to great advantage as he went on in life. He did not secure a prize at all during his two-year-old career.

%* In 1856, his three-year-old season, he performed very differently, as he was sent to the post on no less than 34 occasions, and out of those he won no fewer than 24 races. Mr Parr did not keep Fisherman veryJong idle when the flat-race season really did commenoe, as we find the horse running in the very first race at Lincoln. This was in the TrialfStakes, when he finished seoond to Tame Deer. He rau again the same afternoon, as he waß pulled out for the Lincoln Spring Handicap Stakes, finishing third to Flageolet and Vanessa in a field of 11 runnerß. He was rapidly improving, as at Nottingham we find him sooring his first success in the Trial Stakes. A week later he took a prize at Warwick, aod at Northampton he had improved so much that he actually turned the tables on Tame Deer, who met him on very advantageous terms. After running second in the City and Suburban to Hospitality, and the same place at Newmarket for the Trial Stakes, and third for the Newmarket Handioap, we find him winning no fewer than a dozen times off the reel. Amongst them was the Gold Vase at Ascot. Mr Parr won a very elegant trophy for this rao*, the subjeot chosen being the story of " Thomas the Rhymer and the White Doe of Rilston," told in the •• Minstrelsy of the Scotch Border," collected by Sir Walter Scott. Fisherman ran a good horse in this race, and the yiece of plate was destined for the buffet of the squire of Wantage. His next race was the Cumberland Plate, which he won by a head from Warlook. Fisherman was a bit lucky to win this race, as George Fordham, then a mere lad who could ride 5 1, and who was on the back of Warlock, mistook the winning-post, and pulling his horse up, lost ground, else doubtless be would have proved successful. The first Queen's Plate that Fisherman ever won was at Nottingham ia July, when he beat his solitary opponent Creeping Jenny in a canter. It is impossible for us, within the limited Bpaoe at our oommand, to go through all the many races tint Fisherman 'won during his lengthy oareer. We have mentioned above that as a three-year-old he ran in 34, winning 23 ; whilst as a four-year-old he started 35 times, winning 22. In 1848 he carried silk 32 times, winning 21. In that year Fisherman won the Asoot Gold Cup, for which Arsenal was madQ favourite. Wells rode Fisherman in this race the famous horse belonging at this time to Mr J. B. Starkey. It is recorded that Fisherman won the prize without an effort, and oertainly he proved himself pn that occasion to be the most extraordinary horse of his time. On the Tuesday before this raoe he bad run seoond only in the Queen's Vase at Sedbury, being beaten by a neck, After this year Fisherman ran 12 times and won three more races. Altogether he started 119 times, winning no less than 69. The total amount of his winnings was £10,707, and he won eight Cups and 25 Queen's Plates. None of his races were ever walked over.

*** Our modern-day trainers who have charge of large establishments know full well the great importance of perfect reßt and quiet for racehorses after undergoing severe exertion, and often some nervous and excitabletempered horses oan only with difficulty be induced to eat or sleep in the most quiet of stables, and they would have out but a poor figure if brought out again the next day. The only place, however, Old Fisherman oould have got any reßt in was in a van or a horsebox, both more or less draughty and uncomfortable, yet he won again and again. Fisher man left the turf after 1859, and he was then sent to the stud. He began the season of 1860 at Mr Gulliver's stud farm, Sutoliffe, near Banbury, but in the autumn of that year he was sold to Mr Fisher to go to Australia. Several of his foals died young, and the only two of his stock that did anything in England were Fisherman's Daughter and Isaak Walton. Away in Australia Fisherman did well, and perhaps it is a great pity that he left this country j if it were only for the wonderful strength of constitution and the lasting soundness of wind (and legs that he possessed, be would have been a great acquisition to our English blood, and most of us would have liked to have jseen him in some stud in the Old Country. He died in 1865 at Mr Fisher's place, about five miles from Melbourne, of continued and violent inflammation of the throat and also of the windpipe, and he subsisted solely on gruel for a fortnight previous to his death. Aooording to a post mortem examination his lungs were perfeotly sound, and there was no internal derangement perceptible bsyond a slight and trivial imfl animation of one of the kidneys.

*** Startling disclosures are promised in reference to the Oarmo-Problem affair, which the stewards of the Hawke's Bay Club have been investigating. The taking of evidence is finished, and the decision will probably be made public shortly. What the exact nature of the revelation will be can only be guessed at, but already a hint is given as to the existence of a ring for the purpose of working a conspiracy, and we are led to infer that Carmo is net Problem, but some other rung in horse. Of one thing we may be sure, that the Hawke'e Bay stewards^ are not the men to slum this inquiry or shirk the responsibility of meting out punishment to the offenders if an offence is proved. Possessing this assurance, the public may well rest content till the business is fully developed. It might prejudice the cause of justice if I were to say more at present.

*** There seems to be reasonable ground for the supposition that the representations made by the raoing clubs in reference to the totalisator tax will prevail to the extent of bringing about areduotioa of the amount to 1£ instead of 2\ p9r cent. The Premier has at any rate assured a deputation headed by Captain Russell that his sympathies ate with horse racing, that he looks upon ii as a legitimate sport, that he will gladly give overy oousideration to the representations msda to him, and that if necessities will permit it he hopes to be able to make the reduction to 1£ per cent. No man who gives heed to bis speech can be expected to say more than this, and I for one

have more faith in a cautious promise of that kind than I should have in the glib utterances of a man who merely opened his mouth to let words fall out, or one who spoke without a sense of responsibility. Nothing further can now be done until the taxation proposals of the Government are debated in the House. The tax will then be decided by the votes of the people's representatives) and, beyond conveying to those representatives an expression of what the will of the people on the point really is, it will, I think, do no good to protest further. The Premier has spoken, and if urged to speak again he could only repeat himself. . This being so, I would suggest that the Oanwru clubs, who have conjointly passed a resolution asking the Dunedin Jockey Club to immediately summon a meeting of representatives of the raoing olubs of Otago to consider the matter, each club to have one representative, should let that part of the business drop for the present, and reßt satisfied to carry out their second resolution, to the effect that copiea of the protest against the 2£ per cent, be forwarded to the members for the district and to the Colonial Seoretary. To do more than this might do more harm than good at the present juncture. The D J.C. is neither sleeping nor in a joumjy

%* The three steeplechases at the WelliDgton meeting on Saturday w : re evidently not true-run raoes. Canute waß winning easily in tbe Maiden when he took tin wrong course and gave away his chance to the beaten Monk, In the Hunt Club Steeplechase Tongirua, Tha Monk, Begorrah, Dan, and Druid fell, and Haloione hung on a wall ; therefore the only three out of the nine starters to eßoape mishap were Dhudeen, Playboy, and Programme. Neither of these, however, could win. They must be an awfully slow lot when Dan could give them a fall in and then beat them. For the Open Steepleohase only one survived the troubles they set out to encounter, and this one was landed an easy winner, giving his baokers a good dividend. It was an afternoon of accidents, and considering the number of falls it may be reokoned lucky that the casualties were no worse than a shaking for one rider, a broken arm for another, and a cut on the head for a third. Men have been killed when the percentage of mishaps was muoh smaller. Ido not know that it necessarily follows that the course is unsafe. The causes of the accidents were probably the heavy going and tbe faot that some of tho competing horses are hunters rather than steeplechasers, and consequently not quite aocustomed to being bustled at their fences. The same experience may result at any Hunt Club meeting.

%* Mr Jolly has given notice that he will move at a special meeting of his club that the Cromwell Derby of 1892 be thrown open to all three-year-olds bred in Otago and Southland, instead of confining the raoe to horse 3 raised in the Cromwell and adjacent distriots. I think the proposal offers suffioient promise to warrant a trial. The danger would be that one exceptionally good youngster, probably from the Forbury, would pounce down on the stake and frighten the indifferent ones out of it, but this would not, I think, often happen. Otago rarely breeds suoh a first-classer as would Btrike terror into the ranks of the second-olassers. We unfortunately have as a rule to sing small as regards three-year-olds when Orackahots and Medallions are about. Further, the consideration naturally suggests itself that ♦•he,, Cromwell Derby would enjoy what we miy call a geographical protection against any JKseptionafly good horse that might be produced. Such a horse would find more profitable occupation at Riccarton and Forbury and the Hutt and perhaps Ellerslie ; at any rate it would pot be worth the while of his owner to send him an inland journey for the sake of a £50 stake with the chance of a walk over and the certainty, if he had opposition, of only a small dividend. By December, owners know pretty well the strength of their teams, and a really good oolfc' or filly would be kept to win hundreds instead of tens. There is, therefore, in my opinion, but little room for fear on the ground that the throwing open of the race would be making a gift of it to a visitor, The best three-year* old of Otago this season would have had to raoe for it if started in the Cromwell Derby against all comers. On the other hand the advantages „would be larger entries, the probability of a decent field, and the certainty that if there was a larger field there would be an increase in the totalisator investments, besides whioh an owner, while sending a Darby candidate, would often have him accompanied by another horse or two, thus increasing the fields in the other races. The Club has not, I think, much to fear if it is decided to give Mr Jolly's suggestion a trial, and, apart from the mercenary consideration there is this to be thought of, that the throwing open of the Derby would be a direct encouragement, on a small scale, to the breeding of horses. I gladly support Mr Jolly's proposal. *#* Three trotters have been added to M. and J. Allan's stable. One of these is a roan gelding, four years old, by Dexter, that is to be called Potira, this being the Maori name of the hill at the Kaik called by the white men Mount Charles. The seoond is the bay mare Polly, that has been running up in the goldfields distriots, and was given a hopeless flutter at the May meeting at the Forbury— how hopeless may be gathered from the fact that she bad 3Oseo start in the three-mile event, and was withdrawn as badly bandioapped at 30aeo in the two-mile race, She was, however, a winner afc one of the country meetings, and may train on into a fairly good mare. The third member I am referring to is a three-year-old brother to Julian, by Pinole Patchen out of I'opay, bred, like Julian, by Mr R. Mitohell, at Musselburgh, I think that this youngster has tfce making* of a high-olaas trotter. He iB shaped like one, at any rate, and being a sound, showy, big horse, strong enough to carry 16at to hounds, he ought oertainly to be worth a careful trial. He is a muoh more likely-looking horse than Julian, who, as we know, is no slouch. This Julian, by the way, is getting right again after his mishap at the Central Taieri meeting. While raoing there he struck himself badly, his hind foot cutting into the bottom of the off fetlock joint so seriously as to expose the bone and damage the hoof. The cut is now heaied, and the horn is growing down, so that in a month or two the ojaly Bign of the injury will be a raised lump where the outer oovering of the hoof overlaps. Besides the trotting stock, Jim Allan has in hand the Gorton mare Cora, a sturdy little member that has so far not been as lucky as she deserves to be ; the improving Dunville, who will win a race or two next season if the handicapperß give him a show ; and that erratio mare Tired, who requires suoh a lot of taming when put on to a racecourse that it is deemed advisable to try her at the less exciting game of breeding. She will therefore ba put to Captain Webster early in the spring. The other horse 3 stabled here are the disqualified mare Cinnabar and Trimolite, who, as stated above, is also on the shelf. I have to thank Jim Allan for showing mfl round. %* Turf reform is marching on in England. The decision of the stewards of toe Jockey Club with regard to certain leading jookeys whose licenses were not renewed at the commencement of this year has at length

been deolared. It was announced in the Racing Calendar published on the 3rd June that the stewards have warned Samuel Loates off the raoecourse and Heath at . Newmarket and off all other premises belonging to and in the occupation of the Jockey Glub ; and, further, that licenses have been refused to Alfred White. Thomas Loates, Samuel Loates, and Thomas Joseph Calder. And id, the same Calendar the stewards give notice that licenses are only granted to jockeys on condition that they are not owners, or part owners, of any racehorse. Leave may be given, undfer excep tional circumstances, on special application, to jockey 8 to own one or more horseg, but this permission will only be granted when the jockey is also a trainer and the horsa is to be trained in his own stable. The stewards, observing that many jockeys have been in the habit of betting on horse-racing, and of receiving presents in connection with races from persons other than the owner of the horse they ride in such races, give notice that euobr practices will not be tolerated, and, ,hat any jookey who may be proved to th>ir satisfaction to hare any interest in any racehorse, or to have been engaged in any betting transaction, or otherwise to have disregarded this notice, will have his license at ones .withdrawn. Any person knowingly acting in the capacity of part owner or trainer of any horse in which a jookey possesses any interest, or making any bat with or on behalf of any jookey, or otherwise aiding or abetting in any breach of the orders of the stewards, will be warned off Newmaraet Heath.

♦ # * Three big races in France demand mention. The Prix de Diane (French Oaks) was deoided at Chantilly. Fifteen fillies went to the post, of whom M. M. Ephrussi's Primrose, a daughter of Peter and La Papillonne, started favourite at 2to 1. She completely justified the confidence repose! in her by an easy win from Mr H. Dalamarre's Primerose, who was followed by Oloserie, in the same ownership. The distance corered was 10 furlongs and a-half, and the time occupied was 2min 22 3 sseo. The Prix dv Jockey Club, otherwise known as the French Derby, was run a week later, when 10 runners made the field of the same strength as last year. Reverend held his position as favourite up tq the fall of the flag, but he cut an inglorious figure in the raoe, failing even to obtain plaoe honours. Ermak, on the contrary, who started second in request, scored a clever win by a length from Le Hardy, the pair being followed 'by Le Gaptioorne. The distance of the race was one mile and a half, covered in 2min 43 3 5660! The Grand Prix de Paris, worth £7474) was deoided on the 7th June, and there were a dozen starters, the only English representative being Mr L. de Rothschild's Benvenuto, The most fancied was the Derby winner, Ermak, who was quoted at 6 to 4, but he was unable to aot in the heavy going, and the winner turned up in M. Blanc's Olamait, who beat Reverend by two lengths. Benvenuto finished ninth. The distance, one mile and seven furlongs, was covered in 3min 35 2 sseo. Olamart was the mount of T. Lane, who rode Fitzßoya to victory last season and Stuart in 1888, so that he has now ridden the winner of the Grand Prize three years out of four.

%* Joe Thompson has returned to England, and has been making public his views on racing a3 conduoted in America. Speaking to an interviewer, he said : " Now I am going to tell you something that will startle you. Their motto on the oards is ' We race wet or dry,' and they_ do. Why, if snow fails hundreds of Italians are set to clear it off and keep the course clear. They had 119 conseoutive days' racing on the Jersey aide, and would not have stopped then but for the opening of the racing season in Brooklyn. From 10,000 to 12,000 were present each day, and half a dozen events usually made up the card. Oaldwell is the great starter there, and when he was not officiating the attendance always fell off. Wonderful confidence is reposed in him, as they are all sprint races, and there is no waiting. The horses are sent at top speed from end to end. Oaldwell receives from 80dol to lOOiol a day generally, but at 1 Gutt,' as it is called, they pay him 200dol per day, and that for six days a week—nearly £250 a week. Still, he is worth it, as everyone has such confidence in him. The business like way their racing is carried on' iB wonderful. On a racecourse there the runners have to be declared. The numbers are up half an hour before the race, and owners have to ask permission to scratch their horses afterwards, while as a still further protection for the bookmakers and public alike, if anyone, no matter who it may be, makes a complaint to the judges before a raoe, the latter have power to take a jockey off and put up another in his plaoe should they deem such a course desirable ; they don't cry afterwards. Again, if a horse is found to be lame, bolts, or returns from the start, no matter from what cause, the judges deolare all bets elf, and 20 minutes is allowed to make fresh wagers. This iB better than being robbed, anyway. I consider their horses stouter and harder than the English. They are better handled, and there iB no vice among them. They have some daring riders ; Bergin, Carroll, and Hamilton are among the best. Although their horses run 10 times of tener than any in this country, they last longer and keep sounder. I attribute this to the f aot that all their courses are exastly alike, dead level and soft going. There is any amount of betting, anything from a dollar upwards, but a bet of 500dol— the odds to that amount, I mean — is a large one for them, Americans never stop for anything except to get shaved, and everything is done to carry racing through with 4 go. 1 What they want, as I said before, is a ruling body to keep the proprietors in hand and to arrange datea, &0,, so as not to have so much clashing."

*«* There was a set debate in the House of Commons on the proposal to adjourn for Derby day. Lord Elcho, in making the motion, said that he did bo on the ground that it was the time-honoured custom of the House to adjourn over Derby day. Last year he saw it stated in the papers that he was a frequenter of raceoourses, that he had backed many winners, and had won large fortunes on tha turf . He was sorry that Done of these " factß " were true. He had not realised large fortunes on the turf, and he was perhaps one of the few members of the House who had never seen the Derby run, and had no intention of going to the Derby this year. His motives were therefore disinterested, and might compare favourably with those of some honourable members who, having opposed the motion of last year, were, he heard with surprise, not unnringled with pain, conspicuous on the racecourse. There was another reason why it was the bounden duty of members to support this motion. There were upon the London County Council members who regarded music halls with as much horror as Sir Wilfrid Lawson and his mend 3 regarded tho Derby, What did those members of county council do? Did they avoid the object of their horror? No; armed with gratuitous passes by unsuspecting maaagera they went to the music halts. Whore the audience was least select thoy perhapi went most frequently, and whore Ibo au^i-moi was most doubtful in characfcsr they fta>ed the longest. And whan the dreadiul d:»y of license came they tempered mercy with ju3tico, and announced their intention of continuing to '

tread the straight path that they had ir.arked out for themselves. He did not aek non. members to follow the example of the county councillors, and to go to every race throughout the Racing Calendar ; but he did ask them to So once to the Derby. If, as was probable^ on. members then found their worst feats realised, and saw the features of the hen. baronet pale before the faot, they could speak from the 'vantage ground of bitter experience. And if they had failed to become rich by backing the winoar, they could at least become famous by ba ;k* iog a bill for the reformation of the Derby. V Sir* Wif rid Lawson led the opposition to the motion. Surely, he said, it was not vis© for the House of Commons to extend its wh tiesale patronage to a gambling institution. V'he holiday argument was simply cant. They had just returned from a holiday, and were asked to adjourn for a ridiculous race. The pro-, posal was monstrous. If they adjourned for the Darby why should they not adjourn w°e n the German Emperor came over? Why should they not go into the streets and wave their hatß on that occasion ? Why should they, not adjonrn for the Harrow and Eton oriokefc match, or for a great temperance fete 1 Then there was the Queen's Birthday, or the birthday of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Why should they not adjourn on those days ? But? Sir Wilfrid's remarks were as mild as milk compared with the vinegary speech of one of his supporters, Mr Norton, whose observations 1 are worth printing in full. He said that; be looked upon the Derby as a sink of iniquity. He did not know why the Houße should adjourn, if Lord Elcho was not going to, the Derby. It appeared to him that the noble lord was asking them to make fools of themsplvob. He was reminded of a remark of Dr Paley— that the man who had not been a fool once was a fool always. He had never been to the Derby. But 26 years ago he went to the Oaks. He went because he was told that the Oaks was not so bad as the Derby. But he found it so bad that he had never ventured 1 to go to the Derby or to any other raoe. He* did not want to go to the Derby, for everything connected with racing was so diegraoefui that there was nothing worse in the world* The vote was taken after thiß charitable speech, the numbers being— for the motion 137, against 109, majority 28. * # * The V.R.O. Grand National meeting stands postponed till to-morrow (Friday) and Monday, owing till the floods in Melbourne, which have specially troubled the Flemington course. To what extent the tracks were affected may be judged from the remark of the Argus, of the 13tb, that " the course yesterday was a sea, the water being over all parts of it except the piazza, the grand stand, and the hill. Only the tops of the steeplechase fences in the straight oould be seen, and the weighing enclosure, the paddock, jockeys' rooms, sheds, and other places on the lower-lying land were submerged. During the morning thousands of sea-birds were disporting themselves on the course, evidently under the impression that it was part of the bay." There has been some talk of holding the meeting at Oaulfield, and this was discussed by the stewards, but it seems, continues Melbourne's daily, that it would be necessary to obtain the consent of the owners of all horses engaged before the races oould be run on another course, and even if this were agreed upon it would become a question as to whether bets would stand, and this is a very important matter with such a meeting as the Grand National. Under these circumstances there was nothing for it but to wait patiently, as Noah did, for the waters to subside. The delay gives us the opportunity of seeing the final list of those engaged in the Hurdle Race, to be run to-morrow, this list appearing elsewhere, and we are also provided with the tipßterß* opinions. A nummary of these may be.interestiog, if not useful, to looal baokers :—

" Bibbleden " (Australasian) selects Lottie 1, Frol 2, Ixion or Prlsollla 3. "Aimodeus " (Leader) says that for places he likes Redleap or Bingara 1, Drilldool 2, Lottie 3, and of the others The Pioneer, The Victim, and Poroius mo»t dangerous. "Freelanoe" (Sportsman) writes : Judged by the present appearance of the Flemlngton course, there are only two horset engaged in the Hurdle Raoe whom a backer would be justified in backing. Cuttlefish is one, and Crutoe might, perhaps, with Ixion to assist him at the wheel, be the other. By the same token Dolphin should ba in his element on the Steepleohase course. " Trumpator " (Adelaide Observer) says: I shal stand Frolic and Kedleap, with Lottie, Le Boy, The Pioneer, and The Victim as the next best " Cranbrook " (Sportsman) : — Frolio has had a regular scorching good gallop, and came out on top. TheV.A.T.C. Richmond Handicap hero went about two miles over hurdles at headquarters with Durambol, beat him badly, and was then brought along by YValworfch over a mile on the flat, and more than held his own. Priscilla, Quadrant, or Frolio will, I fancy, furnish the winner of the Grand National Hurdle Bace next Saturday. Best outsider The Victim. " Titan"- (Taamanian) seleots Redleap l, Frolic 2 Mebbeleck 3. " Augur "(Australasian) chose Blfle or Priscilla bat Elfie bas.gone out.

I may mention that Hayilah, who had been repotted to have split bis hoof, came with a great rattle one day just before the mail left, and left off a firm favourite at 6to 1, I should Bay that he must have a show. He iB one of the Ballarat crowd, but if the weather, had been fair I should have stuck to Ixion and nothing else. As it is, no one can pretend to think that he can pick such a race in one. *** Lake County Press holds extreme opinions in regard to pur national sport, if it really means all that it says in the following article :— " Dependent on the totalisator is horse-racing. At one time this used to be oalled a sport, but now, if it be a sport at all, it is a spoit of a very degenerate kind. And here let us express regret that so many leading men in the land (including some legislators) continue to patronise it. Individuals with a name; and a repntation for great respectability and individuals conceded to be ordinarily honest think nothing of perpetrating turf swindles of the most bare faced character. Perhaps it iB their manners, their dress, and their assumptions that give them the air of respectability, but, judged by the standard of true manhood, they are by their actions as great scoundrels as the biggest impoator.,that works for the State with the brand of the broad arrow on his back. We have the opinion of a gentleman who was at one time a horse-owner concerning the contests on the Forbury course. He said that there was seldom an honest race there for any event excepting the Cup, and about that he had a doubt whether upon all occasions it was run on its merits." I wonder, by tha way, who the ex- owner referred to can be. Is he one of the " cronk " members of which, unhappily, there is always a representative minority of varying proportions in every class from horsey men downwards. *** I gather from " Martindale's " notes that the famous brood mare Chrysolite died at the Duclienfield Park Btud a few days ago. C&rysolite was rising 32 years old. Got in England, she was fo->ied in South Australia in 1860. Her breeding was of the very best, as Bho was by Sfccekwall from Juliet, by Touchstone from Lancashire Witch, by Tomboy. While owned by Mr G. Petty she threw eight foalt), starting in 1866 with Derby, then followed Cleolite, The Gem, Lapidist, Firestick, Onyx, Robinjon Crusoe, and Confucius, Onyx

ft

and Robinson Crnaoe were a pair either of which would Lave made any mare famous. Onyx produced Sardonyx and Nordenfeldt, both of whioh were great racehorses, and in Nordenfeldt we have a worthy suooessor to his defunot sire Musket. Both Onyx and Robinson Crusoe were by Angler, as was also Oleolite, while to Fireworks Chrysolite threw Lapidiat, Firestick, and Oonfuoius. In 1876 Chrysolite, who was then the property of Mr O. B. Fisher, waß again put to Angler, the result being a bay oolfc, afterwards named Defoe ; and in 1877 to the same sire Bhe produced Friday, afterwards renamed Henchman. In 1878 she was again mated with Angler, the produae being the jjpeedy Aureola. To Rapid Bay she in 1879 produced Vaucluse, and then followed Ohrysoprase, Crystal, Emerald, Royalist, Crown Jewel, &o. She was last mated with Grandmaster, the produce being a roaoh-baoked colt, as was also her first foal. „ ... %* Important facts in connection with the outlook for the New Zealand Oup are that Mr Stead has Bent more of his horses to Australia instead of bringing Pallisar back, as it was hoped be would. The three now gone are Medallion, Silver Knight, and Label ; and their expatriation will be a Bouroe of grief to a good many backers, for these horses were all supported for our big handicap, Meda lion particularly, this oolt having been baoked to win a lot of money at tens. Mt Stead s remaining candidate, Burlesque, may now be worth remembering, but I do not know much about her further than that she iB in training. I am also informed that Mr O'Brien will certainly take Flinderß to the other side, and he will assuredly leave Tassy, while there is no telling as yet whether Freedom will or will not go. From Auokland we learn that Hilda has been taken up again in view of the New Zealand Oup. If she is the better of Mr Morrin's pair at the weights she will be dangerous ; but don't forget that Cissy is the leaatknooked-about of the two and may come sounder through a preparation. Tirailleur's owner baa as yet made no Bign of his intentions. %* The following notes on the Derby and Oakß, taken from the Sporting Life of May 30, Bhould prove interesting :— " By all that has now been see of Common there iB reason to think that he would be a great horse, even in a good year, though, for the matter of that, it has happened before to find a whale amongst Bprats, as those who oan look back to the days of Flying Dutchman still deolare that he never beat half a good three-year-old. He found opnonents worthy of bis Bteel form the year preceding his own, as lie beat a good mare in Canezou when the pair met in the Ascot Oup, but his greatest foe was a younger one by a year in the famous Voltigeur. [Gladiateur was almost alone, too, amongst three-year-old opponents ; but still more marked, I think, in that direction was Wild Dayrell, as when he won the Darby in a canter he had a rank commoner second to him in Kingstown. The comparison of Wild Dayrell to Common by our friend, Mr John Corlett, is, I think, a very happy one, as there must ba a strong resemblance between tbe two horses — big, whole-coloured browns, each over 16 bands high, and covering an immense deal of ground when extended, and, moreover, both were backward sort of horses in their most juvenile days, Wild Dayrell ran onoe as a two year-old oolt in September of the season, and Common did not run at all. With euch a likeness between the two it iB perhaps not very singular that one is descended from the other, as Common's dam, Thistle, is out of Flower Safety, by Wild Dayrell, and coming to the breeding of last Wednesday's great winner, it is something for breeders to notice that Isonomy, who was by no means a general Bucoess in getting great sons, is certainly seen to the greatest advantage in that direction when crossed with mares direotly descended with Wild Dayrell. Common is of course the great instance, but Isonomy's seoond best son, or at leaßt for stoutness, would to my mind be Ingram, a brown out of Pirate Queen, by Buccaneer, son of Wild Dayrell. I shall be greatly astonished if Common is beaten during the season. He has moat to fear from Mat Dawaon's filly division, as there is no gainsaying the merit of Mimi, and Oorstorphine may come ou before tbe autumn months set in. The result of the Oaks was almost assured, and how cheap Mimi would have been at the reserve put on her when put up at the Newmarket December sales- £5100 would have got her, and that amount can be multiplied by three by what she has won, and what she must win before the season is over, whilst as a daughter of Barcaldine what is she worth for the studf It is notable that the French Derby*winner and the Oiks winner are both out of L^rd Lyon mareß, and here is another illustration of great horses being com parative failures at the stud, and their daughters coming out as great winner producers. Waugh says tbe best horse he ever trained by stones was Maqgregor, who soarcely got a real good winner, but his daughters produce them, such as Rada, Mephisto, Bret Harte ', and there is Lord Lyon— the best horse (so Dover used to Bay) that was ever trained ; but Minting waß his only creditable son, It would seem that merit of an exceptional character must come out Bomewhere. J>