TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 29

TALK OF THE DAY.

BY MAZBFPA

*«* Trotting folk have something on whioh to exercise their faculty of calculation in the sb ape of tho handicaps prepared by Mr Dowse for the Tahuna Park Trotting meeting to be held on the 12th October. There are several in the Maiden of whioh I know nothing, and others whoee performances have not been impressive, and, having to give an opinion blindfold, I feel inclined to take Don't Kaow and Charcoal M a likely pair. The ponies are the best lot we bare seen in one list for a Jong time, and If only baW the crowd go to the post there should be a good r»ce. The pair that I really think are moil dangerous are Jasper and Tickler, though they will have to Bhift tbemiwlves to keep oat of the way of Microbe. Contractor has bardly been up long enough to win the (Spring Handicap, and I should take J.H. to hold htm pretty safe, while Maggie L. seems to be the pick of the rest so far rs I know them. Redmire is a Christchurch candidate, and may have a chance, while if I add Silrer Mane it may be that I have a quartett from which the winners of both the Spring Handicap and the St. Kilda Handicap will cc-mn. B*lmoral is sure to be fancied for the Novel, but it is no certainty that he can beat Repealer, who is a goldflelds horse. The Domain Handicap is a puzale, and in selecting J*uo Douglas and Oulloville I may not ba near the wiuner, though these are the two I like beat. Sail Home is the sole representative of c?a?s in the Maiden Race in harness, but po»»ib',y she is not just now at her best, and if so Don't Know may have a chance. For the Final Handicap I select Jane Douglas, Colonel, and Microbe as a dangerous trio, unless Tickler can do the trick. Acceptances are due on the sth October. Gilbert is already scratched, and Hu&tley was on Tueedny taken out of the Final Handicap.

*#* Reportiog to fche South Canterbnry s+ewardß, Detective Livingstone 8»y« : On the two days of your spring meeting I noticed an unusually large number of men on fche racecourse who appear to me to live by attending races. Assisted by Mr Guinne*s, a member of your olub, I ordered off the Timaru racecourse seven men whom I found laying tetftfeator odds, cafh fleidiug, be. [Llat of nwats supplied.] I know these men do not attend race meetings foe sport, bub to make mouey from hocesfc country people who do attend for pleasure, and thus jockey clabs are d&ne out of their Uwful rights by way of percentage from the machine. This class of men cannot be too strictly looked after on a racecourse, as they are given to low dericcß to make mouey, thns preventing honest people in the district from attending. It w»a pUin to me during your Spring meeting that, out of & population of 8000 in Timaru and suburbs, not more than from 300 to 500 of Timaru people attended the races. I believe this non-atten-dance of local people ie in a great measure due to the character of men who coruo f*om Dunedin and Chriatohurch. I may mention that during your last two race meetings only two members of tho club took any part, so far as I could Bi:c, in maintaining the rights of the club in regard to those men who frequent race meetings. The chairman (Mr Quionwis) said that it was a* stated by the detective. He with the assintance of one of the stewards and the police officer had the men removed. Ho was quit* sure that the club had sustained a serious loss by the operations of these men— that they had diverted legitimate revenue that should h»ve gone through the totallsator into other chamois. He wrs perfectly satisfied that men outside the paddock did them very great injury. The olub, however, bad thtir remedy ; they osuld refuse to allow »uch men bo go ©n the course. Another thing the olub might do ; have a 10s totaliuator. It was resolved that they report be handed to the committee with ft request that action be t*ken.

*,* One phrase in the above report is not happily worded. I refer not to a roer« point of grammar, bni to a confns«d txpre*6 : .on whioh says more than it cau me&v, and, as re*d by the tiDthinkiDg, may be taken as an iaipeachmpnt oE ft class of men who already hava enough burdens on their backs without being damned for sins they're not inclined to. I speak of that portion of the report in which Detective LivingBtcno refers to a list of " men whom I found laying tofcalisator odda, cash fielding, &c."— mea whom ho charges with "low devices," Rtt*

whose presence is an offence to hemeet people. It apprars to me rather unfair to thus lump together a varied asßortmrnt of offenders and then inrolve them in a common oondt'mnxtion. The Mport should have gone into r little more del-all. A moroeofc's refiVotiou is sufficient to show iixtt the detective cannot really mean that each of Ihe Bereral olAwes eoumeratid are guilty of '*' low device*," for this term, it it Bignrfles anytbing as here emplojed, imports direct roguery, and tbe laying of tofcali&ator odd', can scarcely be BO defined, nor does oush fielding cotue within Hie (Jeeoription. Mm who lay tote odds may b<?, •«nd generally speaking are, as honest as the day. Straightforwardness, reliability, un.l & same for prompt settlements constitute their l ßtock-in-trade. Rogueo there are in that as iv all other employments, but they are in a small and cannot possibly do a large busijjesa. Moreover, in order to the oarryiog on of tote betting end cash fieldiug two parties are 1 necessary— takers »c well as layers — and whatever guilt attaches to the one is •hared in equally by the other. Does Mr Livingatone mean to imply that every jman who takes im half -bo v. to the tote fielder 1b a blackguard ? Is it not a fact well known ,lto everybody that backers of all ranks bfct more or les* with these men at one time or another ? Of Course it is, and Mr Livingstone can twarctJy ifce ignorant on the point. Being probably as well postefl'up in these matters as any of v«, he pan hardly be suppoped to mean exactly what fee hafi eaid in this report. 1 take it that the to whom he specially refers a* given fco " low devioes " are those who oome within |he sa&»QU\g of his oomprehr 1 neive " etcntera," If so, it should so appear in priut. lam not Specially concerned to deftnd betting men, but to do th«-m justice I nra»t pretest against tbeir being catalogued with difirtputable characters. lam led to speak out on this subject because mre hear a ret -of cant, even in high places, a.bout kbis b«tt4ng business ; oce day it is goi<>g to be stopped altogether, the next day we find owners prod stewards engaging in it, and occasionally, by way of variety, a bunt of fteiumed ind'gnalion that such trade ie oarried on. It is thin hypocritical humbug es moeh as tbe ioc«e wordlog of tfee detective's report which has provoked my paragraph. I have always said that tote fcettine must uot be allowed to imperil jockey dabs' rights, and that position I stick to. But For the fielders paraonally I have as much reepscfc as for any other class in our community.

*** My Boglish budget this week comes rather out of the order of time. A week's parcel of pape»s became mislaid ; hence it is that tl.e reports appr-antig in last number were of Ja'.tr date tha» those bow presented. With tbis explanation we will proceed to th« facts. For the Eclipse Stakes at Saudowu Park the average field of eight went to the post. Only twice iv the history of this event have the barters run into double figures, when Bendigo beat 11 others in 1886 and in Orbit's year, thut horec jhaving a dozen arrayed against him, while ihe Smallest fields have baen those of 1889 aud 1893, when Ayrshire and Orme, the respective winneri, found themselves in a company of six. JDhifi year no very prominent public idol was jeugiiged, and the contest did not provoke much Interest until the French borse Le Justicier was jsent across to compete Backers did not, however, fanoy him a gie.'t d«il. They much preferred the English picks, even though the best of the home contingent, Whittier, was to some extent under a oloud. . Hence the general downfall. It proved to b« correot judgment to pelect Whittier as the best of the English division, but he was beaten decinivrly by the French colt, who, as the Sportsman remarks, though not among the first rank of the Gallic three-year-olds, won in exfcremely easy fashion. Consolation in regurd to defeat w&b, however, sought in the oldfashioned but ttill formidable argument that the French horses are really of English blood. jks the authority above referred to puts it : It is really of not the slightest importance to him whether French, Amf-ricu-n, or any other Ired horßes win our best raoes. There .is one feed-rock fact in regard to horse-brecdiug all the world over— that you must come back, and constantly come bu«k, bo Bug land to replenish the patent stock. Le Jueticier ooracfi here and wine tbe Eclipse Stakes amid the jeremiads of thoee who are always declaiming «gaiu«t oar native fioree*. But bow is Le Justicier bred ? By the sou of an English horse aud English mare oat of an English mare. And so it iti, or something like it, wherevec you go- i\ic«hor-6s cannot ba bred anywhere except by constant importations from England or Ireland.

*** A fashionable two-year-old race, the National Breeders' Produce Stakes, was the ■chief item on the following day's card. In it iMr H. M'Oaltnont's Emcworth was making his &rsb appearance, and received so little support *hat he started at tbe outside price of 100 to 7. Still, in the hands of T. Loates he got homo by & he&d from Santa Maura, the favourite Erasworth was bought for 16Oga as a foal on the tweak np of Mr Botterill's stud in 1893 for Mr fol'Oalxnont. ouly previous appeamnoe on * public racecourse of Mr Douglas Baird's (Santa -Maura, who 6Urt<?<3 favourite for the Produce {Stakes, was lor tbe Royal Two-year old Plate at Kempton, in which event th« fitly never reached the starting post, as aftor bolting and galloping two miles ttbe wm taken back to the paddock without taking part in the raoe. She is described a* a charming filly, deep-girthed, kride, and substantial, but (.bounding in quality X)f the true Bt. Simon type, and, says the Sportwman's special, I like her better than auy filly we have Men out except Roquebruuo. Barn Dance U an excellent advertiiH>meut for the Derby dinner Common, more especially &6 she is by bo means forward iv condition, and Sir Blundell only ran her because people had begun to ask him when aomothicg by Common was going to start for a race. Common's s^ock, like himself, will not be early birds, and we must not be impatient about them. They will bo to the front all in good time.

* # * At Liverpool, also, a beginner triumphed in one of the leading r»ces r thereby bringing jpunters to grief. Of the six starters for the Great Lancashire Breeders' Produce Stakes, ell but Mtkjef<tueuße had been seen in public. -The r*ce provided an exciting finish. BruntWood, the favourite, looked a winner at the distance, but then ourled up and gave way to both Hartford and M»jestueuse, the latter of ■whom jußt got up and won by a head, to the delight of the fielders. She belongs to Hayhoe's etable. The St. George Stakes was reduced to three runners, and looked fcuih a good thing lor Utica that the surpriee is backera hud not to lay logger out's on h<r tbau 2 to 1, Solaro and NewsmoHg", Kith bi'ii'g Ineked. Fiulay ro^e a waiting r^c on U ici, t-ut l\or followers had vengeance fur uiitu-iu ■-, ;isjh{ lia 1 the race T»ell in hand in th»- -t-A'cht y.u<l wd in n common cauter. It wsvi* « tu-nic.-ete battle for second plsce, and only in toe last i-tride did SoYaro be»t Newsmonger. Such a cracker did Eockdove make the pace in the Liverpool Cup that half a mile fr m home everything was being driven to keep within hail ; bat ehe began to Tlow down on entering the straight, and then it appeared highly probable that Buahey Park would win

easily, till all of a Ridden Gaxetteor went in pursuit, and a splrndid fiuish resulted in the latter'e defeat by only a head. That was Gazetteer's hvst race prior to being shipped to Johannesburg. At the Gatwick meeting on tha same day " Mr Jersey " (Mrs Langtry) and tha Priuce of Wales each wou a taco. His RoyiU Bighnf-sa's winner was Thai?, who, making her third appearance in public, now mauaged to get borne iv the Crabbe'u Plate, thus rogistering her fltst success. She is by St. Serf (sou of St. Biaion and Feronia) from Poetry, by Petrarch from the Stockwell mare Music. The American geldiDg yaiiquet 11, who wa? claimed by Oi arlea Archer srac running cecond to Virago iv the Trial Plate at Newmarket for 400gs, recompeused his new owner by winning the Mftchcll Plate, worth 910jovs to the wianer. He made all the runuing aad won easily by a length and a-half. Entered to be sold for lOO.iov*, Bouquet II whs afterwards secured by Captaiu Aikin for 700gd.

* # * Writing before t^.- A J.C. meeting of Lh*> Melbourne Derby prs*p*ct<i t "T. T.," iv tu-; BporUman) remarked : Never do I remember a Blue Riband contest which presented a more open appearance than the one for which Wallace, Challenger, Auraria, and Bob Ray bave throughout the winter disputed Bupieoaacy in fioinfc of paKlic favoutiMum — for, as » matter of tut, the little wagering wbioh, so far, has taken place iv oonue-rtiou with our Derby hoe scarcely been innpired by stable commiss :ojs.: ojs. Aq an illuetrntion of the unpreoedentedly open apgrnranoe, on papar, of the coming V.R.C Derby, I may mention that no fewer thau 15 aapiranto for Blue Riband fame have already found admirers — Wall»oo and Challenger amongtt the St. A'bans representative < ; K*lla.r«, Oflwnrd, find Acton from B»llirRt; Tbe Oh-'valier and Fortunio from C«iu field ; The Mfjry Boy, trained at S*m'r!t» b him ; the Welelimsn Bb. D»ricl, at Mwrdiulloc ; llie S .uth Australian filly Aurjiria, ttnolU<T reprefentctive of a Welsh owner and the B. A JC. Derb> victress ; Blue Cap and Vivinn, two reseut winners at RaDdvrick— to B»y n-taiog of the other Sydnoy-owned colte, Waterfall aud Te Whiti. Htre, then, counting the New ZeOandhvt d c ilt B >b Rny, we have a total of 15 De.rby Cftndid«ite j , not one of whom ones would care to e'ivinnte fivm a list of probable startvrs for, the possible winner of, the V.R.C. Dorby. Outside this lot we oould probably name othetf five or six oolts, each of whom, for aught we know to the contrary, m«y possess an ouMde cfcanep of capturing the B ! ue Riband. Cnrtridge, C»est, EKterminntion, Lead On, aud Thunder are each tufficiently well bred and good lookiug to win any rate, and another South Australiau, Royal Admiral, if only on account of his two b'g brothers' performances, is worthy of respect in any company. All things cousidered, the V.R C. Derby of '95 promises to prove of phenomenal interest. Small wonder, then, that the ringmen are launching out and offering £1000 to £ 40 on the flt-ld.

* # * Mr Dwyc-r, of America, has eeub to EugJand a batch of 15 yearlings, evidently intending to enrry on the campaign for another year. The following is a list of the you»gstorß : — Cheatnut colt by Hanover, dam Mwgeriue, by imp. A^gftiue, lull bf other to The Cointuouer ; chestnufi tolt by Hanover, dam Golden Red, by imp. Raj on dOr ; chef tnut colt by Hanover, dam b xtra, by Duke of MontroßG ; chestnut colt by H*nover, dam Chimera, by lioquois ; chestnut coll by Honover, dam Cyrilla, by imp. Mortemer ; chtsfcuut colt by Hanover, daua B*ttieM.,by imp. S^uiit-rer ; brown colt bj Hauover, dam Lizzie D. f by Onoudaga ; chc tuut colt by Hauo/^r, dam Burletta, by B idcn-Raden ; chestnut colfc by Btr*ithmoie, dam Hi-ii vt>. (dam of Pccabontas), by Iroquois ; baj c «!t by Strathmore, dam Bonnie Lee (dam of Dr Itioe), by imp. Glengarry ; bay colt by Stratbmore, dam Merid«n, by imp. Billet ; buy cot by Strathmore, dam Gleam, by imp. Glenelg ; chestnut colt by Strathmore, d*m Ocean Wiwe (sister to Ambulance and Once Again), by Onondaga ; brown colt by Blrathtnore, dam Patty of Cork, by imp. K>rlp Daly. If thex* Hxnorer colts do as well as Hanover's get have so far done here, writes an American scribe, Mr Dwyer will probably bave some two-yoar-olds that he can win stakes with. Bfs'def, lcdopendent of their racing qualities, the Hsnovers will have a ntud varue, as there is a demand in England for a few good horves of the Vaudal line, as was evidenced l«#t year, when overturee wore made to Mr Youug for the purchase of Hauover. These YaaW. youngctera will be trained according to Eogl'uh nofcionfl, snd will be ridden by Boglish professionals.

* # * There were four sterfcers for ths South Australian Derby on the 2nd inst. — via., Ahraria (by Treuton— Aura). Miraculura (by Eiridspord — Tin Mine), Birksjjata (by Gang Forward — Th^reflft), aud Thunderer (by Thunderbolt— Queen Contort). When the barrier was lifted Birksgata jumped back and lost several lengths, leaving Thunderer to go on from fifiraculum and Auraria. As they raord past the stand Miraculum and Thunderer hod drawn out three lengths clear of Auraria, while Birksgata was following a similar distance in the rear. Rtcing round the turn Thnnderer occupied a position next to the rails, -while Miraculuui ran out wide, the pair heading Mr James's filly by a couple of lengths, Birk«gute at this stage gett'ng to withiu a length aud a-half of h'*s field. At the mile and a-quarter poat Miraculum hud an advantage of a length and a-half ove<: Thunderer, the favourite lying third a ouple ot lengths behind, with Birksgafre still octiug as whipper-in. Mr Boßnttt J6J 6 colt increased his advantage at the mile and a-furlong pott to four lengths, with Auraria still running third, but coming to the mile post the favourite displaced Thunderer, though she was half a dozen lengths behind Miraculum. There was no change at the sevenfurlong post, but six furlongs from home Mirftcalurn had increased his lead to eight length*, Thunderer being four lengths behind Mr James's rept'eeentatire, with Birksgate toiling along four lengths in the rear. At the fivefurlong post the favourite began to make up her ground, and Mir&culum's lead was reduced to three lengths, Thunderer at this stago heading Birksgate by a similar dMauoe. Toe Trenton — Aura filly had got to within a couple of lengths of the leader at tbe half-mile post, where Birksgate drew up level with Thunderer. Mr Bapnett'B colt had not been displaced as they swept round the home turn, but Auraria wa<3 the first to show into the straight, and from this out the race was never in donbt, th=> mare winuiDg without any special effort by a length. Birksgate was a length and a-half off third, with Thunderer a bad laat. Time, 2inin 43isec. The record for the rane, which has been run continuously siu'-e 1860, is Giiiij, Forward's 2miti <U£scc iv 1882.

*** When the Canterbury Metropolitan Association met last week to apportion the meetings within the Canterbury district, Mr C Hood Williams, the chairmau, said that thera were two essential points to be considered — firet, the allocution of a fair proportion of meetings to couutry trotting cubs and town trotting clubs respectively ; next, the number of meetings to ba held by oaoh club. Looking to tbe

fact that the Gtjming Aot of 1891 made it compulsory that the number of trotting meetings should be reduced by one-third, in his (I by chatrmnn'h) opinion, it wai the duoy of the a«socinii>jn, if the c»u«e of trotting was to pivf-p.-r, to (jive duo c •nsideration to the claims of •. )i '-<• cubs wii > w<-re m such a financial p<i-.i'.,i>!i n-> 'o be n.b'e to guarantee subftt^iitial &taki:s. If goo.l stakes wore uot given by clubs then trut.thm; horseowncre roust suffer, aud the result i\ould be a general deterioration of this cla?s of sport. Having due regard to the best intorefit« of trotting, and especially ok horseowners, he Wuuld move the following allocation of n.eetings to be hold in Canterbury during the uurreut year m<U..g July 31, 1896 •.—. — Cintcrli irj Trotting Club, four m<-t tinge ; Lancaster P.trk Atnitour Trotting Club, three meetings ; Plumpfcon Park Trottiug Club, two meetings ; New Brighton, one mheting ; Ashburtoti, two meetings ; Timiru, one meeting ; Geraldiuc, one meeting. Thi« would give a fair proportion to the town and country clubs respectively. The couutry club 3 bad six meotI ii'g; Uft year, and they would have four mec-t-iog-. tins year, or a reduction of one-third. The town club* had 13 meetings lant year and would h*ve 10 m :eti»gs thi6 yew. The town cubs gave £4700 iv stakes test year, aud the country clubs £740. Several amsndments were negatived on the chftirmnn's cist ing vote, and the resolution was affirmed.

*** Ou tbe eecond day of the Hawkesbury meeting the New Zealand-bred Waltssar 7.9 niauaged to woar down Lieutenau 1 713 in the Members' Haudicsp after a great not-to, Hnd won by a head. Only feven sterttd for the Grand Handicap, aud who sUrted at level uiouey, got home, but with uothiug to Bpave, Troilus running him to a neck. This roftk-'h t v ic fifth H*wk<?-bjry Handicap won by Mr Juhu Mtijo, t4ae o'hfr tv^x's bo'n^ j.l^csd ta his eivd.t by Janitor, Prince Imjxrial, The Qnoen, ai\d Eiiin P<»sba. In thiß ye*r'« raoe C-a<lle lost her rider, S. Calnnsn. when half the journey had been completed, and the doctor re-ported that the lad's leg was seriously injured. The SteepUcbasa, a« we h&ve previously l-'cru* d, was won by tho Auckland huiKi M^t-uhnl Niel, w o w«.<. w.-ichN-d at 10.7 and riddeu by K-xtfcerns Fiv. olo l tli*-. 10 slarters fell. Tlie fiuibh is thus dcs m 'bjd : Ne«ring \he £eveu> furlongs poet Alarm Bell rttirtd, and Marigold sud Marethal Nifl led on Urms along the back half a do/.-in lengths from AUrm Ball and Waratth, the li^t-nttmr-d failing over tbe jump near tUf five-furli-ng- post. Marigold and M».reo>ji»l Niel kepi, toget.hnr uotil the coins; pivj.er vt.h ic-cbtd, wheu thw Nrw '/n alauder drew itway, a.»i] wu»i by a dis^n l«'»gtns from Murigold, who w*t> 100 yards in bd^iuice of Alarm B 1 1 , auH St. Ilario was a. furlong away. Time, smin 15£ sec tor the two miles and a-half.

#** b. ha'ch of S. ulh'und items from the note;, by " Sir iUoc'reo" : It i.s reported fch.-.t tUti Lori-h.iuH— Ludy ot the Lukt filly will not accept for the Wiutou Guino&e, a? «he is n-jfc to be trained for another year. The Orion— Adele col', entered for the Winfcon Guinea?, is said to be a promising youngster, aud the bsst of his mother's btock yet se?n. Mr Timpauy'b Refleotion and E>»tudenong bave besu aerommodrtted in quark re near the local course. Both ar<* in exc^lleut health aad are looking well. Toe g-lding Orscle, b> Orion — Marjory Moore, who is engaged iv tbe Wintou Guineas, is a b<ufbrotber to Master Moore. B. Hankins has eevoral horses at work on .the S.R.C.'s course, and they are quartered in the vicinity. One of them i» Mr J Bridge'? filly by Cvi •(w.ek-r— R- siliim. At Winton Jtuuee Wsm hts a team of five or hix ia work, cl hf ot whom ixrx? Modest;, Master Mooiv, and Mfthterpiwce. L-iwami'sdwul-lipg h< use was burnt theofchor day. The bou»c was a corujmrat'Viily new one aud uninsured, consequent'y Law^on'e loss will be considerable, as the property w.*s bis own. W. Wallace, who served his time under the able mentoritlup of Jamefl Lawson, has made a »tart on hie own account, having takon boxe3 on tbe premises once kuonn ks th« North Star Hotel. His team fit p e-.tnt coii«isto of the Hilarious gelding Surcfoot and the Alluvium m*re Fuwu. The Wiuton Jockey Club h»B appoiuted Mr A. Jones starter for ifca annual races. I hear that an unsuccessful attempt was lately made to again train Conjuror, but that he has sinoe boou lefcurned to bin owner, and will bake up stud duties as usual du<iug tho corning eeaaou. Mr H TeJford's line ajare Aaouyma is ex?>e<;ted shortly to foal to FitzHtreulee. Lact year Anonyma produoad a foal to the Australian horse by Boolka, who is also the property of Mr Telford, but it did not survive. By the way, I saw r beautiful yearling colt by thi-j siro the other day from the Cloth of Gold mare Flirt, *nd the joant^ter j-hottld prove an excailwrit advertisi m-r.t fin' bi3 sire Fii tis in fo-il to tb-i lka hor-o a.j-iia this season.

* # * Melbourne backers must bave bad unlimited faith iv the flym/r, filly Riak when, though she was carrying 10.4. in a handicap, the minimum of whirh was 7.7, they made her first favourite for the two-year old race at Caulfi«ld on the 7th inst. But she at last tyr-t rvith dc-f«3*fc. Sh« led into the straight, and hoadsd The Officer 8.0 up to the disrat.c -, b it tb»i luttar thtii challenged tnoht resolutely, aud ran home a wiuuer by a length and a-half, the favourite failing badly at the finish, and allowing two others to get in front of her. This w*s The Offi::er'rt firHt appenrAnce in public. As mitftit be guessed from the n tine, he U one of Mr fc\ G. Cook's I.>l, nud beit.jjtis Robinson Crusoe out of Marie frouise, he is tcli brother to The Ouptaiu. Norroy, who finiched B<-cond, in one of Escutcheon's get. The general opinion spems to be that Raak ran a good race, but at last really found her master iv Mr Cook's colt, of whom all sorts of nice things are said. The Arrnadale Handicap, a, report of which appears elsewhere in this issue, went to Eiridvfordo, who thus reinstated himself in the opinion of his friends, who may have been a bit inclined to waver in their regard for him after his Fleraington failure. Admitting, s&ya a Sportsman writer, that a percentage of the field which the grey showed the way home to at Caulfield might uot have been desperately anxious to attract notice from the judge, it mu6t still be -allowed that tbe performance was a re*lly good ond. Biridsforde won very handsomely, and it is probable that the men in the box would have been called upon to hoist his number first even if all his followers had bsen making for the tape. Eirideforde's Caulfield Cup backers are now, no doubt, feeling comfortable-like. It will be observed that The Possible finished third, snd this, I may remark, was not bo ba-d considering what happened, for iv the straight St. David galloped on to his hind lego with such force as to uy et bis (Sfc David'a) rider, joung Hogan, and ciusj him a fill which rei-ii'-ted in a brokeii Miijh.

*** Reports of the second, third, and fourth days of tbe A J.C. meeting are printed in this isaue. Nobleman appears to have won tho Metropolitan Handicap easily at the finish, thus confounding the prophets who have asserted, or ftt the least insinuated, that he is a rusher and a puller and nothing more. He stajed out the mile anda-half of the Metropolitan like a raoehoroe, when he caiae to meet the weight-

for-age select crowd in the Craven Plate—Carbine's race of a few years ago — on the third day, Nobleman had to succumb after making a bold show till tht>y reached the last bend. This counts against him, but a horse may have a high value even as a handicap performer, ami that is probably the rank of this Nobleman It will be observed that two of Trentou's get came to the front in the weight-for-ago races, those being Quiver aud Delaware. Greater performers were behind each of them at the finish, Portaea being in both fields and Patron ia one ; wherefore some doubfc nny be expressed as to all the starters being quite fit, and possibly we may discover Home reversals of form when the crack* are a«?embled at Melbourne. Meanwhile, however, Trenton is on top, Hopjcjtcb, one of the Grand Flaneur family, has also shown fine form, aud I am pretty sure be is good enough for any company. New Zonl-uid made htwelf ft-lt at the inteting by tho aucces-«? of Waterbuvy, the steeplechaser, who pulled off the double, and by the rintory of Mr Stead's colt Musketry ou the fourth day ; while Royal Rose was consistent but unlucky all through the meeting. I gues* tint his party csme a cropper iv the Waverloy Handicap. R'tyal R Jse started at 6 to 4 in a field of nine, so somebody was bettiug pretty confidently even though the horse had 9.0 for a mile and threequarters. His finKhiug second was a very tidy performance, for h>i mi-t that good horns Oxide on level Uiiuaß. He is Bhortly expected in Chris^cburch, and will be backtd for tho New Zealaud Cup. 'Whethec ho w.ll win it is another consideration. He ia jiibt tho sort of horse that I should like to havo a bit about to nothing, not the one on which I would do a plunge. • It will be Been that English-bred hor#e« #<u"frd placeo st-vera! timts during the nve'iug. fJit'doi aciuilly won, and b»bu Fiiz Dtiuovan and Daltneuy ran f(i % v,ard. The latter is a four-year-old by Foxhall— Bagdad.

*** Though it migut be Buppomd lhat Paris has hardly been long enough in England fo get properly ncclimiitißcd, it if pretty pl»iu thait someone whoie opinion is dsemed sound has bortu toiling the Atistralian boys that th«s litt'o OiviudniAßter g« ldiug ban a big hhow in Ihe Cainbrio'g siviv Stakes, to be run on the 23rd of »ext uionth, and for which Major Egt-rion has allotted Paris ouly T.l'<i. The weight is absurdly light, su^ueUiug that the handicApper has oont^mptnous idoas lvspeeting colonial form, but 1 hhall be surprifed if P^riH wins. Not that I t^oubc his j-bihtj', bat I (]nent\on wht the; he will bi x > c .d^ T'ia l ", howdv«r, is on^y an ophuou, and iua\be r,Le b.ektr* wlio «r-i nulling monfy to kln^lnud to bi.ck the horse at 7 to 1 have some positive juforuixtion to go on. It they haven't tboy are ill-»dvigod. With some owuera it would bo a risky thiug to back a horoe heavily for a htake five weeks ahead when lie has a show iv another ev«nb (the Ccifttewitch) a fortnight earlier. Prehumab'iy, bowever, tbe Austrul-ao puutei'fi kn.*»w v,'!>at <hey are about J'-risV pri(^H ou Monday vusßto 1. The d<t>Unce of the Cambtii'gc-'huo is a mile and 240 yards.

*** There is no favourite for the New Zealand Cvp — no particular one of the candidates that i« specially in demand. Mnh*ki, Skirmisher, and Marino are at the same prioe. Thti publio apparently are riot kapreseod with the torm fcho^u by the Cup borsoa bo far seen out this season, wUnn we find two horf.c« that have not raoed tlrs lerui hiUtod to the top of the quotations and bracketed with a member whilst best performance since the handicap huß appeared was to run seoond iv a s-cind-clnes ra;-e. I cau, ho-virvur, quite uude»t?n\d M;uiuo be ; iig WAlohed re»i»cctfu(ly. H« ma-ie a wonderfully gojd ruu in tbe Timani Cup, (h.iuli it was too late to win, aud there is fcvi ry vea«ou ti suppose that with more condition on him he will gallop well enough in the New Zttnland Cup. Of tho lot lower down in the list of quotations Roytl Roue promises to be a aound iuvcatojeit, for I thii lc be is coming across and both Prime Wsrd«n and Impulse are woitu the price aaktcl ;ib->nt tkt-rn. Messrs Barnett aud Gr^nti report the following as the ruling prices on the NEW ZEALAND CUP. 100 to 10 Mabaki, .^kjnnihber, Marino. 100 to 8 Irinb Twist, Outpost, Pegasus "Wiiiuku, tJipsy Graml. 100 tv 7 Magazino, Royal 11000. 100 to 0" Piimc Waidcn, luipulse, Saracen, Chaos. 100 to 4 North Atlantic, Stcrnchifer, Ctwkct, 1/H'd Zetland. 100 to 3 to 1 the others. They al«o report having done the following lines : — 2"0 to 6 The AvtiHt, 500 to 15 Huat.-ii, :^OO to 9 Cha.p, 250 to 18 Gui«y Gr*nd. 100 to 7 R->yel llote, 250 to 15 Outpo«t, 400 to 8 Cnfikct, 100 to 6 Saracen, 200 to 14 Irish Twist, 100 to 4 Westmure. 0 *** B .'iniiufcji), a new English Bporh'n.g majiazitit:, has an article in which Mr A E. T. Watsou tolls the story of Gratitude's defeat for the Cesarewituh of 1864 by Thaleetris. The description of tbe raoe is probably true enough. But the comments thereupon are distinctly funny. Gratitude's owuec was Mr W. Robinson, known in Inter life as " R^dy-anonty Robinson," aud it ii of him th»t Mr Wnt^on says : " An'l so foi G-fctitude's ownor go<;d-byo Engrnmi, home, and b-nuly. Tba 1 ) he thould have patted the juaie'rt neck wheu ho sorrowfully met her in the birdcage after the race says very muah for-the goodues-t of his heart. She had done her best for him, and must now psss into other hands, instead of leadiug the lite of ease lie bad pictured for her — happy summer* beneath the pleasant shade of leafy branches in the fcpaoious paddock that would have been her. home. There, with her foal by her side, ehe was destined to live, if only that short head had been the other way ; now she may pass into lois kindly hands, sink from grade to grade till she cannot win a Belling hurdle race for a gambling coper, and so end her daj siu a night cab. As for himself, a digger's hut and hard ftvre are his portion, to bs accepted with such resignation as is possible. We may imagine the picture that passed before hie mind's eye as at nightfall he looked over the shadowy bush once more. Can we doubt that continnilly in his mental vision he saw Newmarket Heath, thrilled over that desperate finish, and again watched the frame rise with that fatal ' 13 ' at the top ? M This about the owner of Cheviot !

* # * No jockey, if we except Fred Archer, has gained such fama during the present decade as Morningloa Cannon. The style in which the young Danebury horseman has forced his way to the head of tbe profession is deserving of commendation. He is the youngest champion jockey ever seen in the saddle. Let us, says an exchange, compare Archer's figures with those of Cinnon'H The best period of Arch«r'« career was trorn 1881 to 1855. In 1831 he rode 532 horses, and won on 220 occasions. The other Qjmre3 were : 1882, 56* races, won 210 ; 1883, 631 races, won 232; 1884, 577 races, won 241 ; 1885, 667 races, won 246. It will thus be seen that in five years Archer rode in 2971 events, and won 1149. There WBfl a falling off in Archer's record during his last year— lßß6 —but this was owing to tbe illness which finally resulted in bis death. His average for thefivc^c-ar^ quoted abovo was almost oueinttfO racoa, will Cannoa ever eaualthja P Cannon's

average ia not 80 good as was Archer's, but what is more important is that his winners would have brought in a much larger sum, for Archor'tf mounts rarely, if ever, started at good oddi, E?en now, Cannon frequently gets home with long shots. The email bookmakers, however, are barring " Cannon* mounts." Archer** edvance \v*s not so rapid as that of Cannon*, Morniugton is now only 22. It will be remembered he was married before he was 21. He first headed the lint iv 1891— the year T. Loatej was refused his license, and led next season by 182 to G. Barrett's 154, but Loatea wrested premier honours from him in 1893. Of the two, Archer was much tho taller, lor he stood as near as posiible sft 9in, whilst Cannon is hardly sft Gin. Archer was rather slim, with long legs, h°t Cannon is very sturdily built. Archer was a great advocate of the Turkish bath, but Cannon believes in pleaty of exercise, and he is a very skilful sculler. His great delight is to spend hie spare time on the river.

*** One of the thoroughbred stallions at the call of breeder* la tbe P&lmerstoa district this season is New Headford, son of Apremont and Beeswing. Mr R. Riddle is the owaer. The Apremont blood can hardly be,too highly ct>mmended. Tha etock by this horse poiwse the valuable characterises of courage an<3 soundness. A» a rery good judge remarked tv me the othe-r day: "Thaj'll always try. Mid you can't braai them down." Thin ia high praise, but deserved; indeed, iv my lint of the best tires of W>e colony Apretnoat's DHtne would bave to be included. * # * Though the GcraMine meeting is but a shadow of its former self, it remains a fixture of more than pacing interest, and wo shall probably hear of a good attendance and itttoreotirg racing on Thursday and the second day. There mil bo fair fields for all the ik»t day's events bar the Cup. In tfifct there were only four entdea, »nd three have accepted. My fancies are as follows :— Squatters' Handicap, Specnluter, aul«se ho is reserved for the Cup, in which cas« mj choice is Maximus ; Cup, Chaos ; Flying Handicap, Warringten ; Beltield Handicap, Ge.Tjgic Bb*rp. * # * Mr J. F. Reid kindly supplies me with the following list of foalit gs «t Eldrrslie : — On August 11, Hugueco*", by Ap'ontont — Ma<tyf, bay flUj to Stepuiak ; on fleptembwr 15, Fairymnid, by Albany — Titama, brown colt by Stopnisk ; on S pU'in'xjr 17, B»ea, by St George — Wat- luprit*-, ch-« ( nu(# oolt to Stepuiik. All will vifiU S'*j-?iia'\ .igsio. *** " R»t* " tel'grap'w ou Tuesday nijruc :—: — " D*n K</b<jrtVs bay hore« by Vnngusird is called Little Jack, ar-d. toother with the two-year-old by Apremont — Silver Queen, is exercised of an aftoraoou. D*n hen a great opinion of Ibe latter. Sir George Oliff-n-d was an the course this m>rniig H-oiug his horses being ixerci-ed. C!ruct<flt-iti »>nd Oolebeck, irt eoiap«uy, wore given «. bteoug once-round, going at t<>p for the ia'.t *r part of the j mrtifty. The old hoefce i« going very wfcll. B*f*gß*rd occasionally goes a I'it Kmo, and this rnorntng I was given t > understand that a journey to Hawkfl's Bay by hvc is very doub'ful, though she may m*ke tbe trip to Wa*gauui. — Bob Wilson is going to Geraidiue to rids Delnrame in his engagements TUoX horse is Ukaty to Kturfc throe tiiufcs. — Harry Moore will ride Ck.orgte Sharp at Gerald m*. He may al«o have the mount on Arbitw. — Th'-re is a »piit in the omp of the Trotting At^ocia'ion here," and I understand Mr C. Hood William* has bften asked to resign his fleet ou the Laocuster Park Trotting Club Commit t-«. I b-!i*r<? he has rf-fnaed to resign, bow v:t."