TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2181, 19 December 1895, Page 43

TALK OF THE DAY.

Br MAZBPPA. *** Mr Hai ry Goodman tells me that he has no intention of going to Australia yet awhile. He may possibly nominate for the May Cup in Sydney, but tvtn then may not go, atid it is a certainty that he will not leare before th-n. He adds that he does not count Eurocltdon well treated in the Wtllingtou Cup, and is not tore yet; whether the colt will accept. ♦»* Mr W. A. Scott, of Middlemarch, publishes the - following letter : — Owing to the extraordinary amount of dips&tisfactioa prevailing amongst trotting owners with the/ system of „ handicapping adopted 'bjt " the' present handicapper, it has occurred .to "me .to suggest a system which may-mset with the approval of all hoaest eports. My ic*e* would be to bate a- handicap oa an :raaginary2.4oscratchhoree,: raaginary2.4oscratchhoree, and make 1 he limit 20sec to the mile for maidens, and performers tob3 handicapped on their winning performances iv the following manner : — A 2,40 to 2.44 performer would be re-bandicapped to do lsec per mile better, a 2.45 to 2.49 performer would be re-handicapped to do. Steeper mile better, a 2.50 to 2 54 perfvimer would be re-bandi-capped to do 3sec percoile be-ter, a 2.55 to 2 59 performer would bs re-handicapped to do 4sec pir mile better, and a 3min and over performer would be re-handicap; ed to do ssec per mile better, and a horae which does anyt ime better than 2.40 to" ba re-handicapped to do the same time over ag*iD, no penalty being attached to them. All maidens to be started off same mark under all circumstances. A horse having won in a giveu time to be kept to that time. I think the above is workable, and should like sporting men to ventilate their views. Tbis aystc-m would "do away with any chance of favouritism and the handicapping of certain owners instead of the hortes, and I feel sure weuld prevent a great deal of what "Mezoppa" calls "oub for exercise," as a horse would gain nothing by that game even if . kept at it for years. This would ba a boon to ' trotjting clubs, as the services of a handicapper would not be required, and the nominations much increased. I may mention I have submitted my ideas to several owners who think the matter worthy of public discussion. * # * This letter deierves respeciful notice, *s the first serious attempt on' the part of a representative trotting ownerto grapple with a very difficult question— namely, how to get good handicaps. There are two ways of approaching this subject. Oae is to try and throw the blame for all defects on the shoulders of tie handicappers. This if ft clumsy

method, and objectionable also on the score of fair play. Mr Dowse, the handicapper particularly aimed at, and indeed, named, is not only upbraided for his own mistakes, but m&de the scapegoat for the sins of others. Ido not approve of that style of procedure. Candidly speaking, I believe Mr Dowee does make mistakes in his handicappiog of trotters. Perhaps he does not give the subject sufficient study. In making this statement I to some extent join the gentleman named, and must participate in bis condemnation, if he is te be condemned, for if he does bluoder I have not always put my finger on the exact spot of the mistakes. And, by the way, others besides myeelf are also in the s»me citegory, for now and again we find a very nice dividend coming out of thete handicaps that are voted so dreadfully bad. Without turning up the books, I may instance the case of Bedale's £17 odd 15 months ago, Susan's £23 odd a little over a year tfuce, Butte* fly's £19 edd, Blacki&'s £11 odd, S- il Hoase's £93 odd, and Little Bob's £11 cdd. Backers were pres'itntLb'.y as far out as the handicapper in respect to these and other recent races that might be referred to. But, as I say, I do not deny that Mr Dowse makes mistakes. "What I do say — and I say it with all the emphasis I can command — is that he and other handieappers would make better handicaps if owners would trot their horses with mow consistency. If half the defco's of trotting handicaps are tre result of faulty calculation, the other half are due to the barefaced pulling that gees on systematically. This consideration has a great deal of weight with me, and, • believing firmly tbafc all of Mr Dowae's mistakes are houest, and that he is decoyed* h.to quite or more than one-half of them by the •batneless roping of horses by ?id<-rs and owcers who will consider themselves insulted if accused directly of malpractice*, I doubly welcome auch a communication as Mr Scott has given us, in which he makes a fair-»nd-fquare effort to bring about a reform without besmirching our painstaking handicapper. lam not, however, quite sure that Mr Scott's proposals would work well. lam not quite sure even that I uuder.stand them. Ltt us see if I do, by giving an imaginary mile .handicap nccord'ng to what I make out to bo the rule ftlr Scott would adop l ". These are the figures : — Record. Hep. Dakota 2.40J Scr Brooklyn 2.41 Scr Native ... 242 1 sec F.F 2.43 2 ii Kentucky 2.44 3 n Mappie 2.45 3 n White Wingß 2.46J 4 h Felix 2.47 5 v Rf.tliß.rham 2.48 6 v Sail Home 2.49 7 » TeWarahu 2.50 7 ■■ Jce Barnett 251 8 h Invictus 2.52 9 h Butcher Boy II 2.53 10 n Susnii 2.54 , 11 ii Jane ... 2.55 11 v Pansy B. ... 2.56 12 w Nilreb 2.57 13 n The Duchtss 258 14 v Gieystai-s 2.59 15 i. Pamtll 3 0 15 n I Honest Wilks Maiden 20 v *** The figures in the centre column repre-" Bent actual records at a mile. I have taken well-known hordes as tht-y happened to cuifc for the purposes of illustration. The two fractions mean nolhing. They are in the records and I bnve let them stop, but we will suppose them knocked off, for a half-second is neither here nor there. Well, if I have put together these horses properly, as Mr Soott's rule would place thenvl do not think anyone will say it is a" good handicap, 'A performer of some time back, like F.F., suffers badly, and horses like Sail Home and Te Wanahu, that have nob done I a mile frst, bat hnve gone grerttr" distances in gcod time, are too wtll treated. Here, again, is another difficulty. Sail Home has done 521 for two miles — that is, at the rate of 2.40£ for a mile. In a mile handicap would she be reckoned a 2 40£ m&re, or would the haudic*pper take her actual record for the distance, which is 2.49 P And, if so, are we to have a presumption the other way as well — that a horse cau get all distances at his fastest gait for one distance P Or is it to be the ruta th»t you may suppose a horse that has, say, a good two-mile record can go a fasb mile, and assess him accordingly, but that the rule is net to work the other way about— that is, you are net to conclude tbat a fast miler can go his gat for, say, three miles P That would appear to be tbe fairer method. But how about the horse that has never won excepting at a mile and is entered for, say, a two-mile raco P There must be something to go on, and if you reckon him as fast for two as for one jou may be wofully out. If rothingbut actual record* are to count, irrespective of distance, you run up against the solid facb that many fai-t horses really cannot stay. The proposit'ou Mr Scjtt makes is not simple, when one inquires into it. Further, would not an automatic method jriay into the hands o>f the pullers and ropers P With them, the horse in request would be one tbat Had nob developed its speed, and they would take care that he stuck on a low mark till dangerous ones had gone a step or two higher, and tben ssil in and demand a certainty. I offer these ob ervations in no carping spirit. Mr Scot is to be th»nked for going to the trouble of preparing a 6ch< me, but I think his proposals need more ° thinking out so as to meet the objections I have raised. • '

*** Of tbis week's fixtures the most important to the colony as a whole is the annual meeting of the Auckland Racing Club, and what everybody wishes to know is how to spot the CJup winner.The bett advice I can give is to fake counsel of the' best informed judges wLo are feeing the work. My own fancy, if he stands hi* preparation, is Impulse ; yei I dare not recommend him with any confidence, as everybody knows him to be a delicate. and an unsound horse. Quiltiri may be relied on to run a good r.-tee under his light weight so far as he is able to go. Iv his case the question is chiefly as to whether he can stay the two miles, a query which I cannot pretend to answer with certainty, though I am aware his party think he can get a distance. Our Auckland correspondent has a fancy for St. Hippo, but in all bn prophecies on the point 41 Taihoa " adds tbe caution •' If he stands." Then Pegasus as a previous winner must not be entirely ignored, even though he did shape so badly at Takapuna ; and Dreamland is very well treated in the matter of weigh*-, and if at her best (there is rcom, however, for doubting whether she is) it would be no great task for her to win. The Possible also has some sort of §how. What is a fel'ow to do ia these perplexing circumstances ? I shall go for Impulse and chance it. As for the Steeplechase, my selection is Roscius or Cing*lee; an£, in regard to the Derby, having a doubt whether 0.->culator is quite the c*rlaioty his party declare him to be, I shall vote for Mausku. If Mr M'Leod's calt were such a good thing as tho public suppose, there would not be seven others payiDg up last week. „Oajculator. may win — I don't under-rate him — but I wou'd sooner take a fair price about the belter of Mr Stead's pair than rash the favourite at a false price, which is what backers will probably do.

V I abi well aware thut thja Auckland

Derby is very oftsn pioked by tho public. Taking the records of the ga^b 10 years, there was Disowned as one certainty that came off. Punters laid 20 to 15 on the Hon. W.'a colt, though he had four to go against, inducing that very tidy maie Lady Norah and KiugGsh, who has a very fest mile to his credit in Aus'ralia. In the following year, aleo, the Derby was a soft thing; Sex'ant won it; but he had only Bangle to meet. Two years afterwards Tirailleur, supported agaicst Cissy and Fabulous at 4- to 1 on, ran home the easiest of wirners. St. Hippo was another moral in his year, so goad a thing that he was barred on the machine, and dividends were paid to the backers of Brown Alice, who fiuithed lecond. A rare bit of luck that was, by the way, for Mr Nathan's stable. They got the stake with one horse aud the very nice dividends of £4 183 and £7 9s with the other. Note here, pleare, that First Nelson, who is an acceptor for this year's Cup, went out favourite for the Derby in which St. Hippo was barred, and didn't git a shop, though roused along by so strong a rider as Der.-cfcfc. Loyalty wai another good thing that came off ; he rafTde a holy i-how of Pegasus and Skirmisher. That makes five f avouri .es that have won in the period mentioned. Only five ! do you say P Yes, my friend ; and the other five Derby 3 for the term named have seen the public fancy go down. There was Stonyhurst to begin with ; he gut beaten a length by Foul Shot atter a race all the way up tbe ttraight. No fluke about that. Derringer was only a head away third. Then after an interval came Manton'a discomfiture. Having disposed of Raglan and Hilda, Mr Butler's colt appeared to have the race won uotil Cuirassier tackled him below the dis'auce. For a few strides Mantou hsld his own, bub then collapsed, and Trenton's brother ran iv au easy winner, paying £4 4-) 6d inside and £4 14 * outside. Remember, like wisp, tbe licking Medallion gave the highly-fancied Crackshot, and the unexpected success of Morion on the day when Clanranald, Fraternite, and Flinders were each better > ancied ; and pray do not forget how Btt-pfeldt defeated Blutfire last year. I grant you thst favourites often win this Derby, but during tbe past 10 years at any rate the punters have uob made much by backing the " morals."

*** The Wellington Cup is attracting more than a little attention at the hands of backers, and the subj. ct ia therefore dt6erviDg of a paragraph. The three top weights may be very well left alone for the present. North Atlantic's withdrawal from the Auckland Cup seems to signify that he is not well ; and as for St. Hippo end The Possible, tbe c is the consideration that if they win at} Auckland they are liable to be rehandicapped (at the discretion of the bandicappsr), and if .they do not they may not be good enough. This rehandicapping power is a consideration with lots of other horses engaged in the Wellington Cup. Any of them that in the interval win a handicap flat race of the value of lOOsova are open to tho risk of being "made to carry such additional weight as tbe handicappar may iiupose." So run? the wording of the programme, and it is a consideration that ought to be borne in mind in respect to a whole fleet of the candidates that are engaged dnrir g the holidays. In this connection 1 think the programme should state a particular date or particular d*tes for the declttvativn of the handicapper's mind on tbe subject. Presumably the extra'we'ghts, if any, will be anncunced prior to "the finil pajment becoming due, but it would be more bu>inesa--like to say so expressly. On the form shoWh in. the Metropolitan Handicap at Obristchurch if would appear that Lady Zetland has a bit the worst of it with The Artist and - Skirmisher. , In that event, ran at the sime distance as the Wellington Cup, The Aitist carried 7.8 and 1 won, bkicDuisher had 8.5 and was second, aud Lady Zetland wi<h 8.8 finithed third. In the Wellington Cup the Ashburtcn mare sbill gives Skirmisher 31b— nothing allowed for the place defeat at Ricearton — and The Artist for winning is put only slb nearer to her. I should hardy think that 51b is enough t> bring a third alongfride a winner. Ou the other hand, Lady Zetland greatly distinguished herself in the Canterbury Cup en the third day, making a bold effort under the heavy weight of 9.1, aud forcing Euroclydon to break the record for two miles and a-quaiter. On this form she is well in in the Welling) on Cap ;on the Metropolitan running she is not at all well treated. Which are we to go by ? I cannot say. The whole three are very, dangerous, and as between them it miy be largely a question of fitness on the day and how the race is run. Euroclydon and Gipsy Grand should be left alcne till they are actually seen on the ground.

*** Bessie Macarthy is being nibbled at by people who don't as a rule go blind, and I am inclined to respect this mare's chance. Do not forget that last seaion she bzat Furtunatus at nine furlongs on tbe Caulfield course, receiving only 1 b fioin Foitunatus and conceding 15'.b to Quiver, who ran third ; also that in March last '"Bessie" came pretty nigh winning the Place Handicap, a mile and a-half, at Fiemington. That was a good performanco. She was carrying 9.0, and at the distance appeared to hive everything settled, when Darby on Devon 8.9 made a gre*t rush and got home after a desperate struggle by half a head. Time, 2min 38£ see. If Devon were in the Wellington Gup at 8.3 he would look like a gooJ thing, would he not ? And •• Bessie " has as nearly as possible the same chance on paper. Calculations of this sort are not always reliable, unless considered in relation to condition ; but reckoned on the ordinary risks, "Bcsie'ti" cbar.ee seems a fair one. What aboub Saracen ? Well, on the latest form Skirmihher should beat him, since only 2lb is allowed for the beating at a mile and a-qnarter in the St. Audrew's Handicap, and of the two I should take Skirmisher to be rather the better stayer lor the extra distance. Moreover, Saracen did not run with his accustomed spirit at Dune din. Perhaps by the end of nexb month he may be at his best again, in which casp we>will give him a cl^nce, but at present he is not the best goods for backing purposes. Casket will not start, nor VogeDgang, and I faucy Irish Twist is too e!o3e to the cracks, but The Shrew h»s a " pof sible " on the strength of her second with 8.6 over the Wellington Cup course last month after losing a decce of a lot of ground at the start. The Artist, however, is to be preferred to her, for the reason that he had won at the same distance from first-class company. Of the others, R&ngipuhi would be dangerous if at his best, the bet'er of Mr Stead's pair may have a show th tt can be assessed after Auckland, and Dreamland, Spindrift, Solitaire, Lord Zetland, Quiltiri, and Banner are fair outsiders. As for Marine, lam not quite sure whether ho is actually scratched or not. If he starts ho wi|l have a. It ok in. But for present purposes I sbould take Lady Zetland The Artist Bessie Macarthy Quiltibi, and Skirmishfr " Banner as being the most formidable half-dozen, and if pressed for a closer selection I should say that the claims of The Artist are undeniably good.

*** One of the exira meetings promoted by Sydney's premier olub was beld at Randwick

on the last day of November. Bight went out for the Hurdle Race, two miles— Dan O'Brien'a grey gelding Havana 11.5, ridden by Underwuod, beiDg backed at level money. Up to the last fence he looked dangerous, but the wellbred Cape Pigeon 11.0 then came along and decisively quashed the hopes of the New Zealauder. The winner started at Bto 1. The uncertain Isaac, who was fancied for the C*ulfield Cup, proved to be in racing humour when started for the Turanville Stakes, (six furlongs), and a brilliant run on his part enabled him to win under his 7.12" somewhat easily from the more-fancied Juvenile 8.7, D. O'Brien being again placed with Ilche&tor 7.9, who, ifc is suggested, was ridden out more detecmincdly than some of the others foe place honours. No fewer than 22 two-year-oldo came out for the Nursery Stakes, five furlongs, and backers had the cheek to take 5 to 2 about one in that crowd. What is more, they picked on the. right one — namely, Mr H. C. White's strapping colt Huret, a, son of Cranbrook and Zante ; and still further, backers were right in making Dan O'Brien's Mosaic second favourite, for that is where he finished. The winnor is nicely bred, his dam being by Lecturer from Bungebah's dam, and they say that Huret looks like finishing into a Derby colt. Mosaic, who ran second for D. 08., ia tbe olt that wa3 bought as a yearling for 300gs, got by Abercorn from the Blair Athol mare Moonstone. Three placings in succession is not -the sort of thing to produce Mr O'Brien's le«t smile, and we can iinagiae that he uttered bittsr sayings about things in general when for the fourth time he gained the barren honour, as was his face in H>q Ketford Stakes, a mile and aquavtec. This wan won after a rattliug finish by the Trentju — Bridesmaid mare Bliss 7 2, with <Jack o' Lantern 8 2 second, and Cartridge (by Carbine) 7.2 third. The programme waj closed with the' Mile Welter,' in which Mr Crick's Abercoru ge'.diog The Sketch started favourite, and won. Mr D. O'Brien's cheque for the day came to £40. He had better try and find his lost mascDttc.

*fc*The Adelaide writer "Tarquin" gives a lot of readable particulars about The Assyrian, whose death w«8 announced last week. Though the horse was bred by tbe lato Mr Holland, of Turretfield, he was got by Countrym%D, who was imported by Mr Blacklor, of Fulham Park. When submitted to the hammer as a yearling he was knocked down to Mr S. Barnard for 80gs. ' A few days after the sale Mr Bernard disposed of tbe colt (tbea known as Rothschild) to Me W. Pile for 180gs. As a two-year-old Rothschild could only get second to Travallyn in the S.A.J.C. South Australian Stakes, a position he had also to be content with in the Nursery Stakes at Gawler. At the Modern Athens fixturo Aurora, a filly owned by Mr Rost Reid, beat him, although he completely turned the tables upon her subsequently, meeting her on considerably worse terms. He started his three-year-old career by scoricg in the S.A.J.C. Derby ; but he h^d only Ursula and Delaware to oppese him, and there was mere merit in his second to Totslisator in the Adelaide Cup. Rothschild went down before Miss Harriet and Blue Ribbon iv the S A. J.C. Hand ; cap, and shaping no bettor in the Birthday Cup won by Mata, Mr Pile became disgusted with him and he was transferred to Mr J. E S&vill. He started twice- iv the tatter's colours in South Australia, ""his name having in the meantime been changed to The Assyrian. The first occasion waa in the Duke's Handicap at the AJI C. Winter meeting (August 1883), when he was succet s c ul with 9st ; but the following Monday, with a 71b penalty, he failed in the Royal Handicap. The colt then passed into the hands of Mr Thomas • Barufield, who paid 300gs for him on behalf of himself and Mepsrs Allison aud Nealeo. Having given Mr Saviil a satisfactory - trial, he was heavily backed for the Caulfield Cup, starting first favourite at 4 to 1, but he out up very badly. His display so disgu^d his trainer that he would nob hear of him winning the Melbourue Cup, and naturally his party neglected him. The result of the bi^ race, however, run on a terribly wet affcvraoon, during a gale aud downpour of rain, is now a matter of history. The A c Syrian, with Hutchins ia the saddle, defeated Stock well by a short length, much to the delight of the ring, who thus escaped a heavy liability. The only winner of note was Mr W. A. Wood. Mr Sivill did not hesitate to express the opinion that the performance of the Tiufinderborse was a fiukr, but he must hive altored hi* opinion when, on the third day of the meeting, he carried 9.0 aud ran second to Commotion (9 5) in tbe Veteran Stakes, the mile »nd a-half bting cut out in 2min 38£ sec. At the termination of this fixture The Assyrian sg+in changed hands, Mr C. S. Aguew paying 400gH for him. 'J he Tasmaniau waa not long before he got his mouey back. Iv February of tho following year the ho.se appropriated the Hob«rt Cup and the Dement Pl*te. At Caulfield he ran a dead heat, carrying 13 6, with Don Quixote (11.11) in the Welter. At Randwlck he created another surprise by beating Plunger, Direbio, Commotion, and Sweet William at weight for age in the Autumn Stakes. *

*** The reason of The A' Syrian's failure in the Caulfiejd Cup has never' been explained, most likely for tbe reason that the explanation Soes not lie in anybody's keeping ; in other words, it was in all probability a genuine case of reversal of form. That his patty wished tbe horse to win cannot be doubted. One of the owners himself stood to win, it is siiJ, £10,000. There weregiaats in those days— giants of the ring — and a commission of That fort could be executed and still leave a lot of money for outside backes. Asa matter of fact, however, the persistent backing of the owners' confederacy and their undisguised admiration of the work the horse was doing, both al Locklej s and aftsr his arrival in Melbjurne, caused the crowd to keep on demanding A=syrian, nnd he started at 5 lo lin a strong field which included Darebin, Commotion, Fr> ingpan, Coriolanus, and Sardonyx. Mick O'Brien rode him, but ha bad no' s*y at all iv the race, aud finished nowhere. What happened was that the five-year-old grey mare Verdure, ridden by Sheehan at 6.11, who had started equally fancied with Fryingpan — second favourites — looked like winning pretty easily, but, taking things rather too easily inside the distance, she was caught and beaten half a length by Little Jack, who went out at 20 to 1. Tbe Assyrian after this disgraceful exhibition was knocked out to any price for the Melbourne Cup. Nobody would touch him. On the day of the race, the course beiug very heavy, the pace was slow for the first half mile, and it is supposed that that suited The Assyrian,* who bad . been specially trained for a mile and a-half. Anyway he won, and two of the owners had very little on him, Mr Barn field, however, lifting £2000 or £3000 from the books, this being the reiult of wagers taken before the Caulfield Cup waa run. As mentioned above, Mr Wood was tbe only heavy winner. Touching this, the correspondent of the Sydney Referee says :—: — " Prior to the running of the Caulfield Cup it had occurred to tho late Mr W. A. Wood, of Adelaide, that if The Assyrian was so good as his party made him out to be he could win the mile and a-half race, and with a penalty still have a chance in the

Melbourne Cup. At any rate he thought that some of the long shots then offering against the Adelaide horse for the two-mile race would prove good crushing money when tbe betting on the big handicap was in full swiog. He went into tbe room aod picked up some thon< sands — the story runs that he secured £14,000, The downfall of the Cmlfleld Cup favourite left him, however, stranded with his money, for The Assyrian, after his disgrace on the heath, gradually fell out of the betting for the .big Cup for the spring until he touohed 100's to 2 aud 3. The result w»s that Mr 'Assyrian' Wood had to keep his bets and look on."

*** Sporting Review, pf Auckland, speak* out freely on the question of the calendar. Here are some extract* from recant is-ues :— « *' The action of the Racing Conference secretary in announcing that all clubs mast in future advertise in the Chrisfcohurch wet-kly is bluff pure and simple. We suppose Mr Luckie is f »miliat with Rules of Racing. By what right, theD, does he ofiloiaUy intimate that clubs must acb ia deflftr.ee of tbe very constitution of the con* ference P Doej he think thatraoing secretaries share his apparent iguorauce of the rules nuclei which our racing is carried on ? Bub, no doubt, Mr Luokie simply obeyed the behest of the ohairmin of the conference, in which case oui remarks tpply to the latter gentleman. Until this question of the appointment of one calendar for both islands is referred to every metropolitan club in New Zealand, the gentle demand of tha Presi for the advertisement of every race meeting held in this colony is unadulterated bounce ; and though praiseworthy as a striking specimen of unblushing bluff, is a tufle too steep to be swallowed quietly by country and suburban cluba whose desire ia nob to bolster up any nowspaptr proprietary tut to advertise their gatherings as cheaply and profitably as possible. We understand that the A R.C. authorities, after considering the question, have decided to communicate with F. D. Luckie as secretary of the, conference, and inform that gentleman that, having made arrangements respecting the vehicle through which their official notifications should be m^de for tbe current season, they could not consent to the Ohristchurch .journal usurping the functions of their official calendar. The Auckland Club will, no diuhfc, b3 supported in its assertion of indep: ndenoe by the Dunedin body, whioh has before now hhown a determination to manage its own affairs when thu would-be autocrats of Christohurch and elsewhere have attempted to ram objectionable propositions down Dunediu thioats." *

*** Writitg of the presentation made to Percy Martin by the Caulfield trainers and jookeys, a Melbourne scribe sajs :— " Considering the cattle that Mr Gollan, who is a rioh mMi, ee.nt to C&ulfield, the- attempt to capture some of the big prizes of tbe torf has not; resulted as one might have expected it would. The stable's ill-luck commenced when Tirailleur met with an accident when being conveyed by train from New South Wales to Victoria. The son of Musket thus begau badly and was finally killed through falling in the Cup which Glenlotb. «oa, Beford he crossed the water Tirailleur creditad bis owner with the New Zealand and Cititc-bucy Cups, and it was thought that the Nori h Islander would have *-big say in some of the big handicaps of the V.R.C. when he flrab reached Melbourne. Mr 'Gollan sent his .own jockey, W. White, over to ride for the stable. Sternehaser, the' fi ly Tiraillerie, Medjidio, the hurdle horse Kimberley, Leonardo, and Rentta oame over with the horse first n»mod, and the team at Caul field was recruited from i time to time. The" ' filly Tiraillerie was the fiist to break the ice fur the Hawke's Bay sportsman, she winning the Oaks fur him, whilst Kimberley won a hurdle race at about the samo time. The Oaks victress is a h»lf-»ister to Tirailltur, being by Nordenfeldt from Florence Macarthy, whilst Tirailleur wai by Musket from the same mare. Among the recruits sent to join Steruchaser and Co. at Caulfield were Mouaquetaire, an own brother to Zaliaski, who cost Mr Gollan 2050g« as a yearling ; and Culloden, by Nordeoffldt— Nelli« Moore, who waa bought for 105Jgs ; Captain Webb, by Natator — fane ; and Leontioe, by Leolinus— Woodoymph. Liter on Mr Gollan paid lOOOgi for the Newminster — Beryl colt, who was called Founamu at tbe St. Albafu sales. The youngster was sent to Now Zealand to feed on the blue gras*, and afterwards joined M&rtiu'd lot at Caulfield, which was turthei strengthened by the addition of Bonnie Scotlaud, Bstssie Macarthy, The Possible, and Fredi*. Bessie Macarthy without a doubt wai a slashing gco J mare, and fthe beat Carnage in the Champagne Stakes, and also secured the A J.C. Oak«. With Bonnie Scotland the stable captured the A J.C Darby. Bat, seeing the beautifully-bred hordes they had, the black-and-white livery was no"; as successful as ifc might have been. Mr Gollan intends to race iv Maoriland, where Martm will still train for him. , *

*** Lcuis Birkner is now located at the stables that poor old Jack Poole used to have, aud here he keeps two of Mr H. L. Johnson's youug stock, the filly Pitch-aud-Toss, by Medallion— Vaiil tress, and the gelding by the same stra out of Apology. 11. Tha filly /has alreidy proved her quality, and in time to come may perhaps take a reasonably high place am>Bg our racers. As for the other youngiter — Fa'se Impression they call him — I had the chance to note his make and shape a* he was being taken round the rends in reins tbe other day, and he neerns to be a very nice sort., He is a bay, not a brown as stated in some of the printed lists of breeders' races — very much the colour of hi* dad, and taking after Medallion in other respects also ; be : ng, in fact, quite a stylish-looking youngster, which is as much as to say that he doe? not resemble his dam. She 13 exceedingly homely, nob to say coarse,' in appearance, and as a racer she proved a sad disappointment ; but the blood was theiv, she being by Apremont from Gilda, by Ravensworth from imported Mercn&id, dam of Lurline. This gelding of Mr Johnson's therefore descends on the .sire's side from Musket and on the (Urn's side from the most successful of New Zealand's racing families — tho-e, namely, that produced such celebrities as Castaway, Lurline, Le Loup, and Guy Fawkea — and if the Berwick owner dees iot find the youngster good property it will not be for tbe lack of pedigree. Falfe Impression is engaged in the C. J.C. Champagneand Challenge Stakes.

* # * Three racers were recently burnt to death in the suburbs of Melbourne. A 'fira bivke out at W. Osborue's training stables on Sunday, the Ist inst, and 'though it was-quickly put out the hurdle racer- Horatio became so seriously injured that he died a couple of days afterwards. Horatio won a race at Caulfield last March, but subsequently inei; with an accident and h'.d not raced ainca. The otbor , fira was on the 2nd, at the premises of Mr Bogus, South Melbourne, - where three racing poaiea. had quarters. With some difficulty one of the number was rescued from tuefiames, but the otber pair perished. Tha story is thus described in tha Weekly Times: The door of Little Carbine's stall was opened, and the pony walked up to the aperture. Behind him the heat was io»

tersße, though the fl&tn&s were sot showiDg. Bat aB the terrified animal pat feu head out of the door lie saw the Uazrr.g walls, and w*s Frightened to "venture cub. Several men came to the resone, and endeavoured to push him forward, Trat 13ie fcenißed little fel.'onv Tcsifsted all the Mndly tfforba. Soon the flatncß shot throvigli into the stall, the mvi hni to le&ve, mod hemmed in by tiro walls of fire, Little Carlame -ottered a great Bhtiek and fell to the ground, apparently senßeltsa through fear. •Jenny refased to badge an inch from her stall, and was burned to death.

*** An event much talked of in Melbourne, Bays a contemporary, has been the burst up of v racing combination which when Emmalea was winning her races was all-powerful and succeeded in bringing off two or three coups. J. B. Brewer, the smart cross-country rider and trainer, was. the man in charge of the horses, and a leading bookmaker traa the maa who d'd all the backing. Brewer, although he was so successful with the horses, did not do too well out of the arrangement, it is said, but one or two of the oVhers must have reaped several thousands when EmniaU-a, Bill, and Roseetem were winning. The bar&t up, I believe, was over "Sylvan Prince's win in the Hurdle Race at SSanbyrxumg. Brewer began to think that there were too many in his good tb^gs, and he kept his own. conneel over the horse's chance. Somebody assumed that Sylvan Prince had no cbanc 3 , bub Mr Oxenhain had a commission to Bxecute, and he won •& good stake, while the members of the eld combination lost over tfce race. This brought matters to a crisis, and the burst up of the combination was the result.

*»* Thete is nvxe than one Authentic record T>f a horse clearing over 7ft in height. The f ceue , of one euoh exploit was at the Phoenix Park, and the horse was an animal descended from the . famous winner Fotßos, himself called Turnip. The animal bdlonged to Sir E. CroftoDj and the Duke of Richmond, then Lord* Lieutenant of Ireland, wagered £500 that this height could not be cleared. A ~wali of tbe requisite dimensions was built, and., when finished Turnip was ridden at it. He did what was atked of him in perfect style; bub it happened that his Grace, not knowing that tLe feat was ready- for performance, was not looking when the jump was made, and Turnip -was therefore ridden over it again, nob only successfully, but easily.

' *** Says the Acvocate : A few months ago the Taieii' Amateur Turf Club found itself in financial deep water, and a few of the members bad -to come to (lie rescue by giving * personal guarantee to the club's bankers in order to secure the payment of the stakes. We now learn that fcbf se guarantors, not being -ambitions men and disdaining to entirely monopolise sach an honourable and responsible position, desire to cail a special genera] meeting of tbe club in order that all the members may be afforded an equal opportunity of charing ia tho honour a.ud £'ory of attaching their names to the bank guarantee. The members, no doubt, will highly , appwcJa'fi thiß magnanimous policy, »nr} all be , in Attendance to enfoy the pleasure of attaching , their signatures to the. batik guarantee.