TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2202, 14 May 1896, Page 32

TALK OF THE DAY.

Bt MAZEPPA. *** Of 86 horses handicapped for the four events of the Birthday meeting in {regard to which Mr Dowses calculations were made known last week, 49 have accepted. The bulk nf the 37 withdrawals are of horses that probably would not have paid up under any circumstances. Tbe reflection ib one that , may well comfort Mr George Dowse while he is stuck to his house recovering from the pleurisy that attacked bim after hi* trip to Oamaru. There being a promise of large fields for most of the races, tbe task-of picking the winners is by no means an ea*y one I have a decided opinion about the Hurdle Race — viz., that Liberator has only to be well to win. Should he be off-colour an open competition will be seen, aud either Rebel or Belmont may get borne. My fancy in one, however, is old " Lib,", who will be cantering while his opponents are going " eyes out." The next race, the Maiden, requires consideration. Properly speaking it is not a Maiden Plate at all, siuoe nearly if not quite all the candidates hay« won something or another ; but they come within the defiuition of the conditions. Esau seems a wry likely member, and the claims of Stimulant and Medicos are not visionary, while Padlock may be heard of. . I have heard that the colt once ran an exceedingly fast gallop in private. I thiak, though, chat E<au will stay the mile and a-quarter better than mo*t of the other candidates, and therefore he shall be my selection in the meantime. Then comes the Birthday Handicap, fur which moat of the 10 engaged will very likely start. Lady Zetland his not shaped quite at tier best during the autumn, hence the Buopioion on the part of Bomethat she is feeling the worse' for wear, while, on tbe other' hand, Saracen, in the same stable, is said to have - freshened up lately. I am rather inclined io foDcy Saracen of this pair, but I should not care " to back either for much in the event of the course being very heavy. Under such conditions Hippomenes would also have to be dealt with cautiously— he is notoriously a bad horse in the mud, -and in any oaso he is not what he tra«, though at his present moderate impwt of 8.7 lie must have a chance if. the track be firm. 8.-Jlioent is daugercus on the Autumn Handicap running, for she can get ' the distance, sbe is able to plough through the dirt, and her weight is a handy one for a winner to carry. Qufltiri would probably prefer a • rather shorter distance. New Forest was highly tried, it is understood, for the Christ- " church Autumn meeting. Probably it was over a shorter course than a mile and a-half that he did his private gallop, since it was for the seven-furlong race th;tt he utarted favourite ; ' but it takes a stayer to win a seven-furlong raoe, and I am not disposed tots eat thisgcntls,man too cavalierly. Black and Red has 61b less to carry than when he won the Anniversary Handicap, and this fact ought not to be overlooked by those tvho are searching for bhe wiontr of this Birthday Handicap. Ou the other hand,' Dippomeneß, who ran sreond in Marob, has 121b off bit) back, but be is not im- ' proving, while Black and Red ie, and besides, the latter is, I think, the better stayer. Lord Zetland has not sa far proved himself at a mile and a-half in select company, and possib'y he may be saved for the Tradesmen's. Jane Eyre las a good show. Ido not like Emmeline, who trill be better after a spell. The weights cartied in the Great Autumn and to be carried in the Birthday Handicap, the s*me distance, We as follows:— Birth. ' Autumn. day. lady Zetland ... 9 1 ... 8 13 ... 21b less BelHcent 7 1 ... 8 0 ... 131b more Quilttrl 7 8 ... 7 10 ... 21b more New Forest 7 3 ..„ 7 5 ... 2lb more Black and Red ... 6 7 ... 7 4 ... 111b more Jaise Eyra 7 2 ... 7 0 ... 21b leas In the Autumn Handicap, it may be mentioned, Bellicent was first, New Forest fourth, then Black and Red, 1 Quiltiri, and Lady Zetland in that order. On a bare comparison of freights, Lady Zetland and Jane Bjre would teem to have the best show, as they receive 151b each from Bellicent for the Autumn result; hot, on the ether hand, Bellictut • won in retllj g od «fcylo, a.v.d still has ocly a medium racing -^'ght; while <*f the- • ther ' mares mentioned Zrtland still has pretty oeatiy ' us big a weight as ever, and she did nob shapa well in the Autumn, and she is not partial to • mud, which she is very likely to get, and the jfcablis feave two others in the race. These aro the reasons which induce me to prtfer others to Zetland for the- Birthday, though please remember Ido not say she has not a chanoe. As for Jane Byre, trials to the contrary, I suspect fcer quality for an event of this sort if ft h a

true-rnn race. Black and Bed ba» none the bust of the weights on bare figures, but in his oase it is fairly urged that for all practical purposes 7.4 is as light a weight as 6.7, as the extra weight may be compensated for by his getting a good jockey. Morover, there is his A.nnivers'ury win with 7 10. H« is my selection for tbiß Birthday Handicap. I vote for

Black and Red, I and consider Bdiicent next beat, and Hobba's selection tbe most dangerous of the others. Tbe right is rt«e» ved of a final tip next week. I Of the Selling lUce lot I select Ecriogton, Cactus, and Stimulaut as a likely trio. The^ Tradesmen's Ha< dv-»-p >- inzsle, but Wt> may rely on Culvt-nu. Vai.ill', R ai'onwel!, Lord Zetland (if sa<ed for this race), and Van Burtn to ruQ forward ; and as for the Trot, I see nothing better than Gordon and Matai.

%* The Dunedin Jockey Club announces tho Dunedin Stakes for next spring and the Champagne Stakes for the following autumn. Both events have the same conditions as in the seacon now drawing to a close, the Danedin Stakes being a sweepstake of lOsovs each, with 200sovs added, for two-ye&rs-olds, at five furlongs, and the Champ* gue Stakes is a sweepstake of lOsovs each, with 250sovs added, six furlongs, and we may take it as a matter of course that each will attract a fair number of Botniaations. An opinion seems to obtain iv some quarters that the two-year-olds of next season will not be quit's up to the average quality, bat , it is hard to understand how this can be founded on anything better than a guest, seeing that of the present season's yearlings very few have been subjected to any sort of trial. The Champagne Stakes to br- rotninated for this month will be tin-. 'Oh' mcc of the series. They wore a poor lor in vim first year, when .Atlantic won for Me KHching; and French had genuine reasons for supposing when he brought Billingsgate down from Auckland for the teoond year that there wag nothing that this Sue sprinter need be afraid of ; but .since then tho race has been well patronised and we have seen good performances by some of tha winners. Cynisca's race was one that impressed me considerably. She carried a 101b penalty and beatDunkeld at level weights. It was said afterwards that Mr O'Brien's colt had fed very sparingly after arriving in Dunedin, and that ia an exercise gallop his rider bad accidentally struck him in the eye, thus interfering with his sight ia the race ; but even giving in these circumstances Dunkeld was hard to beat, for he was a rattling colt, and besides him the field included Scots Gray, who on later form was a tough one at six furlongs, also Alsace, who was reported to have been highly tried by Cutts. One of the surprises furnished by the Champagne was when Kverron Lad beat Stonyhurst by convng with a second run after Sir George Clifford's colt bad beaten everything and was lolloping home at hi? leisure.

*** Billy Sharp is in town, and will remain here till after the Birthday meeting, when he proposes to go to Auckland. It is over 13 years ago sinoa he rode Adamant in the Dunedin Oup, and won the big race, beating a very strong field, which included Welcome Jack, Sir Modred, Salvage, King Quail, and three others, after an energetic finish to stall off the rush made by Derrett on Salvage. Believe me, it was not such a very easy raoe to win on Adamant. The little horse had to be kept going, and very few lads as young as Sharp then was would have lasted out long euough. I have always maintained that Adamant's win was no fluke. The ofcly horse which could have troubled him was King Qaail, and to the extent that Willy Butler's mount got blocked in the straight, Adamant was lucky. That may be confessed. But it can hardly be called a fluke when a horse leads ajl the way, as Adamant did after The Jilt resigned, and then runs home in the fastest time on record. No ; always keeping in view the proviso that we didn't see what King Qtail could do, I maintain that on the day of the race Adamant was the best horsa at the weights, and his rider deserves a share of the credit, having 'been pitted against such jockeys as Derrett, Harry Thomson, Clifford, M. Allin, Londonelly, and White. Sharp then rode at 67. To-day, with two or three days' netiee, he can go to scale at 7.0, and he is evidently taking care of himself ; indeed, he looks much better than when he rode Occident to victory in the Dunedin Cup four years ago. I mention theEe things for the bt-ntfit of the lad, seeing that he proposts to settle in a place whore, he is not so well known as he is in Dunedin,

*** Death has removed another of England's wealthy sportsmen, Colon* 1 !! North, popularly known as " The Nitrate King," haviog succumbed to an apoplectic fit while attending a meeting i last week. His removal will be a decided loss to the turf, not actually because he waa rich, for there are hosts of racing men in England who aro as well off as he was, but btcauae he was one who, having money, spent it freely ia supporting a game which to him must have been pretty costly. To the world at large he will be chiefly rcroembwreo" as the one time owner of the champion courting dog Fullerton. Such is fam6 ! In England his memorials are of a more enduring nature, for he was 'a man of generous impulses, and part of the immense wealth acquired by speculation in nitrate mines in Sou f h America was used for public purp jses, a notablo {>i\ sent from him being to the people of Kirkctill Abbey and grounds, these being gifted to the Colonel's native town,- Le«ds. Perhaps this miy be news to some, that he was of English biifch. Somehow or otk-jr, owing perhaps to his title, many have the idea that he was a Yaokee. Another thing about J. T. North that ever) body has not heard is that he had a superstition about colourß. He believed that old colours are luckiest ; and on one occasion he persisted m hio jockeys riding in jackets that. had become so soiled and tattered that tbe judge actually refused to phoa his horses, alleging that his colours were indistinguishable.

*#* A well-known English t riter in referring to " the crack sir* " of tbe 010 o>u<itry says : I have never bowed down and worshipped tbe St. Simons to the name extent that others havo, though I admit tbeir brilliant powtra at tv?o and three j eara of age. That my view is the correct one is, I think, shown by the Duke of Portland himself, as according to a statement that I have read there is not at Heath House a horse of any description over three years old. That is not a state of affnirs I should be proud of if I owned a large raoiug s'ud. It is, in fact, a'< indictment againsb the present system of ■-t c«««g. What is the us-a, except for ga!ub!"ng purposes, of stock that is stumped up by two seasons of wear ? I should like to have the opinion of tho«e who saw Teddington, Stockwell, Alice Hawthorn, Fisherman, Rataplan, Touchstone. Caller Oa, The Hero, H»rhaway, Chanticleer, West Australian, The Flying Dutchman, Kingston, Charles XII, Underhand, and others that ran year aftsr year, adding to their fame as they went on, aa to this modern hot-house production* In' my opinion Dot*-

ouster and St. Gatien more nearly resamble the best examples of the good old times than any others that I can call to mind of the modern school. As a matter of course they were both secured by the foreigners — Doncaster for Austria and St. Gatien for Prussia. Both came of the Stock well line, which has given us more good horses than any other.

* # * The electric caddie, a device brought into play in America to mike slow horses run fast, has got several paopls into trouble in Now Orleans. It appears that a coup contemplated by m«a'>B of this new-fashioned saddle fell through by reason of somebody stealing the sad He and mlisituting another in its place, F->« his ho vv=.s arrested. Iv the snoau'ioae the racing govoruore, getting wind of the affair, heH an inquiry, after which they naade known the following edict: — "A person known as Charles Ticbnor is ruled off the tutf for bringing on to tbe grounds of the club an implement of swindling caUod an rleotrio saddle, for tbe purpose of defrauding the patrons of the track ; and for confederating with aud for aiding and abetting the said Tiohnor iv his efforts to get a jockey to use the eleotric saddle for tha purpose of defrauding the patrons of this club, and to tbeir own gain, and for having used the saddle on horses at exercise to ccc if the same would increase their speed and enhaooo their chance of wiuning, all of which was done with a fraudulent intent, Nate Hill, j ck- y, is also ruled off the turf ; and for procuring the >aid T>cbnor a badge of entry to 'be ground* of the club, which facilitated hid effa»t« to put the electric saddle in use, and for aiding and abetting aud for haviug guilty knowledge of the fraudulent purpose of the said Tichnor, M, English is ruled off." 1

* # * WLen ■writing on fcUc subject of owners' parmi's, and advocating tha; tho granting of these exemption* should bs abolished, I had before me only the figures relating to Ofesgo. Since then I have made a calculation renting to the whole colony, and find that, whereas the registered trainers number 259, the esoaping crowd muster no fewer thau 489 ; or, putting the figures another way, for every five who pay about nine come in "on th« never." This ia a serious injustice to those who contribute. No one ever supposed when the system of permits was initiated that it would grow to such formidable proportions, and I say again that, taking one set of men against the other, we are exacting the tax from those who are the least able to pay. It is quite a c>mmon thing to find a, professional trai&er who occasionally ha» to look two ways to find a spare guinea, whereas the meu who keep a horse, presumably for pWsure, can scarcely be supposed to be hard up, or they would take to seme cheap -r form of amusement. If the fee were a stiff one there would be a howl as to the injustice worked under the present system A« it is, each m*n having only a guinea to pay, lie rakes it up somehgw and says nothing about it. Yet in the aggregate h< 'M <1 Ws in*tes have contributed £272 already tint, be*? Or,, and it is no argument against an injustice to say that the individual payment* aie small. If any one class more than another among our turf men have what is called " the dirty end of the stick," it is the olass of professional owners and trainers. Only one- here and there m»ke3 a decent living out of his aalltng It would make their liv»is more tolerable were t.hey freed from reguUtious that com« to be vexatious. This matter of the fee is one, and I plead for ite abolition by the next conference It is necessary, I grant, to have a system of licensing, but this could be done at a nominal charge to cover the cost— say, a shilling per head.

*#* The Tahutia Club has followed the D.JC.'s lfond iv deciding to bracket fog**' her mi the r ■talisator horses belo>'giog to. one ownur. I«m not sure, that this provision will do much for trotting unless the principle is extended and made to include all horses from one stable. Trotting is in some respeobs a peoultar gmme On the question of owuership, for example, trotting horses being comparatively cheap, it is not uuoommon to hear of two or three men clubbing together to support one, and a person who acts as trainer has isometimts a more or less defined interest in several, this coming about, perhaps, through the holder of a share getting " full up," and being anxious to get out as quickly a* possible, and therefore selling or handiug over his interest to the trainer, who not infrequently ia the only person handily found willing to do bnciaess. The ciub may have a difficulty straight off in saying when the bracketing piocMS ought to be applied. It is no oerbainty, either, that the case would be met by coupling all the horses from ono Rtible'; but it would be a step nearer the end aimed at, and I think that the club will have to go as far as that if it means to grapple seriously vrith the evil the new rule wjflw to avert. Tabun* has ■sl«o resolved to exclude layers of od'is This should be an e*sy task, seeing that the club will be working on parallel Hues with the D J.C. and at the ttaeae time. Clubs all over the colony Been to be adopting this* course, and from what o&n be seen it promises to do more towards settling the difficulty than any other measure previously tric-d. The objection raised by sonw ppiMous, to the effect that the totalisator's be^t customers are tbe bookieß, and that their inr< sfcmeots will ceasa, has practically ne weight. Tixe*e men may be relied on to find gome means of unloading into the machine all that they take at the corners and do not care to hold. That is all they have ever don<=, and they will continue to do it as. a process of *elf-dt- fff.ee. Th«y must do it iv order to keep do-vu tlia dividends— in order to hold their own against the owuers who invest privately for the sake of enturing better prices. A sort of aec-eaw buMne*s as between the owners and the books and the machine is quite under* stood, aud it will ooutinue. This maintains a steady business for layers without going near the course ; it leaves the clubs to do all the business within their own enclosures ; and it to some extent suit* owners, who must perforce be content that part of their money should go to the totnliaator. They try to hit the bookies for high dividends ; and on the other hand the bookies take care they don't , thus there is a sort of equalising operation going on," with which the layers ate and the takers mutt be satisfied. In a degree, therefore, all parties are p!r«t<ed. That everybody should get; all, he wan's is not to be expected this side of Heaven.

* x * Canard, winner of the Hurdle Race on the first day oi theßgmont meotiag. is a flve-year-old gelding by Voltigeur from Kate Coventry. I do not approve of the horse's name. Some day, perhaps, the practice of repeating tbe names of celebrated horses will be prohibited. Suoh a law would be one way of showing respect to the iv' nv.'i-y of a dead raoer, by preventing his I'ei g confounded with others of lesser rank. As a case in point, Clarence may be cit?d. Someone with questionable taste gave this name to the bay gelding by Tekoa that has deserved a name of his own, and since then a third Clarence has sprung up in the North Island. This third fellow has, of course, no bgal right to the title. The rule on tha point is, however, virtually a dead letter. Still I shall, continue to protest, and I do so in the case of the Bgmont Canard. Perhaps he* also, may

become » notable racer, and then his owner will be sorry that a distinctive name waa not selected. In' this Bgmont raoe Canard won by four lengths, beating a field that included Dante and Freeborn, but next day, with a rise of 17lb, he knocked under, the lightweight Nipoleon doing him by a couple of lengths. The steeplechases were not as satisfactory us could have beea wished, there being a rather large percentage of mishaps in each event;. Booties, who oaptured the larger stake, is an old performer got by Volunteer ; he ran second to Rosctus last year, being piloted in for thftt place after falling. Nat, winner on the second day, is one of Natator's numerous progeny, and seems to be the makings of a fairith performer In this case he w>n by about 250 yds. Kttitoa, who got home in the Final Bteepleouase, is by Australian. There wero some tolerably good eeoond-class gallopers at the meeting. Of these St. Lwra won nothing. She had the honour of top weight in each of her three r^ces, and the nearest she got to a win was to finish third in the milo and three furlongs race won by Man-o'-War, the latttir a con of Nelson and Muekerina, who a year back won a hack race at the same meeting. The Artist and Wentmere and Sedgbrook may be mentioned as ojiher fairish horses that did nothing, also Marino, whoie only receipt was £5 for running second in the seven-farlong race. These Nelsons are nob turning out worthy of their sire, and if this is Marino's form he must come down a bit before he can earn his liviug. Dummy, who beat Marino at a d ff -ircace of 131b, is a son of Th'i Mute that was last season running in Back races. Waiuka, on the other hand, ran a good horse each time h« was slippe 1. He got home <vith 86 in the Railway Handicap, conceding lO.b to the horse thit had the previous day beaten Marino at a difference of 131b— this makes ou* Wniuku to be better than Marisio.; aud iv the mile and aquarter welter Wai»ku carried 10.3 »nd was beaten only a head This ex-hack is certainly a decent horse. Last year, at tihe single dny's mces, the machine investments came to £2185. This y«ar, in two days, the receipts were £44-46, or £2261 for the second day. In the Egrnont Sfceepleclia.se. a local report tells us, the second fence of the double settled Sir Athol, who fell, almost, rolling over his rider., Rjuudu.g toward-, the spar juanp Booties and Lord Vivian w«ro in the van "VVariti, who had been going strongly, dropped back, allowing Narrate to go into third place. At Winks's hedge Kaitoa stopped. Booties and Lord Vivian now raoed together, jumping in good t^iyle. Iv the second round this pair BtilL kept together. Wariti came down at the ''etice at W nlcVs cud 'Nnrrate alho fel'. 'The latter was q-iickly remounted and went iupuisuitof the leaders. Crossing Wi tiki's t'en^e for the rau home Higgiiw was* at work on Lord Vivian, and coming up to the las*'. snu.r Booties was first oVer. Lord Vivian res^oaded gamely, but was unable to overtake the chestnut, who won Bemewhafc eauily by 'about four lengths, Narrate half the length of the etraight .away. These were the only competitors to finish. The previnus winners of this raoe were Orient (1887), Allegro, Rossiter, Auckland, Takapu, Shitl Ugh, Booties, Uniou Jaok, Roscius, and now Bootl-s -lgiin.

* # * Harry Goodman has Added three yearlings to his »t*ble. A bay gelding by Chtinshot from Miss 'Wirbater,* bonght from Derrett for £20, looks 08 if he had alreadj done some work, and will not improbably be galloping pretty shortly at the Forbury, an soon as the wound made by removing a gigantic wert from his near -foreleg has healed up. A filly by Artillery from Titania, somewhat resembling M"gftitße-r in her markings, is well grown and not ui>]ike. her sister Royal Salute, though not at all of the saint- type as the other sister in Goodman's stable, Oamigella The latter is whi»n well the best looking of the three, I think, but jost now she. is 'an awful wreck with that crippled knee of hers, and it is unlikely that sbe will race again for a long time. The third of the yearlings taken up by Goodman is the Hon Mr Mosuman's bay filly by Sfc Cliur— Legerdemain, a very small yearling in regavd to height, but well furnished, taking in fact after her rire in that reapecb. With these additions, and Rancour coining in after a spell, Hurry has a very large team to look after during the winter. He will have Euroclydon, "Winohman, and Jane Eyre to represent the stable at the Birthday meeting, the present idea being, I understand, to start Euroclydoh on the sec»nd day if the wt ights quit ; and the other seven will all, it is hoped, he ready for racing text spring. Aldernhot is already being hacked about, a aign that he is coming round after the blistering he got for the trouble which compelled them to scratch him for the Duaedin Cap. Chatting with Goodman I learnt with regret that young M'Comb,-his leading rid«r, is confined to the hosp'tal. He fell, it will bo reniembt lvd. with Stonohenge in the Consolation at the Fui'bury th.-cc years ago, and though for a year or so bo ill eff^cta were noticed, he has of late taken two or thren fits There is little doubt that these fits were the result of a blow on the heid received when Stoneheuge came down. The lad is now laid up, asd it must be some tii/J- 1>; foir he is at work again.

*** "T« Whiti " tell* the tale of *n amusing incident at the Miramir trots. A wll-lmown looal sport, after inspecting the tnaihine end finding Beauty a hot favourite, offered to bat a friend a sovereign that she would beat Bluenose, who was paying at the time au £8 divvy. The bet was acc-pted, and thinking to make himself secure and stand om veWet, tbe uport pub a pound on Bluenoso in the tote. During the progr*si of the race, «hen it was fohnd that Bloenose held everything else safe, a whisper went round that there would be a protest against tbe latter receiving the stake, and an argument at once ensued as to how the wager weut— first past the po_*t or with the stakes. It was finally decided *h»t it went lo first past the post As the protest waa upheld, the knowing one lost two pounds over the transaction, notwithstanding that he backed the winner. The lo«er came in for a lot of good-natured chaff after the result of the protest was made known. The truth of the old saying, " The best laid scheme?," &c, was nevtt better exemplified than in the case of a tru'Mng event which took place within a hnid^d miles of Wellington quite receofcly. The connections of the nKimate winner (which was rightly regarded as a certainty) sent money away to be invested at tote odds to the extent of £4-0, and eommirsioned one of the party to invess a tenner on the machine, nine of which was to ba put on anything and one on the " correct pea," so as to ensure a decent dividend. For some unaccountable reason the public stood off the race and only one solitary pound was invested in the m«ohioe. The commissioner, who waa instructed not to pub the money on the machine until the last minuto, left it a little too late, the bell ringing while he was still waiting. As the winner was unbacked the solitary investor received back his money, less the usual percentage, and the clever crowd received back their money leas the percentage.

*** •• Umpire." in Sydney Referee, expresses himself very plainly on the subject of blackmailing in regard to oonsaltftiioafl. Though

there were 18 starters in the Canterbury Han* tiicap, he fays, there would have been more but) for the circumstance that drawers of certain horses omitted to request the acceptance of " * parcel "of sweep money by (he owners. "No sweep money (to nothing) no stark " appears to be the rule set up by ownors and trainer*, and it is nearly always carried out. Why drawirs of horses ia a sweep thould be bUekinai'od whether they like it or not is hard to undtist&nd. They pay for tickets perhaps fop years, and when a lucky one gets them a horse they are compelled to disgorge from a third to half of the possible win to some percon having control of the horse before their chanoe v worth anything. This state of affairs being pretty well knuwn, drawers of tickets usually are prompt in making over portion of the. sweep prize -to aa owner or representative. Some ticket-hoWerg dec v i tie to be blacktnaiied, and do not get a ma in pine oases out of ten. Owners of horses koow the strength of their position against ticket-holder*, and do not scruple to use it. Bach is the condition of things when there in a swei;p on a race, and it might be worth while fee Tattersall to divide the prices differently in his prospectus, giving a certain proportion to tha drawer of the winner, another to tke owuer ot it, and a slice to the trainar and the jockey. This would simplify matters, and holders of lucky tickets would be f>and tha troubia of calculating how much i+ •wcaM take torbribe owt.ers of horses to £\v< sheoj "a go Svv their money." Tuo sweep il.du.ttr7 io beinff worked for all it is worth, and in tha past* before there was a lull in the working of "Tat* tereall's " butiness, owing to .his transference o£ operations from Brisbane to T&nsania, both owners and tracers hare got hauls thai thej would have had to do without but for the luebj circums<anci. ihat they were in a position to dema* A t rtns from a sweep tick» t-hoMer. Thus I it wi'.l leadily be undcr«coo«l what the qu»ry me* us so often heard before a rsee, "Have they got the sweep P " Careful punters do nub back a horse where a sweep is involved until I they either know something about the dinposi- ! (i'>n of B weep money or are natrinfled than the ! t-wi ais contt-nt to go on with, his uD^asemeiifc wit- vut ifc — a not impossible bat very rare couditiun of things under present circumstances.

*#* To the Geraidina Trotting Club falls the task of itutitutiog the first prosecution in a criminal court for a turf offenca. This method of dealing with " ringers " has been talked about fur some tinuo. It is cow to be fcestetf, and on the issue depends very mrceh more than the se'tleaeut of tbe parlientar qn«;Hf.i>n bot'ura the court — namely, as to whether P Bull nas or wrs not party to a fraud. As to the merits of this oMe I know only what lam told What we want to know is wheth.tr among the innumerable intr.cacies of oar many-sided laws there ia any loophole which prevents prosecutions of tbiß nature from succeeding. Lawyers say th*t no such bar exists, but it is a matter of' every-day experience for lawyers to be mistaken, and the point is what the magistrate will say. Should he discover some heretofore hidden obstacle, surely the, Legislature will speedily remove it.

%* A writer ia Mao of the World says fcbafl the English Jockey Club seems to bo dealing out licenses' to tho ruler* ni*w»f >■ t«' ait.jj maurer. A weak ago people wo;e «.'li >% what " Tommy '' Loates had dome tnat he " wisui. going to have none." Now he ia ail right, bob " Simmy " is.still in a state of suspense. To .ride the winner of the Derby, Oaks, and St, Leger ia one ye»r and not have a riding Hsenoe the next would be a very curious experience. Next week I suppose that w» »ht»ll KB " Sfirutuy " ia all right., and perhaps the week after thht Wood also. The race that led to so many jockeys being refused their Jisemoe a few years ago is very tresh in my mind, and there was plenty of talk about it at the timer. The steward!! could prove nothing, but they thought a good deal. A horse won a raos, whose victory, t» put it mildly, caused pome snrpri-e. The ourpriso wsw greater when it was found that a certain individual had backed him heavily whilst the horses were at the* pott, and it transpired that the samo individual had baok«d other extraordinary winners in the same extraordinary nanni>r, and the conclusion' was come to that all the jookeyer, or most of them, were " going for one," and probably it was correct). In the particular case I illude to, tha hotßt that won never tho wed the h iuti form again. .1 do not know whether it in no now, but in my old hunting days, when I knew something of thie olasa of race, the bulk of the dirtiest business was done by the gentlo> men riders. Most of them wer* bo more %entlamen than tho n»n who cleaned my boots this mon.iiu; is. They were capers or sonsef small farmers, with here and there a fer«krn-<?owa swell or two, and seldom was there a race run in which there was not & " ring," and one was always Btartcd to take care of something or other that could not be squared. The business was to run him out at a turn, or if the worat caeqo to the worst, knock him over the rails.

* # * Barnatt and Great report the following business :—: — MEW ZEALAND COP. ICOO to 15 agst Skirmisher 600 — 20 Dauntless 1000 — 35 Gipsy Grand 500 —15 Uniform • 500 — 15 Enroclydoa 500 - 12* Black and Red 50» — 12i — Oaaket 1000 - 12 FaJse Impression ' 500—5 - — Westmero 600 — 18 ChM» 600 — 12 Ngatuere, BIRTHDAY AND TRADESMEN'S. * 200 to C ag*t Bellicent and Van Buren 200 — fl Black a.id Red and Benri. u-ell 200 — 6 Bellicent and Culvcrin 200 — 6 Jane Eyre and Van Bureu 200 — 6 Bellicect and 15iz»rre 200 — 8 Lady Zetland (tad Bizarre 200 — 7 — — Hippomenes and Van Buren 2i'O — 3 BMlicent and Vandyke 200 — 1 — — Emraeline and Vandyke . 100 — 3 Lady Zetland and Culverin 100 — 3 Lady Zetland and Oftunonsfcot 100 — 3 Black and Red «nd Vanilla 100 — 3 Black and R*d and Van Buran 100 — 2 - 1 — Saracen »nJ Cannooshot 100 — 2 Jane Eyre Snd Warringtoa 100 — 2 — Jane Byre and Bizarre 150 — 4} Hippomenes and Maremma 150 — 4J Bellicent and Warrington. *%* The Danedin Jockey Grab Is organising a trip to the Taieti for Friday, wifct the object of inspecting the sites for a new racecourse which have been placed trader offer to the club. No doubt the members who go will keep theic eyes open in regard to the es««n<ial requisite* of aooets (that is to say, by a fnU-»idtfl road) and picturegqueneas of surroundings. Oat course should be as beautiful, not only in itself, hut in respect to situation, as it can possibly ho.