TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 31

TALK OF THE DAY.

Br MAZEFPA.

* # * The Shrew incident at Napier Park seemed on the first blush to be bo utterly inexplainable that I have delayed comment on the matter in the hope that something exousing the rider and the trainer or justifying the stewards' decision would come to baud. As no one Beema to have any explanation to make, it may ba presumed that the narrafcad facts are correct. These, briefly put, are that at the recent meeting of the Napier Park Racing Club The Shrew was found to be lame in her preliminary canter for the Stewards' Stakes ; that F. KiDgan, the jockey, and J. Vincent, the trainer of the mare, thereupon decided to merely take her to the post and pull off after the start ; that this was done ; that the investors of the £112 whioh was on the mare in the totalisators was nob returned ; and that the stewards merely cautioned the persons concerned not to do such a thing again. IE this is a true statement; of what happened, tky stewards acted with inexcusable leniency. Admitting, though it is not so proved, that The Shrew's lameness was discovered first when she went out to do her preliminary, she ought to have been scratched at once. The ruleß provide that no horse shall be withdrawn less thau half an hour before a race. I am perfectly well aware of that regulation. But it is bunkum to allege that there could have been a reasonable fear of the owner being fined for late scratching in the case of a horse going suddenly lame. Permission to withdraw, on proof of lameness, would be at once given, anywhere in the world, ag a matter of course. The very objeot of the rule referred to v to ensure full publicity to the public as to what horses are actually going to run, so that no confusion shall arise, and if stewards refused permission to withdraw ia the event of lameness suddenly appearing they would virtually defeat that object, since they would be forcing into the race a horse that had no chance of giving the public a run for their money. Besides, there is the question of cruelty as an important element in the question. I feel sure that no stewards would refuse to allow a lame horse to drop out— that is, unless there was grave reason to suppore the lameness to be feigned. So there is no excuse for the decision of the rider and trainer to take the mare to the post And, seeing thab that was done, the stewards ought to have inflicted some punishment and ordered the return of the money invested on tbe mare. There is some talk of the Colonial Secretary asking for an explanation of the case, and I hope this will be dene. If a horse can be taken to the post and then designedly pulled up, we shall have further liberties taken with the spirit of the rules. * # * The calculation by which on his Forbury running Ilex seemed to have a good show in the National Hurdle Race at Auckland seemed satisfactory enough. The Oamaru horse gave 331b to Ulster, and made * race of it with her up to the last fence, where he stumbled. At the weights he appeared to be a fair match for the mare. On the second day Ulster won again with a rise of a stone. Add 33;b to her weight in (hat event, and wa get 12.7 as the burden which Ilex could have carried if he were her equal. Handicapped at 11 2 at Auckland, there seemed to be plenty of margin for a considerableimprovement in northern over southern form and then to leave Ilex with a good show. So he had, but he had the bad luclr to (strike a snag in St. SiruoD, who equalled Liberator's beat performance. Ido not consider that the Ilex calculations were far astray. St. Simon had a course presumably jus!; about as slow as the one Ulster ran ou, and the time was practically the Earne — the Auckland race being only half a second faster tbau that at the Forbury. What did probably operate to Ilex's disadvantage was the left-handedness of the Auckland course. Put two horses together on equal terms in other respects, and the one used to lelt-handed running will generally beat the horse that is not. But, allowing something for this, and giving Ilex all the credit that is his ■

due, our admiration must be bestowed on Sfc. Simon, who by this gallant effort has proved himself to be the present champion hurdler of the colony. How he got beaten at Takapuna.. is a mystery, concerning which those of us atf a distance are not free to make conjectures, but it is a mystery which cost punters a tidy penny, inasmuch as they let the top weight! start the outsider of the party bar one, with ths result that he paid a dividend of £11 9s. I append a list of previous Winners of the Northern Grand National Hurdles. 1892— Bclmont ... 9.5 4min 2Jsec £ 114 0 1893— Mutiny ... 9.8 4min 12|sec 11 17 0 1894-Meliuite ... 10.6 4min lOaec 3 10 1895— Liberator ...12 9 4min 7bsc 216 0 189B— Hopgarden ... 9.11 4min Ssec 8 14 0 1897— St. Simon ... 12.12 4min lljsec 11 9 0 The comparison an between Liberator and St. Simon is decidedly in the latter's favour, as he carried a greater weight on a heavier course. Ifc may be as well, by the way, to explain that the Belmont returned as winner in 1892 is not our Otago Belmont, but a son of King Quail and Winnie, now out of date. Levanter, winner of the Steeplechase on the second day, is a member that we ought to have taken more notice of on account of his intimate knowledge of Ihe course. He won this very race last year, and carried 11.9 to victory on the tame course in January last, and these experiences are worth a lob at Ellerslie. The following table nhows how this race has reiulted in past years :—: — Northern Grand National Steeplechase. 1892— Shillelagh ... 10.0 Bmin U sec £6 1 IS93— Despised ... 9.7 9min SSisec 312 1894— Bombardier ... 10.0 9min 2 sec 5 2 1895— Liberator ... 11.12 Smin 57 sec 3 9 189t5-Levanter ... 10.0 Smin T>7 sec 13 0 1897— Levanter ... 12.1 Siuin 51 sec 4 9 The rest of the events do nob call for particular comment.

*#* Sydney betting men are up to their ears in hot water, being menaced at every turn. Mr Addison, S.M., recently intimated that as % consequence of a conference of magistrates several measures would be enforced to suppress gambling. In future, for keeping a totnlisator any first offender would be liable to a fine of £50, and for tbo second offence to imprisonment for six raontha. For laying doubles a fine would bo inflicted of more thnn double that compared with previous fines. This procedure takes effect from the Ist of June. Then there are the Supreme Court decisions, dead against the layers on all points. Mr Levien is working Parliament in the hope of having the main courses excluded from the definition of "a place," and thereby enabling betting to go on as usual, and this promisesrelief , but it has not come about yet, and is safe to meet with delay, if nob defeat. On top of all this there is the agitation for the totalisator. A blooking of the measure in Parliament is threatened, bufc that will only at the worst set back the popular movement, which, I may remark, is being led by a Labour member, Mr R. Sleath. A Sydney writer in the Sportsman says: — "It was understood a while back that tho A. J.C. were to move the Government or some influential member to bring in the bill, but now the wind ban been taken out of their sails by a Labour member The bill is nofc at all likely to ptss in its present form. I know a bill dealing with racing and racecourses would be far more palatable to the majority of members, who think the present amount of racing ia the metropolis too much for the population, and. the number of fatftl riding acoidents that occur, and causing any number of now racing members to inquire about the length and the formation o? the many Sydney raoe tracks." A cablegram sent on Monday statoa that in fines and costs 66 bookmakers contoibuleil ove** £600 to the revenue for indulging in casi*. betting. The majority were fined £10 and a few first offsoderd £5.

*^* Mr Clibborn, oollared by an Argus re« porter an he passed through Melbourne on his way to England, said that when he first went to Sydney the annual sale of yearling* was a thing unknown, and he approached several wellknown racing flier)— amongst, thfm Mr Frank Reynolds, Mr Andrew Town, and Mr E. King Cox — with a view to their initiation. They were not too sanguine as f o the success of the policy, and sent their first drafts down on condition that certain prices must be realised or no commission charged. One of the first howes Mr Clibborn sold was Cerito, the dam of FitzYattendou, afterwards raced by Sir Heroulea Robinson, now Lord Rosmead. Mr Oox put oa a reserve of 750gs, and she brought 1500gs, When the famous Richmond was brought undec the hammer as a yearling Mr Town was evidently enamoured of the 1 ' blood, for he offered to bet a level £100 that the colt beat, anything that could be named in his year for the Derby. The bet was takeD, and of course Mr Town won it. So great w«&.the fame of Tha Fawn as a brood mare that when another of her Maribyrnong foals, Warwick, came into the ring there were at least half & dozen racing men present determined to get him, yet er»ch anxious not to let the others know he was bidding. One of them said to Mr Clibborn : "As long as I keep my thumb in the buttonhole of my ooat you go on." Mr J. C Campbell, M.L.C., of Kirk's Bazaar, started him at a -thousand, and as the guineas were piled on, the olhttr bidder, quits forgetting his own instructions, jumped all at once to £2000, and got Warwick at that figure ; but forgetting to take his thumb out o£ his buttonhole cost him a couple of hundred afc least.

*** There is readable stuff in the latest English budget to hand. In Ihe Queen's Prize at Kempton Park a gallant effort was made by Clorane to give 471b to Bridegroom over the mile course, bufc he could not manage it, the light weight winning easily in the fast time of Imin 44sec. It is, however, a feather in Clorane's cap that he finished second, bsating, amongst others, Regret, who was receiving nearly two stone The Kingsclere Haudicsp ai> the same meeting is reported in full in another column, because it was a raoe in which the New Ze*lander Bombshell and the Auatralian-bred Merman ran. Neither was quoted in the betting nor got a place, but Merman was galloping at the finish, and he seems to have found favour with the scribes, one of the principal members of the profession remarking that Merman will no doubt win races when handirappere rake a less exalted view of his merits. As will be seen from the report, the Auatraliatt carried top weight of 9.7. In the colonies tho practice is to show some consideration to travellers from a distance, as witness the recent case of Positano in Sydney. lam not inclined to find fault with the English handicappers for estimating Southern Cross horses highly, buVit is rough to make it a rule that they shall carry top weight. Roman Chief, the winner of the race in which Herman ran, is an Amerioanbred chestnut son of Hanover, and, therefore, a direct descendant of Glencoe. The valuable Lancashire Handicap Steeplechase at Manchester attracted 18 runners, and Knight of Rhodes won after a desperate race home with Prince Albert by a head. Manifesto, tha National winner, fell when looking dangerous, three fences from home. Mr Gollan's Btl King finished eighth in the Jubilee Hurdle llace ato the same meeting. Amphidamas, the winner, j,au kiadly for ence in & way, and tnoagftt

stopping at the finish., inmaged to sball off 1 Posterity (who had beaten him in their places in the Northamptonshire Stakes) and win by a length. The Newmarket Craven meeting followed, and here the spectators saw Minton ' defeating the well-backed Hedge for the Fitz7iilliam Stakes, while the Crawford Plate was a j runaway victory for Northern Farmer, son of ' Laureate II (by Petrarch) from Smack Frock, by Town Moor from Miss Sheppard, by Dollar. An interesting feature of this race was the reappearance under colours of Signorina, who Borne years ago displayed form of the highest class, but has been a failure at the stud. The ( Chevalier Ginistreilrs mare received no notice j in the market, and played an inglorious part in the race, finishing the absolute last of the 11 runners. *** When the late Sir William Clarke gave 1550gs for Fetrea at the first St. Albans sale in 1878, and left the mare with Mr James Wilson "to tiain, it was hoped, Bays,"Terlinga," that he would Eoon btcome one of the principal J ownero of Australia^ These anticipations might ] well have been realised, as Petrea was really ! good, but early in her career she was the cause ! of soreness, and before the end of her three- ! year-old season ehe bad ceased to carry Sir William Clarke's colours. A successful two-year- ' old, Petrea. was one of the public favourites for the Derby in 1879, won by Suwarrow, but she did not see the post. In that year the St. Albans stable had Avernus, South Hamilton, Petrea, Caspian, and, I think, His Grace ] to depend upon for the Derby when the 1 curtain wai rung down on the season of ' 1878-79. It was at the time when Derby and j Cup ' betting was at its zenith, and the public ' favoured all the St. Albans horses save Cas- , pian. At the finish the stable deolared for Caspian, who went out at 7 to 4, but ran nowhere, the race falling to Suwarrow, with Belladrum second and Rivalry third. Petrea was not supposed to be up to the mark, but in the Oaks she came out and beat Rivalry cleverly. Then there were mmmurings from her Derby backeis. No doubt it was a pity that Sir William Clarke's mare did not see the post in the Derby, but the running on the fourth day of the meeting justified Mr Wilßon'* policy, as Suwarrow gave Petrea 51b, besides sexual allowance, and beat her in the Produce Stakes. In the Champion Stakes Petrea was third to her stable companion First King and Wellington. In the V.R.C. St. Leger she ran, and wag second favourite at 5 to 2, Sawarrow being at 11 to 10, but she cut up b&dly, and Caspian won. In the Australian Cup shs j was second to Columbus, aud then, oarrying Mr W. A. Long's colours, she was second in the Three and Four Year Old Handicap. Going to Sydney, Pefcrca, running in the name and colours of Mr W. A. Long, and carrying Hales, showed fine form, and won the Leger, Cup, and Cumberland Plate, but failed by a head to win tha three-mile race, in which Caspian, ridden by St. Albans, beat her on the post by a head. I can call to mind a good many great mares, but I doubt if a better than Petrea ever graced the tuif. After leaving St. Albans, Sir William trained a few horses with H. Teend, and I think Mr W. B. Dakin had a horse or two for him at different times. Bordeaux, who cost SOOgs as a yearling, was a failure on the turf, but he sired Claret, a good steeplechaser, who several times carried the red and white jacket successfully. First Consul and Menotti were well-known bearers of Sir William's colours, and so were Phantom, Vera, and Vernet, but Petrea was the only real good one he ever owned. *a* Referring to the definition of "handicap' j as given in Hotten'g slang dictionary, and re- . published in these columns last week, the correspondent of an English paper says : — In this capital description of the rum old game there is one mistake, while a very important feature has been omitted. As I remember the game well, having in dayi long gone by assisted at it many a time, I will, if yon allow me, supply what is wanting in the account alluded to. The challenger and acceptor (A and B) did not open their bauds directly they placed them on the table. On the contrary, they kept them fast closed. With onlookers thickly packed round the table the handicapper (C) asked in stentorian voice: "Now, gentlemen, will you open a sport ; and if you sport fix your limit." If neither sported very little was thought of that challenge, and another was made ; but if one — not to speak of both — agreed to sport, then the fun began. A and B had to accept every bet, up to the limit they had named, that was offered them, whether it was that they did or did not hold* money. When no more offers where forthcoming — but not till then — each man opened his hand, which showed not alone the . result of tfee award, but, what was of much more importance, the result of the bets. The limit was usually £5 or £10, although some of the fine fellows whom I was so well acquainted with, but are now, alas 1 dead and gene, invariably made the game unlimited. A« may be perceived, for, a man to win at this quaint sort of game it was essential that not alone should he be possessed of no 6cd of brag, but he should enjoy an expression of countenance which was unreadable. *#* The Sydney Turf Club's meeting was the most important of the Birthday fixtures in the colonies. Fine weather prevailed.' iEolus 10.7 was actual favourite for the Hurdle Race, but Mr Yeoman's Pat, son of Waterford and The Pet, ridden by Hart at 10.9, was well supported at 7 to 2, and he won somewhat easily at the finish, after forciDg the pace all through. Twenty went out for the Royal Stakes, of j 200sovs, fix furlongs, Mr Hordern's . Men- i diva 7.12 being rather a better favourite j than Steward 8.9 ; while Hopscotch 10.6 I figured ot 7 to 1. None of these ever had the least say in the race. Mr Fielder's Devoted 6.13 went to the front when half the journey was covered and won easily by over a length from Semiramis 8 0, with the consistent Kilt 7.1 in the third place. Devoted, who started at 25 to 1, was bred at the Tocal stud, and is by Splendour (imp ) from Devotion, by Gold&brough from Young Emily, by Leopold, ice. He w&s purchased as a yearling by Mr J. Brown, of Newcastle, and last year became the psoperty of Mr S. Fielder, who bought the gelding at auction for 70gs. Since then Devote&aj has won several small races, including a couple t of welter events at the recent Tamworth meet- : ing ; but though well supported at Moorefield on the 15th instant he failed to score in the Stewards' Mile, hence his beiDg neglfcfced for this event. The time for the Royal Stakes was Imin 16$ sec. Sovereign, a son of Peabody and Faith, cut down his opponents ia the Amateur Welter and won easily, to the delight of punters, 88 he started one ot the favourites at 3 to 1. The Steeplechase was a miserable affair. Only four started, but one of ' them, Alarm Bell, tumbled, and Gladstone ran ' home at his leisure in front of Recklesa and j ParnelJ, the latter making a very tame finish, j In the Turf Clnb Handicap, a mile and j a-quarter, the disappointing Projectile, son of j Chester and Percussion, cut down ail his oppo- ' nents with a brilliant late run, &nd got home with his 8 9 a length in front of Messmate 8.0 im 2min I4£sec. On the second day Pat, raised j to 11.10 in the Hurdle Race, could not carry

the weight, and Favour 10 5 won by a length from Faber 9.7. In * field of U for the May Stake?, a six-furlong handicap, four were fancied, and backers managed to miss the winner, this being the before-mentioned Kilt, the two-year-old gelding by Lochiel — Mantilla, who, though oarrying 7.12, got home with a wellsustained run from the • home turn. Vanitaa made the pace in the Birthday Cup for a couple of furlongs, and was then collared by Delaware, whose victory, coming after his indifferent performance in the Royal Stakes, surprised eveu his own party. Delaware was bred at Dackeofield Park, goi by Trenton from Genesta, by Maribyrnongfrom The F*wn, by The Premier (imp.) from Melesinn (imp.), by Harkaway, and was purchased at the yearling sales by Mr W. R. Hall for 400gs. Delaware earned his first winning bracket at the A.J.C. Autumn meeting by annexing the Nursery Handicap, and the following season he rau third to Trenchant in the A.J.C. Derby, second to Solanum in the Fourth Biennial Stakes, and won the S.T.C. Rojal Stakes from Buccleugh and M.L.A., who ran a de&d heat for second place. DuriDg hia four-year-old career he won the Doncaster and Final Handicaps at the A J.C. Autumn meeting, and the following season he secured the Craven Plate at the A.J.C. SpriDg meeting aud the Autumn Stakes at the A J.G. Autumn meeting. Since then he has been treated to a s-pell, and his first appearance during the current season was at the A.J.C. Autumn meeting, where he was not successful. The Nurser? 1 Handicap went to Burleigb, a colt by Lochiel i from Lady Chandos, and Holbrook, another ' Lochiel, filled third place. In the Farewell | Handicap, one mile, Kelso, the KingsborougJ gelding that was said to be coming to New , Zealand, carried home rather easily his top weight of 10 0. *** The Governor-in-Council in Tasmania has paaeed regulations under the Gaming Act prohibiting any penon from establishing lotteries or sweeps in Tasmania without first depositing £10,000 with the Government aa security for his bona fides. The operations will be subject to official supervision, and the deposit will be subject to forfeiture on discovery of anj breach of the prescribed regulations. It might be unfair to suppose that George Adams pullecl the wires for this purpose — such an insinuation would no doubt be scornfully denied — yet it h a fair presumption that Adams is the man whe benefits most by the regulation, since he it unquestionably able to plank down the £10,000, or ten times that amount if necessary, while little men will be crowded out ; and having this ability, and possessing the field, his busl neas must be strengthened. The £10,000 if not, perhaps, a large enough sum to giyt •• Tattersall" an actual monopoly, but he wil not have many competitors. From the polio} point of view I very gravely doubt the wisdom of Tasmania's action. In taking security front sweep promoters the colony virtually license! tbem, and it is & question of whether bucl licensing is justified. Personally, without any pretence of getting up on the stilts, I have nc hesitation in saying that consultations are disturbing influences on thß turf and productive of gambling in its worst form — the gambling ol persons who can Dot afford the luxury. I gpeal from a lengthened experience of these concern* in New Zealand. It was a good thing for thii colony when aweeps were banished, and I arr afraid that Tasmania has yet to learn the lessor which oost us to dearly. The immediate gair to the revenue is not all profit by any means, and I feel sorry that Tasmania should for t monetary consideration give refuge to an inatl ! tution which, harmless enough in theory, is ii [ practice a very scourge. *** So the Irish colt got home in the Derby and in such style as to quite dissipate any bus picion that may have existed in unbelieving minds as to his supremacy amongst the three year-olds of the season. Possibly we may learn, when everything is sized up, that good three-year-olds are scaroe this year ; but that, ever if proved, need not operate to Galtee MoreV discredit. He wag a slashing two-year-old tc begin with. Starting first at Stookbridge ie July, he won the Hurstbourne Stakes, ol 897eovs, five furlongs, defeating Jaquemartj Minstrel, and two others ; then he ran third ir the Great Lancashire Breeders' Produce Stakes, five furloDgs, at Liverpool, in July, the race ! being won by Brigg, with Glencally second ; at ; Goodwood, in the same month, he secured th« | Molecomb Stakes, of 745sovs, beating three : others ; at Doncaster he won the Roua Plate, of 445sovs, six furlongs ; and wound up hie two-year-old career by annexing the Middle Park Plate, therein beating Velasquez, Wreatfc Or, Ardeshir, and Frisson, and thus constituting himself the winter favourite for the Derby. So confident w&u his owner, that when approached in February and asked the price of the son of Morganette, Mr Gubbins replied that £20,000 was the lowest offer that would be considered, that he was not anxious to seD, and that a purchase would he on condition that Galtee More's regular trainer, Darling, should continue in charge of the oolt. Needless to say, no more was heard from tht would-be buyer, and Mr Gubbins has had the felicity of landing the Two Thousaud, the Newmarket Stakes, and the Derby. This altogether eclipses Persimmon's record up tc the same period last year, for the Prince's colt stood aside and let St. Frusquin win the Two Thousand, and he was not * competitor in the Newmarket Stakes won by Galeazzo. Whether Galtee More will last through the season to the Leger as Persimmon did remains to be seen. I Meantime we cau be sure that he has been , freely toasted in the most distressful country Ito which Mr Gubbins belongs. I was talking I the other day to a man who knew the Gubbina family. He tells me that the Derby winner's owner is proprietor of 1000 acres in Limerick and a populer man in the county, being one of the stay-at-home sort. The family is related to the whisky- distillery Wises, who are among the wealthiest people in Ireland. While I the Derby this year went to the hot | favourite, the. Oaks was won by a J filly of whom we know_ very little ; and pro- ' bably she was an outsider. Li'masol started only three times last season, being unplaced in the Acorn Stakes at Epsom won by Fortalice, second in the Fernhill Stakes at Ascot won by Omladina, and second in the Nursery Plate tt Doßcaster won by AH Moonshine. This ia not a brilliant record, though creditable. It is likely, I should think, that Chelandry would be favourite. Limasol's pedigree, ss given in another column, shows her to be sister to Lusiguan. The pedigree is rather a curious one in respect to the extraordinary period of time covered by the horses whose names appear in the bottcm portion of the table. Traced bsck five generations we come to Scotilla, who was foaled 102 years ago; and looking at the lower branches of the genealogical tree we see that Partisan was 22 ysarg o'.d when Cyprian was born, that she wjs aged 19 a<} Cyprian*'* birth, that she ia turn had reached 21 when Queen of Cyprus saw the light, And that the'aUsr wast 21 years old when Limasol was bom. Thisqaalry of productiveness in old pge does not often come so continuously in a horso family.

*** Believing that ia man; disputes between

F owners and jockeys the balance in equity lies with the latter, I am glad to see by the London Sportsman that the headquarters club has read owners a lesson on the subject. When an ; owner engages a jockey to ride in a race the jockey renders himself liable to severe penalties if he declines to fulfil his engagement, suspension for a period being usually meted out to him by the stewards. It is, however, no . uncommon thing for owners to ignore their con- | tracts, and to think they are doing sufficient if at the last moment they politely tell the jockey ' they have engaged that they have no need for . his eervieee. Luke Bland was engaged some t ; mo ago to ride Antonio Pierri in the Spring Handicap Hurdle Race at Manchester in April, and he declined, in consequence, several mounts that were offered him at other meetings, including one that proved to be a winner. j He was told at Mancheater that he would not i be wanted for Antonio Pierri, and he took the ' matter before the stewards. Lord Marcus | Beresford and Mr C. J. Cunningham adjudicated upon the point, andf deciding that the contract had been duly entered into, ordered the owner of the horse to pay ths jockey his riding fee. *jf* " Peeping Tom," Lake County Press, writes : — The first of the youngsters likely to rompe'e for (his year's Derby and Counties Trial Stakes to catch my eye is Mr W. L. Davis's filly by Amulet out of Invincible. This youegstsr, just broken in and being ridden by Frank Philp, is a black in colour with white blsze, and one white hind fetlock. A real nice filly she is, standing fully 15 hands, and fairly well furnished for a rising three-year-old. She has a somewhat 'plain but honest head, well set on to a short but muscular I neck, and a beautiful sloping shoulder. Like all tha Amulet*, «he is well quartered, ) and her understandings look like ataudiug any amount of wear and tear. In short, a very fine filly that is bound to furnish into a formidable three-year-old, and, fit and well, she will worthily represent Mr Davis both at Cromwell and Fr*nkton. If Mr Barnett's youngster is as good as Mr Davis's, I fancy there is a I chance of this year's Cromwell Derby priza coming to Lake County. From Bannockburn I learn that Stockmaid and Silvercrown are being regularly exercised and well wiuterad so that they will be ready to go into active training early in August ; also that Mr Cowan has five foals out of his well-bred mares, all by Trump Card. Stockflower's colt foal is said to be a real beauty. In fact, the very best-looking youngster ever seen in the Cromwell district. *#* One of the most unlikely things that could happen in this colony is the delegaiisation of the totalisator. If by any unfortunate mischance we were deprived of the maohine and handed over again to the tender mercies of the Ring we should have some pretty happenings. i Tbe side meetings, run without totalisator permits, give an idea, of what we might expect. "Silverspur" presents an illustration. Some remarks which I made iv a recent issue concerning the large number of unregistered meetings that had sprung into existence in various parts of the North Island recently have, he says, caused a well-known metallician to drop me a note in which he citea an instance illustrative of how some of these tin-pofc fixtures are ' carried out. A bookmaker attended one (name given) a short time, back and got a permit from tha secretary to bet. Before he put on his bag, however, the secretary drew him aside and said : " Now, look here, there are only four horses in the third race. One of them belongs to me, and he is • jigging.' Of the other three, one is on the forfeit list and can't get the stake, the other isn't eligible according to the conditions of the race, so he can't win, and the third is ' dead ' and won't win ; consequently my prad will get the stake, no matter how it goes. The sbewards know all about i 6. You can ' pepper ' the three stiff 'uiis as hard as you like, and back my moke with the other bookies . for myself and the stewards. See?" The bookie "saw," and the good thing duly eventuated. *#* The nominations for the New Zealand Cup number 59, or five below last year's total. Ten of these hail from Otago — a fair proportion, and these are not the worst of the crowd in point of quality. lam afraid there Is a lob of inferior stuff in the list ; csrtainly there is a lot that must be considered an unknown I quantity so far as cups are concerned, Mata- | rawa, Wakelyu, Oma, Picklock, Venus. Sardi, General Wolfe, Chasseur, Toa, Linkshot, and the unnamed colt at the foot of tho list — these j are among the mysteries of the race ; and ; others, such as Chaos, Addiogton (who has | been serving mares at Chatham Island), and ; Britomart (who has been used for stud purposes), are lights of other days who may possibly shine again, though it can be only on the off-chance that they are entered. On the other hand, tho lists includes a fair "proportion of likely horses Day Star, St. Paul, Butoclydon, Waiuku, Marquis of Zetland, i Telemeter, Lord Rosslyu, Dauntless, Defiance, ! Culverin, Skirmisher, Belligerent, Bpiulet, '■ Cannonshot, New Forest, Strathbraan, FabuJ 3:st, and Lord Zetland are all horses of a good , class, and a fair proportion of them are paid to jbe sound. I could have wished for a longer • and a stronger list, but, considering the present dearth of high-class handicap hovses in New • Zealand, we have re»son to be thankful that the present outlook for the Cup is as promising as it is. *** The handicaps for the firat day's racing s,t Tahuna Park appear in this istue. I had intended to make t oms comments on the 6ame, but, to be perfectly candid, the form so far revealed by certain of the candidates is not quite conclusive as to possibilities, and the fear haunts m 9 that any attempt to search for winners by the old formula of Hcanniug the records would very likely mislead, wherefore I leave those concerned to think out the problems ! for themselves in tho meantime, promising to j give every assistance ia my power on the day.