TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2286, 23 December 1897, Page 35

TALK OF THE DAY.

By MAZEPPA.

*** Preparations for the Tnhuna Park Trotting Club's meeting on the 27th and 29th inst. are well forward, and from the prices fetched for the privileges— £9l exclusive of the gates— it is pretty evident that tbo3e in a position to form a sound opinion anticipate a large attendance. This expectation, I am satisfied, is well founded, and ib is tolerably safe to prophesy that the raantgement, as in the past, will be np to Dick. The acceptances for the first day, Monday, might have been more numerous, but thero are enough horses in each event to make interesting racing if they are coming together ou anything like equal terms, and it may be supposed that such is the case, since nobody appears to be able to pick the winners with any degree of confidence. I, for one, approach the ta9k with the greatest diffidence, but do ray best in suggesting the following as pos'ible winners : — Maiden Handicap, Leo or Ruby M. ; Summer Pony Hacdicap, Di, with Blackie next best ; Boxing Day Handicap, Explorer, with Linette dangerous ; Selling Handicap, Bunthorne ; Domain Handicap, Haeremai ; December Pony Handi n ap, Daisy Bell ; D.«h Handicap, Haidee or Tasman ; Electric Handicap, Colonel.

*#* The best Christmas box that I could have got is the new edition of the New Zealand Stud Book. For so long have we been making shift with the old volume, adding an ri amending and striking out, that ib is quite refreshing to have the familiar type before one in its up-to-date form. The entries of brood mares and their produce occupy 152 pages, and in a sepa ; , rate list are to be found catalogued a whole crowd of prominent hacks and steeplechasers with more or less imperfect pedigrees. This is a new feature of the Stud Book that nhould be, and I have no doubt will be, highly prized in a colony that has gob such excellent service from horses like Liberator and Waiuku. Another thing about Volume X which is to be commended is the lengthy chapter on horse-breed-ing, with which is to be found an explanation of the figure system. Mr George Elliott seems to have done hi 3 work thoroughly throughout. I have not had time to make a thorough examination of the conttntp, but there is not the slightest reason to doubt that the book is also correct. Now that sportsmen and breeders have this long-felt want supplied, it is to be hoped that they will hurry up and send their orders and their cash to Mr A. D. Willis, of Wacganui, the publisher, and thus show that the large amount of work bestowed on the Stud Book and the expense incuned have really b;cn warranted.

*#* The Bed o' Stone case has become a cause of vexation and irritation to all concerned, and it has now reached a stage whereat the complications seem to me, an impartial outsider, to place all parties more or lees in the tight and at the same more cr less in the wrong. My present intention is not to endeavour to sift out the involved tacts and judge them by the principles of law and justice, bub to comment on what appears to me to be an element of darger in the latest direction of the Colonial S cr j tary. The Hon. Mr Carroll writes ; •• I atu of opinion thai the Canterbury Trotting Club should pay out at once on Bed o' Stone," and he goes on to give reasons for that opinion. These reasons Ido not propose to discuss. They may be sound. The opinion itself may be fair and just. Ib is not my intention to argue thit point. The objection I take is this • that if the Colonial Secretary is going to arbitrate forcibly in cates of this kind and give rulings on matters over which local authorities who are just as anxious as he can be to come to a fair decision are puzzling (heir braias, it would be in the interests of racing that the public should know how and <hrough whom he derives his information. Mr Carroll live 3 away from Canterbury — he is a bnsy man managing a Government department and attending toonerous parliamentary duties — and it is surely reasonable to conclude that he can only know the Bed of Stone case through what he is told. The question ia, how does he gel h>» iuformation ? What assurance can there be that the informant upon whom he relies is absolutely impartial and competent ? The chances are that he has been fkoded with letters from all sorts of persons, each to some ex' ent interested one way or the other, and oat ot the mass of matter thus thrust upon feim he has selected this and rejected that, and thus in a happy-go-lucky way arrrived at a conclusion. If so, possibly enough he has accepted the more plausible and thrown aside the truer but more clumsily-put statements of the case. Supposing, even, that he has gone to the trouble of making inquiries on his own account, thtre is still the danger that his itquities have gone to persons who have collected their information from tainted sources. , I mistrust the whole arrangement. It savours of secrecy and rush, and is open to suspicion. Though not actually prepared to condemn the direction abuvo referred to, it is reasonable to say that, the request to hurry up the pajing out of the dlvideud looks rather queer, seoing that the charge of inconsistent running had already been arranged to be investigated, and that a little longer delay would in the natural order of things send the dividend to the right quarter. My point, how- • /er, is not that the deci»ion itself ia necessarily wrong, bub that there 16 a call for some explauitiou as to bow the decision h»a beeii arrived at.

Viewing the case from a'eomprehensive standpoint, and fearing that the Colonial Secretary finds himself in such an eiivironmsut as to hamper his individual freedom and make him dependent for information on persons who miy take advantage of the position to pull the strings to please themselves, I say without hesitation that tho Colonial Secretary should have a recognised agent in every chief centre— some person of standing and character in whom the racing men have confidence, and who could be relied on to advise his chief honestly and independently. A Bed o' Stone case may bo repeated in Auckland next week and in Obago the following month, and racing men have a right to be protected. Tbe Minister is vow assuming the functions of a court of equity. Good for him. He is a man to be trusted. Something of the sorb is needed. But ibis of the last importance that in every instance wherein he has to rise above regulations and make precedents he should be thoroughly and properly informed of all the leadiag fact*, and until we know who is presenting these facts there will be suspicion as to his competency and doubt as to his justice.j ustice.

* # * If asked to name an Australian racing man as little likely as any to have been captured by old world coaventionalibies, writes "Javelin," I should have named none before Mark Gawen, whose sombre countenance, shaded by the stiff brim of a characteristic and clerical-looking tile, was a few years ago familiar to habitues of the Flemington racecourse. After taking in the old country a high position in his profession as a painter of horses, Murk has returned to Australia. As I have not yet had tbe pleasure of meeting him I cannot tell you whether he turns up his trousers on fine days or wears gloves, bnb he has expressed iv priob his satisfaction at realising that "there are slHl to be found in England hondrf ds of adherents to Ihe good old order of things, who stand unscathed by the wave of democracy." Concerning acoommodation for the public on racecourses. Mark points out that some English owners "of ben declare that they do nob intend to provide puVilicentertainmeut. Their primary aim is to race horses amongst themselves as an amusement, so the public must content itself with that which is given it." Finally, the returned artist says: "I think the V.R C. could with advantage take a leaf from the old world book and introduce private boxes at Flemington." That is a consummation just about as likely to come to pass as that my good old friend Mr Mile? is likely to have a mount in the next Melbourne Cup or the Austral Wheel Race. The environments of English and Australian racing are as dissimilar as night and day. In this country, under the influence of the wave of "vulgah" democracy, the public provide the entertaiument by paying for it, and if they did not there would be no racing. No Austra'ian racehorse owners race for amusement. They race ody for public money, and therefore have to race tor what the public choose to supply, and if public comfort were interfered with in order to provide " private boxes " for a limited section of gilded inferiorities, the Melbourne Cup of 200sovs would ba a probability of the near future. There are no two owners throughout this length and breadth of the land nowadays spirited enough to run matches for their own money, though many of ibem are rolling in it. Therein is made evident the lack of the true spirit of sport among weslohy Australians. If sporb had to depend upon them It would be a blue look out. Oh, no ! there is no room at Flemington for private boxes for the U3e of people who, when it comes to "parting," are too polite to put their hands into their pockets. The public, not the swells, support Fleiningbon.

*#* The way that consultations interfere with racing ia aptly illustrated by what happened at Beudigo this month. To quote •' Terlinga," there was very little betting on the Cup, even at the post. " Nearly all the ownerahad sweep money, and, as Ike Foulsham pub ib, they wanted to lay the books a bit instead of taking it. It was soon known that Ayrshire would not run. Hs was in the paddock looking well, but the ladder of the horse wouli not come forward, and Mr Davidson decided to wait for the Bdndigo Handicap on the second day. Mr Davidson does not bet, and he argued that without a special inducement to start it would be wiser to wait for the easier race. Ol course, tbe holder of a horse in a sweep has a perfect right to please himself as to whether he will lay the stable money or not. In a r*ce like the Melbourne Cup he loses nothing by standing off, bub where the p?iz3 is a smalt one he often sacrifices his own interests by not subsidising the stable. Tha owner of Ayrshire was under no obligations to run for the Sandhurst Cup. There was no betting before the day, and, therefore, no senfmental rea»on for refusing to conform to the strict letter of the law, and scratch up to half an hour before the race." My contemporary's statement as to individual rights is, no doubt, correct enough ; bub ib is not a nice thing to have owners sulking and refusing to pky in so-and-so's yard because they are not offered a cut into an affair which, properly speaking, ha? nothing to do with tbe race.

*#* The twelfth annual sale of yearlings bred at Wellington P*rk, Auckland, is to be held on January 4, when 24 lots will go to the hammer, each to be sold without reserve. In making this announcement Mr T. Morrin may with confidence refer to the turf records for the credentials of bis stock. Ib haa been calculated that the volnti of stakes won by sons and daughters of the matrons now located at Wellingbou Park amounts to over £123,000. More impressive than this statement, as conveying an idea of the value of the ebud, is the list of winners that Mr Morrin is able to exhibit, because many of them have in turn become the authors of successful racehorses and still pesseis great possibilities. Trenton, for example, is one of the Wellington Park products. He has made a great name in the colonies and may in England rise to the top of the tree es a winner-producing stallion. Nordenfeldt is Another of the party, and when we remember that he is the sire of Medallion, who in turn begab Gold Medallisb and Conquerer, ib is hard bo Bay wh*t tho value of this strain is (o bs in the next few years. Other great horses got at Wellington Park are Zilinski, Strathmore, Cuirassier, S^epniak, Crackshot, Merganser, Hilda, Arbillety, Niagara, Havoc, Mahaki, Bluefire, True Blue, Uniform, and Multiform, and I dare swear that no stud ia the colonies has better credential*. The sires represented ab this sale are Hotchkigs, Cuirassier, Castor, and the mighty St. Leger, and buyers can hardly go wrong whatever lots they may select;.

*** '-I' he astounding turn-up in the Dewhurst Plate will ivmsiii subject for discussion a good deal longer than is usual in this rapid age. It may be qurs'ionsd, says the Sportsman's special, if tie victory of Hawfinch ii nob absolutely unique among sll racing surprises. The col 1 ; was the last of the Kiogsclere two-year-olds to be attacked by tha sickness which troubled them all this summer, and as a natural consequence he was the last to recover. All he tnd clone since ILen was to load the yearlings in their work) aud Uc had. uoi dove Q»e good

gallop. It was with the idea of giving him ouch a gallop that he was sent to Newmarket to ran, and S. Loates thought that of all the mounts ho had ever had this was the very worst. The colb seemed too l»zy to even w*lk when he got out on the course ; indeed, I think his inclination was to lie down. Watts, on Dieudonne, pulled up to give him a lead, but Hawfinch cared nothing about that, and it was not; till Loates gave him a good rib-bender and observed, '• I'll get you to the post at all events," that ha aroused himself sufficiently to amble down. Of course this uncouth behaviour is due to his not having been eharpened up and to his being naturally of lazy temperament. He looked very different afbec the race, and will give a very different show another time. That he will make a really good one I fully expect, and already I hear of two or three good offers having been made for him. It must not be forgotten that there are several more two-year-olds at Kingsclere that have never started, and about whose form John Poctsr as yet knows no more than he did about Hawfinch's previous to this race. A peculiar feature of the Cambridgeshire is that although we are admittedly in a year of bad thcee-year-old*, animals of that age occupied the first four places, while General Peace was also close up. This certainly seems to indicate that the handicap class ia not bad, whatever the weight for age may be, but it should not bo forgotten that of the five-year-olds in the front rank two were foaled and reared in America and one in Ireland, so that they did not come under the iofluenoe of a certainly indifferent season in England.

V* Sporting Review, speaking of the Feilding meeting, says that the course was in really good order, but there still remains a narrow sheep track, which provSd disastrous to Sedgebrook the fu'3fc day and to Light the second day, fortunately unattended with loss of life. In the Manchester Handicap the second day, when rounding the bend for hoins, Light came down and Sedgabrook came over on top of him. Light, on returning to the paddock, was found to have got the worst of the deal, blood flowing copiously from a deep incision in the top lil>, and he being seve-ely strained behind. Young Williams, of Johnny Green's stable, escaped unhurt, but that successful and rauch-in-demand little horseman, George Price, who was, as usual, on Sedgebrook, got a nasty shaking and bis collarbone broken. When Light and Sedgebrook lay tangled up ou the track Miselico must have cjuia on top of them but for his jumping experience, taking the somewhat novel obstacles of two horses and two boys without touching any of "them. Sedgebrook, who also fell in the Kiwitea Stakes on the first day, bejond being a bib sore, escaped without any injury. The fields on both days were considerably above the aver»g9, and redounded greatly to the credit of the weightadjuster, Mr J. E. Henry. Some of the- finishes were exciting enough for any one, and it is doubtful if ever a fiver Onish in a hurdle race has been seen in New Zsalaml than that in the big hurdles tho second day, when Troubador, Sulbador, and Muscatel fl-tshed past the post with only heads between them. In this event old Bloomsbury made his debut over the small sticks, and at the jump in front of the stand his rider, Pete Williams, made a moit clever recovery. At the jump ho was thrown fair on to the horse's ears. . His mount kept moving, and a serious accident seemed unavoidable, as Williams must have been thrown on his head, bub bit by bit he worked himself back along his horsed neck and eventually got into the saddle again. The spectators., loudly applauded Williams for his remarkably clever horsemanship. The heroine of the. meeting was that game little bit of stuff Leda, who Bill Davies, of the Hubb, sent to the post as tit as hands could get her. In the St. Andrew's Handicap the first day nothing could live with her at the business end, and in the Manchester Handicap on tbo second day her 8.8 failed to give any of the other contestants a ghost of a chance ; in fact, at the finish it was only an exercise eaater for her. Leda's success was exceedingly popular, it being a well-known fact that very hard luck has followed her owner, who has proved himself areal game'un, having frequently just missed several real good coups with Castor's speedy little representative.

; * # # Vulcan, winner of the Maiden Plate at the Christchurch R-sciog Club's meeting last : week, was bred at Elderslie, and he ought to be ; able to race, being by Artillery, one of the sturdiest of Musket's sons and a high-class performer, as was proved by hi» successes in the [ D.J.C. Champagne and the Canterbury Cup, while the colt's dam is Fairymaid, who, though unlucky on the turf, was proved by Stewart Waddell to be very speedy over shorb distances, and is half sister to that good colb Outpoat. There seems to have been foiie merit in Vulcan's performance, for he dropped down on to the favourite, General -Wolfe, ab tho distauce, and beat him by a length. Mr J. B. Reid deserves to own good racers. He is opentiauded, a gentleman in the best sense of ' the term, and carrying a heart as big as his body ; and all who know him will bo pleased should Vulcan develop into a first-class racer. Firefly, winner of the Flying on the same day, is full sister to Vulcan. Mr Stead hoped to win the Oiks with her laab season, and being disappoiuted he sold her. The cast-offs from this stable often prove useful, and that is how Firefly is probably to be classed. We don't know yet exactly what she can do. Ib reads well enough on paper to defeat Bracelet, but Bracelet is not yet herself. Mauser, another horse at one time owned by Mr Stead, managed to win the Welter, giving away lumps of weight to his second-class opponents. The 3on of Auray is naturally a high-class horse, endowed with great power, and it is a thousand pities that he grew up unsound ; yet with all his infirmities he can win so long as he keeps going, and Murray-Ayusley is no doubt making this well-bred fellow pay for his keep. I rather fancy that Cntts has a profitable filly io Falka. She is not supposed to be in the first rank, but a good sscoud-classer can often win while a top-sawyer is losing, and inasmuch as Falka scored at the C.J.C. meeting and now gets home again, I am inclined to think she may pay to follow. Cutts well deserves all the luck he can get, and no doubt he is pleased to see this filly galloping satisfactorily, since she is one of his own breeding, being out of Melusina, who, though an ind>fferent racer herself, is of stout breeding, baiog by Tasman from the Traducer mare Nautilus. The fraud of the meeting was Skirmisher. He looked on paper like » good thing for the Christchurch Handicap, but he hung at the po3t, and though for a moment he seemed to be dangerous when in racing along the back stretch he gained a bit onj/he leaders, he faded away badly under pressure, and being beaten ere the straight was reached, he pulled up list, some distance away. There must be something wrong with this horse. His one pood gallop this season, in the New Zealand Cup, seems to have quite knocked him out. What an ugly deficit must be piling up for those unhappy backers who are following him.

received old Leithamstead, the trotter, at Mark byrnong to be turned out for a life-long spell, and it may be of interest feo lovers of a greatt horse to mention a few matters in connection with this horse, if only to accentuate the oftrepeated asiertion as to the value of a dash of Arab blood, and also to pay a tribute to the remarkable old fellow. Leithamstead was bred at Terang by Messrs M'William Bros, over three-and-twenty years ago, and was. got by Alarum (son of Panic) from Lucy, who3e dam was a pure Arab mare. He was bought from his breeders wheu three years of age with the intention of making a steeplechaser of him, and c»mo into James Scobie's hands, who found that, though he could jump, galloping was net hia forte, and be w.vs at about six yeara relegated to trotting, ab which game ho became such an adopt that in a few years he was champion, and from that out changed hands several times, until a few yean ago he found himself back ati his birthplace, where, after a long spell, he was hacked about, with an occasional dath over half a mile or so. To give an idea of his wonderful vitality, I timed him over half a mile in lmin. BJsec when he wan over 20 years old, wneu which, I am creditably informed, he trotted three miles on a grass track in 7min 7§sec, aa follows : — The first mile in 2min 25scc, second in 2min 23-hee, and third in2tnin 19jee. A few months ago he was »tarted in a handicap trot at Richmond, trotting the two miles in smin lllstc, winuing very easily, and now at over 23 years of age I find him figuring in another ■ handicap, giving a 6tarb to every other horse in the race. What more need be said ? *

*** What are we now to make of tbe two-year-old form ? asks the Sportsman's special, and he auswers himself thus : AVeH, I think that, apart from Cyllene, whose three-year-old engagements are unfortunately not what thej should be, the Kiugsclere youngsters soem likely, after all, to come out On top. This wiiK be especially satisfactory to me, for I had formed 6uch a high opinion of them as yearliogs, and was beginning to foar that they were never going to recover from the effects of their illness, while the public, never realising tho trouble they had been in, were quite ready to conclude that I h*d recommended a lot of duffers. Howuver, B&tt has already put an end to that idea. He won hi« race over the Rowley Mile in really perfect stjle, so far as the last few hundred yards were concerned, and he is in conformation exactly the cut of a stayer. He can besb be described as an enlarged edition of Labrador, with.all the same lithe, sinewy character and easy sheklinß action. There is any amount of ■cope for improvement in him, and it is long odds on on a bred like him outstaying anything witb two crosses of Hermit in it, likeDieudonne. Bdtt is not only by that rare stayer Sheeu, whoss dam was by Tibthorpe, son of Voltigeur, i but he Ukea in a tremendous additional lot of j Bbcklock blood through bis dam Vampire, by j Galopiii out of Ireny, by Rosebery, It is iin-poc-sible to say what Hawfinch may not; be, but Batl would be my choice at present. Next we may fairly class Ninus, who is perhaps the bast looking of them all, and it is satisfactory that with him, ' top, Sheen should have scored, for the fickle fancy of, breeder* waa beginning to deserb that horse, just as happened in the case of Ayrshire. As to Sir J. Bltindell Maple's fillies Nun Nicer ancl Royal l'Wstsp, wa may take it that they have both had enough of it for the season, and the last i mining of each need not be remembered to . their discredit. I only ,hope that neither of them ■ will bs permanently the worse for their severe i recent exertions, for Sic BlundeU ha3<had such bad luck that he ought surely to win the One Thousand and Oaks next year to make him amends. In handicaps he has certainly received but scant consideration for his constant support of the turf. He has a good many homes that oan win races — indeed, they have won upwards of £9000 this year in weight-for-age engagemenr.8 — but he has actually made entriei in 192 ! handicaps this season, and sent horses lo ihe post for 82, while the wretchedly inadequate result has been that he has only won twice, each time with Sardine, who was lucky even then lo get home. This anuat indeed be disheartening ; indeed, no ono bi\t a very rich m&n could keep on at it, and no one but a very staunch sportsman would do so.

* # * There have bacn 23 contests for the Auckland Cup, and ray records start with the sixth of them, this being the third time Ariel was Kucceesful, and the meeting at which Lone Hand won the Steepleshaie after resting a while on the way to contemplate and admire^ the prospect from vMr Bowman's uabbagu garden. Ab this meeting also Lara won two race 3in one day — the second, the Graudstaud Handicap, after a dead heat with Balmoral ; and there was also a dead heat in the Hurdle Race — Loch Lomond and Lone Hand coming home together, and the latter declining tho challenge in the run off ; and Maritana downed Billingsgate at weight for age iv th;e Publicans' Purse, one mile, Bay on the mare securing and keeping the inside running, while Clifford was, carried all orer the coarse by the somewhat; unruly Biiltugpgate ; and another of the wsight-for-age races, tho Auckland Plate, two miles, resulted in the defeat of Templeton and Ariel by Libeller, who. in that event made his first claim to first rank form. The poor races o£ that meeting were the Derby, in which M&id of Athol could not make Libeller extend himself ; and the Mares' Produce Stakes, which was practically a gift to Billingsgate, seeing that hie only opponent, Milkman, could scarcely raise a gallop of any kind. Tim Whifßer and Kenilworbh were the two-year-olds racing at this gathering, and neither did any good, whilst Maid of Honour, then a three-year-old, could only get third in the Maiden Plate — scarcely the form that her celebrated son Freedom displayed 11 seasons later. /As to the Cup, I shall quote one of the current newspaper accounts : "Crossing the cutting Laertes led, with Balmoral and Ariel ab his heels, Gillie, Lady Elizabeth, and Malvern in a troop behind, all going through the dirt heedless of mud, which choked them, with eyes only for the Auckland Cap. ,In th« straight Matthews called on Ariel, and, witb inside running, the gallant horse came- forward in a style never expected. The crowd lining the fence cheered the rider ; little Matthews, from the crowd, tossed up his hat to cheer his big brother. Ariel rattled on, Laertes almost even. Butler's eyes were full of mud ; and Laertes, accustomed to stop at the, scraping shed while exercising, appeared to check speed, and his rider could not see where he was going. Balmoral came forward well, but Ariel, the veteran flat racer, came with bis pale and ex* hausted tider, Matthews, past the judge's bor, the cheers of the people proclaiming him winner of the Auckland Cap of 1879." This description has always amused me whenever I read it, its splendid ignoring of informing detail being in the best style of the days when reporters went to races to enjoy themselves, without bothering about notes or inquiries.

had an easy ride to victory. This was the race ] in whioh poor Nolan met his death. The distance was twice round, and it was on the second circuit that the accident happened. Passing i the stand the order was Yatapa, Libeller, Maid of Honour, King Quill, "Vampire, Foul Play, Ariel, and Gilderoy. On entering the cutting King Quail went up with a rush to challenge Yatapa, but got on to Yatapa's heels and fell. Jjibeller, unable to avoid the fallen horse, came down alio, rolling over twice. Ariel jumped Ihe prostrate hor*e and thereby saved himself, but in his tremendous leap he struck Nolan (Libeller's rider) and fractured hie skull. Foul Play escaped the melee and went on for a comfortable win. Nolan was a corpse when Dr (Joldßboro got to the scene. Ciimngtoo, lider of King Quail, was also hurt, but he recovered, and in later years has become a t r ainer in Hawke's Bay. Tim Whiffler won the Maiden Plate at that meeting, and also landed the Derby, but there was very little merit in either peiformance. The Derby candidates were distinctly a bad lot. Kcnilworth, the best of them, did not seem to be as w< 11 as be Icoked, and Rewi beat him in the Derby, finishing second to Tim. The weakness of Tim Wh'filar was badly expoped in the handicaps. With 6.6 he got beaten out of a place in the Grand Stand Handicap, won by Libeller 8.2. Parameua was a useful horse in that, his four-year-old, season, and pulled off a couple of races at the meeting ; but Billingsgate and Foul Pky wece undoubtedly in a class by tbenisdvePj^the former's speed making the short rrfces.a gift to him, while Foul Play, who by that year had developed into a stayer; though in his earlier career it wss said that he too was only- a sprinter,- found nothing able to live with him over a distance. One of the el sest races at Ihe meeting was tbe Earing Club Handicap, in which Yatapa sprang off with, the lead and, served by his light weight, jus", managed to last out the mile and three-quarters, though Lone Hand 6.10 and Vampire 6.6, said to be the biggest and the smallest racers in the colouy at that time, were catching him very fast toward* the finish. The Hurdle Race also was a very dose thing. Har.-y Mount, ridden by Tt'tnoay Hudson, fought out a great battle with Lone Hand, ridden by Horace Luun, who was then on the etatus of an amateur horseman. Lone Hand eventually got home half a length to tbe good, but lost the ttake on a protest. Hodson alleged that Lunn struck Harry Mount in coming np the straight, and Lunn also protested, alleging interference. The stewards decided ia favour of Hodson.

*** By next week I may find lime to ran 1 oub x few more comments on the old battles fought at B'.lenlie. Meantime, the meeting immediately in front of us takes precedence, and (he main consideration is the Cup. Public opinion points very directly at St. Paul &a the winner of thii event. Nothing else was being asked for in Ducedin at the early port of this week, and 2to 1 was his price. While giving the son of S&tanella a great thow, I cannot think that, as some would teem to argue, the race is all over. For one thing, S1;.S 1 ;. P*ul distinctly failed to »tay the course Isifc year, when he started first faTOmite, and therefore may be supposed to luree beeil well. The othec hones that also started last year nnd are now engaged again sire Fabulist,, Nestor, Day Star,' and Anita. Let O8 see how they met and how they are to meet, making a comparison through the weight-foi-ag&6eale: — ' Nestor had 111b under, now has w.f.a Fabulist „ 81b under •„ 71b und«r St. Paul „ 71b over ; „ 'w.f.a. Day Star ;, 21b over „ 41b under ' Anita '- „ 281b under „ 3*slb under So that Nestor is raised lltb. Fabulist i« raised lib, St. Paul is lowered 7Jb, Day Btr.r is lowered 61b, and Anita is lowered 8lb — tb\t is, by comparison with last year's running. In other words, Nestor, last year's winner, now concedes to Fabulist 10b, to St. Paul 18lb, to D*y Star 171b, and to Anita 19lb. He must be a precious good colt if hs cau do it. The concessions are serious. Going on to Pabulisb, he concedes to Sb Paul 81H, to D*y Star 71b, and to Anita 91b. Well, Fabulist was ODly third last year, and not a particularly brilliant third, so he has his work cut out if the figures are any guide ; but Ido not claim that they are much of a gnide. As to Fabulist, for instance, we are told that he was made too much use of in the early stages of lasb year's Gup, and if that be true, no one can calculate what difference that made. Wh&t the figures do nhow, I think, is that Nestor's |rin is verj highly appraised by the handicapper, especially as the colb has done nothing elocr. I certainly cannot pick Nestor for that reason. As to the other?, it really does eeeui to me that the choice lies as between W»iuku, St. Paul, Fabnlisfc, and Day Star, because we have nothing to •how us that the others can stay. I intend to pick one of these as my selection, and the one is to be Waittku, my idea be'ng that on all known form the rsce>i6 as between him and St. Paul. At the s&me time I have & litde regard for one of the light weights — namely, Porangi i?otae. Though she will probab'y be a complete outsider, aud I th%\\ not back her, I have a notion that she will run forward. Of the other events it is sufficient to remark that Mr Stead' seems to have the wei^ht-for age races at Ms mercy and that the best advice I can give as to the minor handicaps is to follow the selections of our Auckland correspondent.

*#* The Canterbury Jockey Club's cablegram to Mr W. R. Wilson intimating that £1000 would be given for a special race if Aurum were sent to compete has produced the

answer that many expected — namely, that the

coil's engagements at Sj dney will prevent him comiDg across. This is not to be wondered at if one reflects for a, moment that the very inducement which has been held out a3 a special

effort by the C J.C — namely, the privilege of

rnnning for a £1000 stake — ia permanently on ' offer by the V.RC. in the Champion Stakei, aud seldom attracts a competitor from this side .of the Taeman Sea, even though other weigbt-for-age races are on the programme, whereas Aurum would ba restricted to the one pop unless his owner elected to send him for handicaps. The explanation is simple. The horse that travels is at a disadvantage, and he also runs a tisk in his journeyings ; hencs the reluctance of owners to travel from New Zealand, even though it be to a. land where stakes are high and ring money is supposed to be abundant ; and the drawback has much greater force in the case of a man who is asked to come to a meeting where he can run for only one Btake >nd be content to do with the stake alone, since there would be very little obtainable otherwise. Moreover, Aurum, though a slashing colt, is hardly as yet the indubitable champion of Australia. He has yet to finally prove that he M superior to Amberffre Much dependx upon this being done as soon as possible, especially if his limbs are not of the soundest, and I can easily understand that since a decisive victory over his rival would probably mean doubling his value aB a stud horee, Mr Wilson is averse to neglecting any of his early chances. Again, Aurum is eaid tobe under offer to go to England, and a win In Australia would count for much more than & via in New Zealand. If all these things were taken into coguisance when the offer was made.

the C J.C. can scarcely be disappointed at the nature of the reply. Any thought that may have been entertained of reviving the intercolonial contest that used to be held in the days of Ladybird and Zoe are purely illusory. There never can be such championships in fscb, and contests of that character would be a mere farce, since horses from New Zealand and Australia cannot be brought together on such terms as to give both sides an equal chance.

*** The editor of an Indian paper was recently stuck up by a seeker after information, but fortunately found someone to take the contract off his hands, as the following will show : Sir, — I am glad to be able to pub your correspondent "A Racer" in the way of obtaining the information he requires, and enclosing answers fco his questions, by following which he wi'l find himself in the moat direct way to get accurate data for future reference.

Question 1 : How many seconds could a horse make ciiffsrence in a race carrying one btme either more or Jess Ihan he does in a race of same distance? Tor instance, the horse in question carried 8 5 in a mile iace, aad gave time lmin 476 CC. What time will he give if he carries fl 5, •10.5, 11.5, and 12 5, or leps— viz., 7.5, 65, and so on?

Answer : Try him. Question 2 : If the distance changes less or more, how many seconds < r fractions of time will be then the difference fur one stone Cirried moie or less? For instance, if the hoise in Question runs a mile and a-half race, carrying 8 0, and gives time lmin 45sec, what fraction of time will be then the difference if one stone were carried either more or less? Answer : Tiy him again. Question 3 : How many lengths can a horse run in one second ?

Apswer : It depends (a) on the length of the horse, (b) on how fast he can go. (N.B.— Some hors-s go faster than other?.)

*** "Milroy" writes: Laniond, who was born afc Shoalhaveu iv 1839, in his youth followed the occupation of a jockey, and in that capacity he became connected with Mr Etiie De Mestre, who engaged him to ride a horse named Colliugwood at Liverpool, where races were being held in honour of the opening of the railway to that to* The railway contractor, one Mr Atkins i. .-dowed a race for all horses over halE a mile with a prizj of £200, which Collingwood woninsosec. Collingwood, like his great half brother, the dual Melbourne Cup winner, Archer, was bred by Messrs Hassal and Roberts, and Lamond declares that the former could beat the best of the present-day sprinters, while he would ask for nothing beMer than Archer in a Melbourne Cup now with 9.0 on his back.