IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2288, 6 January 1898, Page 32

IN A NUTSHELL.

— I distrust the report that Levanter has " a leg."

— The Tahuna track was in splendid order last week.

— Venus had father a rough trip in her voyage from Dunedin to Hobart.

— The Wtst Coast racer Tutanekai, by Ch%inshot from Hinemca, is dead.

— The V.R.C. has decided to lay water all lound the course at Flemington.

— A Chiaamau rode in one of the races at the Cattle Fhit meeting on Christmas Day.

— Eighty-four diffeient patents for starting machines were registered in America last year.

— I learn by & Melbourne paper that Mr M. Ilobbi, trainer, has j;one there on his honeymoon.

— Georgie Sharp is now trained by R. Hastis. She ran a good trial before going to the Vincent meeting. — Soitie, placed thiid in the Hopetoun Cup in Melbourne, was bred in M-ulhoiough, got by Cate&by from Barosma.

— One of the Tahuna stewards was the sole investor on Blackie at Tnhuna Park on the second day, and he scooppcl the pool. — The Tasmauian Turf Club has declined to register Carrick for having defied its ruling, and that club lost its riirht to race on Boxing Day. — Mr W. R Wilson's fiieuds will be glad to learn that he continues to mske veiy satisfactory progress, and is likely to be about again shortly.

— Some of the Engli-h yeprlings by Haut Brion are so good that Mr Peck never cesses regretting that he sold that fine son ot Sfc. Simon to go to Australia.

— Bhckiiid Red, Belle Clair, and Blazer, the hoc es that have beeu hithei-to trained by S. Mercer, were last week txv nsferred to J. M Ginnis'i stable.

— Glut Chat, winner of the Ballarat and Hopetoun Cups, was bought for SOOgs by Meisrs BaUey and On% at.d last tea-on they made him a p esent to Jas. Scobie. — Ted Hawkins had Linkshot walking about among the ciowd at Tahun.v Paik last JMonday week To all appearances this strongly-nude ho^se is now f-.ound and well

— Struck Oil, owned by Mr T. Aimstrong, won three long race — one of them a huidle race— at Porangabau on BjxHg Day. Better for the poor boric if be had s^uck a bullet.

— la the F' cond day's Hgck Race a.t V/is,tpoit a prolppt c: t.red by tl c owtur of Ben Moie on account of Shjlrck's j ck,-y dismounting before beicfj weighed iv Vvas dismissed

— IJbiquo, ",-ho cut up co badly at V/aikouaiti, ii by Chain?hot — Prima Ponna. She has bad inilucnzi, and that may bo the re-son why sh<j cut up ' o badly. '1 hey &ay ihe is for snle.

— M'lVer«on, one of the jockeys at Lower Valky, was fined £1 for abusive laoguaga to the starter. lie was subbcqutntly biought bcfoie tlie ptewar-?, «iud h d his certificate ruspended f-r moi.tbs.

— After Wags won hftv race atTahunaLt3t week she Ijinkd into the crowd and made her way ahnjstto the front of the machine — inoidei-, it v.'as i-uf4^estcd, to see for herself what sort of Cth-kl-nd s-hfc had won.

— The Knglifth horse Gluten, who v a,-, pur-chas-d with thf? idea ot winding the Vie rr.y's Cuf, wc<i linilod in India iv saicli bad coii'iition own g lo tee effect^ ot his &ca trip that lit. it, not to be i.i ced for s>ome time.

— Sam Mercer was clurgeil at the Biinedin Polics Comt on Thuisday last with Fhoorin^ at Edward Brown, and tho ca^e was remanded for a wesk. Bro«vu is in a low cendition, but ppiioutf conscq<7t;iice9 arc not foaied. — The races at St B.ithans on Loxirg Day proved to be v gieat sucre«s Th- atteml\; cc wai very £O-">d, tLc we-.iher .ill that could be de-ired, »Kd ihe raws w-re well ontesti-d, some of th*rti bringing out fields uf nine au'l ten. — Two residents of (J.iveishmi lffce-tly orew a horse in one of 'J'atfei Fall's sweeps, and at once offoied the owner £1000 tn uoihing ; but he srnt word that he wantid £1300, ai d they laid it him. Tlie hoise c"uly staited, but did not run into a X>lace. — Giiullo, another of , St. Swithin's ftet, has pometothe front in South A v.stialia On D member 38 at the Adel-tide 11 C.'s mettinsr, sue v,-or. the Wflter, p^yirg £37 ss, and ihe same day site pulled off the Anniversary Handicap, paying £21 38-i.

— It U stated that in consequence of the pa"&ing of the Anti-Gambling "Bill in South Australia one leading Adelaide bookmaker intends making * ydnev his headquaitevs, while another ivill settle in Melbourne, and a third is leaving for Kr.s;larid. — The Ameiican stallion Glecelg, I>y C tadsl from the Kuigstrn mare Babt.i, died in Gc'ober a', the oge of 31 yeais. He was a ch?mpion winner and sire of some of the be'-t hordes America ever had, Ferida and i'irenzi amongst the Dumber.

— Bob Ksiy, the A J C Derby winner of 1895, has been taken in hand again, after having enj >yed a long Fpoll. The soa of Welcome Jack irf as ioand a& ay »ppl-», and it is to be hoped that ho will keep .sound enough to win a few ractb for Dari O'Brien.

— Malurna. ridden at 8.1 by Charlie Wood, started fay. uritc for the Great Jjancashir^ Handicap, of 4GO ovs. oue mile, run at Liverpool in fiovemhn", '>ut fiui-hed only fourth, boi.,^ beaten by Ka^ter Gift (syrs, 7.10), Golden Rule, (-Jyrs, 7.1), and Villieis (syia, 7.9). — Without giving him an opportunity ci calling evidence on his own beh'ilf, the Kilmore atewirds disqualifi«d_ the i"c'i«-y G R,o^aa for three mouths fur bo'ing. Tho V.R.C. Committee referred the ca*e back to the local stewards, and declined to endoise the disqualification.

— Negotiations are in pvoaress for a trotting match between the New South Wales champion Fritz and the Victo~ian mare CglUta Such_a match would create wide-spread interest. If airacged, it will take place on the Richmond (Vie.) track, which, though small, is very fast. — The mobt jnpular win at Ihe A°hurstPohancina meeting was Ibat of Mr J. Gutter's ftleny M^id-n in the iMaiden Plato. The mare, wHo is a fu'l si-it- r to The Artist, v on her race in good btjle Tho total aniouu*- put through the totally -tor vv,.s £5-273, ss against ;£4<>Po Litt year. — The special commissionc- of AW bourne Sp'-.rthman wiites : " t-ast week I received aletter from a well-known New Za Und trid.K r, who mentions that 'Mr G. G. Sctad declares Multiform to bo the best hoir-e he has ever owned." I wonder, now, whether Mr Stead di.l really say tha*?

— At the December meeting of the Newcastle (N.S. W.) Tatter.; all's Giub races the Cup, of lGO^ovh, one milu and a-quarter, was won by Mr Western's Old Ulo, carrying 9^t. This mare also won the Newcastle Cup. blie was liddeu in bt.th. races by S. Callin;.n, who piloted Gaulus iv the Melbourne Ci:p-

— 'Ihe New W'juth Wales bred mate, Rebel Queen, won the December IJandirnp at Moonee A^al'ey on December 8, hectics Miss Glidsto'ie rather easily. She is by the defunct Nordcnfeldfc from Tli.^ Qiioeu, winner of the Hawke&bury Oiaud Ilindicap in 18S8 and a daughier of Mr John Miyo't, celebrated maicßl.ick Swan. — Vv akawatea. no ■ eight ye.irs of ago, and considered a "has, been," came out of his fchill at R'iijthvick on the 18th December by winning the Christmas Handicap, .six fuilouss in Iniin ]4 2-3<e- ¥ . Ilecanicdt-.S, was liddcn l>y 'J'. Johnson, an<l won entily by four lengths. Lo l us hop' that Mr Ilungoford v. ill have nioic lu.--k with the veteran goldinE;. — 'Ihe impo'ted lioi.=e Voj-ou v as sucpe o< .ful inthe Tlizli weight ITjiudican at Raudwick la=t month. He iS a four y^ar-old, by that great perfoimev Be'idigo f/on BarUjw^er, by Baicpldine from Lilly ot the Hci, by Lecturer. Voyou is owned by' Mr I<\ l?oy, who imported him fiqm Koglm.d a joar or so .igo. 'Ihohoisewas r. shipmate cf PnviUno.

— Befoie Sutton ''' -"ii" 'vitli his bag ('-ays "'''(-t 1)'1 )' ■. v iiin'ij 1i) >kin. iker was apt to tin n u;> hi lioa.j at a pound Is'(.a\ the biggest of Ihe ensh men will not refuse half a crown, and one of them took £ 3 2) in silver alone on dun day. And in the streets there are plenty of bookmakers who jump at the chance of laying the odds to a Fhilling.

— At the annual race meeting of the Thwies Jockey Club there was a rocoid attendance, and lovely weather was experienced. The Goldfields Cup \yas won by Supplejack (dividend, £2 4s), with Merry Maid and Yat'.enfeldt in the places.

The Hauraki Handicap also was won by Supplejack (dividend, tl Is), whilst the veteran Magpfa won the Steeplechase (dividend, £G is). — Sporting Review reports that Mr E. Browne,, of Palmerston North, has lost Record Reign, by Iliko — Phcenix. The horse, owing to an obstructioa in his throat, was slowly starving to death, so, in order to put him out of his misery, he was shot. It was found that a piece of rope, which, the horse had chewed, had stuck firmly in his throat and thus obstructed the passage. — It_ain fell at Poranpab.au on Boxing Day. Two inquiries were held. Toop, the rider of The Boatman in the Christmas Handicap, was cautioned for crossing Nina at the start. Nina's running in the Flying Handicap— in which she cairied nearly a stone overweight, and won easily, although she had failed earlier in the day -was considered by the stewards ; but no action was taken. Tlis bum. of <£1047 was put through the tutaliaator. - "Pteping Toni" takes me to task for omitting:'! he Boj> from the list of even-time trotters. He is right. By a strange oversight the winners at; the Tahuna meeting in June are all missed. They are: At a mile, Jenny 2min 57.5< c ; milo and a-half, Victor Junior 4inin 19sec, Silverlight 4min 26<sec, and Aquinas 'pony) 4min 27sec ; at two mile.s, Daisy Bell (pony)simn SMJ ec, Lauderdal<- Smin 37sec, and : he Boy smin 47We. —Mr Gollan's Erl King, an Australian-bred gelding, by The Duke out of Splendour, carried off the chief event at Birmingham on the Sth November— the Oheveley Handicap Hurdle Race. Ha had the market c:>ll at the fall of the flag, and pulled his backeis through handsomely, for he made all the running, and tie challenge of Broth towards the finish was stalled off in the easiest fashion.

— Had Mr Wilson been able to get his price, says " Terliuga," Aurum would have he^n &old months befoie our Derby, but tie b n =t offer received was GVQOgs from Mr W. T. Jones, and there were no conditions attached. With so many good stakes in front of Aiirum this bid of Mr Jones's was not considered good enough, but Mr Allison's cable offer of 50UOgs and ceitaiu contingencies was closed with.

— The vu-y latest from Home was brought to> "Javelin" by a returned Victorian, who declares that he overheard it in a iaua train g^iug to Newmarket on the day Meiman woa the Cjkarewitch,. A stolid-looking chap readii gin a newspaper a rumour concerning the bupposed whereabouts cf Andree, looked up and said to his friend, " Wot's p. nconaut?" "A bloko when 'is ole mnn's died an' 'asn't left 'iin no splosh, I &hud think."

— At. the fale of the Brookdale stud and fetable at Mi'nmouili P,-.rk (U.S ), the famous fom-year-old P.iquitai made B'oodol, Mr J. J. M'CfJf n,y b.ir.? tlie buyer, and hu would Imc gone on to 10,OOOdol. "L'Alnuette, the Futurity winner, realised SSOO-10l fi\.m Mr T. J. Heale-y ; ancl anothri' pioperty, Dr Catlett, by Candlemas, madi: VGOOdol. Thbi-e are poor pricps. seeing that the animals aic right at the top of the tree in America.

— Tl c We. i, Australian Parliametitaij' vote of £200 f ir tho Qucii's Plate, run under the ampices of the VI. A. 'lurf Club, has now b'en stiuck out of the Estimaies'. The race has invariably resulted in apToffsii'>n and small fields, theie being two starters in 18DC, three the year before, and iv 1894 six runners. The lace was inaugurated in 1879, when Bas Blanc won. The W.A.T.O. will probably continue to include the iaea in its autumn Frojcrtirarut'.

— The O'ago hounds havo been dispersed, and we ""hall probably hear no more of them. Even now tho c aie few, i>iobably, who know bow the puck was originally got together. It was a bit of p. j.'b, for such lines are not in the mavkut. One this.g I remember about the collection of the pack ':= tVit Mr H.ut and Mr Taggnib wont to a lot of troubl:*, and they were much indebted to Mr Sydiify Jaraes for piocnring a courile of wellbred harriers ficm MrG. Watson, of Victoria.

— Tnfip"k!i nouiinatiois are about the bost I have Ken yinco tin 3 days when somis of tho csaok stab 111 1 s used to include thib meeting on their utuV St. Ouida", Vinill), Murlin, FulmeD, Zephyr, Piti'b and Tof-s, and Jane Jiyrr — these are jiwr-' forme 1 ? of merit on me<Vopolitan courses, and the' Tuipeka Club is to be congratulated on aitiaciiog: such hor-'es, backed up as they are by a crowd of others all with moie oi - Ites claim to lespect. Th's Tuapeka meeting is goittfc to h ive a boom.

— Roiii3 tim^ iigo there was exhibited at state fairs oiul ra-eo. ursos. in the fJnifuil States a horse tint, without rider or diiyer, would, v/heu started on the track, t;ot a milo in very foat time. Th's horse, na'i'ed Pacing Johnny, was killed by accident in 159G His tutor has now biought out a ptcex 1 and a trotter to raca agiiii-"l each other, without driver or sulky. The hordes are said to ''race as if they meant it— go their mile close to Smin 3"se-\ score f.»r the word as if drivcD, aud answer the lec.sll bdl without coaching." — the Aiihtialacian : — "When the totalisator was le-'eaali ed in South Australia, about 10 ye.us ago, theie was only a m-.joiity of one or two in it-s favour in the Legislative Council. Tiiii- uiajo'.ity has row risen to moie than 3 to 1, the voting on Dr Campbi-ll's amendment aiming ax, the abo'ition of the tohilisator being 17 to 5 in favour of the machine. It. i-s evident fiom this that the totaiisatOL' bass gained ground, and that the South Australian legislators do not shrink from approving the most legitimate means of conducting lacecoui'Le betiing."'

— I am much mistaken, says the Spoilsman's special, if the foils of this season throughout iS>igl.ind a'e not destined to create a "vintage" ysAr. In my various visits to studs I have never before seen st many foals looking hi althy and robust in and August. It is an almost invariab'.e rue that fnals for some considerable time after beirig "taken off" "their dams do badly. With few exceptions tliuy ar« troubled with woimp, get hide-bound and unthrifty, itiid need very great attention with plenty of oil. This j ear, however, go where one inny, there aie foals to be seen strong and hearty as yearlings. — While at Hurst Park, writes the London Sportsman's special, a gentleman showed me a' cablegram which he hsd received fiom Fome impecunicus acquaintanre of his in Au-.tralia. The gist of it was a lequest for a en dit of £400 to be cabled out for the puiprne of backing on joint accou'it "an olil horse of Forester's " which was belifcVi.d io be " a better thilig i-n- the Cnp than ever Highborn was." My friend actually did what was n-ked, and cabled the ciedit. It was not until I ie*d what Mr N%fc Gould wrote about Mr I'ores'er and his ownership of Highborn, who wa 1 * so heavily backed in (J.»rbine'B year and succutubeel only to that mruvellous hcrirf, that I realised the good thiug bad come off.