TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2294, 17 February 1898, Page 30

TALK OF THE DAY.

By MAZBPPA.

*#* I understand that Mrs Kennedy, the holder of a large parcel of shares in ihe Forbury Pack Land Company, has arrived from America, and it is said that (he bdj's visit has some relation to the racecourse pnperfy m which she h»s a substantial intereht. On this assumption ie is by some persona thought rouble that overtures may be made to tbe Duwdin Jockey Club to keep possession of the Forbury. I htve no knowledge that fctia will happen, but print the rumour for what it is wortb. At the same time I would observe that; if there is a reasonable prosptci; oi coming to teims it should nob be neglected. Ikport has it tttat the club's committee have not been entirely afc one on the subject. The published correspondence seems to show th&t in the negoHtxtiocs between the club and the company tbe club's representatives msb with & ' rather cold reception ; and generally the impression has, rightly or wrongly, got abroad that the negotiations m f ght have proceeded af, any rate a little further if obstructions which did not weigh very heavy had been picked up and thrown aside. Perhaps ib ia not too lfcta yet to go afresh into the matter ».nd try foe some feasible arrangement. Whether a,. change of plan would be desirable is now a debatetibla question. "Well, let it be debated. lam ons of those who think that a change to Wingafcui ■would prove an advantage, bub others think otherwise, and if After due and fair consideration tbe evidence seems to point to the desirability of remaining at the Forbury, nnd the offer ia made, by &\l means stop at the Forbury. The i only thing to he coQßideced is the welfare of t'aa

club. As a supporter of the Wingatui project, I for one can acknowledge that that scheme would never have been considered if the Forbury Company had consented to practicable term 3. If a desire is now evinced to shake hands over the matter I hope that the subject wiil be exhaustively dealt with, and that no question of party in the club nor of standing on dignity as between the club and the company will ba allowed to prevent the bringing about of such arrangements as will make for the highest prosperity of the D.J.C.

*#* This week I have spent some considerable time in figuring out the records of horses engaged in the T&huna Cup, with the hope of being able to fairly analyse and comment on the handicap. I find it, however, impossible to do th* job properly. The difficulty is that the majority of the horses engaged have no recent records that sre reliable. Owners have for the most part entered tbe very horses whose form must be a mystery. Under these eircumstancep, Mr Dowse muot have had a deuce of a job to make a decent handicap, and since in many cases a vast improvement on the old records is quite possible, I am nob going to rely solely on figures and pull the handicap to pieces. Some owners would no doubt like me to do this, but lam not on. A few of the apportionments seem to be fairly questionable. For instance, Awahuri has a record of s<nin 32sec, jet he givps only 2sec to Lauderdale, whose record is smin 37aec, and only 4sec to Peak, whose best time is smin 47£ sec. Again, Lexington and Jimmy have the same record, smin 54sec, yet Jimmy receives 4sec, though his performance is bub of yesterday, and he could have done better if pre-sed. Further, Wolsely did smin 35sec at Lawrensa last month, but gets 3sec from Laracor, whose record, so far as I can find, is smin 43"cc. There are several things like this in the handicap, and I don't for one moment assert that the calculations are perfect. Bub Ido say that if Mr Dowse had made a handicap quite perfect on figures he would probably have " f »llen in" badly. Aa it is, while Ido not underatind all Ihe figures, I say he has given U3 a handicip ia vhich ib is impossible to pick the winner. I have tried and can't, and there is the end of it tor the present so far as I ara concerned. For one thing Mr Dowse ia certainly to be thanked — namely, for not taking an extreme range He has taken tbe worst of the batch to be smin 45sec horses, and that is a liberal enough allowance.

*** Duty has often impelled me to write out tbe history of a noted racer. This week, for a change, I sing the praises of a horse that may be called a princs of battlers. I refer to Stockfish, Jack Loughlin tells me that his near foreleg looks very queer, and that he has thrown tba old fellow out of commission, and will let h'm enjt.y himself in peace and quietness for the rest of his days. As a horse that has raced long and often in both islands his history will no doubt be generally acceptable. Stockfish was bred, I believe, in the Hawke's Bay district, gob by Piscatorius from Lacteal, a nanre said to be by Gladiator. He made his first appearance in public on October J. 6, 1889, at the Poverty Bay meeting, being thea in his fouv-year-old season. It was in a back handicap, a mile, and carrying 6.9 he fiaished last of fhe 10 sbarfcers, the raco being a runaway for Mr P. Malone's Harlequin. Stockfish was tried no further that season. In the succeeding peason he started twice in the nomination of Mr W. -Peakman at the Wairoa Connty Club's meeting in February, and won both races — the Hurry Scurry, a lOsov four-fu.-long race for maidens at catch wtigbts, beating Steppo and four oih*rs, and paying £5 ; and the Hack Race, of lOsovs, a mile and a-quarter, the next day, carrying 8.2, beating Ingoakore 7.8, Aorera 8.9, and font others, and paying £10 4s. In the season of 1891 92, being then six years old, Stockfish did a regular campaign. Starting at Puvetty B*y in the spring, be «on the Maiden Pl*te, beating Pekapu and B au!y for places, and, weighted ab7 4, he easily dispos-ad of the famous rogue. Wakatipu 9.6 in the Forced Handicap. Power rode him in both these race?, and he was carrying the colours of Mr B. C. Smith. Going on to Gisborna he captured the Grand Stand Handicap with top weight of 8.3, and then, with 7 12, ran a dead heat with Zanzibar 8.0 in the Park Handicap, the latter winning by a head in the run-eff. At> Waerenga-a-hika. Stockfi.«.h finished second in the Boxing Day Handicap, receiving astcnei romPani, the winner, and later in the day he was beaten out of a place in the Forced Handicap, won by Avis. The Poverty Bay meeting in January found Stockfish shaping well in good eompaisy, for with 6 11 he divided Scot Free 7 0 and Bay Bell 6 7 in the Turauga. Stakes, and these were five fair horses astern of the placed three. On the eeoond day, however, he could not get a shop in the Stewards' Stakes,. won by Loch Ness. At Gisborne he was unplaced in the Stewards' Stakes, won by BayBell, and also in the Forced Handicap, won by, Avi», and, .running thrice at the Wairoa meeting, the best he could do was to get second placti> in the Forced Handicap to Zaccho, who conceded 21b; while of bis thres races atTologa Bay he won only the Forced Handicap, and I don't know what the dividend was. The Tutanganui meeting, got up by the Natives, was that year endowed with a Cup of 50sovs, and Stockfish 7 10 i fi> eted a surprise, the " moral," Pani 95, beiue only third. For this he was whipped up to 9 3 in the Filing Handicap at Waerenga-a-hika iv May, and Arthur Smith rode him into second place behind Cairngorm 7.8, wb.il* he was twice placed in other race*, being third with 8.9 in the Birthday Hmdieap, won by Zanzibar 78. His lasb appe»r»»ce for the se&son waa ab the Gibbarne Stsaptashasee, where ho won the Winter Oats Handicap under the top weight of 12.7, and with 12 6 was second to Truthful 10 12 in the Final Handicap.

*#* Arriving at the mature distinction of "aged," Stockfish opened at the Poverty Bay fixture, and started four times, with the result that ke won the Forced Handicap, giving Avis 101b. Then for the -first time he went to Wellington, and ran for Mr F. Collins, the best of his three tries being to finish thud, ridden by Kingan at 7.0, to Revolution 8.0 and La Petite Fille 7.6 ia the Hutt Park Spriug Handicap, a mil* and a-quarter. This was nat a bad performance, seeing that he beat Huerfana 7 5, Musket 7.0, and Freelance 7.0 As Hfcwke's Bay he made no show in the Christmas Handicap, won by Dreamland, and he then appears to have been B»ld again, aft at Waipawa he ran iv the nomination of Mr C. Diamond, and gob a doing from Rangifttca 8.1 and Ua 7 0 in the Flying Handicap, his weight being 6.12. The Napier Park summer gathering found Stockfish with 6 11 second to Krina in the Flying, defeating Dreamland 8.12 and a couple of others, and he followed this up by winuiug three races off the reel at Wairoa, including the County Stakes, in which he bent Avis aud St. Malo for places at a mile and a-half, and ran aecond feo Wafcerlily (conceding her 17lb) in the FlyiDg. He lid no good at Manawatu, and at Hawke'e Bay a (he autumn his best performance was third

with 8.8 in the High-weight Handicap won by Chris ; but at Napier Park he captured the Novel Race — the first of his many selling races — and was then sold to the late Mr Nat Nathan for 60gs. For his new owner Stockfish did no good at the Wellington meeting, but being taken to Marlborough he nearly effected a coup in the Cup, being beaten only a head by Awarua Rose, wk-o was conceding 91b, and giving the go-by to Liberator and several other good horses. In thie race Stockfish was a rank outsider. On the second day Stockfi-h won the Waiau Plate with 8 2, defeating Princa Cole 7 9 (who had licked him in the Riverlands Handicap) and Awarua Rose 8.13, but the latter came again in the Welter and gave Stockfish 121b and a beating over the mile and a-quarter. The Flying at the WaDganui Winter meeting was a soft thing for the old gelding, but there was merit in his winning the Welter, a mile and a-quarter, at th® Hawke's Bay fixture, seeing that he beat 11 others, several of repute, and he had 10 10, while the best of his opponents, Dreamland, carried only 11.7. His last races that season were two at Wellington won by The Idler when Paddy M'Grath had the chestnut travelling on that profitable trip of his.

*** The season of 1893-94- was a slack one for t v e old horse. Mr Nathan brought him to Dunedin in fche spring, and ran him in the Selling Race (won by Windsor) and tbe Novel (won by Lord Aston), and then sold him, Mr J. M'Kewcn being the buyer. In his new colours Stockfish ran third in the Flying at the K>vik, won by Francotte ; he was twice placed — third to Derby in the Selling Race and second to Lord Aston in the Novel — at the Dunedin Cup meeting ; ha won the Selling Race on the same course in March ; was twice beaten at the Taieri ; got three times unplaced at Oamaru ; and finished up by being twice beaten at the Dunedin May meeting. In his nine-year-old season Stockfish started 19 times and won a dozen events. He began by annexing the B aeekt at the Otago Hunt Club meeting, beating four others, including Armstrong, to whom he was conceding a stone, and he followed this up by winning a similar raoe at South Canterbury. After being bsaten in the Taieri Cup. he effected a surprise by dishing Van Buren in the Selling Race at DunediD, the latter conceding only 31b, and he was then sold for £17 to Mr A. Johnson, who afterwards sold to Mr T. Kett. It was in the lattet's name that Stockfish won the Stlling Race at Wycdharn, the Stewards' Handicap and Tapanui Handicap at Tapanui (seven furlongs in lmia 34-see), the Tuapek* Jockey Club Handicap (a mile and aqnartsr in 2min 19sec, with 7.0 up), and the Novel Race at the Dunedin Cup meeting, when he had Van Bnren, Swivel, and several others behind him. Later on Stockfish ran a particularly good race in the President's afc Oamaru, carrying ? 5. and being beaten only by Lord Zetland 8.12, while Maremnia 8 3 and thres great V'a (Vanilla, Victim, and Vandyke) were unplaced, and the mile was run m lmin 44sec. Storkßsh also won the Easter Handicap afi ttio Taieri. giviDg weight to Rotbamste&d, Esparto, Jane Eyre, and Swivel, and before the season was out he had snatched the Publicans' Handicap at, Gore (seven furlongs, with 10.5 up, in lrain 35 see), also a double ab Mandaville under heavy weights. It may be noted that the Turf Register for the season gives him only eigbt winning brackets ; but' 12 is (he right number, and not a bad record for the veteran battler..

*** Daring the 1895-96 season Stockfish was racing solely for Loughlin's stable, aDd out of 18 starts managed to secure a double at Gore Spring — viz., the Spring Handicap and the Welter (giving Lobo 51b) — and he was also second with 8 4 to Ocson 9*4 in the Riccarton Welter at Euroclydon's New Zealand Cupmeeting, beating a dozen others, including Bloodshot. This I regard as on» of the stoutest performances in his career. For the rest of the season the .old horse was content with hack company, and though generally placed he never quite got home. Last season Stockfish, began by flui(vhiug a couple of thirds at Queenatown ; second to Lady Teddington in the District Handicap at Tuapeka ; at Tapaaui was second to Emmeline, she conceding 4-lb, in the President's, won the Stewards' Handicap, aDd was nnpl&ced in the Racing Club Handicap ; at the Dunedin Cap meeting won the Novel, beating the favourite Rustic, who gave away 3ib, won the Post Stakes, and carrying 14-lb extra waa third in the D^spo^al Stakes won by Bold ; at North Ofcago won the Novel from E.-ian, and the Selling Rfce from Toxa ; ran third to Molly Darling and Alcestis in the Gimcracb Stakes at Christchurch ; landed (he Selling Race from Toxa and Bold at Timaru, and waa afterwards sold f<u- £40 to Mr M. Allan ; and wound up at Danediu by finishing second to Cactus in the Novel, and second to Molly Darling in the Disposal Stakes. This season Stockfish returned to Loughlin's stable, and began racing at North Otago Spring, where he was once third and once unplaced ; he then won the Selling Race at the Taieri, doing six furlongs in lmin 19^sec ; was unplaced and third in hack races- at the D.J.C. Spring meeting ; and wound up his career at the Lake meeting, where he pulled off the Queenstown Handicap',, doing the mile in lmin 46sec and giving 111b to Decoy, ran second when trying to give Decoy 12lbin the Publicans' Handicap, and gave Decoy 101b and a beating in the Welter, doing the seven furlongs in lmin ZZ^ieo. The comp'ebe record of this wonderful old Stockfish, put into figures, comes out thus : —

* One of these had been a dead heat for first place. This is to my thinking a splendid record, but ib would not have paid to follow up Stockfish on the £l-a-pop system. Bar the £10 4s in his five-year-old race. Stockfish never paid a bigger dividend than £8 3s, and my count up of his total dividends is £126 8s for the 134 races, which on the £l-a-time principle would leave the backer £7 12s to the bad. There is one dividend that I have not on my records, but it would nob come to anything like the sum named, and, good old slave a3 Stockfish has beeD, he musb have lost money to those who h&ve backed him blindly.

*** Before Gaulus and The Grafter made themselves famous by battling out the finish for the Melbourne Cap, a younger brother to this now celebrated pair was bought by Mr K. Craven, of Wenbworth Lodge, Sydney, and this youngster, Gauleon by name, though only two years of age, and virtually untried, is regarded as the king of the establishment. " Milroy " writes of this youngster : In the matter of eiza and shape he is a king, but be is much too young and big as yet to tell if he is likely to follow in the footsteps of his illuatrionß brothers. I sbould guess his height ab 16hds lin, aud when oue fiada a two-year-old go high

and made in proportion he can say he has seen something very much out of the common. Gauldon is a great black brown and a typicnl Gozo. The deep chest and fore ribs, well sprung back ribs, and' superb shoulders are there, bub he carries a better "dinner bag" than the majority of hia Iri'no. In this respect Gaulus is away ahead of all the Gozos except his younger brother. G*ulton favours The Grafter in shape, and does not remind oue iv the least of Gaulus. Gaulus is the horse with the wonderful gullet aud windpipe, but in this connection he cannot give Gauleon much of a start. The other morning a few Randwick trainers were pulling Gauieon to pieces, and were wondering where he gob hiß great halfmoon head from. One wiseacre was satisfied he inherited it from some impure stallion or mare in his pedigree, bub unfortunately for this man's argument Gauleon has not got an impure drop of blood iv his veins, bub he has got six crosses of Blacklock, one of the greatest stayera and most successful stallions of his time. If I owned Gauleon I would be proud of that half-moon head, because I would be satisfied he favoured one of the greatest if not the very best horse in his pedigree — Blacklock. Writing of the four perpetuators of the Blacklock tribe — Buzzird, Brufcandorf, Voltaire, and Velocipede — "The Druid" said: "No blood in the Stud Book is better winded or runs better when full of fli sh, which shows thab the internal conformation is good and ought to be perpetuated. Their aptitude for a distance displays itself in a muscular neck, without which few horses ever yet stayed, and they have also great depth from the withera to the shoulder points and an immense roundness of rib in making the curve from the spirfe>' That these qualities are, as far as looks go, embodied in Gauleon there is no gainsaying.

*v* Twenty-five horses remain in the C. J C.'s Challenge Stake 3to be run at the approaching meeting — thM; is at Easter, and these are responsible for the full stake. About half the number, I should say, keep the engagement either by mistake or on the chance of accidents or breakdowns putting tbe cracks out of it. There are, at any rate, fully a dozen in the list which would b« quoted at outside prices if any atiraightoub books were open. Mr Sfcead has five representatives. Multiform's penalty amounts, I think, to 101b ; if bo, h>s weight is 94: Gold Medallist has only 31b exra, it my computation is correct, aud this makes his impost 8.11 ; and Conqueror's s!b penalty gives him 76. Seeing that Multiform is not yet quite right and that ho has so high a weight., the outlook ia in favour of his stable mates Gold Medallist and Conqueror, and of this pair I rather prefer Gold Medallist. In saying this, however, I would have it borue in mind that Curassow and Altair are also engaged, and either of these, with their light weights, may be dangerous. Next to Mr Ste&d's lot there is nothing to bo preferred to Nihilist, who only r? quires J;o be at his best to have a big say in the n ca. "This c">lt h.<s never yet shown his best form. Lady Harriet also has claims for consideration, and, to a lesser extent, Bloomer and Vulcan are worthy of noticp. If, however, forced to back something just at present I should think I had a fair show if allowed Mr Stead's stable against tho field. The Champagne Stakes has a nioreopen appearance, chiefly, no doubt, because Conqueror has not carried all before him. Here, again, S'.vrral names seen in tbe list cause surprise, as of candidates whose chances are purely speculative, and ib would be good betting for any backer to get bis pick of half a dozen against the other 19, while if odds were being hawked about we should probably find Conqueror figuring ab something like 2 or 3 to 1.

*#* Despite e-H the lavish prsise bssbowed on it by fche leading English writer on breeding, it is doubtful, observes the Australasian, whether many stadoaasters pay much attention to Bruce Lowe when laying their plans. Mr Bruce Lowe's disciples go farther than he ever did in advocating the claims of his system. Breeders who wiint a ready meanu of acquainting therah lv»-s with (he aalecc denfs of a family will find Biuce Lowe taves them a deal of trouble. Bat neither 8.-uce Lowe's nor any other system is going to supply breeders wif h the key to breeding racthorises. All sorts of other things must come into the calculation, and luck will always fill an important part in the bill. When a good horse conies to the front, and his "figures" are light, Biuce Lowe is lauded to the skiss. When the crack of the day hsilt from au outside family, the enthusiasts go back through the pedigree, and show how certain good figures here and there fully explain why ib has come about that there is a good horse with a bad figute. An amu3ing case of this ready way of explaining everything has cropped up in the ease of Merman When h-3 went to England his pedigree whs given, arid it was explained by the editor of Bruce Lowe's book that on figures there was no better bred horse in the world, and he was recommended as a most promising stalliou.. At that time Merman's dam was supposed to be by Coltuess. Later, the same writer thought he hid discovered that the pedigree was wrong, and that Ronicruciau should be substituted for QolbaetS. Most people are aware that Rosicrucian was a much better horae than Coltnes3 ; bub how was Merman's excellence to be maintained according to figures ? Easily enough. The change to Rosicrucian was welcomed. Despite the original pedigree being so perfect on figures, it was argued that the substitution of Rosicrucian for Coltaoss made it even better. "It is just possible, " said the writer, "that with Coltness in the pedigree Merman had a little too much running blood in his veins. The eire blood coining in through Rosicrucian will strengthen the pedigree and make it even better than it was before." So mosb people would think ; but it turns out that the original pedigree vtas correct, and now Merman's champion will have to forget all he said in favour of Roaierucian, and support thoee figures which denote running blood again. If we had « good-looking colt, the better the figures he possessed the better we would like him ; bub ib does not follow that a horse chokefult of out&ide numbers may not be a racehorse. Bjbadil is not by any means a wellbred horse on figures, and Cocos undoubtedly is ; y6t a good many people would not change Mr Wilson's colt for Mr Bailey's, good as Cocos undoubtedly is.

*#* The Foxton meeting last month brought about a victory for Irish Twist, the ex-hack that used to be regarded as Waiuku's rival. He won the Racing Club Handicap quite easily, doing the mile and a-quarter with 8.9 up in 2min 10s«c. The public were rather cautious about backing him, even though on mere weight he was evidently well id, being called on to concede only 61b to the best of his opponents, while several of the party were within a stone of him. As a matter of fact backers put their trust in Lady Spec, the mare that had shaped so well at Rangitikei, but she made no show, and indeed failed to get a pl*ce, the end of the contest being that Irish Twist won easily by a length from Indian Shot. The performance was a fairly good oue, aud it ib *to3d alone — thab is, if Irish Twist had Iheti and theie left the meeting—one might have thought ttai Toroti geld-

ing a coming horse again. Luckily, bowercr, for backers, he was given a go on the second day, iv the President's Handicap, a mile and a distance. This sufficed to take, the niide ouh of. him. True, he ran well — indeed, he had a big say in the race up to the home turn — but here he was challenged by the light-weight Tupu, and the latter raced past so speedily as to bf < returned a winner by several lengths. Allowance to some extent may be made for the factvthat Irish Twist was giving Tuou 31lb, but even then the Irishman had only 9.3, which, though substantial, ought not to be a hampering burden for a racehorse, and I think the defeat reasonably disposes of Irish Twist's present claims to first rank. Waiuku could probably have won where Irish Twist lost. lam pleased, however, to learn thab these Foxfcon efforts showed Irish Twisfc to be quite sound again. As a sound horse he is sure to win again before long, and he may be able to win a lob of money even though he never aspires to the company of the crackg. The racing at the Foxton meeting seems to have been interesting all through, and the sum of £5799 put through the totalisator represents £839 more than last year.

*£* Experience proves the brother theory to be simply a ready road to ruin. Ib does sot follow that the brother to a good racer will also be a good racer. The man. who picks hi&hor; jeßj e8 that way can hardly escape loss. I rely for proof of this on any of the stud books. Still, there are many cases to the contrary, and I have come across one which it gives me pleasure to quote, since it does honour to one of our New Zealand horses thab has been sadly neglected. I refer to Apramoub, the begetter of sound legs. His brother, Chamanb, stands afe the head of winning aires in Germany. The authority on which I reJy fays that this horse's importation into Germany was due. to the keen judgment of Counb Lehndorff. His direcb produce, headed by Saphir, GeraaSum, Habenicats, Vollmond, Steinbock, &c, have won over £23,974 during the past year. If, however, all the sons of Chamant who have won their spurs on the racecourse and been deemed worthy to take a place in the stud as breeders of future winners are taken into consideration, we find that they have by their individual efforts placed a grand total of £35,966 to the credit of their sire. Such a result has claimed tbe attention of breeders nob only in Geimany, bub also in Hungary and Austria, and while men are satisfied with importing their brood n?are3 fiona England, there seems to be a general desire to import some good sire from France, which country produced Flageolet »s well as Chs-manb, and gave Harzbuvg that excellent s>ra t^ouverneur, whose first year's produce created such a sensation when they were led out into the sale ring at the atud where the son of Energy and Gladia now stands.

*#* Large fields were seen out at the Sydney Turf Club's anniversary meeting last month. Herewsurd, favourite for the HarJle R»ce, proved onable to concede 211b to Pomeroy. Iv this race Bundywalla, a novice by Piscabor, crashed into one of the hurdles, and Marie May, who was immediately in his wake, came down over him. A broken batten from the hurdle entered Bundywalla's chest aud killed him on the spot, while Marie May had oue of her knees so badly injured that Ktbo deemed ib necessary to pub an end to her sufferings next day. She was a daughber of Marvellous and Spec, aud had scored many successes on the flat before she took to the " illegitimate game," at which she proved an adept. Mirella, the three-year-old daughter of Nordenf eldb and Miriam, was made a strong favourite for the Lamington Plate, the weight-for-age race, a shade of edds being: laid ou the well-perfortned filly, and .she won by a length from Lucky Dog, doing the mile in lmin 43£ sec. Miriam carried slb and Lucky Dog 71b over. Amiable, the mare now talked about for the Newmarkeb Handicap, made her reappearance in this race after a spell, bub was beaten for third place by Little Widow, a daughter of Trenton.. As Lucky Dog is by MartiniHeory, the three placed horses were, it will be Been, gob by New Zealand sires. Backers thought they had found the winner of the Maiden Handicap in Holster, a son of Carbine ; but he failed decisively, and the winner turned up in lufluenz*, a three-year-old by Guldsbrcugh, who, by the way, is nob very often noticed nowadays as the fire of a winner. A score started for tho Challenge Stakes, Wskawatea smosgib them. The report in snother column shows thai; Skalewag won. This mare comes of a reputable racing family, boing by Trident (son of Robinson Crusoe) from Lady's Luck (aister to Here's Luck), by Kingaborougb. from Hussy, by Yatfendon. Combswood, a son of Msnton, up3et the pot in the Amateur Plate, and the day's prcceedinga ended with the Tunf CUb Handicap, a mils aud a-quarter, in which Flodden 7.10 and Crosslake 8.8, both by Locbiel, finished fusb and second with very little to spare from Aurea 8 10. The second day's Hurdle Race found Hereward, at a concession in the weights, obtaining his revenge over Pomeroy. The Nursery Handicap served to introduce a new candidate in Gubbearer (full brother to El Norte), a well-shaped gelding by Nordenf < Lld from imported Hebe, by Pursebearer from JEne&, by Voltigour II (son of Voltigeur), from Eiderdown, by King John. The youngster was selected as the best of the 17 that were stripped for the five-furlong spin, and he got home by a neck from the Trentoa filly Tai. Wakawatea was one of the defeated co&biugenb in the Welter, won by the 20 to 1 chance Wafc Tyler. For the Anniversary Handicap no fewer than 24 started, and victory rested with Loch Leigh, the Lochiel horse that wa& recently sold by Mr Dan O'Brien for 200gs. Mr Knight, the new owner, is said lo have backed Loch Leigh pluckily and to have landed nearly £5000 by the result. Combewood landed the Corinthian Handicap in good style, and the programme came to an end with the Fasewell Handicap, in which York, starting ab the remunerative price of 10 to 1, found he had a soft thiiig on.

*)<* Aurum'B performances at the V.R.C. meeting have caused English writers on all sides to express their astonishment at the hardiness oE Australian horses. Mr Corletb saya : Though we by no means admit that the Australian horses thab we have so far seen are nearly the equal of our own, we believe that in bringing Carbine to this country, thus leading the way for Trenton, Carnage, and others, the Duke of Portland did the English turf good service. When we see Australian and American horses year after year running on hard ground, and find them almost as good when they are 10 years old as they were when they began, something is aeb us to think about. Thab we have no good old horses is a cry that we have heard for many years, and, unfortunately, it is a true one. Ib becomes a question as to whether, with our Bnglieh horace, we do not make undue sacrifices to speed. Possibly, if we had a little less speed and more soundness, the general result might be better. Speed, of course, we know, is the most sought for of all tests, and we have it to perfection. What we should like lo see, howerer, is English spead ou Australian legs. For that reason we bepa that the experiments that me being carried oat ab W&lbeok aad Cotii&ia will be su^essEul, &ud nothing

would y«!eav, us better than to see a fl.i >»*£ n»(iS yeiu-oici by Carbiiie or Trenton.

*** Though the V.lt.O.'s double of New* market Handicap and Australian Cup Ba» practically ceased to be an important betting medium iv New Zealand, there is still a littlar business done thereon, and many persons wh» never put a copper on to a race like to keep the hang of these events, so I publish this week a copy of the official list showing the breeding and other particulars relating to the horses still engaged. II wili be seen that the onljr real New Zealander among the Newmarket acceptors— the only horse born in this colonyis Mr Hordern's Cravat, the five-year-old son of Castor and Necklace, who at the Wellington Park eale oE 1894 was knocked down to the Sydney man ab 1050gs, top price of 1575gs being paid by the same purchaser for the CastorFrailty coit since known as Astronomer. A patriots spirit begets the hope thab this solltiry New Zealander may win the six-furlong race, snd that the Marlboroagh-bred Sortie — the other representative of this colony in the Australian Cvp — may follow up hia Lanncesion win and pull off the more valuable V.R.OL priz^. Bub that is too much to expect, and I am nob going to let my wishes conSrol my advice. In sober truth, however, Cravat may by recommended for the Australian Cup. Ouc Melbource correspondent, who has the besfe information at his disposal, picks the Necklace horse as having a show in this event, and he is sure to carry a lot of Sydney money if he starts'. My own pick is Syerla for the Newmarket and] Mischief for the Australian Cup ; but this is put forward merely as a fancy. • The best thing backers can do is to read carefully what " Hori Poene" has to gay in another column.

*** Two or three wes&s ago, writes " Ribble« den," I gave a few illustrations of the hardiness and endurance of Australian racehorses. I am reminded that Strop is not unworthy of a place in such category. Strop was, indeed, a wonderful old horse. Bred by Mr W. Field, afc Eafield, Tasmania, Strop wa3 by Panic frcrai an unarmed mare by Little John from Amelia^ by Mczatb from The PcS, by Bolivar from Whlz.jig. H« was foaled in 186 L, ard was on the turf aj late as 1878, but he did not race uatil he was four years c-ld. Among the many races he won were the Champion Stakes (1866 and, 1869), the Hobart Cup (1876), the Launcestoa Cup (1866, 1869, 1874. and 1876), &c. When he ran for the Champion Stakes in 1866 — his first race — he had only a few mouths previously been taken from a inch. He wart highly tried, and h'm owner offered lo take 10,000 to 1000 about his winning, bub waj not accomiaodattd. Cowra (ridden by Lang) won the Champion Stakes of 1868, bub was objected to for crossing Strop, who got tbe race. Strop was described as "a light bay, standing up» wards of 16hd«, on good legs and feet, the hin<s fecb white ; light neck, good shouMern, not good Juin--., and badly ribbsd np, bub splendid quarters And thighs, and good gaskuvj." He had by no vneans a striking appearance, and was not tbe horse an expert would pick cut 5.6 likfciy to carry off champion honours.

#s* The ruling off of Trance ia America, referred to last week, ia the subjeci of coca* m'nt by the Chicago Horseman, s.nd the particulars tans disclosed show that the Uoited States cannot be regarded as * baveu of refuge for Australian crunks, whereat we may ,»il rejoice. Ib appears Jhat on Decennb.'r 21 a, meeting of the stewards of the Ipgleaide track was held, and J. D. Lewis, Dan HaUidsy, and others were closely questioned concerning the mare Trance. Tha answers returned w^ra far from ga(,i3factorr, and the stewards were Tii»mmous in upholding tha verdict of tbo lKg?ev«de juclgsss dttlariijg Le*vis and HaUidsy ruled off the tuif. It transpired thafc the mare 'i>ai>ce had been ruled off iv Australia on account of some crooked woik ab Brisbane, and thab thereafter Lewis had bought her and shipped her to the United Stites. Tho aaa.cn etaudiag <-aled off oy a recoguised tarf club ti&s not eligibla to race on a3*ccia'r-«;d Amerir<in tracks, aud i'or starting her her owners brought thfccelves under the baa. This i» the first instance c£ the kind that; his come up for consideration in the United States, and the Ingleside steward aro to be congratulated on their prompt detection of the fraud and their sevcra handling o£ tbe persons connected with it.

*** "Itowley Mile" declares that the position of a jockey iv Eogland is nob what ib used to be, as not only is he prohibited from betting, bub he is forbidden to take presents from other than the owner of the horse he is riding. The presents thab were made Archer and Wood m tha old days were something extraordinary. The writer recollects a race of the value of £2000, with £1000 for the second horse. Sir J. Bhmdell Maple was the cwner of the horse that won the second money, And ho told me he was better tff than if he had won, as oub of. second money you do not have t& pay anything, but with the winning money the jockey would have wanted half the stake, and there would be other payments as well. Owners of hordesare loug-suffering individuals, arid this iniquity they endured for years. Th^y have be&n known to be called upon on winning arace, to which there was not a shilling of added money, to pay £50 for police expenses, and the same for the judge, to say nothing of a few dozens of champagne for the officials.

*** About the most profitable horse the late Morris Jacobs ever owned, writes " Aj%x," was, I think, Little Bob, who seldom missed fire when backed. AU racing men know the yftra thab waa going round when Sedition won the Newmarket Handicap. There was some misunderstanding about the trial, and the win, it was said, was not at all pleasing to Mr Jacobs. The way Sedition won ia Sydney under a big weight afterwards proved what a good one she wa3. She was certainly one of the best mares thab ever ran in Australia. At the sf ud ahe has thrown nothing worth racing. Mr Jacobs was ab one time a very wealthy man, but latterly, it is understood, the world had not fared well with him, and he quite dropped out of the running as a prominent bookmaker. Some members of the ring point to his case as showing thab bookinaking is not as good a game as most people think. If Morris Jacobd bad kept to the book and pencil he would no doubt have been all right. It was "mixing it" bronghfc about his downfall. He was a heavy backer of his own horses, and he was nob always succeifulas an owner. Mr Jacobs was a very masterful person, and iv his best days was a man of a good deal of influence in racing matter*.

*#* From Tennessee comes news of the death of Great Tom, which occurred at the beginning of December at the Belle Meade Stud. Bjf King Tom out of Woodcraft, Great Tom, who was foaled in 1873, was au own' brother to the Dsrby winner Kingcraft, and was bred by the late Lord Falmoubh, As a three-year-old he won twice, running a dead heat with Glacis foe the St. J»uiob'B Palace Stakes at Ascot in a field of two. The stakes were subsequently divided, Great Tom walking over. His other success was in the Doncaster Stakes^ for which he beat Coltness and another, win*. 1 ning by two lengths- An ■. £ov«.je»S-Ql«UBl

■won a race at Newmarket, beating such as Sheldrake and Chevron, and in the following year was exported to America. In his prime he was one of the best sires in the United States, gettiDg Tyrant, General Harding, Te'ie Doe, Thackeray, Tullahoma (Tammany's dsm), and * number cf others. He was buiied in the paddock ot Belle Meade, where his owner, General W. H. Jackson, intends erecting a fittiog monunidnfc to hie memory.

*** The evils arising from the irregular practice of receiving entries on credit are being felt nob only in New Zealand, but also in the old country, and the matter is the subject of an announcement by the stewards of the National Huat, the body that controls the leaping meetings. The stewards prtclaitn thaf, the'r attention having been called to a practice ftfc some race meeiings of taking, ai.d evrii inviting, entries for races on the understanding that no entrance money will be charged to the nominators except in the event of the horse running or accepting, they hereby give notice that, as «uch & practice in a grogs it- justice to Lena fide nominator* (who are required to pay their entrance money in any case), they will fine or ctbetwise deal with any clerk of the course or official who shall invite or accept entries on Buch terms, and if the stewards shall see cause, they will further refuse the advertisement of -. any race meeting where entries are obtained in - this manner.

* fc * The gale of a fortnigbb ago pr«tiy well denuded the plough on the Forbury course of the upper surface cf soil. The wind blew ifc away ia cartloads, and left only the hard and rocky bottom. Since then the D.J.C. Committee have been hard at ib repairing the damage.by carting on to the course and t-pread-ing a great quantity of eari,h. This work was finished la«>t week, and oa Monday th? restored plough gallop was in use once more, to the delight of the trainers, who when pressed on the subject confess (hat this is one of the very best training tracks in New Zealand.

*** After this season the Tahur.a Olnb'a pony races will fee nil for ponies 1 4hds 2ia ar.d under instead of Mhds liv. Ttsis resolution, jusi; txriTed at, briegs Otago's leading trotting dub into line with the other px-iucipal clubs in New Zealand. We are gradually approaching to something like uniformity of practice in the trotting world, and every step iv that direc^on is an important advance towards building up the sporfc into a popular institution which will bring in the great crowd and shoro the thieves and the rats onoee side.

*;;.* Mountebank and Rtd Lancer were taken to Ohristehutch -on Monday ; Black and Red, Bla2er, Marlin, Sequin, and Fulmen went yesterday, in order to take part in the C J.C. meeting. My seiections for the first day's races areas follows : — Hurdle Kaco, Clarence; Lyttelton Plate, Motto ; MidMjnatuer Handicap, Black and Red or Colverix (Led&'s withdrawal is a great disappointment to many backer*) ; Hornby Welter, Cuhassow ; Craven Pi ate, Cannonshot.

TJn- Stakes Starts. Wins. 2nd. 3rd. placed. Won. -t4yis ... 1 O-00l — -tsyrs ... 2 2 0 0 0 £19 -t6yrs ... 22 6 *9 I 6 243 t7yr<s ... 33 8 5 6 14 448 .tßyrs ... 13 113 8 40 .fc9yrs ... 19 12 2 2 3 546 -t lOyrs ... 18 2 3 6 7 59 -tllyra ... 18 6 4 5 3 163 .t 12yrs ... 8 3 12 2 68