IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 32

IN A NUTSHELL.

— Mr J. Grindley is, I hear, taking an hotel at Gore.

— St. Clements broke down in his trial on Monday.

—R. Lewis has recovered from hia recent accident, and is riding work r,gain at Caulfield.

— A horse owner says that racing in Queensland has improved since the prohibition of Tattersall's sweeps.

— Chester started in 30 races, winning 19, running seven seconds, one third, and only three times unplaced. — The famous English mare Signorina, who has never thrown a foal, is to be mated this season with Janissary.

—Mr J. M'Kewen has bought the trotting mare Black Angel, who has the reputation of being a detei mined kicker.

—Up Guards, a brother to Count Schomberg, who was recently sold in England for 2500g5, is destined for India.

— Jonathan, who ores rau third in the V.R.C. Derby, was sold in Meibource lecently for 4gs. The new owner is Mr B. Lynch.

—Mr D. O'Brien, prior to his return to New Zealond, was banqueted by the racing fraternity of Sydney, and x>resented with a handsome travelling bag. — Unbeaten horses include Eclipse, West Australian, Bay Middleton, Flying Dutchman, Ormonde, Kincseni, and the Australian horse Grand Flaneur.

— The C.J.C. Grand National programme provides for an increase of the stake of the Beaufort Steeplechase by £200 and the Enfield Steeplechase by £100.

— With the approval of the donor it has been decided by the C.J.C. Committee that the cup presented by Mr Stead be an addition to the New Zealand Cup prize.

— Cathal, second m the Liverpool Grand National, was second in 1895, eighth m 1896, and fell last year. He is said to have become 3hifty and untrustworthy.

— Fair Saxon, winner of the Silver City Cup at Broken Hill, is well enough bred, being by the Englishman — Valeric, but her late owner, Mr C. Haimes, sold for £12.

— The excellent dividends of £13 4s (My Novel), £11 19s (Mimosa), £10 12s (Dumps), and £10 6s (Regent) were paid by the totalisator in Port Adelaide last month.

— Vedette, when taken to Sydney, was quartered at M'Carthy's stables, Lower Randwick, in charge of C. Birkett, who broke him in, and has had charge of him ever since.

— Horses trained by Robinson have won the Lincolnshire Handicap three years in siiccession — viz., Clorane, (1896), Winkfie'd's Pride (1897), and Prince Barcaldine (1898).

— Ths Lancaster Park atewards, being dissatisfied wish the performance of Tenui in the Maiden Jfandicap, tried Tenui with another rider up, and then exonerated the original rider.

— Lochie and Metal claimed two winners each at Warwick Farm last month, the former •with Prince Charlie and Blanche Florence, and the last-named with Talavera and Carrara.

— The Gozo — Kathleen vmion has produced three successful performers in Pilot Boy, Cabin Boy, and Sailor Boy, all of which have worked themselves up to big weights in handicaps.

— Mr J. B. Clark's complaint re the handicapping of Jack Hanwell and Insurance being considered by the V.R.C. Committee, it was decided that there was no ground for interference by them.

— Mr Gollan won the Silverdale Steeplechase and tho Stoke National Hunt Flat Race at Keele Park (England) in February with Norton and Jfibor respectively, the last-named being allowed a walk-over.

— The Duke of Portland has bought a number of mares in Ireland suitable for breeding hunters, which he piirposes distributing anaong hia Welbeck tenantry with a view to their being mated with Kilmarnock. —At a recent meeting of the C.J.C. Coiumittee the transfer of the Apremont — Whim filly and Apremont — Charity gelding from Mr W. J Marshall to Mr Hans Morrison was not approved, pending payment of fees due.

— The Australian-bred mare Maltmia has been entered for a number of long-distance races to be decided in England this season, and some of the critics profess to believe that after all she is a stayer rather than a sprinter.

— Fitzroy was to have been an acceptor for the Onkaparinga (S.A.) Cup, but his owner presumed, in ignorance of the conditions, that silence gave consent. It is about time there was uniformity throughout the colonies in the matter of acceptances and forfeits.

— Owing to some telegraphic error in making the entry of Norval for the Selling Steeplechase at Sandowu Park (Bng.) in fc'ebrimry, the horse's name did not come to hand correctly, and he was not handicapped. The stewards, having gone into the matter, gave permission for him to be handicapped and" run.

— Windfall, the Irish-bred winner of the February Four-year-old Steeplechase at Sandown Park, was as a foal bought for £16. The English papers remark, apparently as showing a chance lost, that the horse could have been bought for £1000 prior to his victory. — The Thornton Stakes, four miles, was run at Oakland (California) on February 19, and won by Judge Denny in 7min 202 sec, with Marplot second and The Bachelor third. The record at the distance is 7.11, made by Lucretia Borgia against time at the same track in May 1897 .

— G-eronte, a son of King Lud and Hysteria, has been introduced iuto the Epsom Derby market. The property of Count de Berteux, he ran twice last year, finishing second to Madagascar for the Prix Rochette in a field of seven, and third to Cazabat and Manitou for the Criterium International at Paris in October. — Two Horsham (Vie.) racehorses met their deaths under somewhat peculiar circumstances lately. The first, Glenroy, was being exercised in a paddock, when he put his foot in a rabbit burrow, and falling heavily broke his neck. The other, What's That, was doing a trial gallop when, making a false step, she so injured her back that she died in a few minutes.

— Prince Barcaldine, the winner of the Lincolnshire Handicap, is Ihus referred to by the Sportsman Prince Barcaldine is perhaps not the most trustworthy animal in the world, but on hi? best form he must have a great chance. Last year he slipped on the road and broke his knees, otherwise he would have gone to South Africa, but he showed later on in the season that lie was none the worse for the accident.

—At Warragul (Victoria) on. St. Patrick's Day a protest was entered by G Lynch against The Chart, winner of the St. Patrick's Day Handicap, on the ground that the horse had been entered in a false name. The stewards decided that the deposit of £5 be forfeited for frivolous protest; that two jockeys be fined £2 each for frivolous evidence; and that the costs of the inquiry, amounting to 10s, be defrayed by G. Lynch.

— " Castor " writes : Messrs Stephenson and Hazlett will act unwisely if they make the demonstration against Ilippomenes their exciise for relinquishing racing. Disapproval of one's actions does not necessarily mean that those actions are wrong, and when marks ol disapprobation come from a few irresponsible persons whose feelings are entirely subservient tb monetary considerations they are hardly worth serious consideration.

— With regard to the programme framed by the French Jockey Club for this season, out of 268 races two-year-oldg are only eligible to compete in 28, with .£IO,OOO added, three-year-olds have 52 races of .£42,000 . three-year-olds and upwards 157, of £44,160 , and four-year-olds and upwards 31, of £15,200. Of those 268 races 160 are run- over distances of betwpen 1^ and 1J miles, while 58 are over two miles or mote; mud only. 50 jut a less distance than 11 miles,

— At Broken Hill (N.S.W.) on March 23 the ? judge's decision in the first race of the day was ; questioned. A neck-and-neck race between ! Colin and Wave coming up the straight resulted in a nose win for Wave. Mr Xernson, however, placed Monarch second. There was. a general protest and great dissatisfaction followed the decision, which was evidently a mistake of the judge, but ho could not alter his decision for anyone. — There can be no lo»ger any reason to doubt, ! says the Man of the World, that John Portar sold ; Hawfinch merely because he knsw that he had a '■ belter in his own stable. That HermistoQ is | better than Hawfinch is well known, but that is ; not ihe hoise we have in view. Itisßatt on whom ' Mr John Porter's hopes are centred, and we hear that he is much better than any of his public per- j foxmances indicate him to be. It is far from un- - likely that the Duke of Westminster will win the next Derby.

— Fred Taral, "the Archer of America," j has been writing an account of his career as a , jockey in the New York Spirit of the Times. ■ He says thai, he would rather win a selling race under tho Stars and Stripes than the Derby in England, and has recently refused several flattering offers from English owners to cross tho , ocean and ride for them. Taral rode Domino in all his races for Mr Kecne, and on this horse | as a two-year-old — carrying 9.3 — he established the three-quarter mile record of lmin 9sec. —At the Ascot (Victoria) pony races last month all the starters in the Australian Handi- ! cap were ordered back from the starting post ' to the weighing enclosure. The reason was i that almost any price was on offer with the exception of two horses. The owners were j warned that if the competitors failed to try to ', win all bets would be declared off and no stakes ; would be forthcoming. The result was a | spirited contest. Fairy just«i.won by a short ! neck from Mysene, who was a neck in front of Hazard. — " Javelin," in the Melbourne Leader, writes : This is how the " losses " of the poor ill-used ring men are computed. Bookie (as Ailsa Craig passed the post) : '" Veil, vot do J yor think o' that? Laid me full book, s'elp j me, to a gentleman in the Athenfeurn Club! Vouldn't that sink a ship ? " Same bookie (after Ailsa Craig had been disqualified) : " Vot did I tell yer? They 'aye us ev'ry vay. 'Ere's the fust skinner I've 'ad fur three months, an' I ther stooards goes an' gives it to a veil-backed j second. Don't tell me about justice after j that."

— Writing of the Liverpool Grand National, < " The Aristocratic Tout " said : Drogheda is j one of a trio hailing from Wood's dangerous j stable, which has been in rare form this season, and is certain to provide a strongly-fancied candidate before the finish. Both Drogheda and Sweet Lavender are fine fencers and rare stayers, and the better of the pair will have to be kept on the safe side. The horse appears to find most favour with the public at present ; indeed, after Sweet Lavender's disappointing performance at Sand own, it is doubtful if Wood has the least chance of winning with anything else but Drogheda, who is a great favourite of mine.

— Dead Level, generally regarded as the probable winner of the Warwick Handicap Steeplechase in February, started a warm favourite, and the odds laid on him seemed tolerably safe until he made a bad blunder at the last open ditch, from which point he lost ground, and was unable to catch Norton, who won by half a dozen lengths, though Williamson had ridden him with his right leg out of the stirrup from the water jump. But Dead Level was destined to get the race after all, as an objection to Norton on the ground of going the wrong side of a post proved f atai. This is not our Norton.

— I learn from an Oamaru paper that a meeting has been held (Mr C. Christie in the chair) for the purpose of taking counsel as to the advisability of holding a coursing meeting during the incoming season. Nominations were received representing 10 dogs, and it was resolved to cormnttnicate with Otago and Canterbury coursing men soliciting nominations. Should a little co-operation bo received from outside the district those present were hopeful of being in a position to hold a 20-dog stake early in May. It was decided to approach Mr W. Macaulay with a view of securing his services as judge; and Messrs M'Lean, Stewart, and Borrie are to be written to for permission to hold the meeting on tbeir land.