IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 45

IN A NUTSHELL.

—Mr T. Muir has changed the name of The Tola, now m England, to Parramatta.

— The V.R.C. Grand National meeting is fixed to take place on July 6, 10, and 13.

— Nominations for the Southland Racing Club's Autumn meeting exceed by 30 those for last year. — It is the intention of the Wairio Club to xoof m their grand stand and to increase their stakes next season. t — A private wire from Sydney gives Advance s starting price for the Autumn Stakes on Saturday as 7 to 4 against. — One of the first mares booked to Bill of Portland in England was Engagement, a full Bister to Martini-Henry. — The Carbine horse Clarion won the first and champion prizes for the best blood stallion »t the Grafton (N.S.W.) show. — Autaia (by Dreadnought— Purse String), who has proved a disappointment to Mr G. P. Donnelly, was sold recently for 17gs. A rumour is in circulation (says "Crackshot") that a "ringer" is likely to make its appearance shortly, so racing clubs should be on the alert.

— The Wairio Club have decided to support the nomination of Messrs J. Edmond, H. Craig, and S. S. Myers for seats on the Racing Conference. — Lancaster broke down so badly in the Eesendon Stakes at the V.R.C. Autumn meeting that he has had to remain in quarters at Flemington ever since. — Royal Hussar, by Carbine out of Golden Moments, has arrived at Kingsclere from Welbeck, to be trained by J. Porter for his engagements in England. — Two very light-weight jockeys rode at the Ballarat meeting recently — Porter, who scales 4st slb, and Bailey, who just touches 4st 9lb. The latter is only IS years of age. — During the last four seasons in England the stakes credited to St. Simon by his progeny amount to £109,707, last season's contribution to the total being £54,460. — Now that litigation in connection with Volodyovskl, the English Derby favourite, has ceased, the colt is quoted at 5 to 1, 9 to 1 being offered against anything else Record Reign will be sent to New South "Wales after the Auckland Racing Club's Easter meeting (says "Whalebone"). It has not yet been decided that Jewelry will be sent over. — '- Goldsbrough mares have thrown some of the best horses in Australia — viz., Abercorn, Trenton, Niagara, Zalinski, Havoc, Wallace, Seahorse, Warpaint, Wild Rose, Churchill, and Bundook. W. Minter and R. Lewis are at the head of the list of winning jockeys in Victoria so far this season. Each has had 186 mounts and been successful 37 times. Both ride for the Scobie stable.

— In answer to a correspondent an exchange says:— The best paid racmg official in New Zealand is undoubtedly Mr T. E. Henrys, the liandicapper, who, it is reckoned, receives in handicapping fees about £1400 per annum. — The stewards of the English Jockey Club have given notice that, in view of the large number of horses now in training at Newmarket, they are not prepared to entertain any fiesh applications for licenses to train there. — Private advices received in Melbourne from Colombo state that Mr George Vowles, ths "V.A.T.C. haadicapper, now en route to England in search of health, has not so far ■benefited by the trip, having lost 10lb in that short space of time. — T. Cotton rode the winners of no less than four rac?s at the Nelson Trotting Club meeting, and was second and third in two other trotting events. Warrigal and Honduras, the "winners he rode, each pulled off a double. A good day's -work this' — An explanation is due Mr Neal Dempsey, secretary of the Beaumont Club, in regard to the non-aapearance of the acceptances for the Beaumont races in our last issue. The letter arrived in time, but was not handed to me until too late for insertion.

— The brown horse Flodden (Lochiel—Forget me-not) has been sold to go to India, where he will do stud duty. Although ho never won any of the big events for which he was fancied, Flodden carried up to 9.5 successfully in minor handicaps in Australia. —It is stated by the Indian Planters' Gazette that Mr E. de Soysa is in correspondence with Messrs Madden and Company, of Melbourne, for the purchase in Australia of a first-class norse to take the place of Merloolas (who died recently), and is willing to pay a big price. — The V.R.C. will inaugurate its Duke of York Birthday meetings on Monday, June 3. The programme is made up of such appropriate items as the York Hurdle Race, Royal Handicap, Hanover Steeplechase, Birthday Handicap, the Duchess Handicap, and Cornwall Handicap. — Messrs Ellis Bros.' mare Decoy pulled up very lame after a gallop at Wingatui last week. — Monday, June 3, being the Duke of York's Birthday, entries for the Melbourne Cup and other classical events will not thi3 year be taken on the "first Monday in June, but on the second Monday, the 10th. "Reginald" estimates that a train which left Melbourne for Sydney recently carried horseflesh to the value of something like £16 000, made tip thus : La Carabine £3000, Clean Sweep £3000, Maltster VS3OOO, Wakeful £2800, United States £1500, Hautvillers £1500, Aurous £1500, Paul Pry £500. — Joubert, by Apremont out of Charity, died about a month ago (says a southern exchange). The owner of Charity has decided to end her trotting days, and go in for breeding.

—It is said Strathnairn is likely to be put to hurdle-racing. He was given a trial at the game some time ago, and shaped well. —At the Wentworth (K.S.W.) races the Darling Handicap was run at six furlongs instead of seven, Galaquil winning easily from Gold, the only other starter. The race -was ordered to be run again, and after going about three-quarters of the distance Gold dropped dead. Her rider luckily escaped imury.

—Mr E. J. Watt's three-year-old colt Notility, by St. Leger— Lady Emily, the winner of the Wanganui and Egmont Cups last month, died on Friday night, as the result of an internal strain received in the running of the Wanganui Stakes, when, after a terrific race, lie was beaten a short head by Skobeloff.

In Ireland last season more added money •was distributed at race meetings than in any previous year, the total being £46,678. Strangely «nough, there were fewer horses competing than in some preceding seasons. The total -was 1239. while in 1894 it reached 1448. The f«llmg-off is attributed to the number of jump«rs sent to England and the Continent.

At a meeting of stewards of the Alexandra Jockey Club, held on the 30th ult., to consider the protest against Winchman on the grounds of inconsistent running, galloping past the 3»st, and misrepresentation at the recent meeting, it was resolved that the secretary be authorised to pay the stakes m the One and a-half 3lile Trot to tha owner of Dagmar, and that ~Mt Murrell be authorised to pay out to the holders of totalisator tickets on Dagmar. There -were eight investors on Da-gmar, and the dividend is £14 19s.

— It would not be too much to say that La Carabine is the best mare we have ever had in Australia— Lurline not excepted (writes "Milroy"). Lurline certainly did bis things, but she had not so many, or the pick of so many, highly-bred ra-cehorses to meet in her day as O «ack has to meet nowadays. It epe»ks

volumes "for the stiength of Barcaldme maies that. La Carabine (by Caibmel, Maltster (by Bill of Portland), Voyou (by Bendipo), Elusive (by Trenton), and De Aar (by Gibi altar) are out of mares by the great son of Solon.

The wagering on the Hack Race run at Papakura on Saturday last and the result of the contest furnished 100 m for a little thought on the part of those who go a-bettmg (says '"Phaeton"). When speculation opened a, ringman offered to lay 15 to 10 on Valedictory, which was snapped up by another penciller. Pandarus then became an odds-on favourite, 2's to 1 being freely laid on his ability to win. The common-looking Pungarehu (who, it may be remarked, earned a stone overweight) proved himself better than anticipated, and succeeded in bowling over Pandtirus 111 the last bit of the journey. Such arc the fortunes of racing. —In the palmy days of Fleetwood Park Mr Frank Work often sat on the clubhouse piazza and told people around him within a. second of what this or that horse had trotted the track (says Turf, Field, and Farm). He kept his watch in his pocket, and there was open-eyed wonder at his ability to accurately judge the rate of speed. The pulse over the thumb of the left hand beats so vigorously that it can be seen with the naked eye. Place the index finger of the right hand on this pulse, and Mr Work has an unfailing timing watch. When in health the pulsations are 65 to the minute. Dr Mott, when his attention was called to this development, described it as a freak of. nature.

— - >sSrhe luck which has attended Mr E. JWatt in, .hia .racing .purchases has often formed the subject of 'comment (says "'Phaeton"). Another aide to the picture has, however, to be recorded. The two-year-old filly Uestroyer (by Torpedo — Javeline), which raced in his colours at the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's meeting, was sent up to auction, and allowed to go for the paltry sum of 37gs. Four days after she annexed the Sapling Stak-ss of lOOsovs at Np.,pier Park. Someone evidently made a mistake over Destroyer, but it was not her new owner, Mr H. Reeves, who in handling a good bit more than the sum expended in the purchase of the filly had excellent reason to indulge in a shake hands with himself.