IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 17 April 1901, Page 44

IN A NUTSHELL.

— "Whalebone" describes Ellerslie as a racing paradise. — M'Gmness's stable will not be represented at the Wellington Club's meeting. — A Melbourne message states that Miss Carbine was so injured at the Williamstown races that she had to be shot.

— Messrs Duncan and Abbott, in whose name Advance has been running m Australia, have returned to New Zealand.

—Mr Gordon P. Wood, secretary of the South Canterbury J.C., forwards me a compli* mentary for the May meeting. — Paul Pry has received the big impost of 10.11 in the Adelaide Cup, to be run on May 1. Clean Sweep ha« a stone less.

— A good performer in Nevermoie, a mare by Lochiel out of Athene, was sold in Sydney recently, her destination being India. — A Hobart cable states that J. H. Vincent, of Manawatu, won the first price of £3096 m Tattersall's sweep on the Sydney Cup. — Becord Reign, who was one of the "also starteds" in the Easter Handicap at Auckland on Easter Monday, is to be sent to New South Wales. , , — Mr J. B. Haggm, the owner of the expatriated Sir Modred, has nominated no fewer than 193 mares for the American Futurity Stakes of 1903. _ — Sharpshell, Re* Banner, Belligerent, Off Ohance, and Gladys II have left for Invercargill to fulfil their engagements at the Southland Racing Club's meeting. — Twenty-nine horse 3 have accepted for the S.A.J.C. Goodwood Handicap, and 38 for the Adelaide Cup. J. Scobie has no fewer than six engaged in the Adelaide Cup. — The Australian-bred Resolute (by Trenton — Umilta-), who proved untramable after winning one Titfe in. England, has been sent to the stud. His tee has been fixed at 18gs. — On the concluding day of the Kalgoorhe autumn meeting P. Bolger annexed a double by the aid of the Lochiel gelding Kilt and Tieasure, a son of Tremando and Beeswax. The Hon. G. M'Lean, president of the D.J.C., is at present on a trip to Austrpha, but will return m time to witness the racing at Wingatui on the 24th and 25th of next month. — A Sydney cable states that Mr W. T. Jones, the former owner of Newhaven, cables from England that he has purchased the yearling brother to Maltster. The price paid is in the vicinity of lOOOgs. — Mat Harris, the jockey, is on his way back from India to Australia. On his arrival in India he did not find prospects as good as he anticipated, and consequently did not deem it advisable to remain thero. — A Sydney cable states that Mr Prosser purchased the Russley colt Cygnus for 80gs, not Favoriau, as formerly cabled. Mr 'W Bailey paid 625gs for the Positanc— Bange colt. The 61 yearlings sold realised 8082gs. — The owner of Materoa has lodged an appeal with the Metropolitan Committee against the action of the Napier Park Racing Club stewards m disqualifying the marc for the race she won on the frist day of the club's autumn meeting. —On Easter Monday the Onkaparmga (South Australia) Club gave £2700 to be run for 1 This is the prize money for a single clay, and yet people are asked to b«heve that racing cannot flourish where the totahsaior is legalised. T. Cotton rode the winner of no less than four races at the Nelson Trotting Club's meeting, and was second and th:rd m two other trotting events. Warrigal and Honduras, the winners he rode, each pulled eff a double. Not a bad day's work ' Mr Thomas Momn, tho Auckland studmaster, paid a visit to the Wingatui racecourse last week, and expressed the opinion that it was one of the prettiest courses in the colony, and that with some slight improvement it will also be one of the best.

— The Beaumont Jockey Club lowered their flag to half-mast on Monday afternoon as a testimony of respect to the memory of the late Mr H. Crossan, a very old member of the club, and former proprietoi of the Beaumont Hotel. — Tuapcka Times. — The Lochiel gelding Cherry recently won the Byculla Cup, of 5500 ruoees, caie mile and a-quarter, at the Bombay February meeting. He carried 9.11, and was escorted home by Security 10.4, Aihe 78, while the others included Vigorous, Kelso, and Tubal Cam. — Previous to the racing at Riverton last week the horses owned by Mr TXT . Baird weio submitted at auction, and found new owners at tho following prices — Ch m Sub Rosa, £23, Mr P. M'Annelly , Windermere, Mr A. Gerrard, &\1 10s; Clinker. £51, Mr G. Peterson, Golc Iring, £43, Mr G. Peterson — Tod Sloan is not faring too well in America. He has not had nfany winning rides at Tanforan, and has made at least one bad spec in horseflesh. He gave £1500 for a mare naaied The Lady, backed hei for a race at Tanforau Park (San Francisco), and after she -was beaten sold her again for £1200. — One of the most remarkable bets ever rudde was that laid by a Viotcnan bookmaker named Slack. He wagered A'lOOfl to eight drinks against the double, Crovdon for the Metropolitan and Nimblefoot tor the Melbourne Cup, m 1870. Mr Craig, the taker of the bet. died before Nimblefoot won, and Slack paid half the wager to Mrs Craig. — A jockey stated in the District Court at Masterton that it was haidlv likely he would risk his life riding in a dozen hurdle race? without being paid according tj racing scale. Judge Kettle stated there weie young men risking their lives in South Africa just now for half-a-crown a day, and less. The lockev letorted: "But they expect to sot titles— l don't '" The New York Herald is aiUhonty for the st,it»mc-tt that James Rowe, repirsenting James R. Keene. has offered £1600 foi the services of Owpii Mounce, the cckey, nov. doing £>ood wnk m California. His contract with Walter Jennings exnired m February, and it was thoueht probable he wov'd accept the Ktene offer. Mounce can comfoitably ride 7.7.

- A bill has bfc.i mtiodiir-ed :nlo tlio Crih(orria Legislature mnk.ne all kincts of "doping" of horses a felony punishable by imprisonment, not lc=s than ore year nor more than five Such a measure should be the law m every country. The use of powerful drugs is injurious to horses, and should be prohibited for the piotection of breeding as \ ell as lacThe '■•n-ripou threr-yc.n-old Tomipy \ikins r.aip;lit ro 1 '! (liiiinpr tin' \nyage from Amr-i.' 1 * to T^>igl.ind, .md ilipd of pneumonia soon iiftpr landai?. He was purchased as a vefulnifr by the ile'-brs Keene for £300 It v,-as behoved that Tommy Atkins would hold Ins ovn -with the three-vear-o'ds of England. The sudden checking of a promising career is sinceielv re»ret+ed V

— Aj English authouty was asked how mncli weight did ho allow when handicapping' His lpplv was "Vol', generally 21b fen a head, btil if the race hnd been very severe or the weights \orv hirrh, peihan-. cilj lib, lib to 2lb wou'd be about right, s\h would so to fi length for, s>iy, a mile or a mile and a-lialf Undoubtedly >ou must take into consideration if the pace "was £ocd all the way, and if the houses were carrying nearly as heavy weights as they could race tuidei." — A coincidence happened to a gentleman well known m Dunedin soortmg circles two weeks rgo. He had been the principal in the pronp'itfit'on of a testimonial to a friend about to leitvo the colony, 'xhe Wstiiaonial boie the

heading "To the Three Nines (999)." On th& morning after the presentation he received a ticket in one of Tattersall's big sweeps bearing the corresponding number entitling him to a very substantial win. The new rule with reference to "doping " which was recently passed by the Jockey Club of Austria-Hungary came into force on March 1. Although the use of drugs, whether m the shape of subcutaneous injections or m other forms, is strictly forbidden, the stewards have power to modify the rule m exceptional eases; on the authority of their veterinary adviser. Brandy, whisky, sherry, champagne, etc , are not included in the list of prohibited stimulants. — An American paper says a remarkable instance of prepotency as to colour is reported from Howaid City, S.D. A stallion named Madere was taken to Miner County in 1884, and 1 has made stud seasons every year since. Each, year his owner has advertised to refund the service fee in every case where the mare failed to produce a grey foal. In not a single instance has the fee been claimed. The stallion is grey, and never failed to pioduce his eclour, although bred to mares of all colours. — Trussing Cup, the stallion recently imported into New South Wales, is an exceptionally well-bred horse, and is the only son of Orrne or grandson of Ormonde, in Australia; also he is the only horse in Australia descended from Mayonnaise, the founder of a, famous family to which belong such racers as> Come Boy and Highland Chief. Trussing Cup ia a winner ia England, and his dam also | threw Stirrup Cup, Wedding- Bell (winner of the Ascot NeV Stakes), Goblet, and Sarchedon, all winners. j — Sir George Clifford (chairman) and Messrs T. Momn and C. Hood-Williams, the judges appointed by the Racing Conference to consider the appeal lodged by the Southland Racing Club against the reversal by the Dunedin Jockey Club of a decision disqualifying William, Swale and the horse Zeehan for 12 months, and the jockey William Pine for three months, find that there is not sufficient corroboration of the charge of fraudulent inconsistency. They, therefore, confirm, the decision of the Dunedin Jockey Club, the evidence of the previous owners of the horse showing his utter unreliability. Before being admitted to the Tasmaman R.C. meeting at Elwick on March 30, bookmakers had to give the assurance that they would not ply their vocation, the consequence being (says the Tasmaman Mail) that the bench at> the extreme westward of the lawn was, for once m a way, occupied. A select few who are usually active in front of the tctalisator barner witnessed the pioceedmgs from the point named. Comparing their dejectedness for tho nonce with their customary alertness, one was ii clined to remember that there was a familiar quotation having reference to somebody's occupation having gone' — A recent visitor to the Cobhani stud says: Bill of Portland is as big and well as if he had been m Surrey all the winter, instead of having just landed. Although known to be rather nervous and irritable, as are the Galopm tribe, he exhibited none of these charactenstics either m the box— which is that of old occupied by BHir Athol— or on parade. He is a. true St. Simon in colour and shape, and for height and length bears companson with Persimmon. Trenton, if dropping a little m the back, is also m splendid trim, as are Ercildoune and Abeicorn, while Trenton's son, Aurum, who only commenced at the stud last season, is making up .into a sire of immense promise. Articulate, the three-year-old son of the Martini-Henry maie Utter, is not turning out the wonder his owner anticipated, and has met with several defeats at the San Francisco tiacks Referring to the fact that Articulate had been beaten m different races m one week by Joe Frey and Kcmlworth, the Spmt of the Times says' the confidence of the colt's game but misguided owner is little short of sublime. All his races are in the nature of special matches, and each time he is •'stacked vp 1 ' a°amst a fresh and formidable rival. That under such treatment he should not show at his best goes without saying, as it stands tc rep son the strain of such races is far greater than would be experienced m ordinary everyday contests.