IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 51

IN A NUTSHELL.

— Mars is doing good work in Auckland. — Haydn is reported to be very well at present. • — Advance is reported to be doing good work •t Porirua. — Nonette will in all probability not be raced -until next season. — Siege Gun appears to be good goods for the Auckland Cup. — Siege Gun has been pleasing the touts since his arrival at Ellerslie. — Latest advices from Auckland state that King Log is a trifle lame behind. — A three-year-old full brother to San Fran has been put in -work at Randwick. — The police "took the names" of all the fielders -who were betting at the Forbury on Saturday. — In 1813 there were barely 800 horses racing in England, and last season the number exceeded 4000. —Mr H. Piper was in good form with the flag on Saturday, and despatched all his fields to excellent starts. — Porirua has not been travelling too soundly of late, and it is quite possible the colt will not jonrney to Auckland. -^-' Amongst the winners *t the Leicester (Eng.) November .meeting .was a three-year-old colt named Arizona 11, who is- a, son of Sir " M«lied. . ,-— A writer in: Baily*s Magazine puts the French Government's annual revenue from a 5 per cent tax on totalisatox -receipts down at nearly £250,000. — The Carbine colt Dundonald, -wiio has been a fairjy good' performer on the English turf during the' past season,' has been sold to go io South Africa. —A* there is a heavy catalogue of yearlings to go under the hammer at the Auckland yearlinfs sales it/ is very likely that some excellent bargains will be picked up by buyers. — The circumference of a circuit measured on the outside of the cours-3 proper at Forbury Park is 113 yards more than a circumference measured close to the inside rails. — Captain Machell, the famous sportsman, who died in. May last, left an estate valued at £47,569. George Chaloner, one of the late Cap- j tain's jockeys, received a legacy of £2000. — The Auckland correspondent of the Witness suggests the following for the principal events on the first day of the Auckland Cup meeting: — Cup Siege Gun; Railway, Pallas or Hohoro. — King Edward's .famous 'chaser Ambush U, *who split a pastern when he was the ruling -favourite for laßt year's Liverpool Grand National, is again "doing good work on the flat and over fences. — The Victorian Racing Clab received £4500 this season from bookmakers for the privilege of betting at Flemington. This sum was lecehred from 268 fielders, 117 of whom are licensed to bet in the paddock and 151 on the hill. —In the Forbury Cup the Canteen stable commission was got on at 6 to 4. which represented the remarkably good dividend of £2 10s in » moderate field. The grey cpened up at 2's to 1, and plenty of even money was obtainable at flag fall. . * — The Duke of Portland is inviting breeders io take subscriptions out for his crack horse ■ William the Third for the seasons 1904-5-G, at a 3Oogs fee. No one is allowed to take out a single subscription, but must book for the three seasons. — The Forbury Park Racing Club licensed 21 bookmakers at their meeting on Saturday last, and of that number 9 "were licensed to bet in the paddock and 15 plied their calling mythe outside enclosure. The total amount j " received in fees was 90gs. — At the Kensington Park pony races, on December 10, the -winner of the 14.2 Handicap -was Lady Margaret Botreaux, a daughter of Chainshot and La Rose, the daughter of Apre- i xnont and Red Rose, who was a one-time bearer , of the Steph-enson and Hazlctt racing livery. — The latest winning representatives Carbine had prior to the last mail leaving was the three-year-old Caro, who won over a mile and three furlongs, and the four-year-old colt Dundonald, who won ovet a similar distance. The lattei has since ben sold to go to South Africa. — The Hon. H. Mosman's colt Balfour won the Queensland Derby Stakes, of 250sovs, on December 6, at Brisbane, from four opponents. Balfour is by Little Bernie (son of Cheviot, the brother to Sir Modred), out of Trentrose, a daughter of Trenton and the Kingston mare Guelder Rose. — At the Canterbury Park (Sydney) races on December 6. the Carbine — St. Simon strain was brought into prominence by the win of La Simmer in the Park Stakes. La Simmer ran % -mile in lmin 40eec, and defeated 10 others. She is by Simmer (son of St. Simon) out of Carbelle, a daughter of Carbine. — On the second day of the Liverpool Biitumn meeting the Grand Sefton Steeplechase, of 412sovs, was won by Kirkland, a son of Kirkham, the Chester horse that the late Hon. James White sent Home to try to win the English Derby. Kirklana was opposed by a field of 15, and 10 of that number came to grief during the race. '— An exch/ange gays there is a terrible slump ' in -tho Melbourne pony racing world. All the "hard "hea-as" who follow up the meetings say that things have drifted into the bed old ■way, and that; if it were not for the "benefits" derived 'through certain channels, at least one of 'the three courses would be Compelled to close its gates. — The London correspondent of the New York Sun states that Mr Richard Croker (the well-known American sportsman) recently acquired an estate in Ireland. It 13 his intention 1-> establish an extensive stud farm estate at BallingaTry, County Limerick. A sentimental •interest attaches to the place for Mr Croker, it having belonged to his ancestors. — J". Reift, who was disqualified by the French Jockey Club recently, has been endeavouring to get the ban removed. He pointed out to the authorities that out of 150 mounts lie had ridden 106 winners, and when he had not won he had generally been second or third. Saint Saulge, the horee which was the cause of BeifFs disqualification, was stated to have lo3t because the reins were new and too tnin. — It rarely happens that six descendants of the same mare are found in training at the same time. That, however, is the record attached to the name of Wellington Park's hardy old matron Vivandiere, whose descendants in training at the present time are Tauhei (nine years), Dayntree (seven years), Bacchus (six years), Canteen (four years), Grey Seaton (three years), and Vivandel (two years). Mr O. R. Wise, of Oamaru, had the extreme ill fortune to lose his valuable stan-dard-bred more. Black Belle, last week through r a accident. The mare caught her foot in the fsaging at the railway station, when being taken from a horse-box, and she broke her leg and had to be destroyed. Black Belle's first foal was Satinwood (two miles, s ruin), whom she produced to Wildwocd. The mare was in foal to Wildwood at the time of her death, and Mr Wise had a standing offer of 50gs for the foal when, it should be four months old. — New Zealand blood was strongly in evidence at the Canterbury Park (Sydney) races on December 6, as out of the six races on the card four fell to horses who -were strongly infused with blood from this island. Amongst the winners during the day was La Simmer,

is from Tea Rose, a daughter of Martini-Henry ; Happy Days, a son of Medallion; and Pylara, who was got by Puschka, the son of Musket and Lady Ravensworth. Musket for ever. — The Liverpool Autumn Cup, of 1075sovs, one mile and three furlongs, was decided on November 7, and an exciting finish was witnessed between the first five horses to pass the post. Throwaway, a three-year-old colt by Rightaway (son of Wisdom), and King's Courier (son of Kingston) deadheated fox first place, and Pelisson was only a short head behind the deadheaters, and the same distance in front of Scullion and a colt by Fernandez — Oubliette, who deadheated for fourth place. In the run off Throwaway defeated King's Courier by a length and a-half. Seanorse was amongst the unplaced division, .and was quoted at 25's in the betting. — Just before the mail left England an order was issued by the War Office, which is considered a step in the right direction so far as the development of militifry horsemanship is concerned. Professedly the order is made with the object of reducing the expenses of officers, without restricting their sport, by providing them with chargers at the cost of the Government. Briefly, the terms are : — Should an officer choose to use the horse provided by Government for hunting or other private purposes, 3i« may do so at his own risk on payment of £10 per annum. Should the payments be kept up in regard to thte same hoTse for a. period of six years, the horse shall become the private property of the officer.