IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3118, 17 December 1913, Page 55

IN A NUTSHELL.

Query is reported to have cost his now owner 330 gs. Bon Ton has been strongly supported for the Auckland Chip. The Welcome Stakes winner, Downham, is being treated to a spell. The evergreen Gapon is moving attractively in his work at Wingatui. Scottish Star has been bred to Antagonist and retired to the stud. Acceptances for the Ashburton Trotting Club’s meeting are due on Saturday next. Acceptances for the Gore Trotting Club s annual meeting close on* Saturday next. Parable has fined down since racing at Tapanui, and is moving nicely in her work. A final payment for the Auckland Cup and Railway Handicap is due on Friday next. Acceptances for the Waikouaiti Racing Club’s annual meeting are due on Friday of this week. . Jack Delavai is reported to be doing good work in view of his Auckland Cup engagement. Handicaps for the Wyndham meeting are due on December 16, and acceptances on December 23. Seventeen thoroughbreds from tire Hon. J. D. Ormond’s stud will go under the hammer on December 29. Moonglow, the recent addition to C. Christie’s stable, should soon repay some of his purchase money. Handicaps for the Southland Racing Club’s summer meeting are due on December 20, and acceptances fall due on December 23. Cadonia is not the first Australasian bred horse to find his way to Germany. The N.Z. bred Carnage was sold to go there from England. The English Derby winner, Ard Patrick, is getting winners in Germany. A three-year-old filly by him recently won a 1250sovs lace from 19 opponents. The Sylvanite colt Sylva has thickened out since the spring, and now bears a more lusty appearance than when racing at the D.J.C. spring meeting. Kostroma is looking in great shape at present. He is carrying a shade more bulk than usual, but gallops with plenty of dash when a trifle above himself. Mangarca, the winner of the principal event on the second day of the Woodville meeting, did not win a race last season. She is a half-sister to Mahutonga. —lt is understood that My Lawyer’s legs have been causing some little trouble, and hence his absence from the list of acceptors for the D.J.C. summer meeting. Marsa seems nicely treated in the A.R.C. Nursery 'Handicap, and Stardancer does not appear over-burdened in her race on the first day of the Auckland Cup meeting. —La Reina and Bleriot have been doing useful work on the Ellerslie track. The former is reported to have freshened up and improved since racing at Riccarton. —H. Munro. who trained Wakeful and others, has transferred his headquarters to Randwick, where he will have charge of some horses belonging to Mr G. Marlow, of theatrical fame —-Racing is supposed to have for its object the improvement of the thoroughbred horse. On the other hand, one seldoms reads of a thoroughbred being in evidence at agricultural shows. —Mr G. L Stead has sold Somnifonn (Boniform —Dreamer) and Prelusive (Benzonian—Prelude) to Mr I, G. Duncan, and the fillies will probably join, the list of matrons at the Waikanae stud. Daringdale jarred one of his legs whilst working at Wingatui on Saturday, and it may be some time before he carries silk again. It is surmised that he put a foot in a hole and so strained the leg. The North Otago Jockey Club's summer meeting has been liberally patronised by owners, and good fields have been engaged in all the events, including those for hurdlers and the two-year-olds. Although Roi Herode had a good winner in The Tetrarch, who has won i'11.336 in stakes, he had only one other winner during the season. This was also a two-year-old, who had won a lOOsovs stake. The handicaps for the first day of the North Otago Jockey Club’s meeting will not bo declarer! until after the D.J.C. summer meeting. They are due on December 29, and acceptances must be declared on December 30. The Boniform two-year-old colt Goodnight, who created a favourable impression when he ran at Riccarton, was made favourite

for the Maiden Plate a* Woodville, but was amongst others hopelessly left at the start, i —Fairly good progress has been made • with the erection of the new stand in the outside enclosure at Wingatui, and, when completed, it should be a much-appreciated addition to the improvements on the course. The Lake County Jockey Club’s annual meeting takes place on Friday and Saturday of this week. The fields promise to be rather bettor than usual, and the club holds good prospects of experiencing a successful meeting. The X.Z bred mare. Anna Carlovna, lias won £1798 in prize-money since going to Australia. She has not yet won a handicap, although generally regarded as being favourably treated, and her winnings were gathered in w.f.a. events. Mr A. E. Ward, of Riverton, has decided to temporarily relinquish racing, and, in consequence. is offering Gold Ring (Golden Knight—Tinwald Beauty). Casesbot (Linstock —Lyddite), and an unbroken three-year-old filly by Canrobart—lcon, for private sale. The For bury Park Trotting Club will give 3000sovs in stakes at their next meeting. These figures arc illustrative of the progress of light-harness racing, as they are far richer than any total given at Wingatui, with the exception of those attached to the Dunedin Cup meeting. The bad foot which troubled Russo considerably some time ago, lias unproved, and gone down a good deal, but it is still far from perfect. The horse, however, moves quite soundly, and is in good, lusty order; in addition he appears to be shaping more generously on the track than what was previously the case. The success of The Tetrarch in England has not only made sporting men talk much of the Herod strain, but it has also made them dip into their purses. At the Doncaster sales Roi Herodo. the sire of The Tetrarch was represented by five yearlings which sold at IOOOgs, 1200 gs, 1 fOOgs, 703 gs, and 1500 gs each. The recent wet weather has put the plough gallop at Wingatui temporarily out of use, and the going on the grass is a bit soft in patches. There is, however, ample time for the going to improve before the meeting; but one or two of the trainers are anxious to obtain good going before the meeting gets too close. Spearmint commands a 250 gs fee, and the price some of his yearlings have boon making, together with the form of his stock on tho turf, shows that the charge is not exorbitant as far as comparative values go. At the Doncastc; sales a Spearmint—Yiolante colt included in tho Sledmerc stud lot mado 4100 gs. A colt from Lord Dunraven’s stud made 2Googs, and another Spearmint youngster sold at ISOOgs. The principal events to be run at the Wairio Jockey Club’s annual meeting, held on January 14, will be the Wairio Cup, of SOOsovs; the Wrey’s Bush Welter, of IfiOsove; and a Hack Steeples, with a 150sova

stake, which is open to horses that have never won over fences or hurdles at a totalisator meeting. Two trots, with stakes of lOOsovs and 75sovs, also figure on the list. Kominations are due on December 22. One is apt to gather an erroneous imSression as to Speedometer’s size. He carries imself so much in the air that when seen from a slight distance he appears to be quite a big horse but is found to be only a medium-sized animal when looked over in a stall. Speedometer stands fairly high at the withers, and it is the prominent forehafid that conveys the impression that ho is a big horse. He is a keen goer, and should win over short courses for his new owner.

The Southland clubs have latterly been extending encouragement to breeders in that district, and the latest to come in line is the Riverton Racing Club, which has included the Pourakino Stakes in its programme. The new event will carry a stake of lOOsovs, and will be open to horses bred in the counties of Wallace, Southland, Lake, Vincent, Tuapcka, and Clutha. There are penalties attached to the race, lor which nominations close on Wednesday, December 31.

. The nominations received in connection I with the Trial Stakes, to be run on the first day of the Dunedin Christmas meeting, are I rather disappointing. The poor response from owners is probably due to the fact that j winning r, race worth 30sovs debars .a j horse from entry, and nowadays it is diffi- ' cult to find a stake worth only that amount on any programme. Hcuoe winners at even the minor meetings cannot be nominated when the way is blocked by such a small amount as 30sovs.

i The Imperial stud of Germany has (says the Asian of November) entered into a con- ■ tract ensuring that during the next few years an English jockey will be the first jockey to the world-famous Graditz racing stable. Frederick Winter is tlie man they have ( chosen. This is the first time a jockey bom in England has received a permanent retainer from the Emperor of Germany, and it is a compliment to England, for people have been saying that England cannot pioduce jockeys nowadays, j The London Sportsman is responsible for -stating that the colt by St. Denis from Miss Touchwood, by Kendal—Lady Cadeby, by Rosicruciau —Lucretia, by Voltigeur, who won a two-year-old Selling Plate at Newmarket on October 17 last, and was bought ' by Mr Clarence Hailey, of Newmarket, for 590 gs, is destined for Australia. The youngster boasts very high lineage, his sire being . by St. Simon from Brooch, by Blue Green ' from Ornament (dam of Sceptre), by Bend 'Or from Lily Agnes, by Macaroni. > —When Sir Joseph Ward was in power ho was in favour of, and largely instrumental ■ in, bringing about a reduction of racing. Now that he is out of power, he is in favour of an increase of racing. When he had the power he did not wield it, and now that he is powerless ho wields what little power he lias, as far as racing is concerned, by showing how ho would wield power if ho had it. Politicians in power and out of power are two very different things. There is nothing like putting plenty of powder into our power when we have it, because millwheels cannot grind with the power that is past. A Tasmanian paper draws attention to the fact that from 1856 to 1913 only three horses of direct Stockwell descent have won the V.R.C. Derby—Rufus, The Harvester, and Newhuvcn. Prince Foote, of course, was from Rataplan. Stockwell’s full brother. But that the Stockwells were so long delayed, so scanty in number, is quite a curious discovery. Between Martini-Henry and the present dispensation. Musket and Fisherman, plus Whisker, Whalebone's brother, have pretty well held the field. And now, sans intermission, since 1899, except for Prince Foote and Abundance, it has been a case of Musket and St. Simon. Merriwee, Maltster, Hautvilliers, F.J.A., Sylvanite, Lady Wallace, Poseidon, Mountain King, Alawa, Beverage, Wilari, Wolawa, Beragoon, form a long series. —At the dispersal of the Elderslie stud at Oamaru last year the New South Vv ales breeders, Messrs Thompson, bought the St. Simon horse Ciiarlemagne II for 2390 guineas. ‘‘Milroy,” of the Sydney Mail, is very enthusiastic in the belief that Australia made a good capture. In a recent article on the Torrie Lodge stud, ’* Milroy” wrote: "It is a hardy thing to say that it is doubtful if there is a better-looking horse anywhere than Charlemagne 11. At any rate. 1 vvould not object v.o having my money on him for perfection of head and neck. 1 never saw a more beautifully chiselled head or a better gullet, or a gamer-looking horse. He is of the best St. Simon cla=s. The Thompson brothers gave 2300 guineas for Charlemagne 11. If they had the buying to do tomorrow 5000 guineas would not stop them, for the horse is giving them every satisfaction, and they are just crazy about his foals.”

Whenever the question of betting and gambling (two very different tiling?) are mentioned in legislative and certain other circles it is odds on that someone will give utterance to the parrot opinion that they object to betting because it means that people endeavour to get somethin" for nothing. Still, as far as the writer's observance of betting goes, he cannot remember anyone collecting a dividend without taking a quid (or 10s) pro quo risk by a preliminary investment in the purchase of a totalizator ticket. If bettors put down nothing on the totalisaior they lake up the same load ; but if they put down something they have a chance of taking up something. If a person puts down nothing and tries to take up something there is not much chance of success happening if the totahsator staff are on the alert. Hence there does not seem to lie much logic attached to the nothirg-for-something opinion that may recruit the ranks of race-goers, because some people really believe that there is plenty of something obtainable on our racecourses by the more outlay of plenty of nothing.

able idea to back a horse that is ridden by a thoroughly capable horseman. Sometimes it is more profitable to be with the horseman rather than the horse. This thought is created by the fact that that lying jade (sometimes) Dame Humour credits a. promient jockey with having, paradoxical as it may seem, a good bit on something which just beat him. Strange; but no doubt the prominent jockey absent-mindedly, but luckily, placed bis money on the winner instead of his own mount. In any case, riders should ernplov commissioners who can keep the latitudinal orifice of their countenance discreetly mute when there's something doing about which way the money goes. One of the cleverest men the writer ever mot in racing could not resist explaining to his friends what clever jokes he had worked, and naturally those of bis friends who merely played listener to the result and were not in the real ha-ha side of tho matter resented their exclusion. This, of course, did not incite some people to rally round when real trouble happened to ioitre about the jokist's neighbourhood. Breeding thoroughbreds with the sun of success shining on the paddocks seems a fairly profitable undertaking—at least so long as the stock travel in a groove of victory on the turf. The full list of the Slodmere yearlings sold this season are ns follow-.—Colt by Lally—Startling. Mr J. Ivall. ,920 gs; colt by Cicero—Game Chick, Mr H. S. Peraee, 2700g5; colt by Syming-

ton —Veneration 11, Sir William Nelron, GOOOgs; colt by Desmond—Thrums, Mr Bower Ismay, 1650g5; colt by Desmond —Elizabeth M., Mr H. M. Hartigan, 44Q0gs: colt by St. Frusquin—Star of the Sea, Mr Bower Ismay. 5600g5; colt by Spearmint—Yiolante, Dord Derby, 4100 gs; colt by Bayardo—Alicia, Lord Lonsdale, 3700g5; colt, by St. Frusquin — Maid of the Mist, Lord Torrington, 810 gs; colt by Marco—Mossdale, Mr A. P. Cimliffe, 21O0gs; colt by- Marco—Lady Linton, Mr Bower Ismay, 2100 gs; colt by Bridge of Canny—Dodragh, Mr H. S. Peard. 500 gs; colt by Lally—Gelinotte, Mr A. P. Cunliffe. 1050sovs; colt by Picton —St. Claire 11, Mr H. Savill, 1550g5; colt by Neil Gow —Aida, Lord Montagu, 2100gs'; colt by Flotsam— Maisie, Mr P. Nelke, 640 gs; filly by Neil Gow—Peach, Mr W. E. Eobinson, 210 gs; filly by Grey Leg—Bellatrix, Mr P. Whitaker, IlOOgs; filly by St. Amant —Queenlot, Mr A. Taylor, 410 gs. to forgive recent form and lean only to the best side of a horse’s galloping, those inclined to fancy Specialform for the Otago Handicap have fairly good grounds for their partiality. This season she ran second to Stamboul over a mile .at Wingatui spring meeting, and in the Fendalton was noticed handy to the leaders on the last day of the Cup meeting when the field was running inside the distance. To get really partial to her chance at Wingatui, or, failing her appearance there if treated on a par with the handicap on the first day, one has to turn back to last season's running. At the North Otago summer meeting she ran a good second to Pilgrim's Way in the Flying Handicap, won in Imin 14sec —a good gallop.—and on the second day downed a strong favourite in Icilma and Obsono in the Waitaki Handicap, which she won in Imin 1 I-ssec. These races and her second to Query in the Craven Plate (receiving 7lb), won in Imin 27 3-ssec, served to establish her brilliancy. At the C.J.C. autumn meeting she beat Oxenhope in the Yaldhurst Welter when in receipt of lib from the runner-up, and giving lllb to Ladrone. who finished third. At Timaru she ran second to Thrax over a mile, and at Ashburton ran second to Glenfinnan in the Cup, won in 2min 11 l-ssec, when the latter carried 8.5 and gave away 7lb. On the second day of the same meeting she rtyi The Cornet to a head over a mile when carrying 8.6 each, and on the second day of the Oamaru winter meeting she won the Victoria Handicap with 8.6; but on this occasion one or two behind did not appear to be too busy. So far this season she has not quite pleased with her appearance, but if in special form next week she should at least run a very good race.

Autunmus is said to bo shaping particularly well in his work. Prince Merriwee is among the horses fancied for the Auckland Cup.

R. Berry, who won the New Zealand Cup on Sinapis, has been engaged to ride Royal Arms in the Auckland Cup. It is reported that the well-known rider, F. D. Jones, has accepted a position as private trainer in Mr W. E. BidwilTs stable.

The Boniform filly Bonne Bouche is reported to be slightly amiss and unlikely to fill her engagements at the D. J.C. summer meeting. Mr F. W. Coornbes, formerly sporting editor of the New Zealand Times, has been appointed a deputy stipendiary steward for the Australian Jookev Club.

Stardancer. Marsa, and Warspite shaped well in their final gallops prior to being shipped north to fulfil their engagements at the Auckland Cup meeting. Daringdale was scratched for the Otago Handicap on the appearance of the ■weights, and it is understood that his owner is asking for an explanation of his horse’s handicap.

The Coeur de Lion gelding Bravest, who is engaged in the Hurdle events to be run at the D.J.C. summer meeting, won the Rakaia Cup, of 20?ovs, which was run last week.

It is reported that F. Holmes will take the hurdler Umeraboy. and the trotters Bonista. Corbell, and D.I.C. to Auckland for the coining summer meetings in the north.

A liberally-engaged horse on the English turf has frequently to wipe off heavy payments by way of forfeits. A mare that was sold recently had forfeits amounting to about £BOO.

'During the past 31 years in England over 15 millions sterling have been won in racing prices. The annual total rose from £413,065 in 1882 to £568,587, the amount given last year. The New Zealand hurdler Marton, who in company with other horses has been delayed in Sydney owing to the strike, recently won a race at the Kcmbla Grange meeting with 12.4 on his back. The Bon/onian-Prologue _ filly Melpomene, who met with an accident at Porirua recently, has since died as a result of blood poisoning. Melpomene was a halfsister to the New Zealand Cup winner Sinapis. It is reported that Sea Pink may not fulfil his engagements at the Auckland Racing Club’s summer meeting, as he is still suffering from the effects of an accident with which he met when, racing at Riccarton last month

Cecil Parker, who won the Caulfield Cup on Paris, when the Grandmaster gelding registered his first win in the race, ami was regarded as one of the Lest riders of his time i.n Australia, died on November 30 from consumption. Though some churchmen are dead against racing, others are not. Those in and around Rowor.a (N.S.W.) are of the latter class, as recently a race meeting held there to raise funds to build a church. The meeting brought in about £IBO. When (he last mail to hand left England the Carbine horse Spearmint had sired 13 winners, who had won 23 races between them, and their total value. £12.039. placed him fifth on the list of winning stallions for I lie present season in England.

Sir Moseley, a fancied candidate for the Railway Handicap at the Auckland Racing Club's summer meeting, has beer scratched, on account of a bruised heel. He was to have been ridden by J. O'Shea, who nay now have the mount on Soltano.

The Winton Jockey Club has granted a bonus of 25sovs to Mr IV. D. Cowio in recognition of the satisfactory manner in which ho had carried out In's duties as secretary. The club also voted a. bonus of 9sovs to Mr A. Jones, who acts as liandicapper.

The Wanganui Cun of 1914 will l>e worth 900sovs and a trophy valued at IDOsovs. Xo one over seems to think of attaching a trophy to the Dunedin Cup. It should be done even if it has to be procured by means of a “ tarpaulin muster.” A small lead may lie like the snowflake that a push converts into a snowball. Some idea of the liberal manner in which eteoplechasirig is catered for in France mav bo gathered from the statement thet G.

Parfremcnt topped the list of winning’crosscountry horsemen in that country with 69 wins on October 28, and the season had still some little time to go. Five other riders won 167 races between them. Parfrement, it will be remembered, won the Liverpool Grand National on Le Hour 111.

A meeting of the Forbury Park Trotting Club was held on Friday night. 'The programme for the autumn "meeting, to be held on January 28 and 31, was adopted, stakes amounting to £3o3o—an increase of £250 on last year—being offered. The chief races will be the Dunedin Cup of 500sovs, to bo run on the first day, and the Forbury Handicap, of 400sovs, to bo run on the second day. It is understood that the Forbury Park Trotting Club has three plans under consideration for the purposed new grand stand at the course. Amongst the selection is a “double-decker,” which would, of course, give a very fine view of the track, but many people would object to the climb. It should not bo overlooked that where racing takes place on a fivc-furlong track there is not the necessity for a high elevation such as exists whe« the running is over a course that is a mile in circumference.

The latest mail to hand brings the report of the running in the old-established CamStakes, ■which was won by Lord Harewood’s colt Cantilever, who, it will be remembered, defeated’ Tracery in the Jockey Club s Stakes. Cantilever was regarded as an unlikely starter on the eve of the race, and started amongst the extreme outsiders in the betting. Cantilever’s w r in is not without interest to New Zealanders, as his dam was got by Zealot, the sire of Castor. Cantilever was got by Bridge of Canny, who is out of Santa Brigida, and is consequently closely related to the wo English fillies which Mr J. B. Ecid imported some few' months ago. When the conditions governing the Doncaster Handicap and the Sydney Cup for 1914 are made public they* will be found to tally with those for the corresponding races of last Easter, with one exception. The penalty clause (says the Daily Telegraph) has been omitted entirely from the Doncaster Handicap, while save that the winner of the V.R.C. or A. J.C. St. Lcger will, if engaged, be compelled to carry weight-for-age if handicapped below that weight, the only penalty that can he incurred for the Sydney Cup is one of 101 b, by the winner of the Doncaster Handicap. Formerly the winner of any handicap of the value of 300sovs was penalised for the Sydney Chip. An English writer states that Southey, the rider of Cantilever in Jhe Cambridgeshire, is not an apprentice, as is generally supposed. He is a married man with a family, is well over 30, and had‘ridden with a deal of success in Austria until illness seized him, and he was compelled to undergo two operations for appendicitis. He then returned to Newmarket and joined College Leader's stable, for whom he has been riding on occasions all the present season. Originally he was apprenticed to Percy Peck, at Exiling. Southey, soon after lie returned from Austria, became landlord of the Carpenters’ Arms, at Newmarket. A unique experience, surely, for a retired publican to ride a Cambridgeshire winner. The Castor —Cissy horse Uranus achieved a novel distinction at a recent meeting in Tasmania, where two of his stock ran a dead heat in a five-furlong race. This is most unique, and probably has never previously occurred in the history of racing. Uranus is a brother to Day Star, Janet Altaia. and Helen Faucit. and a half-brother to Saint Ilario and San Romo. He was foaled in 1901, and was sold as a yearling at 610 guineas to Mr IT. Friedlandor, who subsequently sold him to the late Mr G. G. Stead. As a three-year-old Uranus was sold at 170 guineas to Mr J. C. Grigg, and subsequently found his way to Tasmania. He never carried silk in this country, and, if memory is not at fault, never faced a starter.

The Lyttelton Times states that the performance of Denver Huon in the Mace Memorial Handicap on Saturday was one of the best ever witnessed on the New Brighton course. He caused his driver some trouble at the start, and lost fullv four seconds. Wh cn he settled down, however, he gave a fine exhibition of speed, and though he still had a big gap to bridge over the last half-mile, he stuck to his task well, only failing by a nock at the finish. He was timed to do the full journey in 4min 35sec, and ho firmly established his' right to be regarded as one of the greatest horses ever seen on a Now Zealand trotting track. Since his arrival from Australia he has run several good races, but so far ho lias not succeeded in scoring a win.

At a committee meeting of the Winton Jockey Club last week, a statement of accounts showed that at the beginning of the season there was a credit balance of £6lB 18s lOd, this together with the amount of £BOO at fixed deposit, brought the total to £1413 18s lOd; touilisator revenue £1628. nominations and acceptances £363. gates £478. members £221, privileges £ll6, other items £lO4. On the expenditure side the principal items were; Stakes £1329, stand £1325 (this brings the amount paid out on this building to date £1775. leaving a balance due to contractors £725); Government tax £474 6s 6d, levies £3l 12s sd. advertising, printing, and stationery, stamps, etc., £75; gatemcn and assistants £64, caretaker £IOO. salaries £6O, extras, repairs (estimates £2OO, office rent £2O, insurances £ll 19s, band £ls, race books £lB 15s.

What promises to ho a fairly formidable claimant for classic honours next season was unearthed by the result of the Dewhurst Plate, in which a colt named Kennymore comfortably defeated Corcyra, the winner of the Middle Park Plate. Kennyinore was amongst the beaten lot in the latter race, but it was Ids first race under silk, and lie had evidently trained on in the meantime. He ran seven furlongs with a uphill finish in Imin 23 4-ssec, and appears to have owed his success to staying- aVlity. His pedigree is not without interest to us as he was got by John o’ Gaunt from Croceum. by Martagon (sire of Martian) from Hag, by Haj'escape, from Brown Bess, by Musket. John o’ Gaunt was got by Isinglass from La Flecko, by St. Simon from Quiver, a sister to Musket. Kennymore is engaged in the Two Thousand Guineas, Derby, and St. Lcger. According to a writer in the Transvaal Leader. York, one of the first horses to race in aluminium shoes in South Africa, is dead. In mentioning the horse’s death, the paper mentioned said: —“ At the time the qualities of the champion were being recognised, and Mr Hadley found it increasingly difficult to get a price about him. Aluminium had been used in other part?, and Mr Hadley know of it, but the raw metal was not obtainable. As a last resort ho bought up all the tea services.

spoons, and forks of that materia! that ha could find at Mr Seale’s jewellery establishment, Capetown, and had them smelted and ‘ cast ’ into a pair of front shoes. Naturally, they wore conspicuous, and, not knowing of the metal, the shrewd people feared to back him. and books really bet a false price about York, who, opening at 12’s, finished up odds on, and won m a canter.”

After all, the proposal to abolish the assumed names for racing purposes in England failed to get confirmed. The London Sportsman of October 30 reports that a largely-attended meeting of the members of the Jockey Club was held at the rooms at Newmarket the much-discussed motion to dispense with “assumed names for the purposes of racing,” passed at the Second October meeting, was brought up for confirmation. After a further long discussion the proposal was negatived by a majority ol the members present. The decision of the Jockey Club to reverse the verdict they recently arrived at to abolish assumed name.* was naturally the subject of general comment, the rescinding of a new rule v. Inch had already been passed, and which merely had to go through the formality of confirmation, being almost without precedent. _ The motion put at the meeting was negatived by the narrow margin of a single vote. The London Sportsman just to hand contains the following:—“The Victoria Racing Club gives owners £25.750 without charging entrance or acceptance fees, and the A.J.O. donated £27,600 on the same conditions, Australia is, probably, the best country in the world for a man to r - aco horses in. Royal Ascot is considered the finest race meeting in England. The best English horses are opposed by the best from France, and often America and other countries arc represented. The stakes for the four days at Ascot come to about £40,000, but owner* contribute a good deal of that money. It costs £IOO to start for one race alone, and a good- many of the others are expensive. The richest race in Australia is the Melbourne Cup. The added money this year ia £BOOO, and the cost is only £3O for each starter. And this money takes the form of a sweepstakes, which is divided among the owners of the three placed horses. The A.J.C. adds £SOOO to its Derby. -It costs only £2O to start, and yearlings entered early in the day can bo scratched at a cost of one sovereign up to within a month of the race. The action of the New Brighton Trotting Club in arranging a match over a mile between the Australasian champion Emmeline and the American mare Lovelock created a lot of interest in the club's meeting on Saturday (says the Lyttelton Times). Lovelock, who has a record of 2min sisec in America, was making her first public appearance >n Now Zealand, and many people looked forward to her meeting with Emmeline vo provide a good line regarding the relative merits of American and colonial performers. L?nfortunately Lovelock is not at her best yet, and it may bo some time before she becomes thoroughly acclimatised and in condition to race up to her reputation. Bhe has, however, a fine style, the favourable impression being enhanced by the fact that she paces without hopples. Her time for the mile on Saturday was 2min J. 9 2-ssec. Emmeline gave a nice exhibition, doing the first half-mile in Imin 7 3-sscc, and the mile in 2rnin 17aec. without being pressed at any stage. Both mares wore cheered as they wont out, while an enthusiastic crowd accorded them a, wild ovation when they returned to the paddock. It was quite a sporting event, the purse offered being small, while the totalisator was not open.