Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume V, Issue 219, 4 October 1894, Page 6

Turf Topics.

By

Reviewer.

Indian files state that the Tasmanian-bred Telephone broke his neck recently. Acmena, the winner of the A. J.C. Oaks, is to be treated to a six month’s spell. The two Chestermans — Melbourne Cup and V.R C. Derby —is worth risking a few shillings on. Seaman, who was one of the acceptors for the A J.C. Epsom Handicap, broke a bloodvessel on his way to the post. The Caulfield touts are commencing to talk Straightfire and Malvolio for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double. The list of accidents in a recent Williamstown (Vic.) steeplechase was as follows :—Five horses down, one killed, a man’s jaw and collarbone broken.

With the advent of the starting machine the starters throughout the colony will obtain freedom from the hard things which unfortunately must at times be written of the man with the flag. The Bulletin's opinion of the gate is that its stay is now assured, and straggling starts and jockey fines-will soon be ancient history. “ Yet (writes the journal quoted) the machine has still some difficulties ahead. The other day at Epsom, Melb., as the nags were drawn up before the light bamboo barrier, one jockey charged bang at it, guessing that the inventor, who was on hand, would rather raise it than have it smithereened. The enterprising jock, got away about 10 lengths ahead of the field and finished an easy winner. It has since been decided to revert to the old system of band-starting.”

Chesterman’s 5.25 for the Randwick Plate stands as a record for 3 miles at Randwick.

The Corrigan benefit race meeting resulted in a profit of^930 —not as previously stated. The New Zealand-bred Pygmalion (by Apremont —Nautilus) has taken up stud work in Clare (South Australia). Handicaps in connection, with the first annual meeting of the Stratford Trotting Club to be held on the 11 th inst., appear elsewhere. A Queensland meeting saw a horse named Premier accomplish the uncommon feat of winning four races in succession.

Lord Rosebery is not paying too much attention to the warnings of his anti-gambling friends judging by his nomination of three horses for the Derby and Oaks of 1896. The stakes won at the A.J.C. meeting amounted to £12,304. Mr '-‘J. B. Clark’ headed the list of successful owners with £2204, and Uabba’s Epsom Handicap win enabled Mr J. Dykes to take the place of runner-up with £1542. Mr S. H. Gollan was second with £9BB, and Mr W. Douglas sixth with £561.

If Mr Crozier, of South Australia, carries out his expressed intention of retiring from the turf, Australia will lose one of its best and straightest racing men. Mr Crozier’s string, all the members of which are in the market, includes Vakeel, Fulham, Surefoot, Covenant, Hortensius, Lord Grenville, Thunder, Viking, and Bloodstone. The balance-sheet of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club shows that the last Caulfield Cup meeting resulted in a profit of £1066, and the August Grand National meeting in a profit of £462. Eleven out of the twelve meetings held yielded a profit to the club, which has £6OO more on the right side of the ledger than was the case last year.

The Onslow Trotting Club representatives waited upon the A.R.C authorities a. few days ago with a view of ascertaining whether the patronage of the governing racing body would be available in the event of the Onslow committee deciding to sever all connection with the Auckland Trotting Club. Farther consideration of the matter was deferred until after the holding of the November conference.

The free hand taken by Mr Godfrey Watson in inflicting fines on the first day of the S.A.J.C. Spring Meeting, when was the punishment main, was not repeated on the second day of the gathering, although a total of 1 shows that the starter had his eyes wide open. If every race meeting held in the South Australian capital is to affect riders (through their employers) in this fashion, the starting gate will be hailed with delight. Starting racehorses is a fine art (says the New York Sun), and the man who fancies it is not will never be convinced untill he stands, flag in hand, facing 10,000 persons, and with a dozen or so thoroughbreds, ridden by anxious jockeys, upon the track, each rider doing his best to get an advantage over his'fellows. In nineteen cases out of twenty it is not the thoroughbred that is to blame for the trouble at the post, nor is it the jockey directly, but it is the owner, trainer, or some speculator in the background who has told the jockey to get off in front, no matter what happens, and who has promised to pay his fine or reimburse him for any penalty he may incur in carrying out instructions. It is all very well to sit in the grand stand and criticise the work, of the starter. One must try the business himself to appreciate its difficulties and its trials.

The results of the A. J.C. Spring meeting have (writes “ Verax ”) naturally had an effect upon the betting market. Dreamland continues to hold the position of favourite in the Derby, bdt Chesterman and Bonnie Scotland run him close. Such horses as Moorite and Forward will, however, have to be reckoned with, and Cobbitty, if he improves, will not be out of it by any means. Isaac’s form has brought him into greater request for the Caulfield Cup, in which he possesses a real good chance. Brockleigh has come into request for both Cups, and it would not surprise me if his owner elected to go for the two mile race. Chesterman and Ruenalf have been well backed, and it is a point in favour of the bookmakers that Ruenalf’s form with Brockleigh was so good. Lady Trenton’s race in the Metrop. should give her a chance in the Caulfield Cup, and Pans may be expected to render a good account of himself in whatever race he goes for. Delaware should run well in such a race as the Toorak Handicap, if Mr Hall elects to send him for that rich prize. Ronda will, I think, be fit by Cup time, and Nobleman can be made better than he is ; the same remark also applying to the Derby winner. The Possible will be worth watching, and also Patron and Light Artillery. “ Nancy Hanks,” the Review’s trotting contributor in writing re the Spring meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club, had the following :— “ Singular to say Rosebud, who was, I fancy, leniently treated on past form, is scratched. Her harness record at three years was 2min 31 sec for a standing mile, which gait would make her faster than Yum Yum.” Mr Hughes, the owner of Rosebud, called at this office last week and asserted that the statement re a three-year-old record of 2.31 was wide of the mark, the mare’s best recorded Sydney go being 2.46 J on a track 10 seconds faster than Potter’s Paddock. Mr Hughes states that the figures quoted by him were given by the previous owner of Rosebud as her best record when she was purchased in Sydney. Further he (Mr Hughes) is willing to wager a level £lO that the mare can not be proved to have accomplished a 2.31 gait. The editor of the Review has referred Mr Hughes’ complaint to “ Nancy Hanks,” whose reply is as follows :—“ I have been informed that Rosebud’s owner is offended at some of my remarks in last week’s issue relative to his mare. If I have offended Mr Hughes I must apologise, and promise not to repeat the offence. I have been inquiring into the matter referred to and the following is as near as possible the history of the matter: Rosebud was a competitor in a two mile race in which Alick White drove her. She had to do 2.30 for her first mile to beat Cleveland, and when the race was half over the latter broke a bloodvessel, Rosebud being allowed to jog home an easy winner ; time, 5.20 or 5.22. Therefore whatever time she did her first mile in can in no sense be taken as a performance. In this race referred to she was not run on behalf of her then owner who had sold her for the day.”

Bruin, the runner up in Hova’s Newmarket Handicap, is said to have improved out of knowledge since the autumn.

Kempton Cannon, a younger brother of the well-known English rider, “ Moray ” Cannon, won his first race on July 12th at Stockbridge. The Takapuna Jockey Club is desirous of holding its Spring Meeting without the assistance of the totalisator. The programme will come before the A.R.C authorities to-morrow.

There will be racing at Napier Park on Monday and Wednesday next, Wellington trotting on Wednesday, and Stratford trotting on Thursday next.

W eights are due to-day for the Spring, Flying, First Hurdle and Hunters Hurdle Handicaps, and first day’s hack events in connection with the Spring Meeting of the Wanganui Jockey Club.

The sum of /301 was put through the machine at the Taranaki Trotting Association Meeting held on September 27th. The amount named was /200 less than last year’s total.

The Australian rider Trahan, who left for India some time ago, finds that public training does not pay in the land ol the Rajahs, and has decided to stick to riding in the future. Nordenfeldt’s name should be added to the sires mentioned in a previous issue as having been entered for the V.R.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes. His entry was made in Sydney, and did not reach the V.R.C. office in time to be included in the list.

I see from" the last Melbourne Sportsman to hand that Adam Skirving, who is well-known to Aucklanders, and who has been training of late for the Messrs Miller, has been engaged as private trainer to Mr Hancock, a prominent Western district (Vic.) owner. Nominations for the Stewards and Jockey Club Handicaps, the Juvenile and Metropolitan Stakes, and the Curragh Steeplechase to be run at the C.J.C. Meeting appear in another column. The entries for the Middle Park Plate (Summer Meeting) also appear. Last season the spring events mentioned above attracted 159 nominations. This year there is an increase of 32, the entries for the five events totalling 191. In the First Harness Trot Handicap of iBsovs, two and a-half miles (won by Hordern, 45sS&) run at the meeting of the Taranaki Trotting Association, the owner of the thud horse, Prince, entered a protest against Dick getting second money on the ground that Dick started before his time. A decision in the matter has not yet been arrived at.

The wholesale fining that took place in Adelaide on the South Australian Derby Day has been successfully protested against by the local owners, rhe fines inflicted totalled , but the A.R.C. consented to a compromise as the starter reported that all fines of and over might be reduced to £2. This reduction was agreed to by both the authorities and owners.

The Auckland New Zealand Cup candidates are on the move forward to the scene of action. Impulse left in charge of Mr Geo. Cutts by the Takapuna on Monday, Pegasus and his mentor left by the Mararoa yesterday, Lottie leaves Hawkes’ Bay shortly, and Three Star and Royal Rose leave Sydney on Saturday .next.. It ds understood that Wright’s pair will touch first at Wellington and proceed direct to Riccarton. Grenadier’s movements are, to say the least of it, uncertain.

A South Australian owner, Mr S. A. White, whose luck has of late been of the most execrable description, is inclined to lay the blame at the door of the starter judging by a formal complaint lodged by him with the A.R.C. authorities. His charge was that the club’s starter was incompetent, but the club after investigating the case decided that the owner’s complaint had not been substantiated and soothed their starter’s wounded feelings with a nice complimentary letter. For all that, the club talk about adopting the starting machine.

The Australasian is responsible for the statement that Mr J. B. Haggin, the Californian studmaster, is hopeful of securing Cuirassier to replace Maxim, whose death was announced recently. I knew that Mr Haggin was anxious to obtain a first-class Musket horse, but I was certainly not aware that his eye was on a Wellington Park stallion. The man with the dollars is of course all powerful,, but we may be allowed to hope that his quest of the sire mentioned will prove fruitless. We can ill afford to lose such a coming stallion. If the Californian’s figure is not sooosovs (at least) he need not apply. An exchange states that the Nottingham (Eng.) racing authorities have advertised a steeplechase with an allowance of ;lb for horses which, by the day of the race, have sired ten living foals. “ This,” says an English paper, “is an eccentric stake with a vengeance. If it is to be one of a guaranteed long series, enterprising owners might send horses to the stud with a view to qualifying them to race by-and-by. But it will be queer work to sire ten living foals on the day of the race. The fabled labours of Hercules would be as nothing to it.” Before the next race meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club is held memberswill have to choose between two leading officers. One of the gentlemen referred to considers that the dual position held by the other will not have a beneficial effect upon the club. It is plain that either one or the other will have to retire from the scene, and at present the betting on the result bears a very even appearance. A settlement was to have taken place last week, but by mutual arrangement the question was allowed to stand over until the close of the opening meeting. Mr J. Hand informs me he intends placing his racers in the market as he is desirous of abandoning racing. Despised is in work at the present time, and as he is guaranteed sound the price required—something in the direction of 125 sovs—should not be a bar to a deal taking place. Flukem should be worth the attention of purchasers, and after the race made by Skittles at Ellerslie on the 15th ult> it should not be a difficult matter to find a buyer for this own sister to Mangere. Lady Thornton, the pony that Mr Hand obtained for loosovs during the C.J.C. National week, is also open to the attention of purchasers, and an.idea of her value can be gained by glancing at the two tidy performances placed to her credit during last season,

“Mr Redfearn announces that Aquarius will not start for the Melbourne Cup. Johnny Faulkner (by St. Albans —Impudence) is booked for stud work at Palmerston North this season. * The annual meeting of the Takapuna Jockey Club will be held on Monday next at 2 p.m. The report will show a very fair profit. Nominations for the Pakuranga Hunt Club close to-morrow at this office. The programme appears elsewhere. The message sent to the Australian side by the C.J.C. re a starting machine has been copied by another New Zealand Metropolitan club. I hear there are two half-brothers of the trotter Three Cheers in waiting for the Auckland Trotting Cup. The four-year-old daughter of Ascot and My Dream has joined R. Kingan’s stable. The filly bears the appropriate name of Sweet Sleep. Heaume, by Hermit —Bella, the winner of the French Derby of 1890, died at Paris recently. Heaume won £ll,OOO in stakes for his owner. The Victorian racehorses Banda, Watercress, Picaroon and Newsboy-together with the ponies Banshee and Poland have been sent to India. The Flemington reporter of the Australasian says that Bruin’s worst feature is his eye. “It looks as if he knows too much.”

One way of putting it“ Enid’s performance at Rosehill as compared with her previous runs knocks spots out of followers of form and leaves them without socks.”—Sydney Jruth.

Silverton, by Assyrian — Silverthread, who carried all before him in Tasmania in 1887, was purchased by his present owner out of a pound for a fiver.

It was expected that Man-o’-War (Nelson — Muskerina) would have taken the defunct Puriri’s place, but I see by Southern papers that he has been “ added to the list.” Mr Donald Wallace’s mare Writh, by New-' minster—Anonyma, is dead. She was about to be served by Carbine when she reared up and fell breaking her back. •Ronnie Scotland’s A.J.C. Derby victory gives him an additional pound to carry in the Melbourne Cup in which his weight now stands at 7.6. In the Caulfield Guineas the Derby win means a 71b penalty. Swordbearer, the Melbourne Cup candidate, is givinghis trainei some uneasiness, having broken a blood vessel twice inside of a week. At latest advices he was, however, doing well in his work. The Dancer’s running at the A J.C. Meeting stamped him as a deceiver in “ Verax’s” estimation. I believe a /boo offer was made for the grey by a Sydney sportsman some time prior to the A.J.C. gathering. With the A.J.C. Derby ribbon out of the way for 1894, attention naturally turns to the first Victorian classic event, the Caulfield Guineas, in which Destiny, Bonnie Scotland, Moorite, and Chesterman read a very strong quartette. A reliable tip received by the last Australian steamer names Moorite as being worth a trifle. The truth of the old saying, “ Troubles never come alone,” has previously been forced on Mr Martin Baird, of Hawera, writes “ Gipsy King.” Last week his stud horse Puriri died, and the other day a filly foal by Natator, from his young brood mare Madame Melba (full sister to Rufus and Corsair), had its leg broken, but I am pleased to hear the bone has been set, and the youngster will be saved for breeding purposes.

The programme of the Gisborne Racing Club’s Spring meeting, to be held on the Poverty Bay Park Company’s course on November 9th, appears in the business columns cf the Review. In . all 260 sovs will be paid away in stakes, the principal event on the card, the - Park Handicap of a mile and a quarter, being endowed with 75 sovs Nominations close on the 13 th instant, •weights appear on the 18th instant, and acceptances are due on November 3rd.

“Verax,” writing of Cravat, the two-year-old brother to Collarette that Mr Hordern purchased at the last Wellington Park sale for 1050 guineas, recently remarked that he shows plenty of quality but has a tendency to be slack in the Joins. The colt’s connections hold a very different opinion respecting him, and so does the Sydney writer “ Delaware,” who writes of him as follows “Mr Sam Hordern’s two-year-old, Cravat, brother to Collarette, is a smart colt, and evidently inherits much of his dam’s pace.” Gray’s starting machine stood a severe test at the Sydney meeting, and appears to be the best on the N.S.W. side. Both the Derby and Spring Stakes starts were excellent, and amongst the latest converts to the innovation is Mr Nat. Gould (“Verax”), who, by the way, expresses his opinion that the system of starting horses from a stand is wrong, but argues that if such must be the fashion then the machine is of the utmost advantage. His idea is:—“No starter that ever lived can make horses line up to a mark and stand perfectly still; this can only be done with a machine. Where, however, the starter takes his horses back, and walks them towards the post, I think the best" possible starts can be made in this manner. Experiments with these machines will no doubt in time bring about perfection in them, and it is always advisable to try and improve the starting of horses, upon which so much depends.”

The A.J.C. Derby contestants did not find much favour in the eyes of the Sydney Referee writer judging by the following extract from his notes on the meeting :—“ They werea poor Jot, not one of them, I should say, being within a stone of a good Derby horse. I think such horses as Abercom, Carbine, Melos, The Australian Peer, Trident, Dreadnought, and even Stromboli or Oxide could have given any of them lumps .pf weight at the same age and cantered in for tins race. What can we think of the Derby form when a horse like Chesterman, who has bottom weight in a £lOO Suburban Handicap, and can fet no nearer the winner than about tenth in a eld of about a dozen runners, only loses the Derby by a short head ? They must be a sorry lot indeed.” But what about his subsequent running. That Randwick Plate of Chesterman’s (making all allowance for his 6.12) was not the lorm of a second-rater as the big Melbourne races jnay show.

J. B. Williamson has vacancies for two lightweight boys to ride exercise. Torori (by Musket —Peeress) has foaled a filly to Gipsy King and is on a visit to St. Leger. The trotter Rosebud left for Christchurch on Monday last. Mr Price reports the foaling by Louie (Leolinus—Venus Transit) of a chestnut colt to Master Pat. Mr R. G. Bauchope forwards the programme of the Taranaki Jockey Club’s Hack Meeting to be held on Boxing Day, 1894. George Wright leaves Sydney for New Zealand on Saturday next. Wellington and then Christchurch is the Ellerslie trainer’s route.

Three Star is in great health just now, and his connections are confident respecting his N.Z. Cup chance.

The D.J.C. have reduced their stakes for the season by /380. The Cup distance has also been reduced to a mile and three-quarters and 132yds. Mutiny and Couranto left for Napier by the Mararoa. I believe Mutiny has seen his last race and will henceforth act as Miss Douglas’s hack. Miss Latty, who recently foaled to Dreadnought, has gone to Castor. Roie, who is in foal to Cuirassier, is expected to produce on Saturday next. At a recent N.S.W. sale of blood stock, George Wright purchased Danton (by Grand Flaneur — Egalite) for 4Ogs. A Goldsborough mare out of Lady Lurline fell to Mr L. D. Nathan’s s°g s hid.

The trotter La Rue was exhibited at Potter’s Paddock on Saturday last, and gained many friends through the glimpse of trotting shown by him in one circuit of the track.

This number of the Review contains a/’io coupon on three local events, the Auckland Cup, A.R.C. Handicap and Summer Steeplechase. Such a treble is just a little easier of negotiation than the three big cups, and should be welcomed by local tipsters.

Havoc and Straightfire are now favourites for the Caulfield Cup, and Carnage and Ruenalf are at the head of the Melbourne Cup list. Dreamland is a couple of points firmer than Chesterman, Forward and Bonnie Scotland for the V.R.C. Derby. Mr Kidd’s Tasman—Rubina colt, Kingsman, is amongst the youngsters nominated for the Juvenile Stakes of 250 sovs, five furlongs, to be run off in connection with the C.J.C. Spring meeting. This colt has a decidedly promising look about him, and if not raced too soon will turn out a very serviceable racer.

Trainer Tom Payten had one slice of ill-luck in connection with the A.J.C. Meeting. A few days before the opening of the gathering Payten, tired of Bingara’s repeated failures, sold him to Mr Kelso for 75SOVS. The first race of the card, the Hurdles of 2oosovs, fell to the Gem gelding, so that his new owner made a very quick profit over the deal.

Horseowners may be reminded that nominations for the Spring Meeting of the Wellington Racing Club close on Thursday, November rst, at 9 p.m. with the secretary, Mr H. M. Lyon. Nominations (2 sovs) for the Wellington Cup and (I sov) for the Wellington Racing Club Handicap close on the same day and at the same hour. For particulars see advertising columns.

As will be seen from our advertising columns, Mr A. T. Danvers, the secretary of the Napier Park Racing Club, will receive instructions at the club’s office re the investment of monies on the totalisator in connection with the club’s meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday next, up till Monday evening, and at the course up till 11 a.m. on the race days. Mr P. Riall, the defendant in the recent Emmet libel case, has abandoned his expressed intention of making application for a new trial of the case. He has made satisfactory arrangements through Messrs Lusk and Weston, the plaintiff’s solicitors, for the payment of the £250 award made in Mr Williamson’s favour by Mr Justice Kettle.

The Auckland bookmakers have accepted the position forced on them by the Gaming Bill, and have signed an agreement which binds them to lay nothing but fixed prices. According to the bond the bookmaker who is found laying machine odds will have to forfeit /jo to Tattersail’s Club. That’s according to the bond. According to the law he will be given the pleasure of “ doing ” three months or a/j5 fine, if not both. Sydney sportsmen are unanimous in the opinion that Martin Gallagher’s handling of Chesterman in the A.J.C. Derby, in which the Chester colt was only beaten by a head, was the finest piece of horsemanship seen at Randwick for many a long day. Gallagher, it appears, played a wonderfully clever waiting game, and brought his mount so opportunely that Mr Gollan’s colt had to race desperately to gain the verdict. A New Zealander who was present at the meeting tells me that the “J. B. Clark ” colt will be a thorn in a few sides when the Melbourne Cup and Derby come up for decision.

I had a look at the Albert W.- Victorine horse, Albert Victor, a few days ago, and found him in the very best of health. That Southern trip of his with its accompanying influenza attack, threw this fine trotter back a lot, but he is picking up fast and when fairly filled out his proportions and great trotting ability should make breeders of trotters incline very favourably towards him. His serving list this season has been a very respectable one, and I am inclined to prophesy that when his stock gets fairly going it will reflect the highest credit upon him. Grand Flaneur heads the list of winning sires in connection with the late four days’ racing at Randwick. His winning representatives were Gingham, Patron, Reconstruction, and Hopscotch, the amount of money won by Grand Flaneur’s stock at the meeting being The Tocal sire, Splendor, produced three winners in Uabba, Clinker, and Isaac, while Projectile and Chesterman well upheld the defunct Chester reputation ; and the same may be said of Billy Boy and Brockleigh, who represented Goldsborough. A couple of wins were placed to the credit of The Mute by Mutiny, who won the steeplechases. Other winning sires were Kingsborough, Somnus, King Cole, Cranbrook, The Australian Peer, Trenton, Martini-Henry, Nordenfeldt, Apremont, St. George, and The Gem.—Sydney Referee.

The New Zealand rights of Gray’s patent starting machine that was used with such success at the recent A.J.C. Meeting have been secured by Mr George Ellis, who is at present in Auckland. This machine will be used at the C.J.C. Spring Meeting by Mr Ellis, who will furnish all particulars respecting it at the office of the C.J.C. during the Cup week. In the event of terms being arranged, the forthcoming Pakuranga Hunt Club Meeting will introduce Aucklanders to the novelty. New Zealanders who were present at Randwick last week speak in the most favourable terms of the “ gate,” and so far as the Gray patent is concerned, the testimonials carried by the New Zealand agent should satisfy anyone of the value of this particular invention, a picture of which will appear in .next week’s Review. The Adelaide Supreme Court was recently the scene of an appeal by Mr Wm. Thorpe against the decision of a lower court in a slander case brought by him against the secretary of the Adelaide Racing Club. Thorpe sued the secretary for damages for having called him a fraud, and suggested that he “ was trying to run a double on him ” in connection with some totalisator tickets. In the lower tribunal a non-suit was the best satisfaction plaintiff could obtain, and in the Supreme Court his luck was no better the judges dismissing the appeal on the ground that they could not regard the remarks quoted as likely to injure Thorpe, “as on racecourses men are not mealy-mouthed, and did not speak of each other as being wrapped up in cotton wool.” Their Honors were right on the mark there, for it must be admitted that the gentry of the Turf are not slavish upholders of a Chesterfieldian style of conversation.

A Caulfield trainer and jockey, James King, figured in an interesting court case recently heard in Melbourne. A blacksmith named Delves sued King’s wife for £5l, said to be due for the shoeing of horses alleged to be her property. The defendant stated that she was the owner of the racers who were trained for her ‘ ‘ for love ’ by her husband. He had ordered the shoeing without her knowledge, and as her husband had no authority to incur expense on her behalf Mrs King prayed the honorable court to disallow the smith’s claim. The unfeeling bench, however, decided that the husband had acted as agent for the wife and gave judgment for the amount claimed. The mail received on Monday bfought news that King has had a further piece of trouble. During the last Aspendale Park meeting he assaulted a light-weight jockey because he considered the rider had interfered with one of his horses in a race on that course. For taking the law into his own hands King was awarded two years disqualification, a sentence which, however, the V.R.C. has yet to endorse. The “ J. B. Clark ” stable had a fine innings at the A.J.C. Meeting. Chesterman credited them with second honours in the Derby, third in Sixth Biennial Stakes, third in the Spring Maiden Stakes, and first money in the Randwick Plate ; Projectile carried their colours to victory in the Metropolitan Stakes ; and the Grand Flaneur gelding Reconstruction, carried off the Members’ Handicap on the last day of the meeting. Commenting upon the luck that followed Australian owners during last racing year, “ Terlinga ” remarked in a recent issue of the Australasian :—“ There are strange ups and downs in racing, and during the season just over the ill luck of the once all-power-ful ‘J. B. Clark ’ stable was most marked. For a time Payten found it as easy to win under the brown and pink colours as he did when the horses in his charge carried the all-conquering blue-and-white banner; but last season his good fortune deseited him entirely. From /"i3>4 21 won in stakes during 1892-3 ‘ Mr J. B. Clark ’ has dropped down to £2543. Truly a great drop ! The loss of the service of Autonomy, the failure of Camoola and Projectile, and the mishap to Pulvil quite stopped the victorious career of the Newmarket stable.” With the opening of the Australian racing season luck has, however, returned to the syndicate, of which Payten, the trainer, is a leading member.