Sporting Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 662, 16 October 1902, Page 12

Sporting Topics.

Tha ex-Auclalander Minerva - won anothet race at Kensington last week. She was backed from 10 to 1 down to 5 to 2, so it appears the stable had a good win.

Cygnet and Girton Girl had : a smart, brush over six furlongs on' the track on Tuesday. They ran the fiva furlongs in lmin 4sec, and the six furlongsf in lmin 18-Jsec, Girton Girl having slightly the better of the deal..

Amorig foalings for the week !■ notice that Windmill has thrown a line colt to Cyrenian. This youngster is thus halfbrother to Air Motor, a much fancied candidate for the Caulfield Cup.

In a close finish the judge has fveciuently a very knotty problem io solve, and it is an utter impossibility that every one can be pleased. As Sir Joseph Hawley remarked to a man who wanted to sympathise with him when Judge Clarke gave the Derby of 1869 to Pretender instead of Pero Gomez, “ There is only one man’s opinion which counts o n /these occasions, and that is the judge’s.” At Moonee Valley, Landwich, and Caulfield the box is placed so that no one can check the judge. There is no way of looking over the box, and it is railed off so that no one can get th© same view aS the judge. Still there are always plenty of people who thinhj they can decide a close finish better than the judgq. And they always decide in favour of the horse they have backed. 1

Some seasons ago there was no better mare in training at Ranctwick than Lady Irenton, who was by Trenton from Black Swan. Tho latter’s dam was Maid of the Late, a mare bred by Captain Russell at Ravensworth, but whose pedigree has been lost. This is particularly unfortunate, as it debars Strata Florida, who claims Lady Trenton as his dam, from tho English Stud Book. Black Sw a n was a real hummer up to the ten furlongs, and as 1 she threw two such grand m area as Lady Trenton and The Queen io d.'fferent sires, it seems impossible to think that the strain can be otherwise than pure.

Very favourable accounts reach me of the chestnut filly Lady Rosslyn, who was a, competitor at the recent Duneciin Meeting. A keen critic tells me that tne Lord Rosslyn filly is certain to earn many winning brackets if all goes well with her.

In connection with the approaching meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club, Mr Mark notifies owners thau ponies will bo measured at the course, Epsom, every Wednesday between the hours of 3.20 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.

Mr C. F. Mark again advertises the prnp'ra.m.ma for ‘ the Auckland Trotting Club’s Spring Meeting, which takes place At Alexandra Park on November 1 and 5. A very attractive list of events is scheduled, and there should be a very liberal response from owners. Nominations for all events close to-morrow, Friday, 17th inst, at 9 p.m., and handicaps are due to appear on the following Tuesday.

It would seem aS though strained relations exist between the South Australian Jockey Club and the committee of

the Owners and Trainers’ Association of

South Australia, judging by the follow- * ing resolution recently passed by the latter body : —“ That this meeting views with considerable regret the antagonistic position taken up by the S.A.J.C. in respect of every request made by owners and trainers, and is of opinion that a continuance of this antagonism is absolately detrimental to the sport of racing.”

Magnet, who was landed in Australia last week from America, lias some capital performances to his credit. To show that he is a good one, it is only necessary to that although raced for but three seasons he has caught the judge’s eye on no less than forty occasions. Among his records are five furlongs in 61sec and a mile in Imin 39-fsec. Alagnet, who is ten years old, is by the Derby winner St. Blaise from Magnetic.

Our Chrristchusch correspondent gives an excellent account of the doings of Siege Gun, and there can be little doubt that the weight pf Southern money will make the Hotchkiss colt favourite on the eventful day, although the Northerners are to a .man standing Nonette to beat him. ' ■ ■

One of- “ Javelin’s ” mustard and pepper stories is as follows A teacher in a Sunday-school, situated io the centre of a sporting community in tne Ola Country, was endeavouring to explain to i.' his class thet evils of gambling. ‘ One of the worse and most ruinous forme in

which it can be indulged,’ he said, ‘is hacking horses 1 I beseech you, never be tempted by false hopes to do that. It is a pernicious practice, and means both ruination and degradation.’ ‘ That’s wot my ole man’s alius drummin’ into me, , said one of the scholars, a bookmaker’s som ‘ “ Let the mugs xry to pick ’em, Bill,” he says. “ But you alius: lay ’em, my boy.! Keep on a layin’ ’em .till the cows come home !’ ”

A case of considerable interest to racing clubs was| decided recently in Tasmania. James Hayes, who was disqualified for life by the stewards of the Tate-.' manian Racing Club some, time ago, entered an action against the Club, the trial lasting four days. The Chief Justice held that, under rule 181, the stew-» ards had the power to disqualify any person guilty of any offence set out in it; One of these offences was offering a bribe to a jockey engaged in a race, and of that offence Hayes, the plaintiff, had been found guilty by the stewards, upon evidence which, in his opinion, left them no option whatever; They were bound tofind as they did upon the evidence before .them, and their decision was within their jurisdiction, and so must stand unchallenged. As far as this Court was concerned, no judge had power to interfere with it. The stewards had found Hayes guilty of an offence which they had full power to try. Judgment would go for the defendant Club, with costs.

Scintillant, the Cesarewitch winner of 1899, who was subsequently taken to America, showed a wonderful burst of speed the other day at the Harlem racecourse, near Chicago. The expatriated Britisher ran nine and a-half furlongs in Imin 57 2-ssec, which constitutes a world’s record.

The sensational defeat of Wakeful was quite the feature of the racing at the Flemington recent meeting, and has been the subject of discussion since. After the way she performed at Randwick, winning her races without getting a challenge, it was to be expected sjie would have rathe’ an easy, thing in the October Stakes. This was the opinion of backers, who laid 9 to 2 on her, but it proved to be one of the apparently good things which do not come off. Of course, she has important

engagements! ahead, and it was not to be expected that she would be seriously - strung up to win this particular race. Still, form pointed to her being equal to winning. It appesrs the Trenton mare was somewhat interfered with and when she got to the front in rhe straight and was tackled could not responl to the bold challenge Strata Florida put in. At Caulfield the latter emphasised the fact that his victory was no fluke by winning the Guineas in very fast time.

*K* ♦ • * ' * ® Rosella keeps on putting in good work in her early morning tasks. On Tuesday she was clocked to run the mile in Imin '4&iseo. .

Since his return to England the services of Bill of Portland seem to be in great demand. This year he had forty mares visit him at a fee of 100 guineas per mare, while a similar number has been booked for next season. He is reported to be one of the finest looking of the St. Simon stallions in the Old Country.

The committee of the Australian Jockey Club has approved of the new rules as regards the appointment of stipendiary steward's, and these will be published im- . mediately. The club is ro be strongly commended for making an attempt to deal with a long-standing, evil. If the result is successful, the rules should be universally adopted throughout the colonies. Geologist, who has been off colour for some time, is on the improve. He reeled off five furlongs in Imin. s£sec on Tuesday. * * * * * A good judge who saw Welbeck out last week, writes me that he is much impressed with the Perkin Warbeck colt, for although not quite ready he made a great race of it, and our regular correspondent reiterates the statement in his intesesting weekly budget.

Nonette is to be shipped South to-day. He has been shaping capitally, in his morning tasks, and there" can be no doubt Macmanemin has him very fit.' On Saturday, with a light boy up, the Seaton Delaval horse hit out for a mile and aquarter, doing the trip in 2min lOsec. On Tuesday I watched him very carefully taking a strong working gallop. Mugkerdale took h'lim along for six furlongs, and then Formula brought him home. His many admirers need have no fear of the chestnut on the score of condition, but he is rather easily upset, and somewhat given to fretting when away from home. There will be a ton of Auckland money behind Mr Ryan’s crack when he strips for the big race.

Our Dunedin correspondent states that th« Dunedin Jockey Club will clear about £250 over the recent Spring Meeting; This is not anything very remarkable, but I expect the Southern Club is satisfied to see that there is something to go on the credit side of the ledger, no matter if it is a small amount, for this was not always the case in seasons not long gone by. i

In a private letter to hand by the mail the writer makes the remark that one of the curiosities of (breeding luck is the utter ‘ failure of Trenton at the stud in the Old Country, after his many successes in Australia. Possibly time may tell a different tale, for I notice by a cable received during the week that a three-year-old' filly of his named Coo-ee won the Brentford Plate for Mr Lionel Robinson. This gentleman must be a believer in the MuSket strain, for it was in his colours that 1 the : Carbine horse Dund'onalcl won ’the/ big • stake " at the same meeting at Kempton Park. \O-.q-x . tr * * ♦ « Particulars of the running of the English j St.. Leger show that Sceptre went out J favourite at hundreds to thirty against, with St. Brendan at half a point longer. There were eleven runners, the field including the Carbine colt Fowling ' Piece.! Curiously enough in the place betting (yheera was a better favourite than Sceptre. The former was one of the last to finish, but was badly bumped by Fowling Pitece in the straight. Sceptre won by three lengths from Rising Glass, and her easy win only indicates what very hard luck Mr R. S. Siever had to lose the • Derby', i ' * * * «

Another' of Carbine’s stock has been successful' in a big roce in England. This was Mr Lionel Rooinson’s brown four- . year-old: Dundonald, who is by the Mus:ket horse out of Lady Kendal. The race ih question was the rich Duke of York Stakes of lOOOsovs with a sweepstake. Dundonald’s nearest attendants were Padlock 11... ans O’Donovan Hotsa.

; . .In another column Mr George A. Shankland, who is so well-known as a sporting writer under the nom-de-plume pf “ Vespasian,” announces that he is_ prepared to buy horses in England for New Zealand. " There can be no doubt whatever but that' to .an experienced man like Mr Shankland many opportunities must present themselves of picking up really well-bred horses at much below their value, and the introduction of fashionablei strains must certainly help to .improve ’ the quality of colonial stock. •-If ; farmers and small breeders were onlv aware of the low prices for which good / Stallions or- mares can be occasionally acquired in the Old Country they wc'iild cease from following the present hap:py-go'-lucky method and by putting the matter in the hands of some such J experienced buyer as “ Vespasian.” would soon be in a position to nay off' the original outlay many times over. ''/b:

Hinetaura put down a good field (which included Porirua and The Shannon) in the King Edward Handicap, at Napier, running the nine furlongs in the respectabfe time of Imin 55|sec. The winner is a five-year-old filly by Robinson Crusoe from Hinewhata, and last season she distinguished herself by winning five races straight off the reel at is £lOB4 ahead of last year.

Old Kaimate annexed the October Steeplechase at the recent Flemington Meeting. The Aucklander had twelve stone in the saddle, and just won after a desperately close finish by a head from Springfield, to whom he was conceding seventeen pounds.

Starshot is evidently a very promising youngster. . He won the Juvenile Handicap at Hawke’s Bay from end to end, running the four furlongs in 50£sec. As in the race he beat Sans Peur, who was giving him. six pounds, the performance was not a bad one. Mr E. J. Watts gave 140 guineas for the chestnut son of Hotchkiss and Crescent at the Wellington Park sale, so that it looks as if he had picked up a bargain.

The Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club put £l2,l4othrough the machine during the two days of the Spring Meeting.' This is £lOB4 ahead of last year.

Straight-out backers of Sir George Clifford’s chestnut colt in the Hawke’s Bay. Guineas struck a “golden vein” indeed, tor they received the nice little return ,of £23 17s for each pound invested.

Handicaps for the Hurdle Race and City Handicap, to be decided at the Spring Meeting of the Auckland RacingClub, are due to-morrow, Friday. General entries must, be in by 9 p.m. the same evening.

After the next payment for the N.Z. Cup is made on the 24th inst there should be a wholesale weeding-out of the impossibles. It is hardly likely that a very big field will face, the starter.

Laureate, who is a half-brother to Advance, won the Final Handicap at Hawke’s Bay from a fair field. Fie has been a disappointment so far, so that a win was fully due. * *' * *

I hear that there was quite a little breeze among the committee of the Wellington Racing Club over the appointment of a handicapper: It is rumoured that Messrs G. H. Scales, J. Ames and J. Wilkins intend to resign to mark their disapproval of the action of the committee in . passing over the old officials when making the selection.

In nine seasons the ' progeny of Lochibl,' who dfied recently, amassed the very considerable total of £Bl,OOO. Truly the Prince Charlie horse was a great Success at the slbud.

In. the Caulfield Stakes Wakeful once again demonstrated what a great) mare she is byi giving . weight-for-age to the N.S.W. Derby winner, Abundance, and beating him easily by a length. There were eleven runners, and the Trenton mare commanded Such an army of supporters that she went out a five to two on favourite. The result was another little addition of £325 towards her corn bill. * * * * * ■

Major George’s old favourite, Seahorse, was down to compete in the Cesarewitch Stakes • yesterday, in which he . had the handy impost of 7st 101 b. The result had not been cabled through at the time of writing. * # # # .

A somewhat remarkable fact about Wairiki, whoso portrait appears in this week’s issue, is that when he was first taken in hand he measured but 14.2, while now he is a very big colt, standing nearly two hands higher. Good judges claim the Soult colt to be the champion three-year-old of the North, and his recent performance at Avondale goes to bear out the assertion.

That clinking good colt Strata Florida won th<3 Guineas at Caulfield, on Saturday, in fine style, and thereby demonstrated that he has come on a lot since his defeat in the A.J.C. Derby. Taking] a line through their respective races against Wakeful, it begins to look as though Strata Florida would be equal to turning the tables on Abundance in the V.R.C. Derby.

The best price to be obtained locally about Nonette for the Cup is 5 to 1, and he ranks here as a pronounced favourite. - * * ■» * *

I noticed The Needle doing some good work on the track during the week. He seems to be on the improve, and may pos L sibly be equal to accounting for , one _ of the handicaps at the coming Spring Meeting at. Ellerslie.

With so many youngsters to be named annually it is, to many, quite a bothersome • subject. If the horses prove] of little value or prominence, it matters not how they are named, but if they come to the front, bad names are an infliction upon the public, for which the owner is hardly excusable. The trouble is. that in the great shuffle some very poor horses - get exceedingly good names, while excellent horses are hampered with poor ones. An American writer (Mr H. Cornstock) makes the following practical suggestions : —l. I prefer short, terse, singleword names when available, though some double-word names are admirable. 2. Significance and applicability of meaning or character to the family of the dam and .to the dam individually, I regard as desirable. It is not always well to try to make such connection with the sire. His family is so large that he reflects no exclusive distinction on any one of his foals. 3. A name that . alliterates with that of, the cam, particularly if alliteration has been preserved for some removete along the female line, I favour. . 4. Applicability .of name to individual named, if there is any conspicuous feature aboutthe individual to render it evident, is also desirable.

It seems a high price to pay 5000 guineas for a yearling, as the Duke of Westminster did the other: day, but it is nothing out of the way when compared with some other big prices which have been realised in England'. At the corresponding sale at Doncaster last September Lord Howard de Walden paid the enormous sum of 8850 guineas for one of Mr J. Simons Harrison’s yearling fillies, by Isinglass from Helen’s Tower ; and Mr J. Musker gave 5300 guineas for-a filly by St. Simon from Bonnie Morn, and 5200 ' guineas for a filly by Ladas from. La Fleche. The Duke’s 5000 represents only half what was given for Sceptre by Mr R. S. Sievier, who has this season demonstrated the wisdom of paying a good price for good stock, instead of filling his stable with moderates. Ini comparatively recent years many yearlings besides those mentioned have brought more than the Duke of Westminster paid. Cupbearer realised _ 9100 guineas, King Thomas 8000 ,guineas 1 , Childwick. 6000 guineas, the Orme —Vamr . v pire colt 5700 guineas', tne Orme —Gant 1 - ; let colt 5600 guineas, andl La Fleche and the Trenton—Sandi way Colt 5500 guineasi each. How often, however, do these loweach. How often, however, do these high duffers. But that’s where the luck of the lottery comes in. > \ The Haut Brion filly, Scarlet Runner, who was sold recently to Mr M. Ellis,, a Longreach (Q-) sportsman, met with a curious accident lately, as she narrowly escaped death by running a large splin ter of wood 34in into her throat, just missing the windpipe. ' ’ Halberdier’s performgnce. in the Wanganui Stakes was beyond queSgiotjqaf W®-, taking one, for Mr Bennett’s ed off the mile and a-half in 2min 40jaebj,v i which is a record for the race. The', win- ' nor is a six-year-old browjf gelding'“Bye . Cuirassier from Miss Stead. .The , wonder Advance took 3 3-steeq.j''ioh^S®'■ when he won tne race two years" .•" , ' .'/■■ It is worthy of note that with thek?.ax,-;:J ■ ception of Nonette, Tortulla, and Borirua., 1 .; every horse engaged in the New Zealand Cup is handicapped under weight-for-age. J •' i , The famous trotter, Star Pbirjter, /•wate-N the first and only horse of the. nijietchenth'/? century to heat two minutes. /DAla Batch is the first of the new century; and years younger than Star Pointer, wass when he made his record) *'*» * ■ ; ;. ■■ ■ The advice of a . well-known owner 'of . trotters to his driver —“ Drive an h6.neSt. race ancl try to win,' but don’t, be tod&gj honest and try to win every; hbfit may be obliged to walk home if yoty? i ■ , ■ ' ■ ... Both the North Otago Jockey Club. and’/J--the North Canterbury Jockey / C lab’s ; Spring Meetings will be ■: to- , any. • ■ . ... . . : Mr Hugo Friedlander’s trio, Ko&tfrn, , Kamo, and Sans Peur, are expected' from Napier by the steamer ' on Sunclay morning next. j : As a consequence of his p'ecent■•..vietoriea’ at Flemington and qCauifel<i|g.. l . J Strata Florida has been stoutly backed./': fo r the Melbourne Cup. A ‘lavourit^ 4 , jf double is Nonette and Strata Florida fc® ; the two Cups.

A horse that has been steadily backed at long prices for the Caulfield Cu-p is Progredior, who is by Pilgrim’s Progress, and was a fair performer in Tasmania. ■ Progredior is now trained at Mordialloc by A. Fergusson, and ran there in the Stand Handicap at Flemington.

The total entries received for the V.R.C. general events were 831, a falling oil of 100, or excluding the Opening Handicap, for which entries were not taken last year, there is a total shortage of 132. The falling off is principally noticeable in the two-year-old events, there being over 100 less than were received for the corresponding events in 1901.

The number of extraordinary letters received by trainers from unknown correspondents almost passes belief, but a story told me by Huggins struck me as singularly quaint, writes “ Vigilent” in the London * Sportsman.” One morning .last' Autumn he received a letter which, judging by the handwriting, was the production of quite a small boy. He requested Huggins to tell-him whether Volodyovoski was sure to win the. Cambridgeshire, as for some lame past he had been putting by a penny per week in order to back him. He wound up his letter in this naive fashion : “I do not give you my address because my father, who is a Sunday-school teacher, would be sure to open the letter.”

According to an English exchange, the Yarmouth Council - are in a state of delighted amusement. An old maid living , on the Front wrote to them several days ago complaining of a man who bathed just opposite her window at six o'clock every morhing. The council wrote to the man, who replied that as it was so early in the clay he had hoped no one (.quid •• ’ take exception to his bathing' off the Front ; but that he would gladly go a mile higher up. Last week, however, the council received another letter of complaint from the lady ; ‘The man I wrote to you about has gone higher up the beach, but -I can still see him with a tele- > scope I” , . . . j Sportsmen, who during the last few . . years may have visited London, will regret to hear of the death of Tim, the Irish Terrier, which for the last twelve’ years has been such a familiar figure on the departure and arrival platform of - Paddington Station, where he collected in all nearly £BOO in. his money-box for the Railway Servants’ Widows and Orphans Fund. It is to be hoped that the old dog’s place may soon be filled by a t worthy successor, though it will be a difficult matter to find one which can discriminate between a likely subscriber to the fund and an undesirable with the fidelity and accuracy displayed L-y the lamented collector, whose remains are now in the hands of the taxidermist, and : will. subsequently be placed in a promind.ent' '■pqfirtipn on the platform, where he ■Yspbn.V’tbe'-'Tjest hours of his life. ./'--s, ’ ■ 'racegoers who witnessed the race Stakes will remember sensational win and disqualfication at ljie Lack end of the fifties i says ‘‘The Licensed Victuallers • was on the morning of jythat day/that John Wells came into the ■ Tffrf ~?i’avern with double sweaters on ./.after ■.a good walk. William King, who' .. ‘Twas'ithem the landlord, observed to Wells, ; .toyhkL.Tiny; what have you been doing?” Tip?.which '; the jockey replied, "Why, 1 t'.Thinlqmy Walk has got me 41b off” And . f .'so-'iif .'had, \ but' Blue Gown was cli.-quali- ' J/, fiba.: fo.fi [carrying 71b overweight then . it, and the race went ■' .<:tb V irttfe/L ' ■' T/vT-ft ft (ft -J ■' /.’%Th<;re : are but few,- if any, now living ' V ; .that .-fieally. knew who it was that was . -ylhstriiiiiehtal in bringing that objection there never was a doubt bin ' ’that' Wells would -have passed all light y'.-.'hut-T'or ’a-. , qiiiet reminder from a jockey ■-(■who did hot ride in the race) to Parry : ftk^rho;-steered Virtue, to tell Wells to keep • bhih ’ tdcfi< off the ground as the scale was S going down. That was the Middleham •jiyjockcyy- -Dbylo, .and 'Mr George llalfielcl ■;T{Maypr of Doncaster), who stood by, ' Tidryiyrdbservec, “That’s done it.” . $/?'sss% j.' * * * * 1 and Spoilsman ” thus Jqpithi &‘/'describes Dan Patch’s great at- ■ T .thJhptVtd;.-beat the world’s pacing record • hy. Star Pointer:—“At the Narra- ; r'igahsett .'/'Park track, at Providence, ■ <- ; lihbdfe?lslahd, Dan Patch paced a mile in H" thus coming within a quarter of-;-of Star Pointer’s record and fieipgi the! second horse to enter the ft . chatmed . two minute circle. Myron Mc•iTMefiryb'd'tdye the famous brown stallion : and-his., owner, M. E. Sturgis of New the performance from a -iWWWWthe grand stand. An immense ’throng : sgw the exhibition. The track '. ’T ?•< ' • . ' . i J ;ft;-”ftT--ft ■ . ft ■ • ' ■

was lightning fast. The trial was made about four o’clock. A slight breeze was blowing up the home stretch, but the stallion finished strong. The. fastest quarter was the second, in 0:29 flat. The first half was in 0:59| and the last in. 1:00. The middle half was in Dan Patch was paced by a runner and scored down twice before Myrdn McHenry nodded for the word. The horse was going fast in a long stride and a thousand watches snapped when he flashed under the wire. In an instant he was down at the turn, leaning in on the curve, and the runner was galloping hard to keep up. The} 7 were at the quarter in 0:32-1 and the runner was even Then the gallant, horse made his supreme effort and the way he shook that runner was worth going far to see. He was squatting low in a long stride and cutting through the air so his ears were bent back and his mane, was straight out., 'the runner was doubling in great leaps, but Dan Patch got away and he went along the back stretch, the second quarter; in 0-29 flat, making 0:59-1 for the half. The runner caught up again and they made the third quarter in 0:30|, or 1:29g to that distance. Down the stretch he came in the greatest dash of his life. The last quarter was in 0:29£. ♦*• « *

That up-to.date institution the Auckland Racing Pigeon Club flew 7 off their first race of the season on Saturday last from Ngaruawahia, a distance of sixtyone miles (air-line). There were sixtyfour birds competing, representing ten lofts: The winner was Mr G-. Davis’, A.R.P.C., No. 19b, accomplishing ai velocity of 1140 yards per minute ; second, Mr E. Daniel’s Gil Blas; velocity 1126 yards; third, Mr H. Bailey’s, A.R.P.C., No. 349, velocity 1124 yards. The race was a close one. The remainder of the competitors were close up.

The latest files to hand' indicate that the Caulfi’eld Cup top-weight St. Leonard is very fit. He was given a strong gallop over a mile and a half in company with the Idler, another Cup candidate, and Seaport. Thev ran the first mile, in Imin 4Ssec, and the full distance in 2min 46sec, Sir Leonard finishing a length in front.

Looking back at old racing times once more (writes “Bondi” in the “Referee ) all who know anything of the English Turf of former days w 7 ill remember that one of the devout jockeys of old was Jem Snowden, who in one year steered the winner of the Derby, Two Thousand and St. Leger. Unfortunately, however poor Jem, like many another great and good man, used to “bend his arm so often that it affected his head most disastrously, and our readers may remember the tale I once told concerning

the day Jem went to mount his horse for a big race at Newmarket and found the brute was so tricky rhat his. trainer had a pair of winkers on him. Poor Jem was so “tanked” that when he got a “leg up” from a friend he fell clean over on the other side of- the horse altogether, but previous to that Jem, seeing winkers, exclaimed : “Hallo, lad ! This wunna do at all. A blind jockey and a blind horse’ll never see where they’re goin’. Take them things off, an’ give th’ horse a chance to see, anyway.” A new bridle had to be found, and “blind” and all as Snowden was he won his race cleverly.

When Strata Florida realised the sensational price of 1300 guineas as a yearling the gossips to a man figured .it out as about six times his value (writes “Milroy”). Mr John Mayo, who .bred him, would have been, it is said, satis-, fled with a fourth of the money the colt brought, and was the most astonished man in this State when the bidding was carried to 1300 guineas. The big price is. easily accounted for. Mr W. T. Jonessent certain friends a commission from England to buy a yearling, to- carryJiis colours in Australia. Headed by Walter • Hickenbotham, the commission (went through some ISO yearlings at theqSyd-. ney sales, and fixed upon the Grafton—-; Lady Trenton colt as the right' ope.to buy. It turned out that another wealthy and plucky Melbourne buyer wai present, and he had also marked 'off 7 the Lady Trenton colt as his own. tinder ordinary circumstances either of- the buyers would-have stopped at aboilft 500. guineas, but the youngster was the lasthut one on the list, and there Was. no chance left to get another yearling; of his class, so both parties went at it hammer and tongs, strata Florida did not develop from early — or rather. Walter' Hickenbotham did not hurry, or force him until the colt had turned thre'e. ye,ars and during this period the youngster was generally regarded as a failure,- .and he, was used as an illustration ‘against giving big money for yearlings.. The value of a yearling should not always be based upon two-year-old possibilities, and probably Strata Florida was bought more on account of the following season’s classic races than twc'-year-qld scrambles. However, both at Randwick and on Saturday Strata Florida justified the judgment of Waltei; Hickenbotham and the two gentlemen/who were acting for Mr Jones. At Randwick Abundance proved superior to Strata Florida but for all that, the latter showed that he was worththe. high money paid for' him. Hickenbotham left Melbourne in August, confident that his charge would win the A.J;CI Derby, as the colt had executed a splqhdid gallop at Flemington before leaving, but he went under rather easily to 'Abundance.

Cadenas recently put up the: best gallop done at Caulfield this season. He ran the first six furlongs, inlmin: 17sec., the mile in Imin 44 l-ssec, and the full ten furlongs in 2min 13sec. He should be very dangerous in the big race on Saturday.

Mr Hector Norman Simson, who is a candidate for Parliamentary honours at the coming election, publishes bis views in to-day’s issue. Mr Simson is opposed to the present system of party government, and also to the constitution of the Upper House. He is of opinion that an independent board should manage the finances of the country, and he also advocates an alteration in the licensing laws. Mr Simson intends giving addresses to the City electors, in which he will put forward his views on various subjects dealing with Parliamentary

. Mr John Bollard notifies the electors of Eden that he is again a candidate for their suffrages, ancl as he has done so much for the district in the past is hound to receive plenty of support.