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DESERT GOLD FOR NEW ZEALAND Ex-Australasian Champion Stays at Homo Antipodean Turf News and Notes. SYDNEY, N..S. W.. Australia. September 2. That glorious mare and ex-champion, Desert Gold, is. said to be looking as well as any previous time, and it is expected she will add to her winning record this season. A little while back it was reported that she might visit Australia again, but with Sasanof,. Gloaming and other good horses absent from New Zealand Mr. Lowry may deem it advisable to keep her over there for the weight-for-age races. It vvould certainly be good policy, as the great mare cannot well be expected to show her best form of the past, and nothing would be gained by bringing her over here to probable defeat. " There is a growing feeling everywhere in New-Zealand .that the regulations prohibiting the publication of dividends, so far from serving any useful purpose, are encouraging fraud and deception, and actually playing into the hands of. the less desirable class of bookmakers. The need for a thorough revision of the law and for its vigorous and impartial administration is shown every day in a score of ways. Of the eighty-six Jockeys recently licensed by the Australian Jockey Club the riding weight of only two is given as less than 100 pounds namely, W. Kitchener ninety-five pounds and C. Roberts ninety-six pounds. Nearest to these two are D. OConnor, W. McCabe, L. A. Griffith, R. T. Harding, J. Quigley and H. Ryan, 100 pounds each. Four prominent jockeys listed at 112 pounds each are K. Bracken, A. Wood. W. II. McLaehlan and M. Connell, while L. A. Walker and W. J. Lillyman can each make 103 pounds. Betting licenses issued by the Australian Jockey Club for the current season total as follows: Paddock, 143; general, 13S; flat, 120. Tills list may, of course, receive additions as the season progresses, but with 401 bookmakers, in addition to the totnl-izator in each inclosure, backers are well catered for at the Itandwick course. v After racing for ten seasons Lord Grey is being retired by his owner, M. Counihan. who has presented 1dm to a friend for use as a hack. Altogether Lord Grey ran in 125 races and won but fifteen. He was second in two Grand National hurdle races and third in another. During his turf career the old fellow ran In races aggregating 1S9, miles, made up as follows: Flat races, seventy-eight miles; hurdle races, 101 miles, and steeplechases, ten miles. He ran at eight Grand National meetings. KANGAROO.
