Straybird is looking exceptionally well jaat now, and should ran well at the forthcoming meeting. Cannongate has a fair chance iv the A. E.G. Hurdles. He has been shaping fairly well in schooling. St. Ilario arrived in Auckland on Monday last to finish hiß preparation at Ellerßlie for the Century ran. Cannie Chiel seems to be going all right now, and as he is a very fast colt, he should, if well, get near scoring at the Riccarton Easter meeting. Only ill Juck haß prevented Cannie Chiel from having a good record np to date. Dayntree is fancied by some for the Easter Handicap. He certainly haß a nice weight to race under, and if his im proved looks should cover the throwing off of his old inconsistency, and he should run up to his real form, there are not many horses in the race that could beat him at the weights. At a recent meeting in the South, pills, in the shape of three written pro tests, were prepared for the owner of a certain favourite before the race in question wa3 run, ready to be given effect to bad the said horse won. The grounds were inconsistent running. t The horse got beaten, however, and the preparers of the pill were not called upon to act. Perhaps it was just as well for the owner of tlu favourite thas his horse got only second. Mr Alfred Joseph, the Melbourne bookmaker, mnat be credited with having a facetious vein, for, vide report, before leaving for Epgland he kindly advised the public to give up betting for twelve months. Did he mean that he would be returning to Australia at the end of that time, and that he would be pleased to renew acquaintance with his clients after they bad had a year to recuperate in? Porangi Potae has had during her racing career occasional fits of blood-let ting. When one considers the number of times that Porangi has broken a blood vessel, one wonders if she can have any left to break. The ill-effecta of this blood letting appear to be only temporary, and the ever verdant Poiangi, who again broke a blood vessel at Paeroa the other day, may be expected to be seen racing again in a short time as apparently youthful as ever. 