NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 419, 30 January 1909, Page 14

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

■-, The Takapunai Jockey-Club's meeting will the' continued : to-day. .' ; . '. ;; r. •\Merry-Mp.ssehger'.was not taken.to 'the : Pahiatiia,meeting. :.;.'■':.'; ...; ■•. ■■:;■■■-, -,■;-,:■■. !■'.-'■-. ■:; ; mounts altogether: at the Pahiatua meeting, but- failed to gain a .win.>Mve-of his'.mounts started first favi purites. '■ _ '•;' "'■,■'■ --■;;/■-■-:■ ' •..'-.-.■;■.■•■, ■;-,• :'-.■ .■;.:. ■,;",C.-Cress'went; through to New-Plymouth ■yesterday to whool Mikotahi over the jumps. The Masterton horseman will ride;: Golden; Eagle'and. Mikotahi at the Egmont Racing , -.Club's..meeting next week.. ■:. : , -.';, v ; The. aittual :imeefing-of' the '•■ JEarioi Hack Racing'Club*takes place on Thursday next. :^^^/?asi!^Jio ; fffbhlaVdouble:'at.the Waikanae: races on; New , ; Year's -Day, -has' seen : the last of. the facing; track. She was raijed from, Waikanao Stud .yesterday morning, and being a full sister to that good l performer;. Vladimir, ;,'sh« ought - to. pro ve 'successful'asviavibropd- mare.'. ■">. '.:.: !■;,".:. ':'■ : Coy'.was', npininated' for the . Clip ; andi the hurdle race at the' Karioi:meeting, but as he was'.very.-.sore'aiterihis.-fair at,Pahiatua; he will probably.be;given a .short''spell. : '■.■'■■ ',- .The San Rem'o.iigelding Auldearn is under offer■-.•'.to'/;a v.Wellingtoii' sportsman-. for ■-.' 400 ■guineas,.:and;.it: is .probable, !that,a sale, will ■result'. -; Auldeafn won four! races'last: season, ■ and has'already won , a- ; goqd sum in. stakes sinc6v:the, present.;season: commenced. '..';'. .::All;:Red won,the Auckland Cup,- White Star-.the, Foston Cup, arid Blue , Ribbon the Wellington Cup, so that there was an- allround 1 victory, for.'the Red; White'and -Blue. Americans, ■.canV-.find,; consolation :.in ;the fact that Roosevelt triumphed- on both days of the Pahiatua meeting.-..-'■ , ! . ( : :; : ,- ■'.', '/ ;;v ,^n^moana, s//'fiin.;.br<>tnep,-'-EangifcapiiaV .ls'.going ! on-'.the''right: way' at Palmersten .North, and is, to be given a run at the Wood-Tille,jmeeting-'next month/.;;■ ,He is'also eriWanganui Jockey'.CluD'B autumn ■meetingV,;,".;;;:,;,/:: : -'' ''':.'.- -: , . ,1 . ■ ; ... v■' ') . I- Weights..for,, the first, day's events at the Egmont, Racing Club's meeting are 'due on Monday;:'::. V\: '~'".' ■'" : .'■'-.-.■';■■'■■ .There. wore big fields for nearly all the events .at the ,Takapuna. meeting yesterday, 'a'n'd 'several ■rarii-;iutsider's\ prevailed. .'\.-~ ~;.:Pripr, to leaving-New Plymouth for Auckland;, the Stepniak; gelding Sir Artegal was doing goodwork on the'tracks, and he is expected to run well .before returning home. : '' ; : Roosevelt, was fPurcfiasecl byjhisrpreserit:.'6wnerfor something ";i1k6"30/gaineaSi:i'and/has, : ;therefore,: been- a bargain*-■jHe'.if.'a-:three-year-old, : an,d ;as x he.'-was " l -a';late foal.ihis form this -season has: been. exceedingly'/good. , ' His' bwneritain.er.ta].w.ayst,:Jands-: him'-'at the'■ post- in j splendid racing condition, and jt is condition J that has been the main factor in his recent success.'-*-i-I'i..iv: : i:^-'-' ,, ' : ■.''■•.- '■■"■ : -'' : '\- "':-.' :

■ £he»K)ilcherair—-.'Spungold gelding Tiiku Tuku was';not started in the two-year-old race at the Takapuna. meeting yesterday. .; 'Nominations 1 for . the '■.-, 'Woodville District■■ Jockey Club's autumn meeting .close: at 8 rjololtfdt-.tliis evening with.-the secretary,; Mr., 0; J. Gothard. The meeting takes place on February v l7 T .and...18.; • .V. , ■:: >' j,v /■'■ . %■■': ln , an- interview with a. pressman in Mel-' bourne, the ■ Victoria trainer, R. H. Frew, who-has-just .feturned , from a trip to New. Zealand, stated that'he considered All Red quite up to the best w.f .a. form in Australia. ■•■•.*■■..' '■• .■:■■•■ 'A ■ .':■ ■' ' '■' : '.■■.■■■ '.: The Mordialloo trainer, D. J. Price, took Otira to Hobartvto/'do the Tasmanian fortnight.-. may!not be.good: enoughi .to,.wm one,of.the oupß,he may land a minor race before the meetinge oonclude. :Tho fact, that.the American jockey, Maher, who ridea.'mth. ft Bhort stirrup on the\flat,> adopted a ; long stimipiii his first essay over fences, gave rise to some discuesion m the English .capers regarding old methods and new.vVldr. .S.j-ffi; Gollan, -writing to' theLond6*n~'"Sportsnian" on 'the subject, says' that he and Hickey, when : riding over big country in New Zealand, used to employ a stirrup ; and hold of the reins that gave them a seat about halfrway between the. American position and the old English "tongs-on-a----wall" 'seaiv This \method he still thinks gives a maximum of'power combined with .delicacy in controlling the stride and leap of a'*cnas*er.v It appears, howoverj that when Hickey first went to the Old Country he adopted.■ : the,«eame style as the English jockeys','so' Vs-fiot , to appear 'peculiar when riding in a race. ; ... Serenade, who was taken on to Pahiatna ■after : .the"Trehthani, meeting, was • shipped home to.;Riccartpn. last.night.,, ■ V ; ■ Concerning'the' difference between the owner of Narcotic and the rider of the horse on the first day of the Pahiatua meeting, the'stewards iof 'the" club did not meet m-

obnneciion with the affair.'as they were apparently satisfied' with the .way .the 'horse : was ; ridden;' , ' ■■■■**" .. .:" ! ;■'•'■

Progeny 'of Menschikoff iwori- £2500 in stakes in the Dominion last season, and as the Stepniak horse has already had four good winners to.represent him this season, , there appearsi id be a.'goqd chanco of bis last season's record being improved ujjon.