NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 783, 5 April 1910, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

■:." [Bγ CtyETCoaJ ... The. Wellington Racing Club's meeting opens at Tronthani to-morrow, when' the Thompson Handicap and the North Island Challenge Stakes will be decided. On Saturday next the Avondale Jockey Club's meeting will commence. ■ Nominations for all- events at the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's meeting olose at 8 o'clock to-night. . liquifas arrived at Trentham last night to fulfil, her engagement in the Thompson Handicap, in which , she is to be ridden by A. Oliver. I. The -Danedin sportsman, "Mr. .J. : Brett," is on a visit to Sydney, and I would be present at the sales of yearlings held there last week. . S. Reid arrived in Wellington . yesterday to be present at the Trentham meeting. Ho will ride Hilarian and Koran in tlieir engagements. ' ■ Armlet is still a strong favourite for the Thompson Handicap, and Kilindihi favourite for the Railway Handicap; Perle d'Or and: Golden Loop have also been supported, in. doubles wjth Armlet. ' Hydrant was allowed to drop out of his hurdle engagement at Trentham, as his owner thought the handicapper had top high, an opinion of the aged gelding's ability.' ' •..;■"■'■ ' ',' ' ' ••■■ ° _ The Hawke's Bay sportsman, Mr. G. P. Donnelly, arrived in. town by the Napier express last evening.'..'.'. ■ Owners are reminded that acceptances for tha first day's events at the Manawatu Racing Club's meeting aro due-at 10 o'clock ■ tornight : with the/ secretary, Mr. J. M. Johnston. Final payments for the sixth Manawatu Stakes close at the same time. . ■"'•■■ •'■ " • :

, VicerAdmiral, who is a fullbrother to Nautiform,' would, appear to bo many removes from a ohampipn, judging by his efforts on the' tract!. yesterday morning when Danube beat him very badly over a five-furlorig gallop on-the tan. It cannot be- said that the Yald-' ,hurst colt is. backward as he bears'evidence of having done a lofc v of .'work. ' . The work at , Trenthani was of a very uninteresting character yesterday morning. The grass track was open, but trainers.: elected ■ to work most : of their, horses on tho tan. Trainers Mason, Prosser, and Cutts teams without anything, sensational being recorded and it. left "to; North East and Golden Loop to put up. the' best gallop- of the morning—four furlongs on Qio grass in. a , .tick under 4?sec. This morning most of the , Worses' should be on timomakins trials over short courses and visitors to the' track, should be'well rewarded for' their early rieing.

, As the, handicapping of Armlet is a much-discussed subject just now, it is interesting, to note -that, in■ the Railway Handicap on the first day of the Trentham_ meeting, the Menschikoff mare was handicapped ."at. exactly the 1 same weight as she carried when she ! won the Teinpleton. Handicap' on the second day of the Canterbury, Jpckcy • Club's autumn meeting in .1909.' Considering .her recent form,,, it looks as if she-would have -had o, particularly good chance in the ''sixfurldngs event, but she has ' been : -n-ith-drawn"frqm.;that to contest"the'THomp-' Handicap in which she has Bst. 131b. When Mr. J'.'-E. Henrys framed. the weights for the', last Great' Easter •'Handicap he , awarded Armlet Bst. 131b,, but it ;niust : be remembered that had Armlet: gone to the post for that event she. would have had to carry 9st. 'i3lb'., as she. earned a penalty. It did not, of course, seem likely that she could have won with the extra weight, but the meeting did not pass without arace being annexed.by-.her, as she beat a 'couple'of the. Dominion's best 2-year-plds in the Challenge :Stakes 'on the: second ' day. Since she commenced racing as a 2-year-pld Armlet has wpn over .£SOOO in stakes, and it: seems possible: that her winnings will yet equal: the totals' earned .'by Cruciform and Gladsome.

TROTTING CLUB'S TAX BURDEN. : Christchurch, April A. The amount of Government tax payable by, the New Zealand. Metropolitan Trotting Club under the new Act in connection with the club's recent meeting at Addington is ,£757 Bs. 4d. , ' :