THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 808, 4 May 1910, Page 7

THE TURF.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. ■IBy GLiitfcoEj Tho Marlborough Racing CluKs meeting takes place at Blenheim to-day and to-morrow. Frontino won the pony race on each da> of tho Auckland Trotting Club's meeting. 11l addition to riding Toanga at Iho Marlborough meeting to-day, H. Gray will probably have the mount on. AVaikaraka. Lares, the half-brother to Penates, is engaged hi the Maiden Hack .Race at Blenheim to-day, and is to be ridden by T. Pritchard. Aberbrolhock, who went wrong: just prior to the decision of. the last Auckland Cup, hits again been taken up, and his traiuer intends to hack him about for a month or six weeks before putting liiin Ii? -n 0 i is to be hoped that I the 1 apakura horse will remain sound, as there is no doubt,as to his being one iof tho best handicap horses in tho Dominion. I'or proof of this one has only to remember his form at the spring meeting of the C.J.C. last year, when he carried all before him and won threeopen handicaps against the best horses out at that tune. A. NeaJe, private trainer to Mr. D. Buick, M.P., has recently broken in a rising two-year-old full-brother to Bangi-" papa. Tlie youngster is black in colour, and gives every promise of turning out useful, ftealo has also in work the maiden, Gold Battery; who is reported! to hare much improved since gelding. The chestnut gelding ,'Kangikura, who went amiss after the AVoodville meeting, is still ruuning in the paddock, and it is doubtful whether he-will ever bo again, sound enough to stand racing. The Mapourika, which sailed for Pic-

toil last evening, was. crowded with excursionists who intend being present at the Marlborough meeting to-day. Amongst .the passengers were Messrs. .Kingston and Narelle, owners of Lamsdorff and Waikaraka. Mr. Narelle informed "Glencoo" that he was not decided as to which race he would start AVaikaraka' in, but he seemed to be of tho opinion that it would bo the Welter, as he believed that, on Levin form, his horse would havo no chance of defeating Lady Medallist in the Cup.

The West Coast horses, King Try and North Pole, arrived at Eiccarton last week, and will probably bo raced at several , meetings in Canterbury and Otago during the next few weeks.

Sea Queen is engaged in two races at tho Marlborougli meeting to-day, and figures, at tlie head of .the handicap in both. At the Wellington Racing Club's autumn meeting last month the St. Ambrose filly failed to show to advantage in tha Tinakori Handicap, but sho was plainly not at her best that day. Her best form to, date was in the Electric Handicap ut the, Wellington Cup meeting,' when she ran a good third to Boanerges, and carried the same weight as the Hawke's Bay Stakes winner.

There*is a probability that the crack trotter Revenue will attempt to creato a new club record during the Forbury Park Trotting Club's- meeting, which takes place this week.

Stanley Reid will ride Mataari and Splash in their engagements ,at the Marlborough meeting.

' Jenkinstown, winner of tho Liverpool Grand National, was bred in Co. Meath by Mr. P. Leonard, from .whom Mr. Jas. Daly bought him as a four-year-old. -He subsequently sold . the . gelding to Mr. -Stanley Howard, who has now carried off two Grand. Nationals with animals procured from Mr. Daly.

The well-known galloway Octoroon (MenschikolT—The Slave) was shipped from Auckland to Hokianga last week, and will do stud duty in the north. The idea- which appears to prevail in some quarters that the Aintree fences ure stilr'ei* than was the case last year is a mistaken one (says a Home exchange). The obstacles were not trimmed down prior to the meeting just concluded quite closely as they have been on occasions, and one of the fence's to which special reference lias been made is not.' an inch higher than it has been for a number of years. Close familiarity with the obstacles of the character met with at some of the "Park" meetings may have not a little to do with the chances which aro taken by some of the performers over the Aintree fences.

Chadwick, the jockey who won the last Grand National ■on Jenkinstowu, also won the Spring Hurdle Handicap on Indian Runner, beating Briery, who was the mount of Piggott, after a good struggle from tho lost hiirdles. Ho thus had tho satisfaction of accounting for the chief 'chase and the chiof hurdle event of the meeting, which would make amends for missing flit. "National" last year on Judos. Aintrco is evidently one ot Chadwick's lucky grounds. His mounts there under National Hunt Rules have been comparatively few, but his winning record includes, as above mentioned, tho Grand National (Jenkinstown), a Champion, Steeplechase. (Bloodstone), a Spring Hurdle Race (Indian Runner), and a November Hurdle Race on two occasions, viz., Horbort Vincent and Caruso.

In connection with the proposed match between the pacers Sal. Taslccr and Denver Huon it is stated that the conditions proposed by Denver kuon's owner are the l>est two out of three, two-mile heats, in harness, tho pole to be drawn for hi the nrst heat; tne polo horse in the first heat to take the outside running in the second heat; in the ovent of a third heat being run, tho pole to be again drawn for; the match to takn place in November on the grass track at Ascot. The deposit will bo. withdrawn by Mr. Geddes in.2l days if it'is not covered by tho representative of the owner of Sal Tasker.

The Aew.lork correspondent of the London "Sportsman," writing in March, ■stated that tho annual icport of tho State Racing Commission showed that in 1909 tho number of raciug days was 139, which was 26 less than in I'JOS, and 97 less than in 1907.; The attendance, amounts distributed in purses and stakes, and the amount of tax on gross receipts all fell below the preceding year; th" gross receipts were .£210,807, as against .£985,71G in 1907; the amount distributed to owners was <£lfri,ooo, as against .£530,(100 in 1907; and Belmont Park and Jamaica meetings paid out more than they received. The amount of the 5 per cent, tax was *Clo,sJo—less than'for any year .since 1890. Tho total amount of this tax levied under the Racing Law since 1895 is 0£371,172. This money is for the benefit of the agricultural societies and town and county fairs, and when it was found that the Agnew Hart law would materially affect the tax,-the Legislature decided to take from tho school iund 'a sum sufficient to bring the amount up to ,£so,ooj>, and this has been tho procedure for the £ast two years.

News to hand announces the purchase of Hie English horse Hymettus for New Zealand. His new owner, is the Hon. J. D. Ormond, of Hawke's Bay. Ilymettiis is a six-year-old 'chestnut horse, by Cyllene from Sweet Balsam by Friar's Balsrim from Ennerdale by Galliard from Thirlincro. Cyllene (sire of Hymettus) is the sire of two Derby winners, Cicero mid Minora, and has several good (hroc-yenr-o'lils at present representing him. He was sold for ,€25,000 two years ajo to go, to tho Argentine. Thirlmere. grand-g'rand-dam of Hymettus, is a halfsister to Kendal, sire of the famous Gal tee More. Kendal, like Cyllene, was .told at n high figure to ro io South America, where he died last year, after u successful stud career in his new home. Hymettus was n useful performer on tho racing track, and won some good races. He will arrive in the Dominion before tho now season commences. FIXTURES., 'i-iy A and s—Marlborough lI.C. Autumn. May U and 12--Egmont R.C. Winter. nluy.l2 and 13—Ashburton County R.C, Autumn. May 24 and 2G—Wanganui J.C. Winter. Juno 3 and 4.—Dtinedin J.C. Winter. Juno 3 and 4—Otaki R.C. Winter. Juno 3, 4, and B—-Auckland R.C. Winter. June 15 and 1G —Hawke's Cay J.C. Winter. Juno 22 and 23—Napier Park R.C. WinJuly 7 and B—Gisborno J.C. Winter. July 10, 20, and 23—Wellington R.C. Winter,