I NOTES AND COMMENTS. –

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 864, 9 July 1910, Page 12

I NOTES AND COMMENTS. -

. .(By GtENcpii.},,,, . ' The Victorian; Racing' : Club's Grand National meeting .will'bo concluded today at Flemingto-n, when' tho Grand National Steeplechase will be decided. Mr. G. F. ilooro has sold tho Austra-,lian-bred Fontenoy (Ilnutbrion —Rufine) to Mr: M. Murray-Ayhsley, of. Ohristchurcli, for 150 guineas.-

Tho'Riccarton trainer, E. Cutts, who has been on a holiday trip to Blenheim-, returned south by. the Maori; last night.

The San Fran filly Franzisca is again in ■ work at Opaki in preparation for spring events. .

Merry Lawn, who was rather/badly injured' through a fall in the Hack Hurdles onthe second day of the Wanganui winter. meeting, will shortly be placed in work again at Hastings.

. Following Mb victory in the -big Steeplechase on the first day of the Gisborne meeting, Te Arai won' the Hurdles yesterday, and thus completed the same double that he won atthe corresponding meeting last year.

Jockoy W. Young has been engaged to rido .Te Arai in 'the Wellington Steeplechase. *' ■

The defection of Bribery's name from the acceptances' for the V.R'.C. Grand National Steeplechase, to 'be run at Fleming ton to-day, is : interpreted in some quarters to mean that the Melbourne champion will make the trip to to contest the big Steepleehase s next month. As was anticipated in this column Eonie time back, Lace Collar has bidden adieu to the race tracks;, and lias gone to the stud at Waikanae. i

Though he is domiciled in England, the Australian, R. AVootton, still has Several horses running in South Africa, where ho was located prior to invading the Old Country

Tho Buenos Ayres Jockey Club arc so concerned in the breeding ,of highclass stock that Very few of .their chief stakes are open to geldings. Such an idea would hardly be entertainablo in New Zealand, for tho turf is hardly so far advanced, and, in addition, in Buenos Ayres breeders are prepared to pay big prices for 'sires and mares. Trentham trainer. J. Lowe's team for Australia will consist of Gold Lace, Iranui, and Effort. The. first-named is capable of holding his own in any cf the big handicaps up to a mile, but the other pair will'require placing. Miscast has again gone wrong, and is to be 2iven_ a further spell. The owner of the Birkenhead gelding is 1 unfortunate, as he was showing good form over tho small sticks, and could have been depended upon to win a hack hurdle race had ho remained 301111(1.

The fine weather during the last few days has greatly benefited the tracks at Treiithaln, and at the present time they are fconsiderably better than was tho case last yeai - .

The South Island horseman S. Smith, who was associated witli the principal successes of Vladimir, lias now taken to hurdle riding', and will be up on White Lie in tho hack hurdle races at Trentham.

J. Stewart, the well-known crosscountry horseman, who has during the last two years been associated with Mr. G. F. Moore's Kai Iwi stud, intended to leave for Western Australia by the Maitai' last night, but was unable to secure a berth. Since then lie lias been offered 'several rides at tho Trentham fixture, and accordingly has decided to remain for a few weeks. Amongst his mounts at .the W.R.C. meeting will lie Xavier in tho Winter Hurdles, and Waiono in the Steeples.

It would seem as if tho oft-published statement regarding the retirement of the Wanganui sportsman, Mr. G. F. Moore, from tlio ranks' of owners, is without foundation, as arrangements have been completed for.at least ono of his horses to go into J. Prosser's stables at Porirua. The youngster ferred to is a half-sister, by Vladimir to Sisnor. ' Jockey Luke Wilson, who met with a severe accident in Napier last month has so-far recovered as to be able to leave the hospital.