NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1039, 31 January 1911, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[By Glexcoe.] '

, The Pahiatua Racing Club's meeting takes place to-morrow and on Thursday. . There will be. racing at Gisborno on Thursday and i'riday next. Merry Frank is at present enjoying a spell, and the only member of 1 ( '. liiggot's team that will compete at the Paliiatua meeting is Aimwcll. A. Goodman leaves for Tahiatua to-dayj with Succession and Septimus. J. Lowe's stable will bo represented at the meeting by Humble. / A four-year-old. geldi'ug, by Freedom, has recently joined A'.* Jacksou's team at Wanganui. .. . . . Merry,, Lawir is nbt likely .to, bo seen competing, in- the hurdle events at tlio Pulnatua. meetiiig. V ■ The Gaming Act, passed last session, comes into force to.-day. The Pahiatua meeting will be the first totalisator fixture held under tho new. conditions. • ! Prior, to leaving Awapuni for Gisborne last week, Dirkfine had been showing .excellent form on tho tracks. ' The filly by purchased, by Mr. W. H. Turnbull at tho Waikanao sahHs to go into H. Goodman's stable 'at Trentham. .Goodman is to receive another addition to his team in the shape of a youngster,-by Signalman from Hine-Nui-Tepo, who will carry tho colours of the' Wellington sportsman, who races as Mr. P. Soames. Julian, who showed a good deal of pace in the Trial Plate at Trentham, is. engaged in the Welter Hack ftace; at Pahia.tua to-morrow. Domino, who won the principal handicap at the Takapuna meeting yesterday, was not among the list of acceptances telegraphed from' Auckland, on Sunday. While doing a gallop at Wanganui on Saturday morning, The Lark I 'sustained a broken leg. - Accordirig 'to the"Wanganm "Herald" he is in the hands' of a- veterinary; surgeon, who has hopes of saving him 'for stud purposes. • The'" Achilles—Marseillaise filly, which fell to iU bid of the Hon. James Carroll for 300-guineas at the Waikanae sale last week, :Will race in the name, of Mr. J. W. Lowe. To-day the bookmaker is no more. At least that is the legal presumption. It will bo interesting to see how the new Act works, and whether it _ will fulfil speci6cations. One result will, probably bo. that the principal lavers will ceaso operations. A host of - the smaller fry will, no .doubt, dawn. ..."

That .great horse Bayardo, who has been retired' to tho stud, has his . list full for tho next season 1 , at 301 guineas.

" Judging- by tho priccs given ■ for tho Charlemagne II youngsters, ajid also, taking a line through Culprit,. )t:appears as if the imported horse' will 'sooir be at .tho top of. tho list of winning sires.. There should bo souie excellent sport at Pahiatua to-morrow—tho first meeting to bo held, without tho presence of k bookmakers. Several unknown, quantities are and, amongst them, may _j>B some who will sec a bettor day. Tho Trial field contains two promising sorts -Jolly Maiden and Septimus. . lhe former showed good form qt Ashhurst, whilst Septimus lias been putting up somo smart gallops at Trentham. Irish has been withdrawn from the Cup field, and there: is only 1311). between the remaining dozen runners. Iliglulen • ana First Consul seem to: have -good chances, and thofirst-named.. . showed first-class form on tho second- day of tho. podvule meeting. „. , The now jockey scales, which have lately been installed at :Riecarton and Ellersne aro now being brought before the English Jockey Club and National Hunt Club Committee.

According to tho American papers, the well-known American jockey, I'red laral, intends setting up as a trainer next year in Austria-Hungary. Only a few years ago Taral headed tho list of winning jockeys in tho dual monarchy for several seasons running, but tho difficulty ot keeping his weight down caused him to relinquish tho saddle. Brown Trout was raced freely throughout the Christmas meetings, and, on tho second dav at Bulls,, he scored decisively in tho hack race. Since then ho has gone on the right way, and is to contest tho Welter Handicap at' Pahiatua tomorrow. Included in the field is 1 lie Rover, whom he decisively defeated at Bulls, and who lias siiicc shown winning form at Fox ton.

Mr. W. Riordan, of Wellington, is the new owner of Toango.

Nominations for tho Dannevirko Racing Club's mooting close on February 11. Duke of Westminster was up for sale at Newmarket the other day, and I have seen, says a writer in "Truth," references to the "serious mistake" and tho "error of judgment" committed by Mr. George. Faber when he purchased this horso in preference to Sceptre. The blunder was certainly disastrous, but the fault did not He with Mr. Faber, who wrote to mc as follows on the subject in January, 11)01; "At the tiino when I was offered I)uko of Westminster I was. also offered Sceptre, tho latter at/a materially lower price than tho former. Acting under the best professional advico I could get, I selected Duko of Westminster." It is curious how often tho most clever experts give bad advice. As tho Frenchwoman said, "Quo les hommes d'esprit sont betes."

Domino, wiuncv of the Tabajiuna Jockey Club's Handicap yesterday, ■ is a gross "little horse; and is always better ou the second and third day of - the meeting,

"Vigilant" in tho London "Sportsman" has the following:—Go where you will throughout tho world, it is the imported stock which chielly comes to the front. Carbine was bred in New Zealand, but by nil imported horse out of an imported mare. The most successful sires at present in Australia are Grafton and Positano, both imported, while tho recent Melbourne Cup winner, Comedy King, was himself imported as a foal. Flavinius, who won. the Canlfield Cup, is by imported Flavtis, and Prince Foote, the great winner of tho previous season, is by Sir Foote (imp). In Franco practically all tho most successful stallions are imported ones, e.g., Flying Fox, Rabelais, Simonian, Childwick, etc., aucl the same phenomenon holds good in ■ 'other countries.

RACING FIXTURES. Feb. '4. —Takapuua J.C. Summer. Feb. 1 and 2—Pahiatua R.C. Annual. Feb. 2 and 3.—Gisborno R.C. Summer. Feb. 2 and 4.—Canterbury J.C. Summer. Feb. 9 and 10.—Poverty Bay T.C. Summer. Feb. 8 and 9—Eginont E.C. Summer. Feb. 15 and'l6.—Taranaki J.C. Autumn. Feb. 22 and 23—Woodvillo District J.C. Autumn. Feb. 22, 23, and 25.—Dunedin J.C. Autumn. March 8 and 9—Dannevirke E.C. Autumn. March 2 and 4—Wauganui J.C. Autumn.