NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1168, 1 July 1911, Page 3

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[By Glkncoe.j

In connection with the Wellington Racing Club's winter meeting, owners are reminded that acceptances for the first day's handicap events, and also for the Wellington Steeplechase (second day) close at 9 p.m. on Monday next with the secretary, Mr. A. E. Whyte. Entries for the Trial Plate are due at the same time. The hurdle horseman, N. Campbell, lias returned to Trentham from Palmerston North. Campbell will ride Tyrannic in the Wellington Steeplechase, and other events at the Wellington Racing Clubs winter meeting. ■ The Foxton horses—Moutoa Girl and Otahu—who competed successful}- at the Napier meeting were railed homo yesterday. A well-known Hawke's Bay sportsman was vesterduy negotiating tor tho purchase" of Te Puia, and it is more than probablo that by this time Mr. J. O'Moara is no longer'the owner ot the San Fran mare. Hoanga is to be given a couple of days' spell at Napier, and will then bo. brought down to Trentham for the Steeplechase meeting, which opens on July 15. Ho will arrive here on Monday night, and will bo ■ accompanied by Captain Jmg.e, whom Mr. J. Hennoli has.engaged in the Hack Steeplechase.

Espartero was taken to the racecourse at Napier yesterday, and his trainer intended that he should fulfil his engagement in the' Hack Hurdles, but ho was lame just before the scratching tune, and the pen was put through liis name. Captrfin Bell was also withdrawn from the race, but the soft going was the reason of his absence. ■ . To Ru was suffering from a cold at Napier, and was, in consequence, unable to display his best form. St. Albert, who has been off tho scene for some considerable time, was,given a run in the Open Hurdles at Napier on Thursday. He pulled up quite sound, which greatly pleased his owner (Mr. J. Mr. Cameron), and it has now been decided to bring him on to Trentham for tho Hack Steeplechase. The operation which Polymorphous underwent recently gives promise of turning out entirely satisfactory. the big horso is now picking up again, and is commencing to do well, but he will not be put into work until the new season is well advanced.

In the list of winning jockeys, H. Gray is now leading A. Whittaker by one win. The former came to Wellington yesterday to see R. J. Mason, and returns to New Plymouth this morning. He will not bo present at the Gisborne meeting, but A. Whittaker will, so that it is quite likely that, at the eud of the week, the Auckland crack will again be in the. lead. If he comes to the Trentham meeting with a lead of two wins on Gray, the latter will havo a very hard row to hoe to beat him, as, with the big fields that are likelv to ' take part, it is quite on the cards that neither of them may ride a winner.

An Auckland writer states that Delegate will not be a competitor at the Trentham meeting. Although neither Kremlin nor Moosken appears among the acceptors for the first day's events at Gisborne, it is understood that both will-be taken to the meeting. \ rising two-vcar-old that is well spoken of in Auckland is Prince Soult, tho fullbrother to Master Soult and Dearest. A. private cablegram received in Wellington yesterday states that Mr. H. T. Brockman's Sparkle was favourite for the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles, to bo run at Fleraington this atternoon. Sparkle won the Onkaparinga Cup last Easter Mondav, and he also ran third in. tho Adelaide Cup. He will be ridden today by the crack hurdle horseman, 1\ Burn. Dyed Garments, who won' tho Sydney Cup a couple of years ago, will mako his first appearance as a hurdler at Flemingtou to-day. He will be ridden by the New Zealand jockey, J. Stewart. 'Although the cables slated that Wild West ran second in the Carlingford milo at the Rosehill Races last Saturday, no mention was mode of the fact that ho; had won a race en Coronation Day, when' he was ridden by B. Deeley, and heavily backed by his owner. The Gisborne Racing Club's meeting takes place on Thursday and Friday next. Wauchope, 10;t. 81b., has not been overburdened in the Stewards' Handicap at Trentham. He won the Members' Handicap on the oneuing day of tho Auckland Racing Club's" winter meeting, and, on the concluding day, he carried lOst. 121b. to victory in the i-'arewell Handicap, and won fairly easily. Although Provocation appears to be nicely handicapped in the Parliamentary Handicap at Trentham, he has not raced for such a long time that there is no guide to his present form. On recent form Electrakofl'. 10st. 7lb„ appears to he most favourably dealt with. He carried 10.-t. 91b. at Auckland, and wes ntilv beaten a head by Smilax. 9st. lib. The last-named is handicapped at 'MA. 91b. in the Parliamentary Handicap. 11. J. Mason left for Sydney by (lie t'jimaroa last night, and took with him the racehorse.-! Formedeii. Vice-Admiral, Pierene, Canute (Charlemagne ll—Lady Helen), and Tritonis (Achilles—Slr.ithSKv). By the same steamer. .1 Franks iravelled, and look Aphaea, Culprit, Sunburnt. Bandiera, and two rising two-year-olds by.Boniform. Tho 1-1.1 pony Merry Oliver was well backed for the Third Division Handicap at Aspendale Park on Juno 21, but was beaten into third place. Though lacking in height it would bn 'pretty sale to bet that the little New felander would outweigh many of his opponents (sajs the ."Arrow"). There are few

sturdier ponies of his height racing anywhere. I!. Batty, who died in Melbourne on Juno 17, was n great rider over the jump?, and was on Sussex when that horse successfully carried 13.1 in the Y.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase. He also won on M;iy Be, and accounted for the Y.R.C Grand National Hurdles on Dizzy. He was never on a winner of the big steeplechase at Caulncld,"but steered Avalanche when that horse scored the Australian Hurdle Race (then known as the Caulfield National) in 1883. Before he took to riding jumpers lie won'some good'flat races, among the number being the Melbourne Cut) on Wollautni in 1875, and the Maribyrnoug Plate on Stockbridge in 1873.