THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1269, 26 October 1911, Page 8

THE TURF.

—* NOTES AND COMMENTS. IBt Glemcob.l Private advices received hero by fasj week's Sydney mail sfato that tho black pony, Mcrrio Oliver, has boon sold to an Indian trader. His new owner is thought to ho Mr. Gordonkhas Khautau, and tho price paid was ISflgns. Merrio Oliver was bred at tho Waikanae stud, and is by Merriweo from Olivette, lie only raced once here in registered company, and was then sold. Afterwards he "cleaned up" everything at Miramar, and did tho samo in "Sydney and Melbourne. He was heavily backed for the Ascot Thousand twice. In his first attempt he ran fourth, but, tin's year, he was unable to start owing (o a" broken rib sustained through colliding with another horso on tho Flcmiiigton tracks. It is reported that Midian, a winner at Waverley on Monday, has been sold, and will, in future, carry tho colours of an Otago sportsman. Mj. G. 1). Greenwood will be represented by no fewer than fifteen horses at tho forthcoming C..T.C. meeting. Tho team is a very formidable one, and will no doubt pay its way. It was intended to bring Bootlo and Voga to the W.11.C. meeting, along with the remainder of tho Karamu team, but lx>xes could not bo obtained for tho pair, and so they were left behind. Mr. .1. M. Johnston, secretary of tho Manawatu Racing Club, is at present in Wellington on a business visit. It is intended to retire tho two-year-old Champagne from the tracks at tho conclusion of tho Riccarton carnival, and, after being spelled, the colt will probably bo put to the surgeon. Ho may bo raced at tho southern meetings before returning to Porirua. Bliss and Kspartoro wero sliipped to Riccarton ou Tuesday night. The Government (ax in connection with the recent spring meeting of tho Wellington Racing Club amounts to over .£llOO. Turbine and Monolino, who competed unsuccessfully at Trcntham ou Saturday and Monday, have been sent homo to Ellerslie. A. Nealo has sent Commodoro homo to Awapuni. He will take Rangiatua, Gold Battery, and Vibration to Riccarton thia ovening. H. Gray, the well-known jockey, arrived at Auckland from Sydney on Sunday, and, on his doctor's advice, will proceed to Rotorua for a brief holiday. The Torirua team for tho New Zealand Cup meeting will consist of six horses. These are to 1» taken south to-night. G. Price will go south the same night with the Highden team, and also A. Rhodes with Flectrakoff. Peter Pan and Fougasso will accompany tho Porirua team to Riccarton, and will then bo sent on to their owner's station at Oamaru. Tho former, who cost over 500 guineas as a yearling, has been continually suffering from soreness. ]?. D. Jones has been engaged to rido Malwa and Monorail on tho opening day of the Auckland Racing Club's spring meeting. After fulfilling thoso engagements ho will leave Auckland that night for Riccarton so as to catch tho opening day of tho New Zealand Cup meeting. The Auckland jockeys, B. Dcoley and J. Conquest, returned to Auckland on Tuesday. After riding at tho Auckland Racing Club's spring meeting next week, Deeley will come south to catch tho two ■ inst days of tho New Zealand Cup niccting. Mr. H. Hayr, secretary of the Avondalo Jockey Club, and Mr. C. O'Connor, tho ' Wellington Racing Club's starter, ware ; passengers for Auckland by tho Miin ; Trunk express on Tuesday. Antoinette, who. won tho last Easter I Handicap at Auckland, is doing capital i work on the Riccarton tracks at tho pro- ■ sent time. It is now certain that Comedy King will bo ridden in tho Melbourne Cup by ' N. D. Godhy, and it will bo the sixth occasion on which that jockey has figured in tho big handicap at Flemington (says tho "Arrow"). His first Cup mount was in ISO 2, when ho had tho unpleasant experience of a broken leg, consequent ou Morton Steel falling. The following year he won ou Lord Cardigan; and in I'M and 1005 ho was nowhero on lronmould and Gladsome respectively. In 1908 ho was ou Tulkcroo when that horse was ' beaten a half-head by lvord Nolan, and ' that was his latest mount in tho race. ' Comedy King's recent form has creak ; ed such a good impression that ou this occasion Godby will probably have tho 1 pleasure of riding n favourite. Whether '' ho will bo on a' winner is quite another • matter. No horse has won two Mol- ! bourne Cups since Archer was successful [ in ISGI and ISG2. Says an Australian writer:—There is generally some important race which a jockey, no matter now successful in other ' events can never manage to win. J. ' Burden, for instance, though anxious to • rido a Melbourne Cup winner before re- ' tiring, never accomplished that feat, • thou"h ho got very close more than once. • A V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Raco ' scorns beyond F. Bum, and W. H. Smith • has yet to win a Caulficld or Melbourne i Cup. It is not duo lo lack of rides in ■ Caulfield Cups that Smith has failed, i either, his mounts totalling ten. His I first rido in that event was on Cymudo ! in 1000. He was not on anything in the = 1901 Cup, but he has figured m tho i last nine, his respective mounts being ■ Riemd, Eldorslie, Hernias. Torah, Booran, ■ True Scot, Daw Bee, Malt King, and O.i- ---; vaster. The only place-getters in that lot were Torah and Boran, while True Scot and Olivaster each finished fourth in their years. 1 FIXTURES. '. October 26 and 27.-Povorty Bay T.C. '. November' 1 and 4.-Aucklund R.C, ; Spring. i November 4, 0, 8, and 11— Canterbury J.C. Metropolitan. Nov. 29 and 30-Fcilding J.C. Spring. ' December 20 and 29, and January 1 and 2, -Auckland R.C. Summer.