NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1502, 26 July 1912, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[Bt Glexcoe.] ♦1 o ?i )^ se ? t a PPea r ances it seems-certain that lully twenty horses will start in the Grand Rational Hurdles on the second day of tho Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting, {he two top-weights-Continu-anco and Black Northern-need not bo taken seriously, for both have been freely supported by the right people for tho Steeplechase, and aro therefore unlikely runners in tho hurdle race. This leaves us with Paisano as top-weight. Ho is occupying that position for tlio third vear 111 succcssion-a fact which suggests that the field is a weak one. On Gisborno form (ho Strowan gcldmg seems safely held by Master Theory, who meets him on the saino terms as in their last nicotoa J\°. list ?, ro Tho Eover, Koran, Hut , u Darlc - ? he , last-named is thought to bean unlikely starter, as his stable companion (Coronetted) is occupying ,tho wholo attontion of those who usually ask for Tho Native. ' Tho Rover is unquestionably.a good one, and in tho opinion of many, he should have finished in tront of Continuance in last year's contest. Since then ho has not had a raco over battens in public, but it is j known that his party aro particularly sanguine about his prospects in tho coming raco. -Koran made such an "exhibition" cf nis opponents in the Hawke's Bav Hurdles tnat.hc was straightaway freely proclaimed as "The National Winner." ' Smco then ho has occupied the post of favourite, and is not likely Oiarrinp; unforeseen circumstances) to bo displaced before flag. John comes very highly recommended as a good sort," but one fact will tell against him. It j s about eighteen months since ho had a race over fences or, indeed, a race of any sort. Flingot.has been schooling partioularlv well, but that is not everything. A liorso must race, over fences before lie becomes sufficiently proficient to win a National, There is a long list of high-clnss maidens who tried and failed, notably Jtomco, who broke his leg in the at. tempt. Darby Paul is not consistent. Even if ne were, he is generally regarded ns moro at homo on a heavy course than on firm going such as R.jccartojx usually gives at this-time of tho year. J " j ;. Whito Cockado is another "mud lark," and not up to anything like National iorm in other but heavy going. Master Theory and Silver Cluse have both comennfor solid support from their connections, but it must be said that their-form, so far, has not been good enough (0 warrant the assumption that either are National -winners.

Coronetted has the support of some very keen judges, but his jumping will have to improve very considerably on what ho has yet shown in public if he is to have a. chance. He will require to stand off and take every fence in his stride for certain horses—Koran and The Rover, for instance—will set such a clipping pace that, once a horse looses his position, ho will have very littlo chance of regaining Of tho light-weights the mast likely horso is .Sandy Paul, wiio fs a fair jumper and a good stayer. Ho gave evidence of -this at Trenfham when he wore down Bolhn at tho end of the Winter Hurdles, and got second place. It was noticeable also that ho was finishing well in the Fmnl Hurdles on Saturday last. The withdrawal of Sea King from tho Winter Cup was rendered necessarv owing to tho fact that Mr. H. P. Nicholl's welding sustained injury whilst king taken home on Monday evening. Continuance and Paisano (along with a host of other horses) wore shipped to Lyttolton last evening. As the tracks at Riccarton are reported to be m a bad state at present it mar bo found necessary to ship tho Chokebore team to bydney earlier than was expected. 11. Eva returned home to Awapuni yesterday morning. He has. made arrangements for the caro of Windage until the chestnut gelciing is ready to be taken home. . ' •

i Discussing the prospects of B. J Masons team in Sydney a New Zealander who has watched tho si.ttet at work states that they are all in a bad way and may not be able to show their best form ft appears that ill fortune has dogeed' the team since its arrival. Mason "himself has been kid up off and on, the whole time, and has consequently been unable to superintend matters. Culross has had strangles ami w,l probably bo returned home. The English-bred colt, Valido, has boon lamo for a long time, and Canute has turned an absolute "rogue," positively refusing to work on (he tracks. Vcinrie has also been Inmc and is never iho same for two successive days. The big Martian gelding. Allegory,,who cost SCOgns us a yonrhng, is a regular worker, but his go Hoping is not of a taking order. Vice! Admiral is looking very robust, but has not done much on the tracks. This si, J. gests that his trainer will not ask him to race for soino time yet. . A special mooting of the Auckland Enc"l3 Club was to have been hold yesterday to finally dc M d e upon the pri4 mo Sy to l,e allotted during tho coming season ■If racing continues to nourish," savs the Australasian," "and tho Melbourne Cim holds its place as the popular race of the year, there will come a tijmo when 200 000 people will have to be provided for, ami there is no sign of the thousands who pntromse the flat being callud upon to pay anything towards running the show." After a jockey has been the proprietor of a hotel for a couple of years, one rarely looks for form from him on his return to his old calling. However tho experience mentioned evidently did not adversely affect either the nerves or abillK°J IL /-- ? cpble ' sopin B tllat I'" rode a'i rattling finish on Statu Quo, who just beat the dead-lienters, Moocnbnr and ]Jal I main i,i the Trial Hurdles at Flfminston last Saturday.—Sydney "Arrow." Tho C.J C. Nation,,! candidate Bully was schooled at, LUerslio on Mondnv, being ridden by A. Julian. It fcj understood that tho Auckland horseman will have tho mount on Bully at Kiccartou next month.

What was probably an Australian record was made at tho Sandown Park meeting on July 17, wlien tlw starters, fpr the Six events on the progranimo n-umbered 111 out of ft total entry of 190. So far as it is known, tho previous |j fs t W a« 111 starters for the six races run at Flemmglon on the day that Carbine won (lie Melbourne Cun. wlien the larccM: field' liumliori'd 28. Them liavo, of course Ww much liiVßor fields; for instaiiw, (jicro wpve W ruvinofs iw llm llosehill Cup won by Kclso on Junv 111, Wl.