NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1629, 21 December 1912, Page 9

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

• '; (By Glencoe.)

With 'twenty ..and nineteen rnnnera respectively, theMaria;, vatu Cup. and'Fitzherbert- 'Handicap' will. both,. require a deal of ''picking.'' - 1 Despite, the" puzzle, however, intrepid' backers .are to'-be found who have supported combinations ."at prices which ' would be fair about' one only of the 'races; '. Past exporiohce has shown that it is <i very different matter to successfully" "pick", any two -big races, vet few backers'-pause to ; consider this. Here we have twenty owners who .imagine that -each anil' everyone of them caii-win the Ifanawatu-Cup; and also, nineteen who hold exactly the same opinion nbour the Fitzherbsrt Handioan.'' . When - experts differ, who shall decide? Why, "the man in the street," and who but he?. Let it be solemnly announced that there aro "men in the,street" who are bold enough to practically tell these owners that they are wrong in tlieir estimates; ' When -at her ' best, Sanguinary can travel very fast over a- short course, ami with Gst. 13\y.'-to cArry, the Waclt mare from Fordell-may-have to'be considered for the - Fitzfietbcrt Handicap-. at Awapuni.i In her races as a hack'she has not done too. well, -Under the steering of'light-' weight'jockeys,;but with the long.straight at the'start of'the'A'wapuhi sis furlongs, each licTse should be suro of a clear run, and lier light .impost will'stand to her at the finish; . ' The field for the Great Korthern Derby is likely to;'.consist'-of'Bon Ton or Bon Kevo, Brown' Owl,' and Monorail. •' Parable is'/iappdiently back to form ogaia, as she now rules as favourite for tho Otago. l Handicap (one mile and a quarter), to bo run at Wingatni oil Boxing Day. J. J!'Combe trill 'rido the Merriwee mart in numed.' ' Bronze has been well backed for tho Manawntu Cup during the : ;last day or two, but as far as can bo gathered she has not been co'tlpled' with her stable companion, ErmengaTde. Wero tho former'to strike her-'best' form .on "Boxing Day,-.', she- would easily account for the big field that is suro to line up for the Cup, but since her return from Ilandwiek.slie lias not shown anything like tho form which she displayed in the autumn, and sh» will -, have to .win. a race before 6he will come back into pulilic. favnui. Considering the way in which she is handicapped nowadays,- two or three rac-s on end may full to her.before tho hundicappers stop her. Bon Ton still rules as favourite for tho Auckland Cup, and great < interest will centre in his appearance on the Ellcrelie Wacks this morning; as it is expected that Trainer R,' O'Donnell will let him run along over a-tell - furlongs course. It will depend upon how -he acquits himself whether ho will harden or lengthen in tho market. ... . .. - - It is expected that Adelicia will carry a fairly substantial commission in tho

Juvenile Handicap at Awapuni, but the Highden filly will have to put up a good performance if she is to successfully dispose of Royal Scout, who, in his only public effort so far, showed great pace. This was at Napier in tho spring, when the youngster in question was clearing out with tho two-year-old handicap, but, unfortunately, ran off the courso at the homo bend. Thoso who know Adelicia state that nothing like tile best of her lias been seen in this country. At Randwick, in the spring, she showed up very well, and ran fourth in each of her starts. The form of Berragoon and Athanio (who beat her) has since been excellent, so that there is hope for the llighden filly. Unfortunately tho stnblo 1 controlled by G. Price seems right out of luck at the present time. But, as luck—like everything else —goes round in waves and cycles, possibly si. change, can now bo hoped for. Private advice received in Auckland records the death in Sydney of Mr. Alee Phillips, formerly a well-known poncillcr in Auckland. Deceased was a .son-in-law of Mr. A. E. Glover, M.P., _and, with the passing of the bookmaker in tlio Dominion, he migrated to _ Sydney, but afterwards .. occasionally visited Auckland to purchase a useful hovee or two. Goldsize, who is one of the acceptors for the Railway Handicap at Ellerslie, has been putting np some great track work, and last • week at Ellerslie he ran six furlongs in lmin.'losec—the fastest gallop of tho seawn. ; '.' ' . Acceptances for the first days events at the Wairarapa Racing 1 Clubs meeting close on Monday at 'Feathcrston. .. _ On Thursday next there will bs racing at Auckland, Thames, New . Plymouth, Palmerston North, Porangahau, Carterton, Reefton, Dunedin, and other places.