NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1631, 24 December 1912, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

THE HOLIDAY RACE MEETINGS. (By Glencoe.) Local followers of racing will have several meetings to interest them on Thursday and the following days of this week. Many will no doubt journey as far as Auckland, where the Auckland Cup meeting is rapidly growing iu the direction of bsing tho piincipal race gathering in the Dominion. The meetings nearer Wellington include the Manawatu Racing Club's Christmas meeting, which takes place on the ' Awa•puni course, Palmerston North, on December 2G, 27, and 28. Special train arrangements have been made. On the first day trains will leave' Thorndon for Awapuni at 7.10 a.m., 7.15 a.m., 8.17 a.m., and 9.10 a.m. As capital acceptances have been received- for the Taratahi-Carterton meeting, interesting racing is promised those who decide to spend next Thursday at the Clareville course. Wellington residents can journey to and from the fixture for the moderate sum of '4s. lid. Excursion 'trains leave Lambton station for the racecourse at 6.4 A a.m., 7.50 a.m., and 8.30 a.m." On' the return journey a train will leave the racecourse at 5.32 p.m.

Those who follow the sport of trotting look forward with considerable interest to the • annual meeting of the Hutt Valley Trotting Club. It is-to be held as usual at the Petone Recreation Ground on Boxing Day, and being so handy to the- city, is sure to be largely attended. The club's secretary (Mr. E. W. Short) has all the arrangements well forward, and a good day's snort may be confidently anticipated. Mr. D. J. Evans, secretary of the Westland Bacing Club, has been on a visit to Wellington, and returned home by the Maori last night. He reports' record nominations for his club's meetings, which will be held on Friday and Saturday n?xt. The Canterbury-owned hcrs-ss, Stepmaid and Tynipan, will make their first appearance on the West Coast on Thursday. Ceylon is very well at present, and should run-prominently., ,at the.holiday meetings. One of -Odessa s legs .has unfortunately been causing, his trainer 'troublej-and-'ho.-niay- not be abler to fulfil his T,v '™ "-' f ' : '"-■"• Ogier (Charlemagne ll—Nautiloid) is expected to arrive from Biccarton this morning, and will be-railed to.Awapuni to contest the Palmerston North. Stakes. A number of horses reached Awapuni last evening from different parts,.and by.' this evening practically all the visitors will have reached the scene of action. The tracks are in capital order for this season of the year, and at latest advice the weather in Palmerston North was beautifully fine. Bronze is now galloping as well as ever she was, and before the present week is over she may prove that her form in the spring was all. wrong. At Awapuni yesterday she shaped attractively in a gallop over four furlongs in company with Ermengarde. The pair finished together, the time being 51sec. It is understood that nothing definite has yet been decided as to whether Ermengarde will be started in the Pitzherbert Handicap on Thursday or whether she will be reserved for the Palmerston North Stakes on the following day; The Dunedin Jockey Clubs meeting opens at Wingatui on Thursday, and will be concluded on Saturday. Lockwood is galloping woll at the present time. On the Awapuni track yesterday morning the chestnut colt ran six furlongs in lmin. 19isec. A visitor who arrived from Auckland by the express yesterday afternoon states that Santa Rosa is now fa©>urite for the Cup, and his supporters will not hear of his defeat. The black horse certainly galloped well on Saturday, but, -whether he will emulate the deeds of Nelson and All Red and win the Cup • twice in succession has yet to be proved. A suggestion has been made to the Manawatu Club that a fast train should be put on for Wellington on Saturday evening at the close of the races. This is certainly a good idea, but whether there will be time to carry it into effect is another matter. . Owing to there being only/two entries for the mile hack race at Taratahi on Boxing Day, the club has decided to strike it off the programme. Advice by xlie mail states that Shujas withdrawal from the Adelaide Cup was due to a breakdown. The son of Soult wus the early favourite for the race. The English-bred stallions in Australia are to be added to. within, the next few weeks, Messrs. W- and P. A. Moses having purchased Cardinal Beaufort, while Mr. fl. B. Dcnison has secured The Nut (Ainphion—Miss Hoyden). Cardinal Beaufort, who is said to be a particularly fine type of 6tallion, is by John o' Gaunt (Isinglass—La Flecho) from' Katie Dougal, by Avington from Catherine Douglas (dam of Ayr laddie). Embracer, who won the Villiers Stakes at Eandwick last Saturday, was successful in tho Clyde Stakes at Bosehill the previous week, and before that had won a Maiden Plate at Bosehill. Embracer was ono of Mr. I. H. Wheatcroft's American shipment, and is a good stamp of horse. Throe of tho Americans sold at Eandwick have won in Australia—namoly, Green Seal, Kentucky Girl, and Embracer, llr. Wheatcroft, by the way, is importing more thoroughbreds. Twelve high-class yearlings shipped direct from the United States to his order wore due in Sydney last week. Tho shipment comprises yeurlings which havo been specially selected both on account of their individuality and on psdigree considerations. The youngsters are all close relatives of good, winners, and among them aro two colts and four fillies by tho imported St. Simon horse St. Savin, now at Woodlands bwid on the Hunter.