THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1643, 9 January 1913, Page 5

THE TURF.

. NOTES AND COMMENTS. rßv GLEkcoe.] • !?, cn l 01 ™ cr was desirous of purchasmg MectrakofF during the Auckland Cup inceung, but Messrs. Price did not i'eel inclined to put a prico on the Menschikoll gelding. Gipsy Belle did not accompany the other members of tho Porirua team to 'frenulum. It may therefore. bo taken for granted that she is not io race at the torthcomiug meeting. ltill is the only outside horse nominated for tho Takapuna Cup. Providing that tho weights suit, Mr. 11. M'Manaway s mare is almost certain to make the trip to Auckland. Passengers by tho incoming Sydney boat yesterday tncluded J. Ixnighlin, formerly a well-known penciller in'these parts," but who, during the last few years, linn figured as an owner in Victoria. Ho is oyer hero cn a holiday, but may combine business with pleasure and purchase a horse-or two for the other side. Yesterday a move was made in favour of Soldiers Chorus for the Wellington Cup, so it may bo takeu for granted that the son of Martian nnd Grand Opera will be coming to Trcntham very shortly. The Opaki trainer, J. Phillips, has had an addition to his team in the shape of a fine-looking gelding by the Australian Jiorse Chatsworth, out of-, a Knight Errant mare. ■ He is a good,', useful-looking sort, and ought to pay his way later on, as on the score of breeding there is nothing wanting. , Sir ICnox had' a fow dayV spell after racing at Taratahi, and is now in active wnrk again., He is looking bright and well, and will lc a runner in the Wellington Cup. : • On the Maunganui from Sydney yesterday was T. Wilson, with his horses Powder Fox and Lady Georgia, who have been racing in Victoria lately. Tho lastnamed' mar© split both her front hoofs rather badly, so her owner decided to ' bring her home till she gots right again. ' Powder Fox may be given a race at iTrentham. in the hack events, but uothiug definite lias been decided upon, and tho pair are to be entrained fir Awapuni to-day. ' The'Soult mare ■ Kakama hns been nominated for the principal events at the big Randwick meeting at Easter. If the weights suit, she. will probably, be sent across,' arid may Ira sold after, racing there. Last spring an Australian buyer was anxious to secure her, but Mr. p, M'Leod asked 800 guineas, which stopped negotiations. At the Auckland Cup meeting the mare was successful in the Grandstand Handicap, of 1000 sovs., so that tho owner profited by the sale falling through. • ■ \ . Owners should note tiiat acceptances for .the Wellington meeting are due on Monday next.. Those owners who contemplate racing at Foxton.on January 21 and 22 aro reminded that- acceptances for . the first day's handicaps close on Monday next. Soldiers' Chorus, tho champion racehorse of Southlaud, has now won tho Invercargill Cup two years.in succession. Last year he carried 9st. 41b., and this year he had six pounds moro 'in the saddle. Mr. John Bifckley, of Oamaru, well 'known in the' North Island as'the late owner of All Red, Dearest, and several other good performers, is leaving on a holiday trip to England in Marcli next, and will be absent for eighteen months. 'All Red, who' t'wico won the Auckland Cup, in addition to several other' valu-able-handicaps, looks liko making a nam? for himself-at the stud.- 'This season marcs mated with him have produced 37 •foals., , - The New Zealand gelding Ashby, who nppears to do his full share of travelling, won the Opening Handicap at the Orange Jockey- Club's New Year s meeting, but went under to Nellie in tho Flying Handicap on, the second day, says an, Australian exchange. • I am told that at Randwick the,stewards paid particular attention' to the .plates; carried by various horses, and there were a few examinations-(says ("Pilot" in'the :."Arrow''). - This, caused, ,a ; little amusement, for it is generally recognised tliiit in the metropolitan area the days of such clumsy methods of stopping horses have long since passed. When anything of tho kind occurs at registered meetings in Sydney nowadays, the odds aro against any metropolitan owner or trainer being responsible. Risks in that particular direction do not appeal to them. For the first time since 1883 tho legitimate trotting'record is now- faster than the pacing record. When Maud S. trotted in 2min. lOJsec. at, Rochester on August, 11, 1881, tho 1 best time on record for. pacers was 2min. 12Jsec., made by Sleepy Tom. Johnson set the pacing record at 2min. lOsec. in 1883, and for twenty-nine years the lnteral-gaited horses held tho harness retard, * wind-shield, performances and those made with running niato not considered. When Uhlan started against time at Lexington the legitiinato paciW. record was. lmin. 58! sec. and tho trotting record lmin. 58} see. It is tho opinion of many horsemen that, the champion trdtter could boat any pacer now in training. There was considerably discussion'in Perth sporting circles on December SO (says an .exchange) over tho action of the stewards in enforcing, in connection with the All-Aged Stakes, the new rule which provides that for any reason which may appear to them sufficient the stowartk may order down any jockey in any' race. In this particular case the stew--nrds considered that Higgs, who was .engaged by Mr.. Connolly, the owner of Saturate, was not competent to ride the race. ..With the consent of the stewards, Mr.-: Connolly then engaged Billett, who won by half a length from the, favourite, Silver Lad, owned by Mr. Connolly, but leased to Mr. C. H. Norton.' Mr. Connolly was of the opinion that the stewards exceeded their duty, -as' ho brought over Turner from Victoria to ride for him, and Turner was disabled by a fall on Cup day, and Marshall, who won on Saturate in the Railway States earlier in the day, was unable to ride in the AllAged Stakes because he had been engaged for the Adelaide horso Tadahga. On the other hand, it was pointed out ,that in the December -Stakes Higgs rode Saturate, and was not , placed, and .Silver Lad finished second; while Billett is an experienced and- vigorous rider. When -the change of jockeys was made Saturates price hardened. N.Z. TROTTING ASSOCIATION. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) .'■ Christchurch,, January '8. ; At a meeting of the New Zealand .Trotting Association the licensing committee, in recommending several payments'out of the provident fund, also recommended that in future,,all accidents must be reported to the association'at once in.writing, nnd all applications for claims must be accompanied by a doctor's certificate. The roport was adopted.