NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1677, 18 February 1913, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[Bt Glencoe.]

Trentham utabl*s will be strongly represented at the MVodville meeting, which takes place on Wednesday and Thursday. By this morning's train W. Da vies is railing Abcrcoa4 G.P., and Lady btrowan. C. Pritchard is sending Gay Lawless, Knutsford, Cadonia, and Sir Moutoa. J. Scott will take lit, Victoria, Nauniai, Mediterranean, and Aeina, and H. Clay will take War 'Queen. In addition to Lady Kilcheran, Mr. J. Ames also sold Simla to a Blenheim sportsman, and the mare will carry her new ownor's colours for the first time at the Nelson' meeting nest month. Having won a race at Now Plymouth, tlio ..Wanganui-owned Yankee 'Doodle is not now eligible to race in the Maiden and Scurry at Woodvillo. \ Some' important imJJrovenienfV have been mado to the Bichmond racecourse since last meeting. Tlio courso has been railed right round. Tlio weighing enclosure ■ has remodelled in such a Way ns to do away with tile congestion of traffio between the saddling paddock and lawn, so noticeable at previous meetings'. A commodious totalisator house has also been built, and was used for the first time at the. trotting meeting last week. • A four-year-old gelding, by Boris from 1 Fair Lady, lasf week went into H. W. Clay's stable at Trentham. The Blenheim contingent won three raco9 at tlio Nelson Trotting Club's meeting last week. G. Tanp, son of,"Mr. Stove Tapp, won a race with Whirlwind. Tlio Albert H. stable won a double. A. Hcndricksen took the big race with Skylark. A stable commission of .£SO paralysed tho totalisator, and backers of the winner had to accept n ridiculously short price. Lucy Wallace was the only one that could get L within 000*0 of Skylirk, M» M*her eleo_

scored with Southern Cross, who was 6ont out an odds-cn favourite, iand jogged in. The horses named should win again at tho Blenheim meeting on Wednesday. Tho Trentham light-woight jockey, M. M'Donald. who is attached to C. Pritchard's stables, rode no fewor than six winnors during tho Poverty Bay and Gisborno meetings. M'Donald will rido Oadonia, Lady Moutoa, and Sir Moutoa at tho Woodvillo meeting. The steeplechaser Sir Lethe is only in on tho first day at Woodvillo, after wnich he will bo railed to Wellington to be shipped to Sydney on Friday next. Mr. G. ,Penfold'6 horse, which raced as. Liberty at Foxton, has had his name changed to Huia, and will race as such at Woodvillo. J. M. Cameron, of Hastings, is leaving for Sydney with a team of fivo horses by this week s boat, Tho exact constitution of his team is not yet known, but St. Elmn (St. Ambrose—Maude), Soatondale, and Sir Lethe will be three of its members. ~ \^ The crack Sydney horseman, J. E. Pike, left last week, by the Oryieto to try his fuck in England. Tho • imported English horse Endows added another failure, to his already long list on Saturday last', when he .finished outside a place in tie St. Georgo'spStakes (nine furlongs), won by Cider, with the V.R.C. Derby winner Wolawa in second place. Tho placing of the two last-named horses makes it appear as if something inl the oft expressed opinion that Mr. E..E. D. Clarke's colt was lucky to defeat Cider in the Derby.

Tho Victorian Amateur Turf Club's autumn meeting will bo concluded on Saturday next, when the.principal event will be the sixteenth Caulfiold Futurity Stakes (seven furlongs), of 2200 sovs. Included m the list of acceptors are the New Zea-land-bred Ireland, Eathlea, and.Broadsword. Tho race is of special interest to New Zealandcrs, because in past years Gladsome won it,twice 'and Soultlino once. ...•'-• Acceptances for the first day s events at. the Dannevirko Racing Club's autumn\ meeting close this.evening. ' . , On several.occasions recently (Bays the Sydney "Referee") there have been rumours as to W. H.. Smith contemplating; retirement from the calling of a jockey, at an early date.; However, these would seem to have no particular foundation, seeing that Smith has accepted a retainer, from Mr. !F. Merton.for another' year, tho terms again being ~£SOO and 10 per cent of. winnings. While Smith can still hold his own with the best of the other riders in,the various States, there is no particular reason why. he 6liould; retire, and no doubt he looks at tho .matter in that light.. When;he first camo to Sydney from Queensland,;."most of. .tho critics scouted tho idea ofhis being even «i fair 1 horeeman, and yet fifteen years later ■we find him in receipt.of, probably tho most liberal retaining,fee,paid'any jockey in Australia, whichysuggests that those who w?re so quick to condemn him must hnvo beep very much at fault. FIXTUHEB. Feb. 'J. 9 and 20-Woodville District J.C. 'Autumn. Feb. 19, 20, and J.C. Autumn, Feb. 2r and 22—Thames J&. Annual. Feb. 27. and March I—Wanganui J.C. Auturna. March 12 and IS—Nelson J.C. Annual.'