NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1696, 12 March 1913, Page 3

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

* [By Glkncoe.]

The forty-first Nelson Cup will be run on the liichmond racecourse this afternoon. The lield is not a strong one. It • will consist of four runners unly, viz., Hinapis, 9st. 111b. (W. Price); Ceylon, 9st. (S. Keid); Ifoyal Marine, fist. 31b. (F. Langston); Wild Bird, 7st. 31b. (C. Emerson). ' Sinapis is likely to start a very hot favourite, but reports from Nelson state that it was raining heavily there all day yesterday ami, if the going is heavy, Ceylon may bring about the downfall of the favourite... Wild Bird will see (o it that there is no loafing un the journey, and the fast pace find the heavy weight will teil against Mr. Durrani's marc.

The local trainer, ,T. Ayers, did not take out return tickets for Simla, Alofq, and Waipunui, who were shipped to Nelson on Saturday. Presumably the trio are not to be brought back to Tventham. The'first Nelson Cup was run in 1882 and was won by Mr. J. Barry's Hero. Emerson is to have the mount on C.ulonia in the Trial Stakes at Nelson todiy, and if the Conqueror col( is saddled up a second time, K. Lambcss will have the mount. The Falmerston North light-weight, W. Bell, has notified Mr. 11. Prosser that he will bo available to ride Sperialform in the Easter Handicap at Riccarfon. Princess Flo is an unlikely starter at" the Nelson meeting, but will later on bq taken to the West Coast along with Glenfern. Ruination, who hails from Blenheim, has contracted strangles and will not be able to compete at the Nelson meeting. The aged gelding Awh.a (Sail FranRain) is looking exceptionally well at Hie present lime, and before leaving the West Coast he defeated Koval Marine ill a six-furlong gallop. He will start in both the Hope Handicap and the Welter at Nelson to-day. Acceptances for the first day's events at the \\ airarapa Racing Club's autumn meeting close on Friday. 1 R. Lev/is has ridden the winners of, many Australian- ."classics," bit 1 , had never, been successful in a V.R.C. St. l.eger until March 1. He has five VicDerbies, three A.J.C. Derbies, three A.,1.0. St. logers, two Caulfield Guineas, llireo \ .R.C. Oaks, three Adelaide St. Legovs, and four- S.A. Derbies included in his list of big three-year-old win's.' I.cy.is' is a good horseman anywhere, but it is generally accepted that he rides better in Melbourne than in Sydney. Nominations for the' Wellington Racing Club's autumn meeting close on Friday next. Relievo, who won the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on' March !, was sold os a yearling for 05, guineas, and as a i two-year-old won twice for Messrs. Corrie and Simo'n, who, it,'is understood, disposed of him only a few days before (he Newmarket to Mr. E. E. A. Oatley. Relievo carricd that owner's colours iu the "Nev.niarket," and in bets Jlr. OatIcy is understood to have landed a very large sum. The money secured about .Relievo on behalf of the owner and his friends probably totalled .£20,050.

_ .T. E. P-iko did not get far away from Sydney before regretting his departure (says, the Sydney "Referee"). In reply to a cablegram from Pike's travelling companion, Jlr. ( W. Kelso, sent a message to the effect that he still thought Pike would do better in Australia than in England. This had such an ctt'ect on Pike that; he cabled he would break liis journey at Colombo, and immediately return to Sydney. At different times several prominent Australian jockeys liave gone to England with the idea of at least; doing two or three seasons' riding in that country, but in most instances their ab-sence-from Australia was cut much shorter than originally contemplated.

Before the departure of Rock Sand from America, Jlr. August Belmont, in an interview, said: "I regret: the departure of Rock Sand keenly. Nothing would have induced me to part with liini had racing here permitted a career for him and his progeny. The United States 110 longer affords lo the thoroughbred an opportunity for exhibiting conspicuous merit on a. par with the thoroughbreds of England or France, or, for that matter, of any European country, even the smallest." With the exception of a few really 'important; stakes in Kentucky no racing associations in this country are financially able to offer events that would furnish conclusive euides for breeding great horses. Hence lliev are all leaving us—stallions, mares, and the best of our active racehorses, youngsters and older ones."

The French .lockey Club, with the Idea of improving the class of horses ill the army, have decided to institute twenty-six special races, to be entitled Prix de Cavalerie, the endowments of which will amount to IMSOO. The winner of caeii event will be offered to the' Ariuv demount Department. Twelve of the races will be for two-year-olds, and fourteen for three-year-olds and upwards, and one of them is to be included in the programme of the last day of the autumn meeting at Longchainps. I|. j s (o be known as the Prix Montbruii (for two-year-olds), and another (the Prix Lasalle, for three-year-olds and upwards) will be ran for at Chant illy on the first day of the autumn meeting. The rest of (lie races will be distributed among the flatrace meetings near Paris mid in the provinces. The Prix de Cadran is to be increased in worth to ,£1(100, and the value of other niccs will also be raised.

Rumour confirms the opinion staled as to.the German Parliament's action in the question lit' the suppression' of Gruditz as a fiscal stud for (he .Ihoroughbred (says a Continental writer). The all'air lias been referred (o a .special commission, and the idea of purchasing the estate at. Straussfurt will probably have to be abandoned. According, to the

"Deutselior Sport" there was considerable mystery as to the motives for refusing to sanction the proposition made. All that could be gleaned was an assurance that: Slraussfurt was inacceptable as the future location of the fiscal establishment. It is agreed that Graditz is no longer suited for the purpose it has served for so many years. It- is surprising that the German Parliament should fail to comprehend the idea l -' of Count G. I.ehndorfF, who has brought the German cavalry to a state of perfection never before attained. Through racing lie was able to judge ol the duality of sire and dam he sent to tho different h.b. sluds the properly nf the Government, and now that he has abandoned his office (o his son, an ant nupil of the theories of his father, the Gradifz establishment has boon "heckled" more than ever. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. Austy (Nelson).—One ticket.