NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1719, 9 April 1913, Page 9

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

AWAPUNI RACES. JBr Glenohj.J !■ J Awapuni Awill bo -the rendezvous .for '.'sportsmen' to-day,." and. to .morrow, when the Autumn meeting of tho. Manawatu Racing Club, will;:be run -through.- A ... telephone message from Palmerston, North last night, .stated - that; -the weather .was.'beautifully . fine, . though cold, and the , indications were ; for' favourable poudi'.tions to-day. The bad ; weather, which has been experienced'in'" the city during the past three days, ..lias not been felt ' At Palmerstou,. an.d tho grounds, and the '. racing : tracks -at Awapuni. are'in spleu-; . did , wnditibn.The ;-principal ..'event, ' . to-day ' is " tlio-' . Monawatii ■ 'Stakes, ' six '.; furlongs,'-.weighMoiMige:At. the present 'time, it, appears: as . though . : the filfld will ; .. Peronil|a, 'Tninier, : Jasbil, Glfcdioie, Day ■ Fly, and Bon lteve. I fl'hero is the'nia■terial lierß. ; ,fai: sl a mix jiptert^ing,,'race, and the. result will be" in doubt-right' -up.; to the post.■ The recent'successes of Au-tumuus.-.a->d Njghtwatch, both' of whom are to run,' I ,wilt "secure"for "Sir George ' Clifford'sl>racket,the position of- favourite. . W.Kiiig returned. to-lticcar-ton on Saturday night,, but 1 received a telegramrecalling'him to rido for Mr. J. B. Reid in the Mahawr.tu Stakes,' as that owner's -usual: pilot (F. E. Jones) is, unable to do tho weight. V . Aruake, wort- the 'concluding event at . . the; Feeding-'meeting- with'tho 'minimum impost, and, with only- 1 8st. 31b. in.the 'l'aikorea Welter. to-day, tlio Wanganui l gelding should bo a-'hard-. nut'for .Hill, Passadena and Co. to dispeso of. : At'-Awapuni to-.duy tiio, distance of the - Linton Handicap (uiie niilo iuid a dis- ' tance) should suit Leonta and ;Chamanade , piuck letter Ui'ir'it will any of the're- , Jnainder of the,'field., ' . Weights, ;are/due on Friday, for . the first day's 'handicaps ■at the- .Masterton ■ , -meeting., ' '.. • • , . V •" - j Byireason of the fact" that thpy won a lace at the Easter meetings of. thp'.Fcildtag Jockey .Club and' AVuirarapa . Racing ■ .' . Club, Elkmaid, Submersion, and Courtly will be ineligible to start in. the Maiden Plato at Awapuui to-day. . ' ' ■ : The Mehachikpff gelding Elcctrakoff . finished-fourth in ; the Coogco Handicap - at the • recent; riiceting lof .tbo Australian Jockey Club. His -.showing was a good • ; one, and it. is anticipated-thai; tho New , Zealander will pay lus way well in Syd- . . ney..: .;. ; 5' 111-fortune continues' to follow the black -.' gelding Manakau'iu Sydney. "' A recent' communication from there slated that he had picked up a nail in hit; foot, and would be unable to race tor some time. .The earnings, of .a, successful jockey in , -New' Zealand compare more than favourably with any pf the professions. During the -last three', weeks .L. Wilson, who is , ' -retained by Mr. E. J. Walt, has earned . over .£2OO in fee.}. ; Royal Scotch, for whom Mr. E.. J. Watt ; got a big price just before tho'last Caul- ' field Cup; .»tnd .who failed -to win a race for his .now owner, .has now keen'retired' to the. stud. Later on uu attempt may bo made to again get the son of Barley Uree to. stand a preparation. , Rinaido is considered a doubtful starter In the Maiden Plate at'Awapuni to-day. It is-', quite ..possible that time records . • may be established at Awapuni to-day or t'o-morrow as.the.tracks are very fast 'at the present time. Indeed, some of tho igallops recorded yesterday wero as -good as have ever been seen on tho course. t Gladiolo shaped particularly- ivell over ■ six furlongs, while Nightwatch and Autunmus, were also responsible for attractive: efforts. - , ■ Weights for the. first days' events at ' the Masterton Racing Club's njeeting /aro lino on Friday next. The Charlemagne II colt, Jun, who had to be eased in' his work for a brief period, is reported 'to be' in regular training again in the south, and will most likely be a competitor,at the South Canterbury Jockeji Club's meeting. • Secret, (Merrie England—Oblivion), a Well-known- winner of a few- seasons back, is (according to a Southland writer) now, tending a neat colt foal by Glenciilloch. G. Price is leaving Awapuni for Hastings on Saturday ..with the Field Battery mare Bronze, who will be a competitor . in the Hawke's.Bay Cup. Price may also take Gerberga to 'Hastings, but this will . not be ,definitely decided until, after the racing at tho Manawatu meeting. • When tho electric chronometer,'was installed at Randwick it was claimed by Victorians that we should bo itrcated to fewer new time records than ; previously (says the Sydney "Referee"). This prophecy is proving correct, for we have got through another big meeting at the A.J.C., headquarters without ally fresh figures being'hoisted.' In fact, n'd records were not approached, .and if (his should occur again I suppose tho pessimists will be telling us that our horses are losing their speed, as well as staying ability. Tho Sydney Cuj) was run in 3nun. 28Jsec., but that has'twice been beaten, and one of tho best efforts against the watch during the four days was Athenic's six fur- , k>ngs in lmin. lisec.,, with 9st. 3lb. up.