NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1732, 24 April 1913, Page 9

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

. [Bv Glemcoe.] By tho Maungniiui, which orrived from Sydney yesterday, came the old steeplechaser, Simple Simon, who has been pensioned off. Ho is to bo turned out at Hastings. There also arrived a good-look-ing two-year-old by. Siege Gun. The latter is owned here and may be raced next season. Simple Simon is now fourteen years old anil, needless to remark, he is not as handsome as he once was. On landing on the wharf yesterday a bystander remarked: "Well, well, they must think we aro duffers lier.o if that horso is gdingsto win a race." _ ' Local sportsmen will bo interested in the Opaki meeting, which opens to-day. The first event is tlio : Maiden Race of live furlongs in which sumo speedy two-year-olds will bo' seen out. Astrologer, who tilade » favourable • impression at Hastwill no doubt be favourite. ' Full Rate, and Mon Ami, who have engagements in tho April Handicap, each showed winning form lately. In tho mile hack race backers will no doubt prefer Austin to the others, for Mr. WiriTokena's horse showed a great liking for a distance at Wanganui. Leonta, for whom W. Price was. wasting, will have most friends in the Cup, especially as his connections must have expected him to get fully Tst. 121b.—the lowest weight at which iW. Prico can ride. This being so a margin of 191b. in their favour'will certainly make the Conqueror gelding favourite. ICaniki (Mauiapoto—Kohina) is a goodlooking horso and- as ju his only start to dnttt he made a good showing, he is likely to carry, a lot of money in the sprint Hack Handicap to-day. Lady Volga should bo the best backed in the Opaki Welter and a similar remark applies to Huia in tho Bracelet. Altcdr began so quickly in the Farewell Handicap at Hastings that he broke up the ■whole field before half tho journey had been covered. Different, opinions are held as to the manner, iii which ■ Rinaldo won the Hawke's Bay Stakes.. Many hold that lie was coming back to Emperador over the last Half furlong. Thrax and Kilmeny, winner and runnerj up respectively in the Timaru Cup yesterday, occupied similar positions in the Courtenay Welter at Riccarton on Easter Monday. V The South Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting will be.concluded to-day. ' Mr. G. D. Greenwood left for . Sydney immediately after the Hastings meeting. His visit ife a business one. Tannhauser has been wrong' internally since tho Dunedin Cup meeting,' but at latest advices ho was making a good recovery. . Miss Winsome, full-sister to Knkama, is now at .Waverley in M. Gardner's stables. The' Achilles—Lady Helen colt, purchased by Mr. G. Dunnett, of Auckland, at the last Waikanae sale, has been gelded and is to be turned out for the winter. .Skin disease is prevalent in Auckland just now. It has'reached the most of the .Ellerslie stables. Nominations for .the Wanganui Jockey Club's winter meeting closo to-morrow night. , ' ' The Rover, has been secured by a patron of H. Hickey's stables and was sent to Hastings last week. .He-will :ra«j next : in the colours of "Mr. S. Hubert." ■ ' • Nominations for principal events at the Auckland Racing Club's winter meeting .will be taken to-morrow, night. The Wellington 'Steeplechase will this year.be worth 750 sovs. The first- of, the English classics will •bo decided next W'eelc. . "Miiui (Mallaki—Jeuzail) who won a number of, good races when trained at Por'irua a few seasons ago, has struck form in-.Melbourne.- At > tho Aspendale Park meeting on April la; the brown gelding 'was sent out favourite for the Jumpers' Flat and lie won by n neck. Another winner at the same meeting was Gipsy Witch (S.tepniak—Gipsy Countess) in the same stable as Maui.

Berrildon, who won the Lincolnshire Handicap in England early this month, traces to tho siime i inare as those smart Now Zealand performers, Bon Ton . and lion Itevc. ,

Thdsß who go to Baden this year (says the Paris correspondent of the London "Sportsman") will miss the familiar figure of l Benno Furstenheini, who was one of the best-known racecourse attendants in He passed away at his home in Berlin a few days ago, and the regret his premature decease has cAused is shown-'by the space devoted to- his memory in the "Sport-Welt." There was never a more industrious man., If racing lias become popular in Germany a certain share of its success is due to Benno Furstenheini, who'was the originator of the' result telegrams and other speedily gathered information for the benefit of those who required the latest news. Race programmes, paddock tickets, and -everything pertaining to the Turf were to be had from-him; ho was the busy bee of the..course, with the earliest news from tlie stewards' room, the result of the totalisator. He had offices in Berlin, wh<we tho telegraphic result of races from all over Europe could be obtained, as his messaged were received at express rates for the benefit of. his many subscribers. Every racing publication could bo procured at his offices, and "Benno" was known far. and wide. His loss will be felt among thosa who follow sport, for "Benno.." who was, like the rr-st of his co-religionaries, a careful man, did good in his own quiet manner, and -many a bent and broken punter was saved from the walk homo by a timely loan from Furstenheini.

Amongst those to mce't with some supr port for the Flying Handicap, at Ascot on Wednesday (says the Sydney "Arrow") was tho Now Zealand-bred Sands (Soult—Golden Sands), but, starting from a bad post position in a very largo field, she was never prominent, auu failed to finish in the first half dozen. Though she does not appear to have any recent form to recommend { her, the Soult mare is a winner .in the Dominion, where, as a lhrce r ycar-old, she accounted for 22 others in thd-Jervis Handicap, five furlongs, run nt the Auckland R. 0.. Great Northern Steeplechase meeting. ' Goodwin Sands moved Well-in her preliminary on AVedncsday. and it is more than likely Hint she will be found equal to paying her way at meetings of the Associated Clubs.

FIXTURES. April 2-I—South Canterbury J.C. Autumn. April "i and 25—Masterton B.C. Autumn. April 30 and May I—Marlborough R.C. Autumn. May 8 and 9—Ashburtou .County I?.C. Autumn.' May 11 and 15—Egmont R.C. Winter. May 22 and 24 —Wancanui .T.C. Winter. June 3 and 4—Dunedin .T.C. Winter.