NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1740, 3 May 1913, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[Bv Glencoe.]

Tho Ashburtfm County Hacing Club's meeting takes placo next week. Acceptances for the first, day's events at tho Kgmont Boeing Club's meeting close on Thursday next. T'lio Ono Thousand Guinens was set down for decision in England yesterday, and tlio cabled result should reach ns today. Louvois, Craganonr, and Meeting House, who filled tho places iii tho Two Thousand Guineas on Wednesday, all won races as two-year-olds. Craganoui' was generally regarded as the best of tho season's juveniles, while Louvois, who started in six races, won four times nml was third oiicc. 110 belongs to a branch of tho No. 1 family which had previously produced two good performers ill Cap and Bells, and It is, however, impossible to form a really definite opinion on tho pedigree of .Louvois, l'or no 0110 knows whether Jlis dam was by Carnage or Wolf's Crag, tho respectivo matings having been at only one dny's interval. Tho success of Louvois rushes .the No. 1 family back into prominenco agnin— it' it has ever been out of tho limelight. Tho victories of representatives of outside families in the wholo of last season's classics was eagerly seized upon by opponents of tho figure system to strengthen their criticism, and now comes I.ouvois to confound the critics once more. It is simplv wonderful how the family holds its position down through the ages, and 110 doubt while the victories of its representatives entitle it to precedence over all others, practical breeders will continue to recognise its worth. S. O'Neill, who did not meet with a great deal of success as a jockey in Melbourne, is now following tho occupation of trainer. Among the horses trained by the New Zealander is the black eclding Hard of Avon (Rouge Crois—Tragedy Gueen). a half-brother to tho Melbourne Cup winner, Comedy King. At Sandown Park on April 23, Bard of Avon created

a surpriso by winning tho Third Division Handicap, mid defeating a warm fuvonrito Week End.

Thus tho "Sporting Judge": "Returning by rail with his wife from tho races before fiiipes. wero thought of and everything in connection with racing wns supposed to bo worse than bad. a well-known trainer was forced to listen to himsolf being decried in wholesale fashion by ono of a parly in the ?nmo compartment. Ho did not know the trainer, but the horso lie had run that afternoon was stone, stark dead, and the wliolo lot should have been disqualified for life, and longer. Tho trainer sat stolid. At any moinont hisi wife expected blood. In her husband's ear sho whispered, 'You can't keep your temper liko thisnt homo,' And tho answer was, 'I'm not annoyed. Everything the man has said is true.' "

_ Mr. E, J. Walt, of Hastings, loft for Sydney by last night's boat.

Tho stcoplcelmse nt Epsom (Melbourne) on April 19 was tho first run on that course sinco tho )>assiiig of the rulo which provides for all fences being 3ft. 9in. or over in height. Tho look of tho jumps slightly scared somo of tho riders, and one, it is stated, ventured an opinion that they wero fully 4ft. 2in. high. Thin idea was dispelled by the stipendiary stewnrdc, who had measured tho lot, and found that, with tho exception of a panel of one fence, not ono was higher than 3ft. Uin. Ono result was that the horses travelled much slower than is usual in steeplechases at suburban meetings in Melbourne.

According to tho Johannesburg "Star,"' tho well-known jockey E. Dulhcld, who went to South Africa from West Australia, recently camo out In tho light of a Marathon runner, when ho somewhat easily won a match against a cyclist. Duflicld (says tho "Star"), unlike most of our prosont-day jockeys, does tho bulk of his wasting" along tho roads, keeping himself fit and his weight down by long walks and runs. His long-distance jaunts led to him being matched by a friend against a cyclist, tho course being from the Halfway House, on tho Pretoria Rood, to tho Victoria Hotel, Johannesburg, Duffield to receive 90 minutes' start. The match, which .was for a -ClO side wager, created a considerable amount of interest. and resulted in an easy win for 'the jockey, who completed the long up-and-down journey in capital style, running the distance, about 18 miles, in 2hr. 3omin. Kenny, tho cyclist, found tho hills too much for him, and gav'o up at Orange Grove, on hearing that Dufficld had then 'reached his goal. It was. however, a gruelling task that tho latter had set himself, and nothing but sheer pluck and condition pulled him through. Dulßeld pulled up well, but was dreadfully sunburnt about tho legs. Woights for tho principal events at the Auckland Racing Club's winter meeting aro duo on Monday.

Among the new rules of racing which camo into foroo in Australia on May 1 is ono which fixes a sliding scale of allowances for apprentice riders. The previous rule governing apprentice allowances was by no means satisfactory, and though tho new law may* l not be all that is desired, it is far preferable to the ono it wipes out. Rulo 34 (a) is •to be tho law, and this is how it runs:—"Any apprentice who shall lfave obtained permission to ride in races under tho provisions t>f Rulo 30, shall be entitled, during a period of threo years from the date of receiving such permission, while his apprenticeship continues, to claim in any race run at any meeting within a radius of 40 miles from the G.P.0., Sydney, or 30 miles from the G.P.0., Newcastle, the added money to which does not exceed 400 sovs., an allowance on tho following scale: -Until lio shall have ridden five winners after receiving such permission, 71b.; if he. shall have ridden five winners,' until ho shall have ridden 10 winners as aforesaid, 51b.; if ho shall have ridden 10 winners,- until ho shall have ridden 20 winners, as aforesaid, 31b. Provided that for the purposo of ascertaining tho number of winners ridden by any apprentice for the purposo of this rulo an apprentice who shall havo ridden in a deadheat and shall have ridden the winner of the run-off shall be dc-emed to have ridden ono winner only in respect of such' racc." ■ Sportsmen returning from the Blenheim meeting had a particularly rough experience, and are not likely to forget the Marlborough Cup of 1913 for 6ome time. Thoso who were unwary enough to bring horses, made a serious mistake as in nearly all cases tho horses suffered serious injury and two of them—Merriyonia and The Great Mogul—are not likelvto race again. With the exception •of Peroneal, who landed without a scratch, the remainder were all more or less knocked about.

Haydn Park, tho half-brother to Master Paul, changed hands during the Blenheim meeting and is now owned by Mr. Rutherford. jun., of Cheviot. The price was lOOgns. While at Blenheim, F. Higgott took chargo of a yearling by Gay Spark from Portland Lass. The youngster is to bo prepared for racing. Several horses which raced at Blenheim on Wednesday and Thursday are being brought back to Wellington by the Mapourika, which is expected about 6 o'clock to-night.

The old West Coast gelding, Moreykoff, was brought to Wellington Inst week and is being entrained this morning for Hawera, wliero ho is to bo turned out for tho winter. C. Boylo, of Hastings, arrived from Sydney by Wednesday's boat, but is returning next week with. Captain Jingle and Golden Sky. Prom Auckland comes word of tho death of Uio thoroughbred stallion Wairiki (Soult -Rose and White). Tho horso's oareer was an interesting one. Ho was foaled at Glenoid Park in 1899 and, when a yearling, was sold privately to Mr. S. Bradley for ,«7G. In New Zealand he won many good races, including the Groat Northern Guineas, Great Northern Derby and Auckland Cup. Ho also ran second to Canteen in tlie New Zealand Clip. In 1804 \Vairiki was sent across to Australia in order to oontest tho Melbourne Cup for which race, under flst. 41b.. he was sent out favourite. Tho son of Soult s effort in tho great Flemington raco was destined to prove his last under silk, for ho made an unlucky slip, and a fractured shoulder result**!. It was feared that ho would have to be shot, but skilled hands and up-to-dato equipment, enabled the liorso to be patohwl up, and ho was brought back to Auckland some 12 months after meeting with his mislmp. At the stud ho si reef a few winners in different years.

fixtures. May 8 and 9—Ashburton County B.C. Autumn. , _ _ , May U and 15-Egmont R-C. Wmt:er. May 22 and 24—Wanganui .T.O. Winter. Juno 3 and 4—Duncdin J.C. Winter. Autumn.