THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1779, 18 June 1913, Page 9

THE TURF.

6 NOTES AND COMMENTS. ißr Olskcos.i Mr. Duncan Rutherford, of Canterbury, passed through Wellington yesterday on the way to Hastings, where Sunbeam, Daylight Bill, and Gnome will race in his colours to-day. Morning, it is understood, has not done much work of late, but the opposition to Mr. Armstrong's horse in the Hack Hurdles to-day is far from strong. Rangikapua collided with Renowned May on the Hastings track yesterday, and both horses fell over. The lad who rods Renowned May received a slight concussion. but T. George (on Rangikapua) escaped injury. Mallard will in future be trained by J. Lambess at Wanganui. ' J. M. Cameron returned from Sydney, via Auckland this week. His team of five horses were also brought back, and all arc more or less cripples. Kopu pulled up lame after working at Hastings yesterday, and it does not look as if the chestnut gelding will survive a preparation. Hawick, who is now trained by his owner at Bulls, will contest the Hack Steeples at the Hawke's Bay meeting today, and will bo ridden by H. M'Sweeney. The Spaniard is one of the favourite selections. for the Hawke's Bay Stecple9 to-day. Tho Auckland horseman, A. Julian, will have the mount on tho Torpedo gelding.

El Dorado has a very queer set of lefts, and it will come as no surprise to find him going off again at any time.

The fences in the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase are very similar to those found at Riccnrton, and ore composed mostly of big brush. The sod-wall at the of the course generally proves the undoing of all but the best leppers. Flingot is generally regarded as likely to start in the Hurdles at Hastings today, and not in tho Bracelet. He will be ridden by J. Deerey.

The Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's winter meeting will commence on tho Hastings Racecourse to-day. Indications on the spot yesterday pointed to fino weather, and, with the good acceptances which ha,ve been received,- an interesting day's sport should result. General showers fell yesterday, but the going was not affected, and should be in firet-clasa order to-day.

Since tho New Zealander Electrakoff was demonstrated against after winning Winter Stakes at Randwick on Monday last, the stipendiary stewards have been twitted with neglect of duty in not investigating "the case" (says the Sydney "Daily Telegraph"). Electrakoff was a started in Ellesmere' Handicap on tlie, first day of the meeting, when he finished sixth, and it is presumed that the noisy demonstration against him on Monday was due to his failure to win on Saturday. The conditions of the. two races were not alike, either as to distance or weather, and it is fair to say that Electrakoff was a much better favourite > when he ran unplaced than on the ocoasion of winning. The stewards seem to hare been satisfied with the behaviour of Electrakoff in Ellesmere Handicap, as well as with the bona fides of all concerned, and. that being so, there was no necessity for an investigation.

The stewards of the English Jockey Club had before them at a meeting m April last a question by Lord Villiers, to tho effect: "Whether, in view of the fact that a new volume of the Stud Book will be published this year, they will consider ilhe advisability of suggesting to Messrs. Weatherby, the . editors, that tho. last sentence of the first paragraph of the prefaco be added to so as to read as follows:—'They have decided that in tho interests of the English Stud Book no horse or mare can be admitted after this date unless it can b9 traced without flaw on bath sire's and dam's side of its pedigrees to a strain already accepted in tho earlier volumes -of the book.'" Lord Villiers's suggestion " was carried unanimously. In commenting on the question before it was submitted, a writer in Lon-' don 'Sportsman" said:—"With one or two slight verbal alterations his lordship's proposal, if accented and acted on. would effectually close the Stud Book to all future importations of impure or nntraced blood. In stipulating that future additions should flaw on sire's or (lam's side to a 'strain' tJhat has already been accepted in earlier volumes, Lord Villiers opens the door wider than might lat first apoear. for it would' admit from America all collateral relatives of mares already admitted."

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. "Wager," Johnsonville.—(l) Zimmerman, by Birkenhead—Solitaire, 9yrs.; (2) S. Waddnll; (3) will answer in a day or two.