NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1819, 4 August 1913, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

IBT Qlencom.l B. Deeley will be a tho South to-night, oo his way to i'ulnl riding engagements at Riccarion. F. D. Jones is also expected to make the trip tonight.

Tho Porirua mentor, J. IT. Pressor, who has been seriously ill, took a turn for the worse on Saturday, and lie was removed from his hoir.L-fo a private hospital in tho city! Ho js suffering from pneumonia, and will, of course, be unable to attend the C.J.C. National meeting. His team will go souxli to-night, and will be under the direction of H. Telford.

Tracery, the winner of the Eclipse Stakes of ,£lO>M a few days back, was insured aiout a year ago for .£30,000. When Tracwy left New York it was in "a speei-ally-built steel car, which was liberally piuuled, and decorated v.'ith American and French flags, and he lind for companion his sire and dam.

A noted Sydney sportsman who went, to England at the beginning of tho year writes that he 'has heard yarns as to Australian jockeys riding foully on English coutscs. According to this sportsman, tho explanation is that "the Australian jockeys have much more dash, more go, and more ability generally than English ;meno?p:i;s. pf. tho .riding profession,,and, for. ■ that.reason, are condemned."

Jones,, the King's jockey, who was brought down in tho Derby through the .act of a Suffragette, received many congratulations at Ascot upon his recovery. Ono of the*a was froic. a Suffragette. Jones stated that lio was asked by Suffragettes to attend tho funeral of lliss Davison, and was offered the place of honour in the prooossion. Ho did not ac-cept-tho invitatiofc. \ London "Sportsman" of Juno 1G last mentions that Mr. Richard Woatton, the Treadwell House trainer, requested it to be stated that at Gatwick he lodged n. formal complaint to tho acting stewards of impropor language used concerning him fey D. Maher. Mr. Wootton understands; that Maher apologised to the stewards, and -that the' stewards considered that this apology on the part of Maher was sufficient.

There is no misunderstanding the manner in which tho stewards of the English Jockey Club put their powers in force when it beoomes necessary to do so, and it would be well if all other clubs took pattern by them. When a penalty is to be imposed, it is not done apologetically, but judgment is delivered in earnest. A fow weeks ago a trainer :iamed Aston sued the English jockey, B. Dillon, to recover several hundreds of pounds, which it was alleged the former had lost by betting for the jockey named. The oaeo was brought under the notice of tho Jockey Club, and, as Mr. Asston admitted that he had made bets for Dillon, in defiance of the rules of racing, the stewards c-ancolled his license to train. Dillon also came under the lash. He had his application for tho renewal of his jockey's license refused, and he was deilt. with under rule 95, which renders him ineligible to, ride trials or to enter any weighing-room, stand, or enclosure at a racecourso during ■the time his suspension lasts.

Commenting on' tho action of the Australian Jockey Club committee in debarring geldings from the A.J.C. Derby, ft Sydney writer says that the position in futuro will be that a smaller percentage of colts will be gelded, and tho increase in tho State's stallions will be proportionally much greater than in previous years. "Already wo have such a number of indifferent stallions in the State," continues the writer, "that we are repeatedly told a stiff tax is absolutely necessary, therefore, as a marked accession to. 'the ranks of these equino undesirables ia tho almost certain result, I fail to see that the altered conditions of the Derby can bo of ultimate benefit. Better that a gelding should occasionally win the Derby than that, as a result of the embargo, New South Wales should eventually be overrun Vith inferior stallions." Only one gelding has been successful in the A.J.C. Derby in 48 years.

Jlanakau;, ridden by A. Oliver, finished out of a placo in the Welter Handicap at Quiterbury Park on July 2G. It is expected that tho Maniopoto gelding will be returned to New Zealand by this week's boat.

Julian, list., started favourito in the Hurdle event at Mooneo Valley on July 20, but was beaten by a length by Fiddlestring, who was receiving (Jib. The third horse was Ballista, who won tho Australian Hurdles on Saturday. The stipendiary stewards held an inquiry into the ruinning of the favourite, but accepted" tho explanation of IV Cress.

Ballista, who won tho Australian Hurdle Pace on Saturday, was favourito for tllfe V.14.C. Grand National until withdrawn in favour of Wiminora. The latter wis then rushed inl'o favouritism for tho Floiiiinglcn cvonit, but evojittmlly flnished out of a place. It was generally thought here that the New Zealandfir, H. Cairns, would have the mount on Ballista, but according to tho cablegram he retained his seat on Wimmora.

Sinco winning with Bribery somo few seasons ago, Trainer D. J. Price has borai unlucky in all his efforts to win the bis jumping races at Ftcmington and Caulfitdd. On more than ono occasion he lias started two horses, lwt between Hi,3 victories Bribery and Ballista, tiro nearest thing was Wimimera's second last year.