NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1860, 20 September 1913, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

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Tho Avondale mooting will bo brought to a conclusion to-day. In the Kingsland Hurdles, Wotchchain should havo, little difficulty;in reversing positions with Pip, as ho will bo racing over his pot milo and throe-quar-ters.

Reports from tho north state that Kitty Bollairs was unfortunate in tho Avondal© Stakes, and oan b© dopondod upon to do better to-day.

Master Webb may bo more at homo in tho right-handed going after hiß race on Wednesday, and, if so, tho Hastings horso will no doubt show up better. Napper Tandy, tho first day r a winner, has not been accepted for.

1 As Dawn is very unbound, and does very little on the tracks, the first day's race can be'depended upon.to,work a big improvement in tho old Birkenhead gelding, and the Welter Handicap may, find him showing' in attractive colours. , Judged on form, Merry Roe appears to overshadow most of tne field in tlio Avondale Guineas.

Muoh-necdod rain has fallen at Otaki, and, if tho woather clears, the going should bo perfect for the Bpring meeting on Monday and Tuesday. ,

Jookoy W. Bell, who went to Avondale to fulfil riding engagements, returned homo on Thursday. llo.waß unable to wait for to-day's racing, as ha is fully booked at Otaki on Monday and Tuesday. - Foalingß from Highdon are reported as follow: —Paß Seul, a colt to Finland; and Inamorata, a colt'to Field Battery. Tho mares Truce and Perolina are at Amberloy, on a visit to Boniform. The former has foalod a filly to Field Battery.

A. Shearsby is leaving Awapuni on Tuesday for the, Wanganui meeting. Ho is taking Byron, Passadena, and Makara.

• G. Price.ib leaving Awapuni on Monday for Wanganui. He is taking with him the New Zealand Cup candidate Bronze, and tho' two-year-olds Parerafonn (Boniform —Parera) and Formelctta (Boniform —Waitemata). The latter are being taken for educational purposes Only. Those who havo Been the former speak of him as the finest-look-ing colt in the North Island. The latter is stated to bo a very speedy filly, and one likely to como along very quickly.

Mr. J. R. M'Donald, of Levin, loft for Sydney last evening to ceo The Native race at Randwick. Beforo' sailing, ho received a cable message from Melbourne, stating that Ronald Cameron would not be able to ride Tho Native. C. Price was communicated with at Fordell, but ho, too, was unable to mako tho trip, and an endeavour will now be made to induce Joe O'Counell to como over from Mclbourno to talis the mount. Tho last-named is a good, patient horseman," and should uuit tho black gelding well.

' Prior to leaving Christchurch, Mr. G. Watson, sold Baritone and Lord Soult to A. G. Wilson, of trotting fame. For the former he recoived £100, and a contingency of. £50 out of his first, two wins. The ancient Lord Soult was quitted for £20; 1

Jockey Rangi Thompson was- on board tho Maunganui, which sailed foe Sydney lastiovoning. Ho is going over to rido. Loch Muben arid Pnnco Eddio in their Randwick engagements.

A returned'-visitor from Avondale states that Morry Roe made tho paco so warm in the Avondale Cup that sha carried Colonel Soult off his legs, and ho was well beaten at the finish. The boom maiden is a big, lazy horso, and i 3 likely to do well over a distance of ground."

The Riccarton trainer Murray Hobbs has a very largo string of horses under his cliargo at present, and should win a number of races with his very seloct team of three-year-olds,, which include: Rinaldo, Jeamiot, Martel, Ogicr, Salzburg, and Mowbray. Another of Hobbs'a charges. Peg) who cauglit a chill prior to tho C.J.C. Easter Handicap, is looking well, and may bo hoard of again boToro the end -of tho year.

"That ill-tempered brute Midnight Sun," is the way in which' an "Australasian" writer referred to Mr. E. J. Watt's liorßD, who caused the withdrawal of Uxbridgo from the lieathcrlio Handicap at Caulfield this month, by kicking his rider so hard that the hoy had to bo carried back to the paddock by the clerk of the course. Tho report that Air. W. J. Doyle, of Leeston, had bought out tho interest of Mr. G. P. l'ayne in Golden Morn for £150 has been confirmed. Thero is, however, no truth in tho rumour of a half-interest being subsequently sold to a fresh partner for £200, and Golden Morn will m future race as Mr. Doyle's sole property. R. Longloy will continue to train her Riccarton. Says a Sydnoy paper of September 121 '•There'll be something doing to-day. 1

feel it in tho tvir." Ono of Sydney'? biggest bookmakers spoko with conviction yesterday morniug just before Bottling time. His words wore prophetio. Early in the day money began to como for Emperador for the Metropolitan Stakes, later on it literally poured ify and from a fairly long price tho Now Zealantler rapidly dropped inta ft position just uohind tho favourites for tlie raco Duko Footo and Hallowmas. Tho move was from tho stable —of that thero could bo no possible doubt —and tho horse was backed to win. many thousands, iho fact of such solid support coming for Emperador did not cause horses which had hold high position in the quotations to weaken. As a matter of fact, some of them firmed during tho day, and as a result thoro are now fivo or six about .which there 13 little to chooso in point of favouritism. Tho backing of Emperador for tho Metropolitan came as a mild surprise. 'Tho norso haß never been over more than seven furlongs, and is such a brilliant animal that it was naturally thought that any move made on him would Have been in connection with tho Epsom Handicap. There was, at that, a fair amount of money fmhim for the big mile race, but it did not have tho same ring of genuineness as that which marked tho Metropolitan commission. It is quite on the cards for such a horse as Emperador to win both races, and it is highly possible that in the course of a day or two he will be backed for the shorter race. Only on Friday last all the available money was taken about Emperador for the New 1 Zealand Chip Thero may bo a method in backing tho horse for the longer distance races first. Had he been supported originally for the IbBom the market odds about him 111 the Metropolitan would have shortened materially. As matters now stand, although Emperador has tightened on his .Tuesday's quotations,, a large parcel is still availablo about nim for the Epsom, at a fairly remunerative figure.

The American-bred trotting sire, Marion Wilkes, arrived at tho Blulf on Monday from Melbourne, and was taken cn to Dunedin, where a number ot breeders expressed a desire to have a look at him. It is understood that he will be Bent back to Southland for tho season. ' . 1 Fitzosborne (Achilles-Moneybox) is now trained on the Southland Racing Club's tracks. Ho is/owned by Mr. James Lav. son, of Invercargul.

In connection with the Otaki Bacing Club's meeting, to be held on Monday and Tuesday, special railway arrangements aro advertised. Trains willleave Thorndon' Station for Otaki. at 7.10 a.m. and 8.20 a.m., and excursion fares will obtain. ' The trip to and from Otaki can be conveniently made in the one day, and the racecourse' ib now .within easy walking distance of tho railway station. The decision of the Hutt Valley Trotting Club to alter the date of its meoting from Boxing Day to a day in Wellington. Cup week has resulted in extra trotting races for.the North Island. The T-aratahi-Oarterton Bacing Club, acting on the advice of Mr. J. H. Pollock of the New Zealand Trotting Association, has determined to substitute two trotting events for hack flat races' on the club's Boxing Day' programme. iWith tho promise or increased stakes at the Hutt Valley Club's meeting and rumours of a new. club to be formed at Otaki, matters are looking brighter for trotting owners in this part of the Dominion. 1 - "y