THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1875, 8 October 1913, Page 11

THE TURF.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[Br Glencoe.]

Tho Australian Jockey Club's Autumn Meeting will bo continued at Randwick to-day. . Tho Dulicdin Jockey Club s Spring Meoting will commenco at ingatui to-day. „ s . Banksia (Achilles—Tortulla), who ran second in tho Trial Stakcß at Randwick on Saturday, is engaged 111 the CJ C. Oaks next month. lortu la was a good stayer, and won several Cups (including tho New Zealand Cup), so tliat Banksia should bo able to get tho Oaks journey well. . Though there are no North Island horses engaged at the Dunedin meoting a very large contingent from luccarton will be doing duty, and the presence of several New Zealand Cup candidates will lend additional interest to tho meeting. Tho useful Coronctted has 12st. 61b. in tho Hurdles, but the opposition is very weak: not so goo he dofeated at Ashburton with list. Jib., on his back. Only four youngsters have stood their ground in the Dunedin Stakes, oir Geo, Clifford '.fill bo represented by Botanist, a full-brothor to Heatherbrae, and if reports 6peak truo, a fairly smart colt. Marsa will carry Mr. 0. D. Dalrrety's colours, and Waitara will represent Mr. H. Friedlander, whilo Cortes is the only Dunedin representative engaged. ' 1 Tlio New Zealand Cup candidate Tannhauser is top weight in the big handicap, and next to him comes Ine Cornet (Bst. 41b.). The former staya very well and has a partiality for tho Wingatui course, whero eighty per cent, of his races have been won. Ogier will probably carry' Mr. J. H. Reid's colours in tho Guineas, as Martel has an engagement in the Electric Handicap. The Elevation oolt Veritas will do battle for Sir Geo. Clifford. Mar-

tius is to be Mr. A. Boyle's representative, and Warstep will contest the' raco on behalf of Mr. C. G. Dalgety. The Stead Bros. Jtnve sent Somniform south, and Flora Macdonald will complete the field. As a two-year-old Ogier appeared to be a big overgrown colt, and one likely to bo well served by time. To-day he may bo in want of a race. Veritas was to have made the trip to Randwick last spring, but ho subsequently trained off. He is reported to have galloped well with Stevedore recently, but the form of tho latter at Wanganui does not indicate that Veritas has a chance to-day. Martius is another colt that promised to develop into a good 3-year-old. He is being given a special Derby preparation, and his owner has high 'hopes of him. Special inducements wero offered to O. Emerson to return from Randwick and rido the colt at Riccarton. Warstep has been responsible for somo very attractive work at Riccarton. In her first gallop this season she went seven furlongs very well and defeated a stable companion by a pronounced margin. She-is Buro to start'favourite to,day. Somniform is a full-sister to Bon Reve, but her form at Ashburton, when fancied by her trainer, was very poor, ,ancl a smart beginner such-as Warstep would leave hor at a big disadvantage. Soldiers' Chorus has 9st. 131b. in tho Electric Handicap, but good horse that ho is, he will probably be unablo to begin with this weight. Sea King (9st. 61b.), and Palisade (Bst. 131b.) are recent winners, arid so is Teviotdale (7st. 111b.). Stardancor (Bst. 21b.) deadheated in tho last Stewards' Handicap with Bon Revo after a great .finishing effort in 'which slio camo from a long way back.

Sauci, a'Yaldhurst colt/will probably start favourite in the Taioma Handicap. At Ashburton, when obviously not ready, the Charlemagne II oolt ran a really good race, and finished just behind the' place-gotters. To-day he has tho minimum impost, and will be ridden by W. Bell. In the October Welter Handicap the useful Thrax has lOst. 91b. He may find it a'hard task to concede a stono to Carolus who is able to tako his part in open Flying Handicaps and is usually a bull-dog at tho finish. Tho Programme Committee of the Egmont Racing Club has recommended the following alterations and additions to the programme for the Summer Meeting: Delete tho Whareroa and liltham Hurdles; replace the former with the Whareroa Welter, of 175 sovs., and in place of the latter the Hawera Stakes of 400 sovs. The Egmont Stakes, of 400 sovs., will take the place of the Hawera Stakes of 200 sovs., the Flying and Waimate Handicaps have been increased by 60 sovs. each, and the Atkinson Memorial Stake has been increased by 50 soys. The distances of the Ladies' Purse and the Normanby Welter have been increased b.v one hundred yards with a view of minimising bumping when running out of the straight. The stakes this season will total 3220 sovs., as against 2580 sovs. last year, an increase of 625 sovs. At a meeting of the Wellington Racing Club Committee this week, sixteen new members wero elected.

Aleconner, who won the Epsom Handicap on Saturday, is in the same stable as the Australian Cup winner, Alnnssa. ■When the latter won the Cup, Aleconner was the "second leg" of the stable double. Unfortunately for his party; he was beaten in the Newmarket Handicap, but he made some amends for his defeat by winning the Bourke Handicap on the- second day of the meeting. The District Committee of the Wellington Racing Club met on Monday evening when the programme of the Taratalii-Carterton Club (December 26) and that of the Wairarapa Racing Club (January 1 and 2) were approved._ The committee confirmed the fino of £5 imposed on W. Bell at the Otaki meeting, and also the fino imposed upon Allan Henderson, by the Wellington Racing Club, for misuse of an attendant's ticket. An nmbulanqe wagon is now generally regarded as a necessity on every largo racecourse, for, even if it might not bo the means of actually saving life, it would on occasions save an injured rider a groat deal of suffering, 'i'iiis has been recognised by the District Committee of tlio Wellington Racing Club and at a meeting this week it was resolved: "That an ambulance wagon bo procured for use on the course at Trentham." The fact that no particular sum set asido for the purcjiaso moans, no doubt, that the club is to spare no expense in procuring the most up-to-date wagon available. When the New Zealand Racing Conference sat in Wellington in July, the Wellington Racing Club's delegates put forward a motion embodying a proposal to temporarily disqualify horses which are proved to bo unruly at the starting gate. Some support was given to the motion, but a great deal of opposition was also raised to it, and eventually it was withdrawn on the understanding that it would come up again next year. Meantime the Wellington stewards are taking separate action. At a committee meeting this week, a resolution was carried in the following form: —"The stewards may. on the report of the starter, or otherwise, place the name of any horse, which in their opinion is unruly, or insufficiently schooled at tlio starting gate, oil tlio schooling list. Horsos so placed shall be ineligible to run in any flat raco of the Wellington Club without first presenting a certificate signed by the club's official starter for the time being, to the effect that the latter (or his duly appointed nominee) has inspected the behaviour of the horse. at the starting gate, and that, in his Qpinion. it has Qualified to have

its nanio romoved from tlio list. No nominations, forfeits, or acceptances shall bo rebated in respcct of a horse placed on tho schooling list. Tho list sliall not apply to racos other than flat races."