NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2116, 6 April 1914, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

' * [Br GiENCOB.3 \ Owners aro reminded that acceptances for the Wairarapa meeting closo to-morrow at 8.30 p.pi. On Wednesday night' acceptances closo for the minor ovent3 at tho Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting. At tho same time fiual payments are duo for the Great Easter aiul Autumn Handicaps, and 'for tho (Dhainpagno and Challenge Stakes. . Nominations for the Manawatu !Autumn Meeting closo to-morrow evening at 10 p.m. After final payments no-fewer than twenty-ono' horses remain in tho Eastor Handicap at Ellerslio on. (Saturday next. Tho executivo of tho Wellington Itacing Club should bo more thanpleased with the response from owners ior tho Trentbani Gold Cup. Tho entries .total twenty-five, and include all the best stayers in tho Dominion. An unusual number of incidents wero crowded into tho Invorcargill Steeplechaso at tho Southland Racing Club's mooting. There were, soven starters, and all went well for half a mile, when Kelp fell at tho second of tho stand double. ' llagerty was soon on his feet and in the saddle again, but after jumping two moro fences ho pulled lip oil Kelp, who was not going well, and was losing ground. Zingaboo came to grief ut tho third fencp after passing tho stand,- but there- wero ■ 110 further mishaps in that circuit. Starting on tho .■last- round tho order was; Corso, Northern, lied Troon, Max, and Forget Mo Not, the fivo horses being in closo order. Max fell at tho logs going out of tho straight, and two -fences further ou Red Troon and Corso came to grief. This left Northern with a long lead from 'forget Me Not, who was tiring, and who fell shortly afterwards, leaving Northern to canter .in by himself. lint tho oxcitoment was' not nearly over. Spectators had caught several of tho competitors, and in due course Red Trooni arrived with T. Kirkwood in tho saddle, followed by Forget Mc Not (J. Kirkwood) and Corso (W. Fielding). lied Troon, however, had missed a fence, so Forget Mo Not secured second money. W. Fielding could not draw weight, and Corso went out again, ridden" by his original , pilot, R. Gray, being followed at an interval of nearly a furlong by Kelp (Hagorty). Corso only had to jump three fences, and he continued homo a few lengths in front of Kolp, who gave a good display of fast jumping ovor the full circuit. Plenty of light-woight jockeys will bo available at.Tauherinikau on tho opening day of tho Wairarapa meeting. It. Berry; C. Emerson, F. Bell, and C. Cannont have gono .to Riccartoii to rido work, but tho quartet aro'returning'for

Saturday's racing. Bell, Emerson, and Berry have full engagements. Mr. Kirkdale has decided to send I minor to Foildiug to take her place in tho Cup field. L. Nodder has been engaged to rido the Martian lilly. She has already been a twelve-furlong 'course, having contested tho C.J.C. Oaks in November last.

S. Roid went north on Saturday to ride Potoa in tho Easter Handicap at Ellerslie. W. Price, who is to rido Mr. T. H. Lowry's team, was a passenger by tho samo train. Tho Karamu team will bo cut up into threo divisions at Easter, and tho stable will bo represented at Ellerslie, Waipukurau, and Riccarton.

Tho retirement of A. Hall from tho ranks of public trainers was- announced some timo a«o, but advico from Wangan.ui states that a team of jumpers belonging to Mr. E. Short, of Feilding, ha 3 been sent to him to train. No doubt Lcapuki, who was sccured by tho Feilding sportsman during the Masterton meoting, was purchased with iho intention of' being jumped. The Letho gelding is' an ideal stamp of hurdle horse, and comes from a goad jumping family. Sipapis has again advanced to tlio position of favourite for the Sydney Cup. , At. present there are persistent immours that Wallalo ' ■ will not start, and, if this is so, H. Gray may bo secured for Siimpis. Other reports state that W.'.Manning, a prominent Sydney light-weight, will bo given tho mount on the Now Zealand representative.

The nominations for tho Wellington meeting aro well up to the standard of prqvious .years., Thcro are no prominent 'absentees from any of tho big handicaps. There will bo racing at Ellerslie and' Tauherinikau on Saturday next- Wellington sportsmen who intend being present at the latter meeting will find tho railway arrangements ■ very suitable. Wellington can be reached on the return- journey by 8.20 p.m. A prominent New South Wales trainer of lengthy exponenco has oxpressed tho opinion that two-year-old races on straight.courses aro too severo for the youngsters. They aro too much on the collar, and apt'to prove a rather too severe tost. He belioves that only tho most important events should bo run ; along a straight course, and that the minor eveutsj such as handicaps, be decided on tho circular track. "It is quite a common- practice to find horses being raced into condition or run when 'short of a gallop' (says "Sentinel" -in tho Otago "Witness"). It is a difficult .matter to prevent such objectionable practices], which becomo very much more so when owners who run—not race —their horses as big as a prize bovine, and then have tho assurance to expect suph horses to bo handicapped, as if they were running quite at tho top of their form. Instances could be quoted whore horses that have previously' shown excellent form had run a stono or so off their back by beiug seen out in one or two races when obviously half fit. Some of our liaudicappqrs aro far too weak in this rospcct, and if they- kept the weight up on the .aldermanic brigado they woiild do a lot of good to-the sport."

C, Emerson had recovered sufficiently from his fall at Opalci to go south on Saturday. .He was considerably bruised, biit ho will be ablo to fulfil his Easter engagements.

Owing to an attack of lumbago, A. ,Olivor coukl not-rido on tho second day of tlio Mnsterton meeting, and at present bo is confined to his bed at 'Awapuni. He hopes to bo ablo to go south tliis week. '

. Messrs.' Young and Collins, Ltd., the A venue, : an-announce-ment in tlite'- isSnfe-'w'liicli'is'of interest to jockeys and. horsc-owuei's; in fact, to any'pho who is connected with tho stablei