THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 7

THE TURF.

NOTES AND COMMENTS,

fßs Gmncoe.l

Acceptances for tho Otaki meeting oloso at half-past 8 o'clock to-night. Owners are reminded that acceptances lor tho Dimodiu Jockey Club's Winter Mooting closo at 9 o'clock to-night. R. J. Mason will loave for Sydney on Friday, going a week- in advance of his horse 3, to make arrangements for their arrival at Randwick. At the conclusion of the North Otago AVinter Meeting tho Soult gelding Messina was purchased by tho Oamaru sportsman, Mr. .F: Lindsay. , A condition ' attached to the nest Grand National contest at Riccarton stipulates that, no horeo shall be.handicapped or" penalised to carry more than 12at. 71b. With such a- moderate lot of cross-country horses as thoso at present facing, .there' is little chance of tho change- affecting the handicap for " the coming race. ■■.••'■ ...... ■This year's Grand National Steeplechase -carries with it 1500 eovs as prize, money! • . ... ■ ,■ On Friday next at 9 p.m. final payments for tho Great Northern -Hurdles and acceptances for the minor events on the opening day of the Auckland Racing Club's meeting will close. _ A horso that lias como into consideration for tho Great Northern Hurdles is the Gluten gelding, Barbwiro. At Avondalo last month ho gayo a. good display of fencing, and ho is expected to run well in the big hurdles at Mere-, lie on AVednesday next. It is expected that the Karamu horso Peary will make a- better showing in the Groat Northern Steeplechase, after ho lias liad a race, than ho will in tho Hurdles.' Reports from the north state that he is backward, but it will come as no surprise to find him starting favourite on the day. Tho Field Battery Lanyard is at present being indulged in a long epell, to soo if ho will throw off'the lameness that has affected his training for some timo past.

Sartovna is making a good recovery from tho accident t>ho met with some timo back, and the filly is'regularly oxercised on tho roads at Trentham. Tho Epsom Derby will bo decided today. Kennymore, winner of the Two Thousaud Guineas, is tho 'favourite. Judging by the work sho ia doing, it is evidently the intention of J; W. Lowe to race Miraculous (Charlcmagno II —Monardo) in the Trial Plato at Trentham. Whea last sho raced, the filly did.not siiow up at. all, but sho has come on a lot since, and has built up i\to a nice animal. . It haying been proved that Ladoga is quite .unfitted to race- in heavy going, ■ "'Mr. P. Soames" has decided to spoil tho Thompson Handicap winnor during the winter. His stable companion, Martian Princess, is.also resting. Already there ar6 not' wanting isigns that there will be a rush to secure nominations to the imported horso Haljow- . mas. "Mr. P.. Soames" has decided to send his Soult maro Happy Maid (dam of:Ladoga),to the son of .Martagon. \ ■ ' Arlington has left J. Ayers's stable? at Trentham, and is now the-property of A. Goodman, who will probably, jump tho big chestnut gelding. The owner ' of Arlington took in exchange for him a yearling half-brother by Multifid to Fort William. This youngster will bo -turned out until ho is-a- three-year-old. Jockey A. L. M'Flynn, who has .had anything but'a-lucky-seasoni'-is again laid t as , i(to"as l •■this: fall he received off Aruake ill the May- Hurdles at'Wanganui. It is hoped that:ho will jio-". ablo to ride by tho Ellorslio meeting, which opens next week. ... The imported hoisefSoa Prince (by Persimmon)', who started favourite in the last Molbourno Gup, has been leased by E. A. Connolly to' a Melbourne and will take up stud duties

next , mojith. ' .; ' ■ .J. W. Lowo has turned tho ( Advance mare Effort out at the. Hutt.] Sho i 3 iii' foal to Boniform, and will probably revisit that horao next season. .At tho Newcastle Cup meeting, on' May IG, tho winners included Saona (Stepniak—lllusion). ' Considerable interest was taken in tho candidature- of-Bon Revo for tho Newcastlo Cup, but Australian'files now; to hand show that tho. New; Zcaland-braT horso did ?iot fulfil his engagement in that ovent. "Among the candidates for the Epsom Derby is tho Irish-bred- Righ. Mor, a half-brother to Seaforth. Tho colt showed-*good form as a two-year-old in Ireland. The story is told of a German schoolmaster endeavouring to gauge the knowledge of his pupils, and finding himself nonplussed when ho asked-.thorn what "harness" was. Silcnco reigned,, and then, picking out tho son of a, cabman, prompted him by asking: "Hans, ! what docs your father put on a horsß?" "Please, sir," said the lad, "a dollar, every Sunday." [ Tho "Publizistiche-' Arbeitin" states that two million persons in Germany are concerned in betting on racing. Of theso two million, spread over 6X4 towns, 6050 bookmakora have- to ho reckoned. There aro also 210,000 provincial betting agents and tipsters, and it is calculated that between £30,000,000 and £100,000,000 io spent every year in .betting. In 1912 tho, revenue from tho tax on betting amounted to £625,000. In consequence of the duty on bookmakers, the tax will in future bo double, and tho revenue is expected to amount to £1,250,000. ■