NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2214, 29 July 1914, Page 5

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

IBt QtEMCOE.I

The Woodlands Hunt Club meeting will he held on the Pahiatua ' racecourse today- ' • Some surpriso was expressed when it was found that Immensity was not in tlio Grand National Hurdles. It appears that her owner gave instructions for her to be nominated, but the instructions were overlooked. ' Though he Has a pound more in the -Winter Cup than he had in the Stewards" Handicap at Trentham when ho was supposed to be badly treated, Clynelish still finds plenty of' support for the big mile at Riccarton, where' the company promises to be a little more difficult than it would have been at Trentham. It is reported that C'Emerson is leaving Sydney next Saturday, and will be riding at the C.J.C. Grand National Meet If this is so, another jockey will have to bo found to ride R. J. Mason's horses in Sydney. So far none of them have spdrted silk, though they have been nominated. The Warrim 00, which passed through Wellington, yesterday, had the following horses aboard:—Haskayne, Peary, Idealism, Morecaiubo, and Banian, in charge of S. Waddell; Rigo Park, Player, Haumakaka, and Gazette, in chargo of H. Hickey; Fond Memory (C. Morris); Dtavolo (P. Nengle); liaupani and Imanawa (F. Porter); The Pole (I?. I-oomb): Mummer (It. Chaafe); and Hatana (W. Woods). The EllerslhTtrniners, C. Cokman and K. Irwin, arrived by the Main Trunk express, yesterday morning on their way BNith. The jumper Ngatiruanm was on the same,, train. . To-night he will be joined by Try Fluke and Admiral Soult, and shipped south. Somo horses have a decided objection to rain, and to this fact a prominent London writer attributes the defeat of John o' Gaunt.in the English Derby a few years ago. Ho says: "Peopje are very forgetful, and we' have been told in various papers recently that John o' Gaunt lost the Derby through slipping on the wet turf coming down the. hill. What really happoncd was that the race .was ma in a most.fxiglitfui storm, with

the rain beatinrr dead in the faces of the field up to ana round the Furzes. St. Amant, alono erf the lot, had a hood and blinkers on, so that ho galloped for all h'j was worth, regardless c*£'the : trouble/ ,ivhile tho others hung back, and most of oil John 0' Gaunt, who had ajpeculinr dislike to facing wind and rain. Ho made no sort of effort to race, and was about last until they came round Tattenham Corner, and then, with the rain and wind at the back of him, he got goinfr at last, and ran right through his horses, but too late to catch St. Amnnt, whom ho had beaten easily for the Newmarket Stakes a fortnight earlier." If is- stated that Baron Maurice •'!.• Uothschild promised G. Stern, tho jockey, 15 per cent, of the amount of the stakes of the I'rix du Jockey Club should he be successful on Sardanapale. If this be true, Stern's ride brought him about £1200. -..- Jockey W. Ryan passed through Wellington yesterday on his way south. His mount in-the Winter Cup will be Multiply, and B. Deeley will be'on Chortle. The French horse Brnleur was a starter iu the Asoot Gold Cup race, and finished fourth; The fact that The Spaniard was bleeding after working at Riccarton on Monday need not bo taken seriously, for several instances ar e ' known of horses bleeding very badly the day'before a race, and then going out and winning. In 6omo oases it does animals good to bleed, for they are then cleared out, and are better for it., Stovedore has been doing good work | at Eiccarton lately, and surprise was ex-1 pressed when his name did not , appear among the acceptors for the Winter Cup. It transpires that the omission was due to j an oversight at the Canterbury Jockey ' Club's office, the letter from Sir George Clifford being overlooked. Stevedore s name has therefore "to be added to the aoceptors for the Winter Cup, while he has also.been nominated for tne Islington Handicap, one mile, on the second day, and the Heathcote Handicap, seven furlongs, on the, third .day of the meeting. Mr. W. B. Bidwill, president of the Wairarapa Racing Club, has been laid up with'a severe cold for some time.' As soon as he is, well enough he intends to take a trip foT the benefit of his health. Mr. A. G. Wood, of Greenmeadows; intends devoting the whole of his time to starting in 'future, and he will shortly relinquish the position he has had breaking in the yearlings from the Karamu stud. ' j R. Manson will ride Listen in the Winter Cup, and T. Catt will have.the mount on Amber and White in the same race. It is nqticeable that several prominent jumpers 'with .National Hurdles engagements, and who would, have been, eligible for the Trial Hurdles, have not been nominated. This is probably due to the penalty conditions being considered excessive, though last year Morning won the' Trial Hurdles and then put up a 121b. penalty, and scored in the National Hurdles. ' Merrim'oa, who raced last seasop. in the colours of Mr. R. Cooper, of Glad--stone,. has been purchased by Mr. C. F. Vallance, who.intends to make a jumper of the Merriwee' mare. Morrimoa has gone into J. Gravestock's Clareville stable. The Rototawai stable of Mr. W. 15. Bidwill will have nothing to sport silk for it until the Wanganui Spring Meeting, when several horses will bo engaged. Reputation will, all going well, contest the Wanganui Guineas.