NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2215, 30 July 1914, Page 5

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

IBt Qwncoe.l I

Weights for the minor, events at the Iviccartoti meeting are due to-morrow. Iho Ilangitikci Hunt Club will hold a raco meeting the day after the Marion meeting, which takes place 011 September 2. r The double, Peary and Morecambe, was well supported yesterday for the two Nationals. On his best form, tho first-named must be very hard to beat, and a similar remark applies to Morecambe, who is a fnst horse, and ha® 'jnl.y got to jump well to bo very dangerous under his light weight. Mr. Jerry.O'Driscoll, at one time a well-known racehorso owner, died in Queensland recently. He will bo remembered as the' owner of Waiwera wlien that gelding won the Grand National Hurdles. Clontaft having dropped out of tlie raco, Lord Grey is likely to be a firm favourite for the Australian Hurdle Race, to'be decided) at Cunlfield on Saturday. He will be ridden by fionald : Cameron, who won the race two years ugo on Uxbridge. . The New Zealand Cup winner, ' Bridge, started 1 favourite in the Jump- . ers' Flat handicap at Aspendale on i July: 22, but lie shaped disappointingly, ■ and was out of a place at the finish. ' 1 The French horseman, G, Stern, has ' a, remarkable record so far as Derbies ; .are concerned, as jrhea' he .won the 1

French Derby last month on Sardanapale it made his fifth in France ; and his previous victories were two in Germany, two in Austria, one in England, and one in Belgium—eleven in all. Mr. Goring Johnston, president of the Manawatu Racing Club, who has been on a visit to Sydney, returned to .Wellington yesterday by the Maunganui.

Frank Wootton has just earned his first win as a trainer, and he is likely to prove as successful in this branch of the racing game as he, was in the saddle. Wootton will liavo the advantage of his father's wide experience. In the annals of the :turf no trainer made such progress as Wootton, sen. From a small country sport at Taree, N.S.W:, to the leading mentor in Great Britain is a far cry, yet the older Wootton, achieved this distinction. Richard Wootton was always plucky, hence his success. He was doing well when he left Australia for South Africa twelve years ago with a. team of thirty horses. "Giving £10,000 a chance," was his remark to a : friend who doubted the wisdom of his action. Wootton has since doubled his, '£10,000 many. times oyer.'.:

. L. Hagerty continues to ride in great form in Melbourne. At Aspendale Park on Wednesday of last week ho won the Brush Steeplechase, two miles, on Sam Cook, who started favourite.

The . sale of Cherubini is announced from Sydney. The dual Derby winner is, now owned by the; well-known Sydney sportsman who races' as "Mr. J. Birks.Cherubini is engaged in the Epsom Handicap, with Bst.'7lb., and in the Metropolitan with 31b. less.

/ H. Kingan, in charge, of Gharlerose, Suilrose, Stockade, and Silver Monarch, left for Riccarton last evening. A local owner yesterday 'cabled C. Emerson offering him a"fide'at the Riccarton meeting, but a -reply was received that he was remaining m Sydney until after the big Eandwick spring fixture. ...

The; well-known aftnateur horseman, J. Ellingham, who has been on a holiday visit to. Sydney, returned yesterday. 'He brought back with him'Culross (Boniform —Culroy), who is to join Mr. G. L. Stead's, Ambeiley stud.

. : After being reported aB 1 arriving fully a dozen times, ,Trainer M. T. M'Grath stepped off the Maunganui, whioli arrived from Sydney yesterday. He proceeded on to Masterton by the afternoon train. M'Grath thinks Lord Grey is certain to win the Australian Hurdle Race ,if he jumps. any way decently. He saw Di Gama run at Caulfield (the other week, and says very heavy' support was forthcoming, for him. He got a bad run, but had no chance with the winner,-who is'some but has been running with bad. luck for some time. Amongst ; other' things, M'Grath mentioned that Hector Gray .was residing at Glenhuntiy, a suburb of Melbourne,'and that : Guncap will run well in the'big steeplechase at Caulfield on Saturday week. Hie reason of . the withdrawal of Clontaft . from the Australian Hurdles was that,ho has developed leg troubles. .' jAdvices from Sydney state that the . ex-Hastings trainer, L. Carrick, intends settling permanently ? in Sydney.