NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2273, 6 October 1914, Page 3

NOTES AND COMMENTS

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.The Dunedin Jooicey Club's Spring Meeting commences on Friday next and Mr. H. -Whitney's Mount. Victoria and Ro-umania, who, are to compete at the fixture, were snipped south last night, in charge of their trainer,: C. Pritchard , . Jockeys B. Deeley, C. Emerson, J. O'Shea, and A. Reed arrived from Napier last evening, and caught the Wahine -for Lyttelton, en route to Dunedin,. to fill engagements at the Spring Meeting on Friday" and Saturday. O'SJiea has gone south, principally to ride Warstep, while Deoley's engagement is to nde Mr. Stead's horses engaged at the , meeting. . •Nominations for the Waverley-Waito-tara meeting close this ( evening. Acceptances- for fhe Hawke's Bay meeting are due to-morrow night, and for the' Masterton meeting on Friday night. Our King's defeat at Napier may have been due to his laving too easy a time on the few days between tie Otaki meeting and the fixture at Greenmeadows. Hβ had his head in front coming round the turn "at Napier on Saturday, but faded right away towards the finisli. ~ . Aeterias ? who acted as runner-up in the two-year-old race at Greenmeadows on Saturday, is spoken of as a very promising youngster, but ono that may require time. Tatterley is trained at, Randwick by the ex-New Zealander, J. Whitworth, who evidently has the Birkenhead gelding in great form at the present time. Gjgandra's victory in the Shorts at the A.J.O. meeting yesterday would probably be fhe most popular event of the day. The son of Ibex carries his years remarkably well, and seems to be invincible over short courses. Mr. E. J. Watt, who won the A.J.C. Breeders' Plate yesterday .with Del Monte, had previously been successful in the eaine event with Ventura. Yesterday's winner was purchased by Mr. Watt at the Randwick sales last Easter. She should be not only very valuable for racing, but when her career on the turf is ended she should possess even greater value as a brood mare, and, moreover, being absolutely free from Galopin blood, will be a very easy mare to mate. She comos from ono of the best families in the Stud Book, a family which lias been well advortised in Australia through the doings of Comedy King (imp.) and Alawa, and in England by euoli brilliant performers as fteWS Jfcs mi Donovan,. Belle, .of^

Brittany (dam of Del Monte) was not raced, being imported specially for breeding purposes. She is by Sundridge (sire of Sunstar and other great English performers).

St. Spasa, who won the Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick yesterday, was brought out to Australia from England in March last, and as he won at the first time of asking in Australia, it is clear that the colt has taken readily to his new surroundings. It is only a few months ago that St. Spasa joined AY. Kelso's team at Uandwick. The English horse was sent out by Messrs. Clark and ltobinson, who won the Melbourne Cup with The Victory. The imported horse's initial race in Australia was the recent old-time Spring Handicap of Sydney Tattersall's. The fact that- ho began at an outside prioe, and receded still further out towards the close of the betting is pretty fair evidence that the stable were not deeply impressed with their chance; but on the track St. Spasa. had been doing as well as could be desired, and aB several thousands were won someone evidently 'had a regard for him. Hβ won by half a neck from Firm, with Pongo next, and Challenge Crosse and St. Carwyno well up. The English colt carried 7st. Mb., and came out to win his race at the half-distance after covering a lot of ground from the start of the one mile and a quarter, which he ran in 2miu. 7£scc. Owing to this victory the colt went Up 141b. for the Caulfield Cup, and 101b. for the Melbourne Cup. In the Metropolitan Handicap ho escaped penalty. St. Spasa had seven starts in England last year. Ho won once, and was twice fourth. The race in which ha succeeded was the Nottingham Sherwood Nursery, seven furlongs, of £500, in whidh ho ran favourite with Bst. 21b., and beat Cross Moon by half a length, with Macina third. There wore fourteen starters, and on heavy going St. Spasa ran the trip in lmin. 30 1-osec. He was fifth with Bst 121b. in a race won by By George. 8?t. 81b., and the latter was a very good colt. St. Spasa was bred in 1911 at old Buckenham Stud. He is a.lop-eared brown bay, by the Derby winner St. Amant, 14 from Carita 12, a brown mare'bred in 1902, by Gallinule 19 from Moira, an Irish-bred mare by Victor 3 from Lady Jacob, by Uncas I (son of Stockwoll lll)—Princess of Prussia, whoso 4am, Queen of Prussia, was by Orlando Kill from Herssy, by Glaucus 111 from the famous Hester, dam of Chatham anil The Nabob. Many notable stay-, <rs' trace to Hester.

FIXTURES. Oct., 9 and 10.—Dnnsdin J.C. Spring. Oot. 10—Haivko's Bay J.C. Spring. Oct. 15-Masterton B.C. Spring.Oct. 15 and 17.—South Canterbury J.C. Spring. ■ Oct. 24 and 26.-Wellington E.C. Spring. Oct. 2G and 27.-Gore R.C. Spring. October,"? and 28.—GTeymouth J.C. Spring Oot. 29 L»d 30.-Poverty Bay T.C. Spring. Nov. i and 7.—Auckland E.C. Spring.