NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2405, 10 March 1915, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

TBt Qi.hncob.l Owners are reminded that acceptances for the Masterton meeting •close at .10; o'clock to-morrow night. ■ . The Achilles gelding Heeltap, who hhs broken down, was sent home to Blenheim on Saturday , last. His stable oompanion Killaloo will be left at Picton after the Nelson meeting, and will be trained there in future.

Mr. H. J. Palmer, of Petone, recently purchased the bay trotter Rothschild Excelsior (Rothschild—Young Irvington) for 250' guineas, and the colt is now 'an inmate of D. Nyhan's stable. R. J. Mason is breaking in a yearling filly • (English time) by St. Amant—■Remission. , She is a chestnut, and is . a very well-grown youngster. Some idea of the cost of keeping a racehorse in Victoria' at present can (says an Australian exchange) be formed by a perusal of the following items''for. one week supplied by one of the leading trainers:—Hay, 85.,-.straw, 45.; chaff, 35.; bran, 2j.; oats, Us,; extras (lucerne, poas, or beans), 2s. 6d.; lad, 12s. 6d.j keep of lad, 12s. 6d.;_ total, 555.. , When to this is added''shoeing, railway fares, entrances and acceptances, it. will be 6een that a win now and again is much needed. Giand Slam, who was once well known to racegoers, was sold a few days ago as a remount, and -is to be shipped; to Egypt. Amongst the. prominent visitors at the. Akaroa 'meeting on Saturday was Mr. George Hunter, M.P., who. expressed his pleasure at. the success, of tne'fixture. After Chrysotis had won. the Peninsula Cup, Mr. Hunter was deputed to' present the trophy attached to that event to the mare's owner-trainer, Mr. G. MurrayAynsley.' R. J. Mason intends sending Banksia and Camulus. north for the Masterton meeting, where both are favourably treated in the handicaps. . W. Scobie can claim: the exceptional Tecord of five rides, five wins, since he became associated with, Mr. D. Rutherford's horses. He was on Andrea when he won the Halswell Handicap at Riccarton last month, and in both his successes over hurdles at the Dunedin Cup meeting, while at the Akaroa County meeting on, Saturday, he . won the Hurdle Handicap 'on Daylight Bill and . the Maiden Plate on Athenic. The Nelson Jockey Club has set the other racing institutions of the Dominion a praiseworthy'example by devoting all the profits from its Summer Meeting, which takes place to-day and Thursday, to the Empire Defence Fund. The .meeting promises to be a highly successful one, and the profits should be considerable. A large crowd of Wellington sportsmen will participate in the gathering.

In the Maiden Hack 'Race Ally, a member of N. Williams's team, may have most to 6ay, while the unlucky Charle-l-ose, who has run about thirteen seconds, should also be prominent, The Porirua representative Gold Soult will have many admirers in the Cup, the distance of which will suit him nicely. Immer was placed second in a mile race at Dunedin last month, and appears to be coming back to form. Were >she as well as when she appropriated the Wairarapa Cup last year she would lead the others a merry dance, but this season' she has not won a race. Mount Victoria will probably be reserved for the Grandstand Handicap, but Prince Laddo, Royal Dragoon, and Rerehau may be expected to take their places in the field. If he is reserved for the Hope Hack Handicap, seven furlongs, Ro'umania, who has done a lot of travelling and racing this season, may show -up. ' The Telegraph Hack Handicap, five furlongs, looks to be the hardest race on the programme to win. Hap Dha, a winner at Woodville, has been accomplishing great deeds on the tracks at Trentham, and may be the public choice in this race, but Royal Sleeves can go very fast over a short course, and may wear down the Obligado filly. In the absence of GoldstTeam, who' has gone sore and was not sent across, MountVictoria may be the elect in> the Grandstand Handicap, the field for which will be on the small side, as several of the acceptors are_ also in the Cup: ' A. Oliver is still in Wellington, and it will be some time before he is able to take a mount again. He intenjls returning to Awapuni at the end of the present month.

While being loaded on the Pateena on Monday afternoon Prince Laddo played up and received a fall. He was cut abont the legs a bit, but the injury was not 'serious, and tho gelding will take his place in the Nelson Cup field to-day. His owner, Mr. C. Wadlej, went over b.r the Nikau last night to see liis horse race.

Owners and trainers are reminded that nominations for all events, (including Waiata Hack and Maiden Scurry) for the Feildine Jockey Club Meeting will close on Friday, March 12, at 8.30 p.m.

FIXTURES. . March 10 and 11—Nelson J.C. Annual. March 12 and 13—Napier. Park B.C. Autumn. March 17—Opunaio K.C. Annual. • • Mawh IS Ma IMUaUrtw? R,C, Autumn MaJoo24ftßd,2iN-Eawto«i B>C»