NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2476, 1 June 1915, Page 3

NOTES AND COMMENTS

[BT GIEKCOE."!

Visiting horses hare already arrived at Otaki in large numbers, and the prospects for the Maori Club's Winter Meeting are the brightest. ' A convenient train service has been arranged for both days, and if the weather remains fine there should be a record attendance.

Bon Reve is reported to have broken down badly, and the probabilities of his ever racing again are said to be somewhat remote.

It is understood that Soporific ,is an unlikely starter in the Hack Steeplechase at Otaki.

Multiply, in charge of his trainer, G. Jones, reached Otaki last evening..

A meeting was to have been held at Levin lasit evening to go into the question of resuscitating the Horowhenaa Racing Club, Which was recently granted a totalisator -permit.

That there can be little wrong with Corrie was proved by her galloping a very sound round at Ellerslie on Saturday morning, when she finished alongsido Emperador. Her owner, Mr. Hobbs, stated that Friday morning was the first occasion that the maro -had ever put a foot wrong when schooling.

The New Plymouth trainer, R. Johnson, is shortly leaving for Sydney, and on arrival there he will take charge- of Tea Tere, and prepare him for future engagements.

While on the voyage from New Plymouth to Onehunga the chestnut mare Avon Park got cut about, and she is an unlikely starter at Ellerslie on Thursday,

S. Reid was tho moving figure in the proposal thait the jockeys riding at Ellerslie on King's Birthday should devote ten per cent of their riding fees towards the Hospital Ship. A meeting was held in the grandstand' at Ellerslie, when it was decided to adopt the idea, and to telegraph to Otaki and Dunedin asking the riders there to do the same. The subject was taken up enthusiastically at Otaki yesterday, and the money derived from this source will be donated to purchase votes for Miss M'Kegg, the Manawatu candidate. A poriy will al6o be sold on the course on Thursday for the samo fund.

In addition to Emperador and Bimeter, C. Emerson will have the mount on Combustion in the Jervois Handicap at Ellerslie on Thursday.

There will be race meetings at Ellers lie, Otaki, and Dunedin on Thursday next. At the first-named meeting the Great Northern Hurdles and Cornwall Handicap will be decided. At Otaki ithe Raukawa Cup is the big event, and at Wingatui the Birthday Handicap and Otago Steeplechase will attract most interest.

Horse owners who are considering being represented at the big Randwick meeting in the spring, should remember that entries for the Epsom Handicap, one mile, 2000 sovs., and the Metropolitan Handicap, one mile and a half, 5000 sovs., closo at i p.m. to-day. Secretary A. E, Whyte, of tho Wellington Racing Club, is empowered to take entries up till that hour.

At the Macquarie races on May 12, an amateur rider named M'Donald, put up a good performance by winning tho first four races off tho Teel, and running second and third i" the remaining two events. Unless Herr von Gettingen. director of the Prussian Government Studs, has been niisrcported, the horse breeding business in East Prussia is ruined. Ho is said to have reported to his Government that when they entered East Prussia, the Russians commandeered upwards of 20,000 high-class brood mares, thus taking the very foundation of the blood horse industry in parts.

It is said of the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase winr.si. Ally Slopfr, that whcil offered as a yoarlirjg for sale, thero was no demand for liim. Eventually the breeder worked him off for 25