NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2544, 19 August 1915, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

[By Glescos.l ' The Tacehorse Leonta had a narrow escape from drowning at Lyttelton yesterday, says a Press Association telegram from CiiristchTirch., 'Me horse was being skipped on the; Mokoia when it backcd out of the horse-box and fell into the net, which broke, and the' horse fell into the wateri The bowline of.tho steamer was slackened to enable the- vessel to swing, outwards and allow the. horse to 6wim clear. He swam'to the adjoining wharf, and got between two coal hulks, which had to be kept ap'art by a large body of willing workers to prevent. the horse being crushed. A launch then camo up, and the horse was towed 1 to the Patent Slip, the only spot where he could land. He was in the water altogether for Van hour. The only external injury was a slight cut on the body. The horse was afterwards safely shipped. Entries for the Wanganui and Dannevirke Meetings close on Monday next. An Australian writer is responsible for the statement that F. Tilley is planning another . trip to Melbourne, and that Leonta will be one of his team. This will probably be the first that the Fordell ■ mentor has heard of it, for just now his, busy season is "commencing, and! it is' veTy unlikely that he would consider leaving home, at the present time. The New Zealand horseman, F. Tutchen, is support from Victorian owners, but 60"far no' success has rewarded .Ms efforts. In England, as in Australia, long gallops are completely out of vogue, and there,' as here,, the same reason is generally given—"the horses can't stand them nowadays." After referring to the fact' that four-mile gallops with, thick sweat-ing-rugs on are now unheard of in England, the "Manchester Chronicle's" Newmarket correspondent says:—"Though I may be alone in the opinion, I am nevertheless confident tHat horses stayed longer sound, and were far more capable of standing a more severe course of galloping and'racing than they have done since the present style of training has been adopted. What is more, they were as good, and, in a number of cases, much better, racers than we N have now." The annual report and balance-sheet of the Hntt Valley Trotting Club shows that the. totalisator receipts for the season just ended came to .£Bl6 4s. 6d.j nomination and acceptance fees, £276; and gate money .£154 as. Bd. These are the' principal items on the' oredit side. On ■the expenditure side =£535 was paid in stakes, and the Government tax amounted to .£206 9s. 7d. The club has a credit balance, of * . . The principal.event on the opening day of the Otaki Maori Racing Club's Spring Meeting has been named the Teone Makitonore Memorial .Stakes, after the late Mr. J? E. M'Donald, whe was for many years a prominent official of the club. It is the intention of the owner of Maltegarde to try the Bay mare over hurdles. Multoe and Hap Dha have again resumed work at Trenthnm after a few weeks' spell. • . ■ ,' ' ! Cheddar, who was taken to Sydney in company with Scot's Guard in May last, scored iis first win at Mcnangle Park, when he was successful in a seven-fur-longs -welter. The Merriwee gelding was ridden by E. Lowe.' Several of the horses which raced at Eicchrton last week passed through here yesterday on their' way home. AmOugst the number mere Awahou and Master Lupin, in charge of J. Coyle; Crown Pearl, Glenroy, and Tirohanga, in charge of J. George; and Styrax, in charge of J. Brown. Several of the' Hastings contingent also returned home, As a result of the racing at KiccaTton and Addington last week the public revenue will benefit to the extent of ;G5948. Of this sum the CJ.C. paid J33455, and the Metropolitan Trotting Club paid the balance. . ' A year , ago Leonta finished third in the Grand National Hurdle Handicap, it being his first appearance in ■ a hurdlo race. Last week Leonta's record found a parallel in the performance of Master Lupin. , Kew arrived from, Fordell last evening, and is to be shipped to Sydney bv the Manuka to-day. His owner, Mr. J. Hennah, will also be on board, as will the Varco filly Holiday, who has been purchased by a Sydney buyer. Of the forty-eight horses left In the New Zealand Cup, twonty-tkreo have been weighted at 7st. and under. The topweight is Warstep, and at Ost. 51b. the first opinion is that Mr. C. G. Dalgety's mare is well handicapped, but still she has a weight that has never yet beiui carried successfully in the big two miles handicap. For a beating in the Auckland Cup 6he now meets Sea Pink on 101b. worso terms. Indigo, last year's dead-heater with Warstep, now meets the Martian maro on 71b. better terms. Lower down the list Jdlin Barleycorn, 7st. 81b., Blackall, 7st. 41b., and Sundial, 7st. 21b., appear nicely handicapped. Blackall is a rare bred one, and as a four-year-old ho may do a lot better than ho did last season. Sunbird has several good handicaps to her credit, and is bred to stay.

N.Z. CUP SCRATCHING, (By jCcleerHTih.— it-.* Aes<wiat.tnsi.t Christchurch. August 18. Bee was scratched for the New Zealand Cup at 11.20 this morning.