NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2547, 23 August 1915, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS

[Br Gkncoe.] . Several items claim the aHention of owners and trainers to-d 17, wh<;i].nominations for the Wanganui, Dannevirke and Ashburton meetings must be aittr.ded to. The time of closing is 9 p.;n. Acceptances for tbe Marlon mEcting close on Wednesday. 1 There is little chance cf Toki racin<* again, as he is supposed to hvvo broken a bone in his shoulder wlien he fell over a hurdle at Ricearton last Tuesday laorning. Among the winners at Newcastle, NewSouth Wales, this month was Lady Eoniform, by Bon iform—Tremor, by Stepniak —Aspenleaf. Mr.-. P. Armstrong, irlio bred Huratia, -winner ,of the Grand National Hurdle Handicap, has a half-brother by Lethe and a half-sister by Tribulation to that horso, also a yearling full-brother. The brood mare Whirlpool, by St. George—Watersprite, is 24 years old, but despite her age she continues to add to her stud record. She had a colt to All Red last season and she is believed to be safely in foal this year to All Red or Masterpiece. The old mare has earned distinction as the dam of Grand Rapids and Neva, the latter a successful brood mare, her progeny including Danube. Whirlpool will bo mated this season with the Australian-bred horse, Kentloek, by Maltster. Another mave also booked to Kentloek is Aerina, the darn of All Ready.

The ancient Saracen gelding Golden Glow,, who badly sprung a. tendon while racing in the Lincoln Steeples on the concluding day, at. Riccarton, is still located in the .south, and as yet he is too lame to make the boat journey. Pending the arrival of his stable companions at Hastings, the hurdle 'gelding Multiply is in the charge of V. Colallo. The Grand National Steeplechase winner, Ngatoa, was sold about a year and a half ago in a public saleyard in Auckland for JJIB. As time went on, his value apparently increased, for just prior to the decision of the 'Great Northern Steeplechase last month lie again changed hands, his new owner parting .£4OO to become possessed of him. With the Grand National . Steeplechase to his credit, value 1050 sovs., ho has proved the best of bargains to Mr. E. W. ili^n, -'.junior. Downsteepy, the half-biothcr to Danube by Downshire, who it will bo remembered met with a serious accident about ten months ago, is again boivlihg along freely in his training efforts at Riccarton. Meritus, who was donated by Mr. E. A. Connolly towards Lady Stanley's fund for wounded soldiei'3, was raffled in Melbourne recently, the winner being Mr. Rolfe Piddington, son of Mr. A. B. Pid(lington, K.C., the Chief Inter-Sfeite Commissioner. The proceeds ,of the raffle amounted to JUIiOO. Meritus is a wellbred. horse, by,Positano—Diploma, so that he is a, half-brother to Lady Medallist., New Zealand-bred horses still figure prominently' in the Melbourne Cup, as amongst those that .have survived the first payment are Football, Reputation, Rat'lilcn, Carlita, Cherubim, Lord Multifid, and Bob Soult. The same lot also remain in tho Caulfield Cup.

The win of Banksia in the Winter Cup has drawn attention to tlie chestnut mare.s prospects in the New Zealand Cup, to be run in November. S'o far the Achilles mare has not been successful over a further distance thau eight furlongs, but it 13 interesting to note t'hfit lier dam, Tortulla, won the New Zealand Cup, antl there-are reasons for thinking trainer R. J. Mason regards Banksia ns a stayer. Recently in the vicinity of/Ypres tho cavalry were given four days' leave, which meant that they could rest, but must not go away. A . horso-juinping: competition was got uip, and 110 fewer than 8000 horses took part. The English, Indian, and Belgian cavalry were strongly represented. The Aow started at daybreak and finished when it was too dark to go on. The Egraont-Wanganui Hunt Club meeting. will be held on tho Waverley racecourse on Thursday next. The acceptances received aro good, and should make for an interesting day's spcrt. A special meeting of the committee of the Wellington Racing Club will, bo held this afternoon to discuss matters in connection with the present state of affairs at Trontham. Jockey J. Mynn, wlio leceived an .in-, jury to his arm when Prir.cc Eddie fell with him in the Napier Steeplechase, is nt present in Wellington, having the injured member placed under the Rontgen rays. A Press Association message from Auckland states that the American-bred sire Salvadan is dead. This horse was imported to New Zealand in the 'nineties, and during his period at the stud Tie got many good horses, including Antarctic, a champion steeplechaser. <