NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2604, 28 October 1915, Page 9

NOTES AND COMMENTS

IBy Qlencoi.!

The Poverty Bay Turf Club's Spring Meeting will take place to-day and tomorrow. Amongat the runners in the Junction Handicap (five furlongs) is Evadne, who is to have- the services of J. O'Shea. At Gisborne to-day B. Deeley will ride Multifual, Birkline, and Waiorewa. Entries for the Ashhurst-Pohangina meeting close on Tuesday next. Weights for the minor events at the Canterbury Jockey Club's Spring Meeting are due oil Friday. The Waikanae breeder, Mr. Lan Duncan, is sending eight yearlings to the November sales in Christcluirch. The sires represented are tlio imported Demosthenes, liokeby, Birkenhead, Bezonian, and Achillas. Tatterley was not accepted for iu any of the handicaps run at ltangiora to-day, and though he is still eligible to compete in tho Brackenfield Plate, four furtongs, he is not likely to face the starter. Amongst the runners in the Hurdles at the North Canterbury meeting to-day is Kingsway, who is top weight, lOst. 101b. The locally-owned Cyna has the minimum impost, and if the fences are not formidable he should show up.

A. Oliver will have the mount on Croesus iu the Stewards' Handicap at Riccartou, and if Nones starts she will carry B. Deeley. J. O'Shea will ride Three, und L. Wilson Tatterley.

Sinco his victory at Trentham on Saturday Indigo has corno into considerable favour for the New Zealand Cup, and he is now one of tho most fancied candidates for tho big ovent. Very fair acceptances havo been received for the North Canterbury and Oxford Jockey Club's annual meeting, which takes iflaco to-day. Ten stand their ground iu tho Uangiora Cup, including such well-performed horses as Chrysotis, Ardenvhor, Multum in Parvo, and Down, the fields likely to be seen out in the Farewell Handicap and Oxford Welter are decidedly above the average. Altogether it looks as if the club is in for <i most successful meeting. The Melbourno Oup meeting opens at Flemington on Saturday, when the principal events will be the V.E.C. Derby and Melbourne Stakes. In the Derby, C'etinje and Wallace Isinglass will bo opposed by the A'ictorian colt Patrolus, who represents the best form in Melbourne. The Melbourne Stakes (one and a quarter miles), weight-for-uge, has in past years often been a reliable guido to tho result >f the Melbourne Cup. A. Julian, in charge of the hurdlo licirso Taraii'iia Jack, went south last evening. The Spalpeen gelding has something of a reputation in Auckland, and was once sold for TOOgns., but so tar lie has not won a race over fences. He finished second to Harbour Light in *ho Orakei Hurdles at Ellerslic on Junes. Space has been- secured for seven horses from Porirua by Monday's boat for tho south. They will include the 'New Zealand Cup candidate Goldstream, who is to be ridden by J. O'Shea; Gold Soult, Naupata, Belasco, Sabuna, and liockbound. It would be premature to form hard und fast opinions so .early in the season, but the result of the" two-year-old events so far decided does not favour the belief that tho juveniles which havo so far received their baptism of silk are above the average of former years. There is as yet nothing standing out, and the best seem much of a muchness, thereby suggesting mediocrity. In tho Dunodin Stakes Disdainful won easily, but has sinco been under a cloud, and it is thought Bonny Glen's get will not be at its best in the Welcome Stakes. At Hastings Hyttus won nicely, and this reversed the Napier running, when Egypta finished in front of the Ivaramu gelding. In the Wellesley Stakes PLOckbound, Egypta and Tino Atua finished within too close a margin of each other to indicate that there is much between them, while Nystad and Thcstius were also close uj, and the running the second day. proved tho correctness of this form showing again an equality and uniformity, and individual merit which spells mediocrity. The Cannie Chiel colt Good Hope (from To-morrow) is not without promise. He possesses plenty of sizo and .substance, and gives the impression of being seen to advantage at tho back end of the season.

A feature of the racing at the Waikato Hunt Club meeting on Monday- was the downfall of the favourites, only two bei.ng successful during the day. Ia the Waikato Hunt Club's Steeples five of the eight runners took the wrong course. The race went to Waimai, by Spalpeen. Another of this sire's stock in Munstcr won the Instow Welter. So far no horseman has been secured to ride Ta-ringamutu in the Stewards' Handicap, but negotiations are proceeding for one of, the leading horsemen to take the mount. C. Emerson was originally engaged, but when the weights appeared the mare did not have enough poundage, and the J?iccarton horseman then engaged for Bee. Since then T'aringamutu has earned a 101b. penalty. A southern writer attributes the defeat of Reputation in tho Craven Plate to over-confidence on tho part of J[, Connell, his rider, and it is stated that having ridden Wovrak to victory in tho same race last year Connell thought he only had the flying chestnut to heat. The story sounds plausible enough, but the weak part of it is that Connell did not ride Woorak in the Craven Plato last year. Trainers S. Waddell, T. Quinlivan, and If. dooseman went .south last night with their teams for the New Zealand Cup meeting. Downham, Gold Painting, and Barleysugar were railed home to Hastings at the conclusion of the racing at Trentham. The first-named will not be raced until the Christmas meeting at Ellerslie. It turns out that Botanist is not eligible to race in the Spring Plate at Riccarton, a? the conditions of the race stipulate that tho entrants must not have won .£'loo in stakes at the time of starting.