NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2607, 1 November 1915, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

IBY VjIENCOB.I Tho V.R.C. Meeting will ho advanced a stase. to-morrow, when the Melbourne Cup will be decided. The Auckland Racing Club's Spring Meeting will bo opened at Ellerslio on Wednesday. AVednesday is an important day with owners, for on that night at !) o'clock acceptances for the minor events-for the C.J.C. Meeting's opening day close, and final payments must lie made'for tho New Zealand Cup, Stewards' Handicap, Welcome Stakes, New Zealand Derby, and New Zealand Oaks. Nominations for all events at .the Ash-hurat-Poha ngina Meeting close to-morrow night at 9 p.m. with Secretary A. W. Truss. The programme is a good one, ami will well repay perusal by owners and others interested. Snub was scratched for tlfe Riccarton Welter Handicap at 11 a.m. tin Friday, so it may be taken for granted that ho is to start in tho New Zealand Cup. Patrobasj winner of the V.R.C. Derby, ia engaged in the Melbourne Cup at the minimum, but lie .will flow, have to cam

Weight-for-ago, vst. 01b. Provided a suitable horseman can be found, (he ,1'SOOt) stako should be well within' his grasp. Cetinje, runner-up in the Derby, meets him on 31b. wor.su terms in to-morrow's race, and Wallace Isinglass, who finished out of a place, is now receiving 31b. from tlio Wullaco colt. Traquettc, winner of the Melbourne Stakes, is not engaged ill the Cup, but the placed Garlin and Cagou, are. The latter is a great stayer, and with Patrobas out of the way he would read dangerous, but a three-year-old at weight-i'or-ago with a Derby to' his credit reads liko a good thing. Patrobas, it may be mentioned, is by Wallace, often called the prince of stayers, and it looks ns if bis son will follow in his footsteps.

Those who believe in coincidences will bo interested to know that during the last couple of decades the runner-up in the Melbourne Stakes has been successful in the Cup on numerous occasions. This year Garlin occupied that position, and while the Linaire horse is a great handicap performer and lias run most consistently this spring (also his owner, John Wren, is an extremely lucky individual), still it is hard to think that ho can prosent the Derby winner with 131b.

A cablegram announces that the win of Patrobas in the V.R.C. Derby was tho sipal for a demonstration in his favoui. This can be quite understood, for since his victory in tho Caullield Guineas he has been established as Victoria's only hope in the Derby, and one can easily imagine the roar that would go up 1 from the hill when his victory was assured. Despite his defeat at R-andwick, Wallace Isinglass remained.' a firm favourite for the Plemington ovent,' while the Sydney winner, Cetinje, una ceoond favourite, and Patrobas third choice.

This year's contest for tho Now Zealand Derby is exciting more than tho usual amount of discussion. Desert Gold and None.s play the leading roles in most of the arguments, but some judges are propared to see Snub beat both the fillies at the end of a mils and a half.

Tho riding honours at Rangiora on Thursday were carried off by C. Emerkm, who had five mounts, and won tho Rangiora Cup on Multum in Parvo, the Brackonfield Plate on Samisen, and tho Oxford Welter on Glenyar, while he was second on Equivocal in the District Handicap, and on Peroniihi in tho Farewell Handicap. From a time point of view the gallop put up by Patrobas. in the V.R.C. Derby, viz., 2min. 37sec., would work out at 3min._ 29sec. for tv;o miles, so with 181b. off his back tho Wallace 1 colt should be able, if necessary, to get well inside 3min. 27sec. for the big event to-morrow, and it will require o. champion of cliampious to beat these figures.