NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2630, 27 November 1915, Page 14

NOTES AND COMMENTS

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The Takapuna meeting will'be .brought to a conclusion to-day. Tho fields are not as big as; on the opening day, but they are' sufficient to ensure good ' contests. _ In the Welter Handicap at Takapuna today Nicomar will probably be in great demand as the distance (one mile) will suit hiin much, better than-the seven, furhe contested on Wednesday. In 'addition to thia tho class • he is meeting to-day is much, inferior. After running third to Peter the Painter and Rippling Brook in the Queensland Derby, Mr. G. M. Currie's 1 oolt Common Law showed to advantage on the last day of the meeting, by appropriating the King's Plate, a weigh t-for- I age ovent run over a mile and three furlongs. ■

Early speculators oil the Auckland Cup are evidently in iust as great a quandary over the prospects of Wftrstep and Snub as they .were prior, to the. New Zealand Cup. Both Mr. Dalgety's representatives are'at a short price, and any pronouncemont as to which is likely to be tho stable, representative would probably he the means of installing the selected | one as favourite. At present Balboa and Blackall ore the two most fancied candidates. / Thero wero several mishaps on the opening day of the Takapuna meeting. During the running, of' the Borough Handicap Rupahu fell, and Worcester also caipe down; J. O'Shea, rider, of Rupahu, suffered slight-injuries to', his leg; which kept him out of the saddle for the remainder of the afternoon. When. Hyllus unseated Buchanan at the start of the two-year-old event, the Ellerslio horseman suffered a severe shaking, while Harvey; who suffered, a fall from Spalperion m the Open Hurdle event, was rendered unconscious. and had to be conveyed, to hospital. M'Flinn, rider of. Scorch, who fell in the same ovent, escaped with a shaking. '

Reports from Auckland state that Kitty Bellairs was unlucky in running on the opening day of tho Takapuna meeting, and slio is Jikely to do much better m the Cautley Handicap to-dav. Tho Hawera-owned Tyson, who should be better for-the race he had on tho'opening day, can. also be ,c*ptcted' to do better to-day.

Champagne (Charlemagne ll—Hwmosa). who used to carry the lata Mr. John Buckloy'6 colours and was afterwards sold to Mr. W. Baird, of invercargill, died recently.

The Opaki trainers, W; Garnet (with Sir Solo and Red Ribbon) and .T, JamieBon (with Montana) are leaving for Feilding this morning.' In view of the near 1 approach of the Auckland meeting several of the Riccarton trainers aro working their, horses tho reverse way. Amongst the number so exercised aro Bimeter, Flying Start, Wisebird, Good Hope, Warstep, Snub, . and Wardancer.

This story is told by a contributor to tho "Bulletin"A lady in tlio little nionic we formed to do Flemington on Cup day becamo infected with the appalling mania, and insisted on putting ss. on something. She did not know what the bullion was to bo put on, and she didn't care—she simply had to do what other people wore doing, which is the way of women. I accompanied her to tho nearest vociferous Hebrew, and adding ss. put half a quid on Carlita. As the world Is aware, we lost. On a return journey to tho elms wo drifted by the eaino bookie once more. The lady glared at him in liht indignation. He was still yelling. "Bless my soul, why tho man isn't satisfied now!" sho said.

Prominent starters in the St. Andrew's Handicap at Fcilding will bo riddon m follows-.—Sir Solo (B. Deeley), Taugihou (W. Young), Montana (W. Bell). Mamnroa (C. Price), Square Deal (A, Hoed), liaarose

(C. Emerson), and Goldstream (J. Buchanan).

The Feildinpt meeting, which is to open on Tuesday next, will see somo very bip fields taking part. There are 18 carded for tho Flying Handicap, 21 for theKiwitea Welter Handicap, 29 for the Fituroy.. Handicap, and 20 for the Aorangi Trial Plats. A condition of tho last-mentioned ovent is that the horses must bo ridden by apprentices who have not won five raees.

Maltegarde, who has been spelling during the serious illness of his owner (Mr. Mnlley), will he put into work again next month by Trainer J. Scott. At the same time Merry Guy will return to'tlwi tracks. The Merriwee gelding appears to be quite sound again, and is expected to stand the nocessary preparation for racing.

J. Hockley, who rode Rtiaparnha. in tho Ashhurst Cup, must be the lightest rider in the Dominion. He is only twelve years of age and woighs less than sst. Ho has evidently been making tlie most of. the period of his apprenticeship, as ho knows how to handle a horse. B. Lewis, who steored Patrobas to victory in the Melbcurno Cup, stated after the race that ho won because ho had the luck of tlie race. He said that not once ,had he to break Patrobas's stride. "All !I had to do," said Lewis, "was to pull the colt out a bit at tho home bend,, the rest was all plain going."