NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2702, 23 February 1916, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS

IBT CiLE.-JCOZ.T

The Wanganui Jockey Club's Autumn Meeting will commence to-u»rro\v, and will be concluded on Saturday, On the first day the star item is the Wanganui Cup, one mile and three-quarters, and on Saturday the, Jackson Stakes, weight-for-age, sis furlongs, will be decided.

The Bezoniau filly Interlude lias two engagements at Wanganui on the opening day, but she will most likely be scratched for the Flying Handicap and started earlier in the day in the Juvenile Handicap, which is run over a course more to her liking.

Tho acceptances for the ..two principal events at AVanganui aie satisfactory, but in some of the hack events runners will be scarce, and there will only be five starters in one race and four in another. In the effort to make the programme more attractive by cutting out the hack hurdle race and substituting a hack welter handicap, the club seems to have gone from bad to worse. The Cup field is not a strong one, and if Emperador starts io may be the best supported. I Mason's charge has never won over tho distance, but there is no reason why he should not. Apparently his trainer has long held the idea that he could stay, for he has started him in a New Zealand Cup and a Metropolitan Handicap.

In the Flying Handicap at Wanganui, Nones, fist. 121b., and Tree Lucerne, 7st. 131b., have been much in demand. Chortle, 9st. 121b., is at the top of the handicap, but on Waterloo Stakes form he can have little chance of defeating Nones, for at 'Wanganui he is trying to concede the filly 141b., while in the mile race at Trentham she did not allow him to get within many lengths of her, when the difference was only 121b.

The 'Wanganui Trotting Club will hold its annual meeting on Friday and Monday next. The club has received excellent acceptances, and followers of the light harness 6port should witness some excellent racing.

The well-known'A ictorian owner, Mr. E. A. Connolly, has contributed .£SOO to the fund for the education of returned soldiers. Connolly is. a well-known figure in racing circles, and. though quite a young man, he has amassed a fortune backing Worses. Though he Has never owned a real champion; he has had many useful horses through his hands, notably Anna Carlovna, who just missed winning hiin (several fortunes when she ran second to Aurifor in the Caullleld Cup. Had Connolly's mare won on that occasion, he would have sent the ring broke. At the Tasmanian Meeting on February 11, the Castashore gelding Gangway, who used to race over hurdles in the South Island, but has been in Victoria for the past two sensons, ran second in tho Jumpers' Hat Handicap. _ Had Jfr. A. I'. M'Kay not passed Sydiun on to Sir Wm. Cooper, it is probable the imported horse would have been 6ent to New Zealand.- The AVest Australian sportsman has raced horses in all the States of the Commonwealth, and ho rather favours tho idea of sending a few horses to the Dominion. Turingamutu is to be given a spell, and ■ will not be raced at Danuevirke. Under the circumstances it is curious to 6ec her name figuring in the list of acceptances. The Australian-bred stallion Kent Loch, who was put into work by his owuer, B. Berry, alter having finished a season at tho stud at Oamaru, had to be destroyed as the result of badly smashing a pastern ill the AVaihola Handicap at AVmgatui on Saturday. The judicial committee of the Dunedin Jockey Club held an inquiry into Kent Loch's accident in the AVaihola Handicap at AVingatui on Saturday, and after lengthy evidence G. J. Pino, the rider of Ardmoio, was suspended for three months for crossing. ' AVild AVest, by Soult—Tho Squaw, continues to pay his way in New South Wales. At a reccnt country meeting ne won a seven-furlong welter race, carrying 10st., and conceding about two stone to each of his opponents.

Lord 11 uliifkl, believed to be the fastest horse ever sent from 'faraiiaki to race in Australia, is to be brought back to Now ZoalaiHl from fcho Commonwealth, as tlie injuries met with when he collided witl l a tencs. will prevent him racing. Ho will be used for stud purposes. He was handicapped on his private reputation in some of the races he ivas entered for on the other side, but his owner says lie would have lived up tu it had ho not been injured. In his one race when only half strung up he showed what ho was capable of over there. FIXTURES. I'Vb. 23.—fiotorua J.C. Annual, l'eb. 24 aud 26.—Wang-anui J.C. Autumn. March 1 awl 2.—Dannevirke J.C. Autumn March f and fi.—'lV Aroha J.C. Annual. March 8 and 9.—Nelson J.C. Annual. March 10 and 11.—Jfaoior. F*rls R,C, Attamo.