THE TURF

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2814, 4 July 1916, Page 8

THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS JBr Glikcoe.l Mount Victoria,. Naupata, Precious Jletal, and Portland Lady, who were racing at the Hastings Meeting, returned home yesterday. Tlio Achilles mare was the only winner amongst the quartet. S. Reid, who was injured When Goldenlyte fell with him oil the first day of the Hastings Meeting, is still iu the hospital, but his condition is entirely satisfactory, and no bones are broken.

An interesting device for the protection of horses and riders was brought into use at Kosehill recently. Some of the horses when leaving the weighing enclosure for the track are very frisky, aud inclined to play up, thereby risking collision with gate posts and possible injury to themselves aud their riders. With the view of preventing this the posts at either side of the gate are fitted with an upholstered canvas shield, which is fastened in -position 'by straps, and envelops three sides of the post. It is easily removed before the horses return to the enclosure after the race.

The New Zealand-owned Eligible was given Bst. 81b. in the Melbourne Cup and Bst. !lll>. iii the Cnulfield Cup. Blackall has Bst. 31b. iu the two nules event and 21b. more in the Caulfield race.

■ The, entry of El Progresso in the National Steeplechase at lticcarton may be attributed to the cross-country rider G. Kcobie, who steers tho Adelaide horse in his Australian engagements. Scobie formerly lived in Kiccarton, when he was training for Mr. Harvey Patterson, and he would have a good idea of what chance El Progresso would have in a National here.

The V.R.C. Grand National Meeting trill be continued at Flemington to-rnor-row, and -concludes on Saturday next, when-the big steeplechase will be decided. When the last mail left Bullawarra was a linn order.

The entries received for the principal events at the C.J.C. Grand National -Meeting fall short in the aggregate of the number received last year, and- a conspicuous absentee is the • champion EI Gallo, whose owner evidently reckons he has done enough racing this year.

Despite the reports of her recent breakdown, Immensity has been engaged in the chief cross-country events at the Grand National Meeting.

The paucity, of .cross-country horses at Kiccarton is demonstrated by the fact that .Daylight Bill and Oratonu aro the only locally trained ones deemed worthy of a nomination iii the Grand National Steeplechase.

Piorke's Drift, Awahou, Arlington, Kooya, and Vladian all claim engagements in' the ''Grand National Hurdle Kace and AVinter Cup. So far no pronouncement has been made as to which race liorke's Drift will take part iu, but the opinion prevails that the Winter Cup will be his special mission.

El Progresso, one of the leading crosscountry performers in Australia, has been nominated for the three principal steeplechases. at the Canterbury Jockey Club's Grand National Meeting. Among those nominated for the Grand National Hurdle Handicap is Totere, a New Zealand-bred horse, who is now in.New South Wales, where he has been racing well for some time past. .So far, however, he has not been tried "over hurdles, and it is worth noting that he has had only one engagement made for him at Kiccarton. Last year two Australian horses, Clontaft ana Plymouth, were nominated for the Canterbury Jockey Clul/s Grand National Meeting. Clontaft did not make the trip, and Plymouth, who was purchased _ by Mr. G. L. Stead, .hurt himself on arrival