NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2848, 12 August 1916, Page 11

NOTES AND COMMENTS

!Bt 'Glexcoe.l

Acceptances for .the Dannevirke Meeting closo on Wednesday next.

The C.J.C. National Meeting will he opened on Tuesday next, when the Grand National Steeplechase and Winter Cup will'bo dccided.. .

■■•Judging by the number of visitors from the north who are flocking to .Christ- - church, it looks as if the National Meeting, which opens on Tuesday next,, will bo one of the most successful yet held by the Canterbury. Jockey Club. A southern. writer mentions that despite the roughi handling it lias received during tho last.few weeks tho track will, if no more rain falls, afford nice though not firm going on Tuesday.

During liis presence at lliccarton with 'Cron Park,' tho Levin trainer, H. Barnott, received word of the death of bus wife in the. Piilmerston .Hospital.

J. W. Lowe had Recovered siifficiontlj from his attack of pneumonia to leave for the south on Thursday evening, \

While riding Schooling work at Riccarton on Thursday, tho Dunedin horseman. W. Easton, got a bad fall, and sustained a fractured jaw. This is bad luck for Easton, as ho had just recovered from an accidcnt at the Timaru Meeting. At Trentham Prince Delaware continues to school in a most, satisfactoi-y manner, and the chances are that in his next public appearance, lie will do considerably better than Vlicn ho raced at tho Wellington Meeting.

Though wo aro within a few days of tho National Meeting, the three principal events appear to puzzle backers not Si little, and as one sportsman remarked yesterday the issues become more complicated as tho day approaches. In tho cross-country event, Braeburn, Waimai, Bransfield, and Idealism havo each an army of supporters, and until tho ma. chino closes down it will bo impossible to forecast with any degree of certainty which, of tho four ivill go out favourite. In favour of the Karaniu representative it can bo said that his supporters aro very confident, and have put down large sums to say ho will beat any other run-, nor named. Bransfield is now settled down, and is a very different horse to what ho was when racing on tho flat. Ho is a splendid jumper, ami stays well. The writer, fancies Braeburn for tho position of favourite, inasmuch as ho is unbeaten over country, is a. surn jumper, while on tho flat his performances are as good as any of the other runners. The Winter Cup mile is also a trouble to early hackers. With the likelihood of heavy going the ea"f?y favourite, Jlnltifual, is going out of' the market, and the chances of tho light-woights aro now more often discussed. Ringform is the latest horso lo come into favour, hut there is plenty of support for Sir Agnes, who is reyoried In havo dono a convincing trial before leaving homeland Cherrv Blossom, whoso form at Trcntliam behind Bisogno en. : titles hor to consideration. Gold Soult is ! another horso that is in great favour locally, and tho easy way in which ho disposed of Georgo on Thursday morning.gives him n rosy'chance when it is remembered that tlio form of tlio latter at Trentham was good, as he was on hand at the finish, of each of his races. I -If tho first day's principal avonta are difficult' to anticipate, much more so is tho National Hurdles, and it would bo | an easy thing to liaino seven or eight of tho runners that havo chances second to none. Marconi may bo the final olcctof backers, for ho is thoroughly seasoned with racing, and is a clean, smart ; jumper, while his track work since arriving at Riccarton has been of tho highest order. On Thursday morning he wont better than' Harbour Light and Sty rax over ten furlongs, and Harbour Light finished in a place in the Parliamentary Handicap »t Trentham. and was rnnnorup to Puvsefiller in the Jumpers'- Flat Handicap.