NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2896, 7 October 1916, Page 11

NOTES AND COMMENTS

[BY Glencoe.l . • ' The Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's Spring Meeting will be run off at today. The card is an attractive one, good ■fields being engaged in.all. the events. Tho star item is the Hastings Stakes, four furlongs. Most of the -youngstero engaged in tins event had ail outing at Napier last week, and those that did not will be at a disadvantage.. Chuckle, the full-sister to Chortle, will be coupled with Vagabond; Chimera and Estlanu will b© another bracket, and so will bimonides and La Tasse. The Karanra stable will rely on Hymestia, a chestnut colt out of Strega, and in the opinion of some, the best of the Karamu youngsters. Crowhurst comes from Pormia, and is a very good-looking chestnut colt, by Eolreby "from Happy. Valley. The stock of the defunct sirp generally come to hand quickly, and 'Crowhurst, who has a ,bit of a reputation for speed, will not lack admirers to-day, but the favourite may be tho Estland-Chimera combination, for the first-mentioned leg of the combination has great speed, and is reported to have been unlucky at the barrier ri6'e at Napier. The experience of that race will do him a lot of good, and'in to-day's race O'Shea can bo depended upon to get him out cleanly and well.

In tho Spring Handicap thore are several New Zealand. Cup candidates, but the majority of them are uiukiiig their first appearance under silk this season, add will, in consequence, be backward. Atuatora, who got a bad run at Napier, may again bo favourite to-day. Tho goodlooking black horse has been most consistent of late, and in his last half-dozen starts ho has not been out of a place. Bon Ecve has a big weight in the Hack Hurdles, but when in racing condition he is so far above the others that it requires a big weifeht to equalise tho chances. Jem and Tho Summit, who havo shown form lately, are both close up to the Boniform gelding. Surtax, who is in the samo stable, may bo preferred to Bon . Hove .on tho machine.

Multum and Hopeito, place-getters behind Multaine in the Maiden Handicap at Napier, are engaged in a similar class of raco to-day. The last-named is by Martian from Hope Diamond, and is a member of J, Muna's Hastings team. He

is spoken of as a very good galloper in private. In tho Glenray Handicap, six furlongs and a half, Multiplication shows, tho way in tho handicap, and ho is rightly placed. When at his best the : Douro Cup winner is quite a useful .sprinter, and his best form has been shown on. tliis course. In .the autumn he carried Sst. 101b. aim conceded 2st. and a beating to the Winter Cup winner, Cherry Blossom. Trainer J. H. Jefferd should havo the big fellow pretty forward by now, as ho raced at Ellerslio in June, and at' Avondale last month. Ladoguer, who is receiving 91b. from the top-weight, will no doubt be welll supported by his connections, and tho pair may be found fighting out the finish.

The Karamu filly, Honoy Bee, who was heavily bulliohed at Napier, should strip better for that race, in the Flaxmero Handicap to-day, and she may go out a good favonrite. -The Greenmeadows place-getters, Trials and Teka, both of whom aro consistent, will also be in to-day's field. :

Bunting was reported; to to very unlucky at Napier, and if so he should do a lot better to-day in the Waipotu Handicap, in which Toki may find it very hard to ooncede him 71b.

The concluding event is tho Pinal Handicap, tho favourites for which may be Hyginas'and Marimba.

Providing the weather lifts, and judging by the cabled accounts it will want to, for the Randwick course is under water, the Australian . Jockey Club's Spring Meeting will be advanced a stage to-day, whan tho Metropolitan Handicap, one milo and a half, will be decided. There are thirty-eight horsos left in, and most of. them will go to tho post. A large percentage havo. no chance at all, but one never knows what will happen in racing. Tho New Zealandowned Bee has been favourite for a long time, and she may retain her position today, as die has all the best of tho figures, and has her fine trial in tho Spring Stakes to recommend - her, but the heavy going will not be in favour of Martian's daughter, who failed in mud at Invercargill in January last, but then came north.and won the Wellington Cup. Other items of interest to-day aro the Breeders' Plato and the First Steeplechase. In the latter event ono of our representatives in New York soeme well treated.

S. Reid will ride Multiplication and Bunting in their engagements -at Hastings to-day, and, owing to tho accident to L. Wilson, the mount on Simonides in the Stakes will be taken by A. Oliver, 1 who nill also havo. the mount on .Multiply in "the' - biff handicap.' J. O'Shea will be on Balboa, Marco Bcllo, V and Estland. '

Advices received from Hastings last 'evening state that a good, deal of rain has fallen there during tho last few days, and the going will be on the dead sido for to-day's races.

Owing to an accident to Hymcstra, tho Karamu Stable will only have one representative 'in the . Hastings States. This will be the appropriately. named Bagdad (Hymettus—Asiatic), who -will be riddon by W. Price.

At Hastings yesterday morning Crowhurst (J. O Shea) easily accounted for Astrophel (E. Manson), in a gallop over three furlongs.

At the To Mahanga stud thiß week Mangaroa foaled a filly to Wolawa, and Mongonui a filly to Demosthenes. Tho last-named youngster is a chestnut, and is tho firft of this colour to claim ,the imported horse as a sire.

The three-year-old Multifid filly, Shiela, bled very badly after racing at Napier, and she is hardly likely to bo seen at her best in the Maidon Handicap at Hastings to-day: On tho other hand, Multaine, who scored at Napier, has gone on tho right iray, and her trainer is very hopeful that she will repeat her showing in the Flaxmore Hack rttandicap to-day.