THE TURF

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2935, 22 November 1916, Page 3

THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS

!By Glencoe.l Ashhurst will be the rendezvous for sportsmen to-day, when the annual meeting of the club is to take place. The day's racing will commence with the. Hack Hurdles, in which there is n useful field engaged. Good beginners, like lit. Victoria, who fences moro proficiently now, and will be suited by the course, and Hymen, who has pace on the fiat, will be at an advantage compared with the others who are well up in the weights. Otter is reported to bo a good jumper, but lie can hardly be ready. Austin may do .the best of the top weights. In the Pohangina Handicap, six furlongs, Marimba, Bst. 61b., is not meeting as good a field as she was up against in her last few starts. The Birkenhead mare is a very smart beginner, and generally has "the field doing its best over the first furlong. The locallyowned Bairnsdale is well fancied, but he is meeting a stronger field than 'he defeated at Horowhenna. Botanist, who scored in the Open Plying Handicap at Otaki, is nicely placed, and should bo in the fighting-line at the finish. He will be ridden by A, Oliver, who knows the course well. In the Flying Hack Handicap Carlllion, who lias been off the scene for a considerable time, will bo in the market. The Hastings gelding has been worfcuig well of late, and he generally races well. Need aiid Hupana are both good beginners. Idyllic, who is now owned in Wellington, but trained at Otaki, will have plenty of followers. Montana, Sst. 31b., has so far not struck form this season, but he showed up well in the Fendalton Handicap, and may be the best supported in the Cup field to-day. Marsinah and Rose Pink can be depended upon to see that the pace is on over the first mile, but this will suit Montana, who is thoroughly seasoned with racing. Hylami, a winner at Waipawa and Carterton, and Hastie, runner-up to Detroit at Otaki, are nicely placed in the Hack Welter Handicap. The Maiden Stakes, five furlongs, has a very big field engaged. The draw for post positions will play an important part in making a favourite on the ma-' chine. The runners all. carry the 6ame weight—Sst. lib.—so the older division will have the best of the weights. Flying Spur has been a place-getter in a lot of races, and .with a good marble to-day he should show up. Probation is another with plenty of pace, and if she jnmps out well she should be very hard to beat. She and Aohia were placegetters in the Trial Stakes at Masterton last month. In the Kauniai Welter Handicap Bronk Delaval, Sst. 21b., has only got 91b. from the minimum. He beat a big field'in the Welter Handicap at Waverley, and ran a mile in lmin. lasec, which was a good performance. Mozama is a horse well spoken of by Hastings track watchers. . The South Canterbury meeting will be opened on Thursday and concluded on Saturday. In the Otaio Hurdles Bore is not meeting a good lot, and the distance will be all in favour of the free-going Calibre gelding. . . ■ ' In the Trial Hack Handicap Golden Prince, Bst. Gib., has his two victories at Ambcrley tp recommend him. Oxeuhope, 9st. 121b., shows the way in the Jockey Club Handicap, but there are a couple of very smart light-weights in Tilargeriue and Killena, in receipt of • a couple.of stone, and they may make the chestnut gelding carry his weight the whole way. Week End was finishing on at the right end of her race at Kiecarton, and on. this 'form may carry most money in the President's Welter Handicap, in which the class is not as strong as at the C.J.C. meeting. White King, Sst. 71b., is very smart over a short course, as are most of the progeny of King's Guest. He will carry a lot of support in the Spring Stakes, four furlongs. A gentleman who was. present when/the Melbourne Cup was run, says the. display of horsemanship'by some of the riders in the race was .very crude, and as a whole the jockeys in the Dominion have little to learn "from their brethren in Australia. He savs though Sasanof won, the Cup young Foley was altogether too anxious. Six furlongs from home he was fully forty lengths behind the leaders, and- then went round the field on the turn before entering the straight. When he arrived in a line for home hewas four lengths clear of the field and unbeatable', so well was he going, but on hearing the public crying out for the 1 favourite Shepherd King, Foley pulled out the whip, and rode Sasanof very hard for a furlong. Over the last bit he dropped his hands on the geldings neck, and ran home like that. The visitor thinks that Sasanof won because he was immeasurably superior to the other horses at the weights. ■ During his recent visit to Christchurch "Mr. C. Macliell" made an offer to Ins trainer (W. M'Donald) to transfer.his headquarters to Ellerslie. The proposed change did not appeal to M'Donald, who is always assured of a good team of howes, but it will result in Meltchikoff going to Auckland.