THE TURF

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2991, 31 January 1917, Page 7

THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS

, . IBr Glencoe.l

The Egmont. Cup Meeting, opens to-day, and will be concluded to-morrow. Chief interest to-day will be in tho decision, of the Cup and tho Stakes. In tho handicap, Egypt may start favourite, ilnd it niiist be said that in such -company as he meets ■ to-day the chestnut full-brother to Desert, Gold has only got to go to tho, post fit and'well to run a'great 12 furlongs. Siinbird, who is in receipt of Sib.,' is not ready yet,and wants racing. : A eimilar remark applies to Master Lupin, 7st. 101b., and the others seem hardly class enough to extend the runner-up in the Derby. Tho Flying Handicap lias drawn a particularly good field. Tho very useful Tete-a-Tete is top weight, with Sat. 51b., but so far this season the beautiful , black mare has not. won a handicap, though eho has performed well -several' times. Some of those beneath her in to-day's race are capable of setting a very fast pace, and this may beat, tho top \voight. The- favoiirito ' may be ■ Hushman, 7st. 71b., who made such, a good showing' in the Railway Handicap at Ellerslie. Itewi Poto, Bst. 131b., has been off tho scene lately, and may; want a'race. Astor, Tree Lucerne,'"and Veto, all'of whom aro trained on tho-.Hawora track, .will receive' plenty' of eiipport . In the Whareroa Welter • Handicap, seven furlongs,. Sunny Climes, who is in at the minimum, may be the elect of 'backers, for her two showings at Trcntham were suggestive of better things to come. The Wanganuknnied Record and Combustion have, had many duels in hack hurdles, and the honours in the past have been with the.former. They are to nieet,again to-day, and each, will have plenty of eupporters. Combustion,-with, a pull of 171b., may reverse the previous form of the. pail , . The meeting of Bisogno and Bimeter in the Egmont Stakee will invest that evont with particular interest. When they last measured strides In the Railway Handicap at Ellerslie, Bisogna was m receipt of 101b. from the Riccarton representative, and the former won after a phenomenal'- effort. In to-day's race both horses will-have to put up 101b. pen- , alty, and will" meet on equal terms, so that the struggle should be conclusive. Mr. .Lowry has allowed Tete-a-Tete to drop out, and will rely on Estland. The two-year-old can muster up a fine turn of speed, and as lio will be entitled to a 31b. maiden allowance the two top-weights will surely find him a hard proposition. Ho stays on well, and. though he has yet to win a race the: penalty on the others, combined with, his allowance, may bring tho two top notchers back to him. "Whalebone," in the Auckland "Star," says: "The presence of a well-known official in tlio judge's box at the recent Foxton Meeting, in addition to tho judge, gave rise to a lot of adverse comment. There was not the slightest eu"gestion that things wero not in order, but tho practice is one that should not 1)0 oncouraged." ■ After her first race on tho first day of tho Wellington Meeting, Week End was troubled with her joints. Mr. Starky has decided to give tho English-bred, mare a lengthy spell, after which ho will decide whether to put her in work again or retire her to the. stud. A well-known Hawke's , Bay sportsman has been negotiating for tho purchase of Kurapai, irliom many regard as the makings of an ideal National Steeplechase horso. The Feilding-owned Mahzoltov is an accoptor in three events at tho Tamnarunui ileoting, which, takes place on. Saturday. For some, years past tho Marlborough Racing Club has kept tho grass on the eoiirso down by running sheep on it. This year, 'however, this m-nctico lias been discontinued, a now Course Committee deeming it inadvisable. Instead, tlio grass line been allowed to grow, und lias been cut with a mower on two or three occasions. The Tesult is most satisfactory, and the course is now stated to bo in splendid condition, and, notwithstanding tho dry weather, the going should bo absolutely first-class. Aβ a largo number of owners havo signified their intention of making tho journey to Blenheim, it. is anticipated that tho summer meeting, which is an innovation on the part of tho club, will be ono , of the best meetings yot held in Marlborough.