NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 2, 27 September 1917, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

fBY GMNCOE.'!

lington Racing Club's Spring -Meeting, to be held on October 20 and 22, close tomorrow night, at 9 o'clock, witti Mr. A. L. Whyte (secretary). At the same tme entries close for the Wellesley Stakes, IMB, Wellington Stakes, 1919, North Island diallengo Stakes, 1919, and New - Zealand bt. Lcgor Stakes, 1920. Entries for the Waverley Meeting aro duo on Wednesday next. Weights for the Masterton Meeting are due to-morrow, and acceptances close ou tho following Friday. Tho Geraldiue Meeting is to bo held today. Amongst the runners in tho Wainui Hurdles is the Multifld gelding Turehaua, runner-up to Don Francisco aud San oebastian at Ashburtou. He now meets the pair on considerably better terms, aud may bo enabled to turn the tables on them. In tho Squatters' Handicap, five furlongs, the quick beginning Samisen is at the head of the handicap with 9flt. 81b. As tho course is a circular one, the Birkenhead mare should be able to carry this weight successfully. Sedd-el-Bahr, runner-up to Fiery Cross 'at Ashburtou, is not meeting a'very good lot in the Cup, and providing Mr. Fricdlander's horse can be persuaded to do hie best he should make a bold-show-ing. .

Hokclaine, who is in at the minimum in tho Ohapi Hack Handicap, five furlongs, was credited with running four furlongs last week well under 50sec. There is only 71b. difference between the nine, acceptors which suggests that they are. not a good lot, so S. Trilford's charge may be a good favourite if tho news of this gallop becomes public. Minuet, in J. MCombes stables, has also got. a reputation.

Mr E. J. Watt's cast-ofi. Red Book, is engaged in the Oup and Welter, but as the chestnut horse has shown, no form over a distance his owner will likely start him in tho shorter event, in which he may encounter most opposition from Aerial and Minesweeper. Thcstius, who was a good two-year-old, is very nicely weighted in the Farewell Handicap, six furlongs.

Mr. P. P. Neagle's. Malster horse, Wormwood, is getting a lot of patronage m the Hawke's Bay from owners of brood mares. Amongst the number booked to nim are Kooya. Discussion, Loretto, and Lvadne. At Greenmeadows the Martian gelding Zeus is being regularly schooled over fences, and so far his exhibitions have been suoh as to justify an early success for him. Some interest attached to tho weights for the New Zealand Gun as to how Mr. Henrys would weight Kilboy and Desert Gold over two miles,, but as the former has wrong he has probably been withdrawn, and so will not be weighted. At Wingatui, Tobn Barleycorn is going on the riuht way in his preparation for the New Zealand Cup. He will probably make his first appearance this season at the Kurow Meeting, and then return south for the Dunedin Jockey Oluh's Meeting. Though the cable message regarding the sale of Prince Palatine to Duo de pastries

mentions £2500 as tho horse's price, it Is more than probable that the sum should bo £25,000. During his racing cureer Hie son of Persimmon and Lady Lightfoot made good his claim to be considered one of the greatest stayers of modern times. Bred in 1908 by Mr. W. Hall Walker, he was purchased by Mr. T. Pilkington, for whom he wou on three occasions out at six starts as a Iwo-yeav-old. Nest, season lie accounted for the Gordon Stakes a-nd St. Leger, while as a four-year-old the As-'-cot Gold Cup and three other events, all run over lengthy courses, came his way. -During his five-year-old career he wasasaln sucocasful in the Ascot Gold Cup. and also showed the way home in the Coronation Cup. On the conclusion of his racing career Prince Palatine was purchased by Mr. Joel at the record price of £40,000, and was retired to the stud at, a fee of 400gns. Even at. that sum his list waß quickly filled, and it is quite probable during the horse's four seasons at the stud Mr. Joel has got back most of his original cost. <