THE TURF

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 60, 4 December 1917, Page 10

THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS

fBY GMNCOE.I

The spring meeting of tho Woodvillo District Jockey Club will be held on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. The first event will start at 11.30 a.m. each day. Excellent entries have been received for the Manawatu Cup Meeting, which this year will be a two-days' affair. Mr. J. Henrys will publish his adjustnyjits after witnessing the racing at Woodville. 0. Emerson has been engaged to ride Tcka in the Auckland Oup, and the Mystification gelding is now ono of the mostfancied candidates for that event. The three horses that filled the places in the New Zealand Cup stand their ground in the Auckland Oup, while tho placefillers in the 0.J.0. Stewards' Handicap all liguro in the A.K.O. Railway Handicap. When Dasher Boy fell at the last fence in tho Hurdle Race at Feilding on Saturday, his rider, J. Paul, sustained a broken collarbone, besides a very severe shaking. Mr. W. Richmond, a well-known Hastings owner, and a prominent steward of the ilawke's Bay Jockey Club, is expected to arrive back shortly after a three-months' trip to Sydney and Melbourne. It is reported that Mr. Richmond purchased a couplo of horses in Melbourno for racing iu tho Dominion. Prominent defections from the Auckland Cup include Mr. T. H. Lowry's horses. Desert Gold, Egypt, and Estland. The mare and three-year-old are doubtless to bo reserved for weight-for-age races, and probably Egypt is again giving his trainer trouble. By winuing the St. Andrew's Handicap, Mr. W. E Bidwill's mare Devotion has incurred a 101b. penalty in the big handicap at Woodville. As she carried 7st. 71b. on Saturday and won comfortably, the citra 31b. is not likely to troublo her much on Wednesday. A. Reed will again ride the Trentliam marc. Nobleman, the rnnnertip on Saturday, is not engaged »t Woodville, but Chortle will again take part. The Multifid gelding may do better on a big course like Woodville, but. it is hard to edo how ho can he expected to reverse positions with Devotion. Witli Chortle engaged in the Manawatu Cup, Mr.' Henrys will not have to look further for a top weight. The Multifid gelding will probably do the Awapuni Meeting, while his stable companion, Vagabond, will go to Ellerslie. W. Hawthorn, trainer of Snub, Nanna, Uymestra, and Co.. has booked accommodation for four horses at Ellerslio for Cup week. The Treulham trainer, H. Telford, has not been able lo go to any meetings of late owing to the shortage of stable hands. Ho has booked accommodation for BoPeep at Ellerslie, but the Welcome Stakes winuer will go north in charge of J. W. Lowe, and Telford will do the Manawatu and Martou Meetings, with Devotion and Probation. I Belair, who was purchased at IbeKaramu salo by J. M'Combe, will make her first appearance in her new owner's colours at Tirnaru this month. Nominations for all events at the Stratford Meeting close on Wednesday next at 5 p.m. It. looks as if the owner of Tararu Jack had some idea of bringing him back from Australia, for he has been nominated in the hurdle events at the A.R.C. Summer Meeting. Mr. C. L.. M'Donald has retired from the management of Messrs. Clark and Robinson's horses in Australia. One of tho number is Lanius, which, according to popular report, was regarded by Mr. M'Donald as an absolute certainty for the last. Melbourno Cup. "This cannot bo beaten" is what Mr. M'Donald is alleged to have said when speaking to a Sydney owner about Lanius and tho Melbourne Cup.

A shipment of valuable blood stock consigned to the British Bloodstock Agency and'other exporters t.o the United States was lost a few weeks ago through enemy action in torpedoing the steamer Minebaha. The horses concerned included the stallions Maiden Hrlegh and Sunflower 11, the brood mares Scotch Night (half-sister to Dark ltonald) with colt, foal by Orby, and Brownie (by Gallintilc), with a good coll by Marcovil, the Cicero yoarlitig Winged Words, which cost 1150 guineas, and 30 to 40 others, including several purchased at the Musker sales. Although the heavy loss was covered by insurance, that, fact renders it, none the less regrettable, as many of tho horses will be difficult to replace. A considerable nrofit was offered on tho purchase pricc of Maiden Erlegh before lie was shipped. The vessel whose valuable cargo went to tho bottom was one of the l\"st-known stock-carrying boats in the world.

The following trainers' and jockeys' names appear m tho ballot published this morning [-Trainers: G. Jones, M. Gardner, O. Jackson, and J. H. Oldiield. Jockeys: A. Lloyd and W. M'Millan. The name of the old-timo jockey, Charlie Jonkins, also np.pea.rs.