NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 90, 9 January 1918, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

fBY GMNCOE.I

Entries for all events at. the Pahiatua Rmhik OluD's annual meeting cioaa to morrow evening at 9 o'clock!

Acceptances for the Foxton Meeting close un Tuesday next.

This year the EEiuont Cup is worth 60S sova. 'iue olul) had pltoreu its dates, ami will this year race in tlie week, loracrly used by tno Woodville Uluu. Entries for ail events close on I'riday, January 18, with Secretary V. B. Htralton.

Acceptances lor the first day's handicaps at the Wellington Meeting close ou iiou. day next at 9 p.m. Naturally, the projected visit of Desert Gold to Australia is exciting a lot of Interest on the other side, iseierriug to the proposed meeting between Desort Gold ami Biplane, a returned' visitor from Sydney elates that over there tho .threo-year-olu will be an odds on chance, though Die reverso would be the case in the Domiiiion. it is pleasing to record that Biplane is in regular work at Biccarton, and he will doubtless figure in the entries for the principal ovents at the V.K.O. and A.J.O. Meetings. The two St. Leg/era would, appear to be just a question of health for the Comedy King colt. However, thero will bo some keen speculation when the colt encounter Desert Gold, and doubtless some of the big bettors from here will go over to support the mare. Tho Hawke's Bay sportsman, Mr. W. Hichnioud, whose operations in the ring at traded considerable attention at the Melbourne' Cup Mooting, told an interviewer over there that though lie had put big money on Biplane on that trip, he would bet against him if ever he met Desort Gold. Tho Randwick trainer, J. Whitworth, well known in Wellington some years back, also stated publicly that tho colt would go under if ever he met Desert Gold at weight for age. After tho latter had won the Islington Plato at Ellerslie and run an Australasian record for the mile, tho writer asked B. Deeley (Biplane's pilot) how he thought ho would get on with tho mare in Australia. Deeley did not give . a straight-out- answer, but contented hinisclf by staling that Biplane was a great colt.

Tho Auckland-owned Unclo Ned, who figures amongst the handicap for tho Wellington Cup, is not engaged in any other evont nt tho meeting, so he is hardly likely to be sent south for tin one race.

So far Almoner lias not raced in the Dominion, but he won two go'od races in Australia. Ho is engaged in the Wellington Stakes and Kelburu Plato at tham, and his presence will be interesting as it will give a line as to the cniality ot tho present season's two-year-olds.

■R. J. Mason is expected to arrive at Trentham next week with Eleus, Indus, Lovesick, Thames and Missouri. The team is not by any means a strong one.

Mr. R. E. Harley has been appointed starter to the Gisboruo liaciug Club.

Botanist, who won the lteefton Handicap on the second day of the Reefton Jockey Club's Summer Meeting, was disqualified because he had been under the caro of a person whose name appeared on the Unpaid Forfeit List, not because his running was questioned.