THE TURF

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 119, 6 February 1918, Page 7

THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS mi GIiENCOE.I . The autumn meeting of the Taranaki Jockey Club will take place to-day and to-morrow. The Oup has drawn a big field, and such a field of good horses should provide an interesting race. Judging by tho support accordwl Chortle he is regarded as pretty' well back to his top form, and K such turns out to be the case he will certain?? give a good account of himself. Whou! well he ia a master of big weights, and always actß well on a small • oourse. He can cxpcct to encounter strong opposition from Toa Tere. the winner of tho race last year. Wishful hangs badly in his races, and will be at a bis disadvantage on the turns. Paraoa and Dingle will both have plenty of supporters, tho latter in particular, as lio' comfortably accounted for Paraoa in tho Stratford Oup. Lord Keailworth ran a pood race in the Auckland Derby, but Chortle may. hold the key to the position. In tho Hack Hurdles Otter (S. Beid) and Calais (E. Oopestake) have the best credentials. Ratana, who has a bis private reputation, may be all the better for a raco over fences. . Speedwell Mac paid a big dividend at Stratford, and may be a.better horse than ho in generally .credited with being. In the .Stewards'- Handicap, five furlongs, tho top-weight Inali . will be withdrawn and started later in the day. Hyginas, Blairfindo, and Royal Chef can all go fast over short courses, and if any of these draw the insido running, they will see a short price. , Madam Rißtori ib top-weight m tno Timarn Haok Handicap, but she is likely to forego this engagement, .as it is reported that 11. Gray will ride her in the Flying Handicap, run later m tho day liobur raced well at Trenlham. and is improving with age. She may be best fanoicd, with Marquetteur next .in public estimation. .• Iceberg i- No. 1 in tlio Mlrni Welter Handicap, but the grey rarely races well on hard going. Tolo lias won at his last three starts, and he and Paddington Green may lie the public fancies to-day. Koesian may be at a short price in the Flying Handicap, in which all the acceptors are expected to see the post. Tho top-weight showed pace at Trcntham, but he was not forward enough to sco out Ills races. To-day's field iB a lot weaker, and the Yaldhtirst sprinter should t» an improved horse. '. . . Henry Olay, in 0. Jackson's stables, usually races well at the Taranaki meetings, and he will be well suited b.v tho distance of the Okato Hack Handicap, today. Thrace appeals to be striking form, and-was prominent in v onc of his races at Ellerslie. The weU-bred Black Mark (All Black—Oultirit) will be a runner in the Moturoa Electric Hack Handicap. Ho and Rawakore can both muster up a lot of pace. Mr G, L. Stead was a paaenger from the soutli yesterday. Hb motored to New Plymouth later in 'tho day. Mr. A. M'Donaid, the Masterton owner, had two representatives at the C.J.O. meet-, ing on Saturday, and each of them registered a second, Multicipal being runnerup to Wardancer in the Midsummer Handicap and Torfreda being beaten by Lionskin in the Lyttelton Mate. n . Almonor's time of Imin. 12 s-oseo. in tno Middle Park Plate .on Saturday establishes a fresh record for that event, tjie best previously registered being lmin. 13s«c. by Mr. G. I). Greenwoods wmnersEmperador in 1913, and Biplane last year A very strong east nind was blowing, all tho afternoon, and Almoner'e performance in registering such good time against the wind stamps llim as a high-class colt. It is related of two juvenilo jthorougnbredß owned by Mr. L. C. Hazlctt, both descendants of Pallaß from Decoy and Lady Estclla respectively, that (Wiring tho period of the Taicri floods last season they put up a great fight foi* lifo. On being overtaken by the .waterß they swam off to find a haven of refuge, and from what was observed of their progreßS by various people it is estimated that they must have covered about fourteen •mile's. Eventually they were rescued by a boating part, when found standing with only their headß showing above tho.flood. Both recovered from their gruelling test, another tributo to the couragc and stamina of the thoroughbred, and are now progressing favourably in view of racing operations during 1918-19. Mr 0- Chadwick, tho well-known northern sporting writer, is at present in Wol-j linnor.. Ho has come Bonth to meet one of "his sonß. who is returning. invalided from tho front. _ , -n v »• In addition to Devotion and Probation, W. Telford took Matilda to Dunedin yesterday The mare will go into A. T). M'tvor's stables at the conclusion of tho racing at Wingatui iThe Dunedin Cup candidate, Mibb do Val, in charges of J. Ayreß, was shipped south yesterday. ' Tho Judicial Committer of tho Takapuna Jockev Club concluded the inquiry into the mishap in the ltangitoto Handicap last week, and,' after taking. a lot of evidenco. including that of J. Conquest, who is Btill in the hospital, rame to ihe decision that as after careful investigation and consideration tho Judicial Committee of the Takapuna Jooltey Club find that tho accident which took 'place during tho running of the Kangitoto Handicap on the second day of the club's summer meftting. hold on January 28, 1918, was who]ly due to the alleged careleTs Tiding of the. apprentice, W. Rennie, through which Caballero collided with Patetonga. e.uising that horse to fall and bring down Loueh Ennell and Mcltonio, the committee unanimously decide that the licence granted to W. Rennie bo BUBnend'ed for six months in terms of sec. (a), rule 2 of pnrt xxvi of Ihe Rules of Racing.