NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 143, 6 March 1918, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

[BY GIENCOE.I

The Nelson and Gore Meetings take place to-diiy. Interest locally will be .centred in the first-named fixture, where Several locally-owned horses are racing. Of the Trentham trained candidate, Exclusive, Mascot, and Prince Delaware are all expected to show up in their racca. Most likely 'Mr. Lowry's horses will bo racing at Ellerslio at Easter, as Egypt reads well handicapped in tho big inilo there, and Estland and Finmark have valuable weight-for-ago engagements at the same meeting. Vagabond's form at Auckland in the spring did not mako much of an impression on tho Auokland handioapper, who has let the Martian gelding in the Easter Handicap, one mile, with 7st. 81b., againßt Estland 9st. 71b., and Hymestra 9st. If the trio were to meet in a raco Vagabond would have most supporters with such a big. pull in tho weights. Reports from Palmerston North stato that Secretary J. 11. Johnston is already buey trying to arrange a meeting bctweon Desert Gold and Biplane in the Awapuni Gold Cup, to be run on tho second day of the autumn meeting of his club. If such a meeting eventuates tho Manawatu Club will be fortunate indeed,, and the race would attract visitors from all parts of the Dominion. It is stated that eevoral owners overlooked tho cloning of entries for the principal events at the Auckland Easter MeetiDg, and amonget the number referred to are Meiisrs. E. llaiinou, T. Quinlivan, and J. Hawkins. There seems to ( be something in the report, for tho entries are not as good as in former years, and the two 1 bie flat handicaps appear to be easier

to win than lias boon the enso for somo time.

Tho programme for the Hawkea Bay Jor;koy Oiub s Autumn Meeting has been published. An item that appears lo havo eecapetl tho altciltioli of the committee of Hi* Hastings i;iub is the fact that the weights are to be iseiiod prior to the Manawutu gathering, whicli takes place ten days previously. H the winner of the Awapuui Gold Cup i 3 engaged in the Hawko'e Bay Cup he would only have to carry an additional 31b. ou hie handicap. 'I'hia must be an oversight, and the committee should consider tire question of delaying the publication of the weightE until after the Manawatu. meeting.

Prince Viridis, winner of the V.E.O. St. Leger on Saturday, distinguished himself at tho beginning of the present season by winning the Ohelmsford Stakce at Sydney Tattoraall's Meeting, tho only race in which Biplane was beaten in Australia. He finished unplaced in the A.J.O. Derby, but ran second to Biplane in the \ictoria Derby. When the last mail left Melbourne Wallace Islng'lnne was eciual favourite with Eed Pennant for the Australian Cup. The heavy rain which necessitated the postponement of the race would not assist the top-weight.

Harlequin and Mnjeetikon, both of whom are trained by P. D. Jones at Riccarton, were successful at the Akaroa Meeting yesterday. . Missouri, runner-up to Staccato in the Juvenile Handicap at Wangamii, scored her first win in the Tarawera Hack Handicap at the Akaroa Meeting yesterday. The Danube filly started a good favourite in the race.

Tho Welcome Stakes winner Battle Eve, who has been a big disappointment since passing into his present ownership, was started twice at Akaroa yesterday, and in his second attempt lie Ecored and gave a big'return. This, was in tho Porsyth Flying Handicap, in which he defeated a good favourite in Donnata, The Chokebora cast-oil had previously unsuccessfully contested the peninsula Cup.

Disdainful, who won tho Peninsula Cup at Akaroa yesterday, had not previously been successful over a mile course, but her victory yesterday was freely anticipated as she had beaten War Dancer, runnerup in the Dunedin Ciip, in a try-out at Eiccarton. Mr. Dalgety's mare was ridden by 0. Emerson, who has now fully recovered from the accident he met with at the To Kuiti Meeting. Emorson goes through to Napier to-day, and will ho riding on Friday and Saturday.