NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 277, 12 August 1918, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

fßl' GLEiN-COE.'-All eight o'clock to-night final pavments for tho Grand National Stcoplcchaso and Hurdles and Winter Cup will close.' At Hie same hour acceptances closo for tho minor handicaps, run on the opening day of the meeting. Nominations for the Jtarton Jockey Club s Spring Meeting, which is to be held on September 4, will close with Mr. Arthur Way at Marton on Friday evening next at 9 o'clock. .Southern papers report that the tracks at lticearton were very heavy on Friday 'morning, and there in little chance of them being otherwise for Thursday's racing. At Riccarton on Friday Fisher was schoolod over four flights of hurdles with fiir Fisher and Kauri King. ■ The firstnamed fenced in a faultless manner, and ran away from his companions. Gladful galloped in a pleasing manner at Riccarton on Friday, when ho badly beat Wishful and Sleight-of-Hand. Tho Birkenhead gelding should give a good account of himself on Thursday next as he la quito at homo in heavy going. The Auckland horsemen, B. Deploy, A. •T. M'Flinn, and AV. Ryan, are arriving bv the Main Trunk express to-day, and will go south by this afternoon's boat. _Tho Winter Cup candidates Volo, Form Up, and Bedford have all been worked well during the wist week. 'Die lastnamed has such a big pull in tho weights that ho inuEt ho very hard to dispose of in the big mile on Thursday. /While- schooling with Oluetanns on Saturday at Riccarton Reformation again fell. His rider J. R. Kaan escaped with a severe shaking. The Winter Cup fancy Hydrus, who has peon working badly of late, rehabilatcd himself somewhat on Saturday by badly beating Cardroua and Multaine iu a gallop over seven furlongs. Though thero arc sure to bo a few further defections from the Grand National Stoeplechase and Hurdle Raco when final payments come to be made to-uight, it is quite certain that the fields in both events will .bo quite up to tho strength of most previous years. Unless thero is a heavy withdrawal from tho Winter Cup, tho competitors will he altogether 100 numerous to ensuro a. truly run race. Indications point to over twenty surviving tho final payment. A number of Mr. E; J. Watt's yearlings are to bo shipped to Sydney by tho Manuka on Thursday. J. Olsen, who is now enjoying his final leave, before sailing for France, will have .tho rido on Comment iu tho Winter Cup. The remarkable instance of a maro foaling threo perfectly-developed colts is reported by Mr. B. Viley, master of the .btonewall Stud, in Kentucky. Tho mare, Early Love, is the property of Mr. Charles w. Parrish, of Midway. Two of the colts were born dead, and the third lived for about half an hour. •John Bunny, who is engaged in the minor steeplechases, at Riccarton, is held up in Sydney owing to lack of boat accommodation, and will not be seen out at the meeting. For some time past Naupata has been unsound, and as he has got through littlo work there is no chance of his being seen out in tho Grand National Hurdle Eaco. On last year's form Crib has hoen granted a chance of turning the tables on Master Strowan in the Grand National weepies, as ho meets him on 301b. hotter terms than when ho ran third last year. He also comes in fairly well through St. Elinn, whom ho meets on Ulb. better terms. Such poundage should help to tell a talo at the end of three miles and a half over the slippiest country in tho Dominion, At Riccarton on Saturday St. FJnin (11. Thompson), Nita, (0: Clarke), Yellow and Black (J. Deeroy) arid Collector (Stan. Roid) were schooled over two rounds of the big country. In clearing the brusli doublo the first time, St. E-Imn jumped very slowly, losing several lengths. Yellow and Black was first over tho initial fence, and maintained hiß advantago over the last fence, leading practically all tho way. There was not a great deal of difference between them at the finish of tlio journey. At the annual meeting of the Sorth Otago Jockey Club on Saturday week tlio president (Mr. W. Gardiner) said ho thought it was opportune to bring forward the question of what -was called "gambling" on the totalisator. Ho had como to the conclusion that the public generally did not understand how much the totalisator reduced gambling. For ciamplo, one speculator'in a non-totalisator country would put through more money at a meeting with the bookmakers than any one person who attended tho Riccarton Racecourse on Cun day. There had never yet been more than 15s. nor head of those present'invested at Riccarton on Cup day, and it seemed to him that if even their poorest working man could not afford to spend-that amount once or twico a year It was time that his wages were raised. Moat of the agitation for a further curtailment of racing came from the armchair city mon who did not Tealiso that the country people, especially the working classos, had to take turns in going to races, and only managed at the most two or three days in the year.