THE TURF

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 297, 4 September 1918, Page 7

THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS

fBY GLMCOB.I

Being tho flrat meeting of tho flat season the Itarton Jockey Club's fixture is most popular with owners and as ivas tho case last year tho fields for to-dny's meeting nro very large. The course will be on the heavy Hide, as thero has been a lot of rain during the past couplo of days. The Hack Hurdles field is not a strong one other than numerically. Municipal will not be ready, and neither Lord Ainslio nor Vacuum cap act in heavy Koiug. Paraoa appears to bo an improving horee, and in his last start lie finished closo np to,:thc placed horses. This was at Treiitliam. Undecided ran second at Trentham, and he, Tornea, and Paraoa may bo well up at Vho finish. Thirty-eight horses are carded to compote in the Trial Hack Handicap, flvo furlongs. Several of the runners are unknown, but Kipling, Katatua, Blondeil, and Tigritiya. can all go tho distance well, and if any of them draw insido positions they will bo amongst the best-fancied division. Kipling is having his fli-ot race, and this will bo against the hlgh-prifca DoDOsther.es colt, but ITatatua is seasoned, and, further, goes well in soft going. Gaokwiir, the top woight in tho Hack Steeplechase, is more seasoned thr.n tho others. He carried a big weight on the second day nl Riccartori. and won well. The Auckland pair of hunters, Dunrobin and Tirau, may bo the best of the others.

Tho biff event iooka very open. Kauri Kiag is well seasoned, but his victories on the flat do net include a ton farlongs' race. Orleans, Colonel SobK. aim I;ady Ijouisa all go well in tho mud, thn firot-r.amed especially so. Qf the lit;ntweighta Arrowflelrt J3 a. four-year-old with only 7st. on his back. .

Arlington, the top weight in the Bangitikoi Steeplechase does not as a ndo go well in heavy going. Gladful is kowl m tho mud, but ho is not seasoned, and maytire at the end of three miles over bis fences. Merry Jack seems to lie a bctie? horse this year, and he was noticed, weli up at tho finish, of the July Steeplechase at.Trentham. Tlifs form was good, for the three horses that finished in front o£ him havo all , won races. Thoy wero Ben Eevc, St. _Elmn, and Coalition. Orm'esky goes well in mud. nud should be tho bc-«t of the light-weights.

_Of thono engaged in the Electric Hack Handicap ltajput, being by Ifokeby, should bo able to got. taroufjh the mua. Ho ran a Eood rnoo in tho open event at Trentham, and is nicely weighted with Set. 31b. Qulnn's Post, 7st. IOJb.. .is a horse that always races well when fresh, and 'ho can act in soft going. Tho Waverley-owned Hygiuaß may bo one of tho favourites for the Hallway Handicap, Hβ likes the sting out of tho ground, and Jias Avon several races in heavy going. Astrophci, 110-Psep, and Elocution are all in tho market, and a light-weight that may. do well ie .Starengo. If he is reserved for tho Back Welter Handicap TJtuwai may have a largo following, as ho (roes seven furlongs well, and liae acted.freely in the mud on several occasions. Ho is very forward at the preseut time. Notability, on the minimum, was noticed finishing very fast on tho second day of tho Iticcarton Meeting, and tho Auckland Jiorso is sure to ho in tho market.

B. Deeley received a cablegram from 1?. J. Maaon during last week to go to Australia as quickly as possible. The Auckland horseman will endeavour to get away immediately he gets a clearance from the Auckland District Committee.

Disdainful boat Adjutant badly in a mile gallop, with even welichta. at Riccarton tho other day.

More than an average share of bad luclt has dogged A. Fleming's efforts to set up a fresh mile record with his pacing stallion, Our Thorpe. On several occasions last week ho was prepared to make tho tilt against "Father Time," but eacn morning the traok conditions were unfavourable. It was. confidently expected that the. going would be in Bu-ita-blo order by Monday morning, but rain against upset calculations. Even should the weather now tako up it will require a day or two for tho. traok to dry up sufficiently, to provide the neceseary "electric" going. According to present intentions. Our Thorpe is to be sent south early, next week, and consequently' his effort will have to ba made before Saturday. Fleming has the son of O.Y.M. particularly well just at present, and is confident , thafwith both track and weather conditions favourable the- pacer would be capable of getting well within the dieting record of 2min. 6 2-sßec, held by Adelaide Direct.

Particulars of horses, especially those imported from England, which are en , gaged in the four big sprint ovents in Australia are always interesting. Ooq d'Or, one of tho fancied candidates for the big events, is an imported Ecldiiiß, five years, byFowling Piece—The Jabbard. and is owned by Messrs. Robinson and Clark, and trained by B. Bradfleld. who has had many imported horses through, his hands during recent years. Coq d'Or, although a five-year-old to English time, has not done a grqat deal of racing, but one outstanding performance was his defeat of a grca.t colt. Gay Crusader, at adifference of 111b., in the Cohurn Produce Stakes at Nowmarkot in April. 1917. Previous to that, as a, two-year»-old, he defeated that good English porforraer, Grand Fleet, and ran five furlongs 134 yards in lmin. 7 3-Sscc. Hie last two appearances i in England wcro over a mile and a quar-j ter and a. milo and a half. In tho for-l mer, with 9st. lib., ho ran third to Argosy/ Bst. 101b., and in tho loiuror race, with Bet.' 51b., ran sixth. If Con d'Or is a stayer, -his mission is likely, to bo tho. Molbourno Cup, ;for ho has only Bat-. Ulb in that event, compared with %K 41b. in the .Epsom Handicap. 9st. 31b. in tho Met ropolitau Stakes, and 9st. in tho Caulfield Cup.