NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 80, 30 December 1918, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

[Bv GI,ENCOE.]

'.L'ho postponed .meeting of the Aslihurst Club will Hike place io-ciay, A start will bo luadiMit li.tf-J a.m. with tlio liacK liurdios. . As the majority ot' tho hovsus accepted iorliave iiau tivoa'uces at Awapuiu Uiu lields to : day aro not liMly io bu as large as would have been Ilia e;V»u liad tliu meeting been held on its original date.. Tlieie iffo eevowl beginnois in tho Hurdles, and with Miss fcation and Kurapai unlikely starters, backers may prei'or ■ tho chances of Wluro, who mado ;i gooil showing at Opaki, ;uut .Virst Line, wUo. showed up. well on. both days at Awupimi. . . to: the Pohaugina Umidicnp, six furlongs, Crowhurst, Slst., is >\«.. 1 on the carl. Last year thu sumo' horse siarced a gjoil favourite for the event in (,ucstion, but ran tally. Hydrus will luivo to put up a 101b. penalty, ami may be kept in his box. Astor.is. an unlikely starter, biit Commoht is to bo a runner, nnd may bo better fancied tliiin Jean Ltuldo. When fresh • Comment generally races at her best.

The loeaily-trained Philomela may again bo commissioned in the Klying Hack Handicap. She failed' badly at Awapiuii, but her showing -was coo bad to bo true, and "maybe two will do a lot better to-day, lte'd Signal on the minimum appears to bo tho best of tlie others.

The Cup Held is not likely to bd a •strong one, as of the' , original ten acceptors Hoso Pink, Henry Clay, and liumaiiia are away at other meetings. Alter his good showing in the big handicap at Awapuni on Friday, Classification may occupy the post of favourite, for to-day's race. - He is trained on tho local course, and a victory for him would be very popular. The Hack Welter. Hand leap, seven furlongs, will perhaps be a duel between Idle Talk ant! Quinn's Post, both of whom shaped well last week. The firstmentioned only had ono race, and was evidently specially reserved for to-day's contest.

The Maiden Stakes will l>o the biggest field of tlio day. Hurry Up, the dual winner at Awapuni, is not eligible to start llcccnt form points to Samaralig and olito us possessing excellent chances. Tho last-mention is by JJyjnettus, and goes fast over a short course, while. ■Saniariiujv lias lreon placed several times. • Bon Spec, winner of tho Burnsido Handicap at the recent Dunedin meeting, is engaged in the Ave-niil Welter Handicap at Inrcrcargill on Thursday, and for his live lengths' win at Winjatni lie has been raised alb. It will nut enmo as a surprise if ./. iU'Combe's cliarjo goes out favourite. It is understood that Nobleman will not ho. a runner in tho Mftrton Clip on New Year's Day. On Not Year's Day the Auckland Hueing Club's Summer meeting will bo brought to a conclusion. On tho samo date the Stratford, Mu.rton, and ttawko's Bay Jockey Clubs will race. The Auckland Chili will bold its ono day of tho spring meeting (which was postponed) on January i. Kntries for all events at tho f'oxlon ine.ntinK closo on Snturdny, January -t, at 8 p.m. Entries for tiro hack evcnls at Hie Wcllinslon l'acing Club's .Summer i\leuting close on Monday, Junuiiry li. (Icnoi'iil l'au, head of the i''reni'h Mission, is a vury keen i-iiimiik man, ami raielv n'lissos a moctiiiK at wliicli lie can possibly attend. Ho is a great believer in ncing.ns a means for prcltinp tho best blood horses as suitnlihi sires for remounts. Apjiarontly Gloaming is !=nbr>rii!fr down with Hie racing lie is gf'tling, cm! it is noticed Hint in llio Islington I'lnlc on Saturday Dr.i'ley able to ride him in bobind tho field for a portion of the journey. Similar tactics arc sure to lw followed in the Great Northern Derby, but such a. course would have hren impossible in the spring, when the son of Tho Welkin developed into a very hard puller, as arc most of Hie imported horse's Block.