NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 147, 17 March 1919, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

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A reminder is-given owners who contemplate being represented at the Masterton meeting in Saturday that acceptances close to-night. Acceptances for the Rangitikei meeting close on Friday next. i The Woodvillo.meeting takes place on Wednesday and Thursday. The first event each day will start at 11.30 a.m. ; Battle Song, in charge.of J. Ayres, is to be railed to Woodvillo this morning, and will contest the Cup on Wednesday. Locallvithe Nitpier Cup winner ie a great favourite. He ..will be. ridden by,l3. Deeley. ■■■■-, .In recent yeairs'the Opunnke meeting, which is held annually on St. Patricks Day, has grown in importance, and irom an'obscuro country gathering it now attracts attention all over, tho North Island. For to-day's, races there is a good card and big fields art- engaged in all the event?.' Amongst- the. α-unnnrs in the Hurdles is Speedwell, Mac, a winner at New Plymouth Inst mouth. Good class horses -in Henry Clay, I'ni-aon, Dinge, and AVhito Blaze tiro at the head ot tlie handicap in the Cup, and in the Metric Handicap MetiiUnm is. sure to be favourite as the field is. very weak. Master"'Moutoa, who credited Mr. J , . S. Easton, of Foxton, yejlh the Nelson Cup, is shortly to be tried over hurdles. A feature of the racing at Wamiiite was the success of Mr. 11. Friedlanders stable. The throe-year-old Sleepy Head opened the ball by scoring decisively in (he StudhoniK-Stakes and .■■ewnnlnij,' his supporters with a useful dividend;. This was followed by Royal, Star making a rhnaway race of the Waimate Cup, and in accounting 'for John Barleycorn at a (liffci-fince of only 711). in his favour, the Martian gelding put u.p the best race of his career. Evidently he lias quite got over the effects' of the fall ho sustained, when racing Inst spring, and bred as he is; such a race as the- Great Autumn Handicap or New Zealand Cup should not be beyond him. Royal Star is a rare stayer, of whom the best has not nearly been seen as yet. Caverock continued the sequence by securing a head victory in the President's Handicap, the, winner is 1)y Rokcby out of that great producer, Madder, and .there should be an interesting future for him. The Hunterviile sportsman, Mr. James Bull, has purchased the; All Red gelding Ruddy,, the winner.of. the Trial Stakes at the recent Oamaru meeting. A sister to Gloaming is amongst the yearlings 'to 'be sent under the. hammer at tho Melbourne, bloodstock sales''held this month.. . ■ -\ : Both in regard to numbers and class, tho entries received for the two leading handicaps at the C.J.C.. Autumn Meeting arc quiite-satisfactory. As usual. North Island stables are strongly represented, amongst their contributions being Sasanof Parisian Diamond, .Meneiaus, Mascot Rewi Poto, Desert . Gold, Bonnie Maid, Battle Song;. Nystad,- and Silver Link, while the pick of the South. Island contingent are: Punka, Kiiro, Afterglow, Heathorcote, - .Margerine, Glendowcr, Rorko's-Drift, Adjutant, Almoner, and Kilmoon.