NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 200, 19 May 1919, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS

[By Glbncok.] Mandrake, Ost. 121b., was omitted from the list of weights for the Birthday Welter Handicap at Otaki on Juno 3 Owners are reminded that acceptances for nil events on the opening day of tho Wanganui meeting are due to-night, at 8 o'clock. Acceptances for the Otaki meeting close to-morrow. The success of Finnmrk in the A.J.C. St. Lejer would be pleasing to Mr. A. P. Wade, who gave a big price for tl'o Finland colt after he was defeated in the V.R..C. Dei'by. It has always been held that Eusebius was lucky at Flemington, nnjl tho running at Randwick on Saturday would certainly tend to confirm this view. ' The action of the Canterbury Jockey Club in paying out holders of tickets on Some Kid'in'the two-year-old handicap on the second day of the C.J.C. meeting is to be commended, but it would have been better had this decision beei)_ come l-o earlier, as by now the majority of the ticket-holders will be without their pasteboards, and tho club will pay only on presentation of the tickets. The Horowhenua Racing Club has received a good response from owners for its annual meeting, to be held on June 6. The seven events on the card have all filled well, and the meeting promises to be a. successful one.

Poitrel, who won the Autumn Stakes at Rnndwiek on Saturday, will bo remembered as the horse which unexpectedly beat Desert Gold at weight for age in the Spring Stakes in October. Kennaquhair, who was,behind him_ on that occasion, occupied a renr position again on Saturday, so that Poitrel confirmed tho spring form, though at that time his victory was held ,to be a fluke, this argument does not seehi sound when it: is remembered that the time was 2min. 31sec. However, Kenriaquhnir reversed Hie form in tho A..T.C. Metropolitan Handicap, but probably the severe race he had in the Spring Stakes got to the bottom of Poitrel, for he failed badly for the rest of the meeting.

Hem, winner of tho A.J.C. Doneaster Handicap, had ; the minimum impost, Gst. 71b. It is not often that one of the light-weighted division is successful in Hi is race. Various reasons can be adduced for this state of affairs, but tho principal ono is that by tho autumn the form- is pretty well exposed, and the horses are in their right places in the handicaps, and also that a horse with the minimum impost is hampered by his rider, who is quite unable to get himji passajre in a big field. In tho present case the youngster on Hem managed to get clear early, and he was not headed on the journey. llillieme, winner of the A.J.C. Sires' Produce Stakes, is one of W. Kelso's liaiidwick team, and is a good advertisement for the Melbourne Cup winner, Piastre, who so far has not produced anything of his own class. Millieme is .engaged in the A.J.C. Champagne Slakes to-day, and will have to put up a 101b. penalty for his win on Saturday. The A.J.C. meeting will bo advanced n further stage to-day when the Sydney Cup (two miles) will be decided._ Tho Doneaster Handicap winner Hem is not engaged, but Finmarlc, Sst. Gib., will be in the field, and his win on Saturday dees not mean any penalty , ' for the chestnutcolt. Though ho seems to, act well in heavy going, Fimnark will want to be an exceptionnUy good three-year-old if he is to win with slb. above weight for ago. He does not seem to Iwve any the best of tho figures with the Melbourne Cup winner, Nighfcwatch, a five-yenr-old, to whom lie is conceding 41b., Another horse well spoken" of «t Rnndwick is tho foiir-year-old West Itolong, who is, by Linacre "from Grafton Lass.

During tho progress of the Tiniaru mooting Mr. G. L. Stead quitted Almoner for 250 guineas. .The Boniform gelding goes into P. T. Hogan's stables at Invorcargill. Another horse to change hands at Tiinaru was Braid, who was sold for 800 guineas