NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 218, 9 June 1919, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS

[By Qlekcoe.]

Nominations for all events at the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's Winter Meet. ing- (dose on Friday next at 8 p.m. Friday,-Juno 20, is-general"entry day for tho Wellington Racing Club's Winter Moeting, which is to be held at Trentham on July 8, 10, and 12. Already. accommodation has been toserred for Master Strowan at Trentham, and the champion fiteepleohaser is to fulhY his engagement in the Wellington Steeplechase. Ho has quite got over the two hard races he had at Wanganui, and lus owner, Mr. F. S. Easton, fully expects him to give a good account of himself next month. His meeting with Coalition, Bon -Eeve, Master Lupin, Polt'hogue, and others will invest the race with a lot ot interest. Last year the two big oteeplechases at Trentham wero great successes, iand both races provided splendid contests. Morocnnibe, who was picked up cheaply at the Karamu dispersal sale, has repaid his new owner by winning two good steeplechases at Wingatui. When carry, ing tho Hon. J. D. Ormond's colours Moreoambo gave promise of beiue a highclass horse, but he was a heavily-topped animal, and could not be wound up. He has had a long spell, and his two wins last week will encourage his owner to further efforts with the Birkenhead gelding, who, if he could 6tand up tea thorough preparation, would keep all the best 'chasers in the land busy to beat him over any steeplechase course. Tho successes of Moreoambe show that a steeplechaser can always "come back,' and it is not safe to ever rule them out of a race. Tho entries for the Napier Park moeting show that there are several recruits to the hurdle business but not so many for tho steeplechases. Unless matters improve iiftthis direction the brush jumping events will bo easy to win as the season advances. When as a yearling Poitrel, the champion weight-for-ago horse in New South Wales, was put up for sale by auction with tho rest of the yearlings belonging to the Messrs. Moses, there was a reserve of SOOgns. on liim, but no one wanted him, so his breeders decided to race the Bon of St. Alwynne themselves They have every reason.to bo pleased that ho did not reach tbo reserve placed on him, for already he has won ,£6775 in stakes. When Grconstead won the All Aged Stakes at Eaoidwick he credited tho wellknown jockey Myles Connell with his 999 th winning ride. W. Young, who was disqualified for two years over the Ibex affair, has been granted permission to rido work by the WangSnui District Committee. Tins is generally the prelude to a full license. The ex-Trentham horseman, H. _J. Thompson, who has been riding in Melbourne for the last three years, had a bad fall off CoTonatus in the hurdle race at the ' Epsom meeting last month. Thompson, who was wearing a skull cap, received a kick on tho head. The rider received concussion of tho brain, but the skull cap saved him fromi much more serious injury. It lias been decided that hunting races in Melbourne during the approaohing season shall not be confined to amateurs. Professional jockeys will bo allowed to compete, and, if tho winner of a hurdle race or steeplechase, will be penalised 101b. Amateurs who have never ridden a winner will be allowed 41b., lan Or, winner of the Sydney Gup. onlv cost Mr. A. E. Cochrane 175gns. at the' sale of yearlings at Newmarket in 1914. Lan Or is by Martngon from Enn, bv lan-Dorothy W., by Love Wisely. Although a six-year-old, lan Or only won a singlo race prior to his victory at Eandwick.