NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 305, 20 September 1919, Page 9

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By Glencoe.) . The Spring Meeting of Hie Otaki Eacing Club will commence to-day, and will be concluded on Monday. Considering the difficulties the club has had to contend with in the way of railway restrictions, etc., the acceptances are satisfactory and t,ho racing shouid be interesting, Kilgour, Motuihi, and Demades are doubtful starters in the Maiden Plate, with, which tho card will commence at 11.30 am. Haeremoana, after her good showing at Dannevfrke, may be favourite, but sho will be stoutly challenged by Idleness, who ran several good races as a two-year-old. and another Trentham candidate in Royal Exchange. Tho milo hack race has not drawn a very good field, and it looks as if the hacks of to-day find a difficulty in getting a mile successfully. Utiwai has several times raced prominently of late, but he has a big weight, and Esperance and Olynthus can both bo depended on to make the San Fran gelding carry his nine stone the whole way. Esperance is a very well-bred mare, the best of wffom has not been seen yet, but with a year on her she may be quite a useful performer this season. They are a good average lot in the Steeplechase with Want at the head of the handicap. The Otaki horse is in a class by"'himself, but so far he has not proved a success over big fences. If lie can be depended upon to get round safely the race would look a good thing tor him. First Line has a 101b. penalty, and none of tho others are much good, though Stetson is a safo conveyance and can be depended upon to negotiate the course. There are six probable starters in the big handicap. Mascot may be all tuo better for the race, but Rose Pink has had two races at Dannevirke, and this should give her the necessary condition to see out a fast run race. It will be remembered that Facific Slope ran well in the Eawakawa Cup. and Spangle is reported to have been doing phenomenal track work at Trentham. Public form •loos not make Spangle out to be much good, but on tho other hand she has had a chants of stables and" a good spell whilo the small field will assist one of her jady disposition. The six furlong hack race appears to be an open ovent. No fewer than six of the nine runners hail from Trentham. The imported Fuliua and Arch Lassie are both reported as moving well in their work, and so is Chaeronia. Astinomo and Matatua are both in the market for tho Flying Handicap, and with the former at her best she would be" difficult to beat. The two bottom weights should go well, but both are likely to suffer in the matter of horsemanship. The Hack Welter Handicap may bo a

good thing for the top weight Sacramento, al cno ugh lie has an impost of lOst. 111). Ho is always a-good Jiorse on tliis course- and on top of the ground. A similar remark applies to the top weigh in the Upen Welter Handicap, although in her ease the difficulty may bo at the barrier. Tne brother to Fiery Cross and the brother to Ulendower, in F. Christiuas's stable at Riccarton, are beginning to sliape creditably in their work on the track. Though not big ones, they look like developing into useful geldings, who should pay tlieir way later in tne season. J. M'Combs expects to have Subterfuge in work again in a. few days. Tho little daughter of Cannie Cniel and Counterfeit has had about three months' spell. Included in the team which P. V. Mason has in hand at Riccarton is Prodigal, a three-year-old colt by Sutala, or •Danube, from Lady Wayward 11., the dam of Emperador. The popular belief among those who have seen tho colt is that, he is by Sutala. He has not faced yet, and has not even done a great deal of fast work on the track. He is a wellgrown young horse, however, full of quality,' and he gives promise of becoming a very useful performer when the time comes for him to make his appearance in public. Kilmoon, who was raced on lease by -Mr. G. L. Stead in the early part of his career, was returned some time ago to his owner, Mr. J. B. Jleid, in whose name he claims a nomination in the New Zealand Cup. It looks as if tho Kilbroney horse was pleasing his trainer, B. Matiihows, as he has been nominated for the Kuroiv meeting. His form there should provide a Hue as to whether he has reasonable prospects in the big race at Riccarton. It was stated in the city yesterday that there was every probability that the Railway Department will again carry racehorses within a week or so. A Press Association telegram from Christchuroh states that Air. Frank C. Cotter, who for the past eighteen years has been a clerk in the Canterbury 'Jockey Club's office, has been appointed acting-secretary of the Canterbury Jockey Club, in succession to Mr. Wanklyn. Cetigno has been scratched from the A.J.C. Epsom Handicap— Press Assn.