NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 61, 6 December 1920, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS

B? Gltskcoh. Tho Woodville meeting will be held on Wednesday and Thursday. Wellington sportsmen should reach Pnlmerston North over night, and an excursion train will lenve for Woodville at 9 a.m. on the dav of the races. - Jockey H. Young came up from the south vesterday. ■ npd will ride at the Woodville and Danncvirke meetings liefor going on to Ellerslio to steer the Chnkebore horses at the Cup meeting. C. Emerson is also coming north for the above meetings. '. , . Acceptances for the Dannevirko meeting do not close until Thursday night. This will enable owners to see their horses' form at Woodville before undertaking further liabilities. dominations for the Pornngahau meeting close 10-night. ' Tho vearling gelding by BoniformMargarethe. purchased by Mr. A. Murdoch in Chrietchurch Inst month, has been placed- uncles the care of the Riccarton trainer, B. Scoullar, to prepare for thc,two-y«ar-old engagements-. Johnnv Walker is the only locallytrained horse engaged in the Auckland Cup, while there is not a single Trcntham representative engaged m the Knilvnv Handicap. , ..-,,,« The acceptances for the Auckland Cup and Railway Handicap have, brought about a very substantial reduction m the field? for those events. Of the 55 horses handicapped for the Auckland Cun il have been withdrawn, leaving 18 still in, nnd of the 70 originally engaged in the Railwav Handicap 20 have Men paid up for. In both races the majority of the defections are in the light-weight divis!on This is particularly noticeable in fhc Railway Handicap, in which ?.G horses were handicapped at the minimum, but only three of them have been occeptcd

Owners' should hear in mind that entric* for the Stratford meeting close with Secretary Alfred Coleman to-morrow night. ~ , _, . When the extraordinary pace of Gloaming is considered it seems to be a- pity that the wonderful son of The Welkin was ever asked to race further than a mile. Had such a policy been pursued it ><=. more than likely that the champion would never have bled. Up to a distance of eight furlong? he would always have a Httlo iu reserve, and there would be no strain mi his- lungs, but once over the mile Gloaming, who is a most onerous- worker, would begin to-feel the effects of his effort?, and the damage would follow. R. J. Mason w:ll probably keep the champion in sprints Iroin now onwards. ' The fact that Rossini has been left In tho Dailwav Handicap and also in the Roval Stakes points to a Derby winner making the trip north with Vespucci and Gloaming. The Martian four-year-old looked well when ho raced at Kieenrton last month, and as ho only started once his showing evidently satisfied his trainer. . ■" It Riccarton on Saturday morning tho Wellington-owned Railway Handicap candidate Arrowsmitli. with .T. Campbell up, and carrying about Ost. Gib., gave Coun-ter-Attack a break of six lengths and had him before they had gone half a mile. Arrowsmith went the first halfmile in 49 1-SSCC., five furlongs in Imm. 1 2-ssoc, six furlongs in Imln. Usee, and then ran on to the mile-post, easing up, in Imm. t% 2-sscc. The death is announced from. Sydney of Mr. Frank Revnolds, who owned the Tooal Stud, and who wns ono of the most noted breeders in tho Commonwealth of Australia. The deceased gentleman had not onjoved good health for a considerable period, and for some time past it was recognised by his' friends that the close of his life wns near. In a reference to the death of Mr. Reynolds the "Australasian" .remarks:—"Mr. l'rnnkRevnolds was really responsible for the lnte'Mr. Bruce Lowe's book, "Breeding Horses- bv the Figure System,' being written. Mr. Lowe's original idea, in order to identify leading thoroughbred families, was to name them alter a colour, such as red, blue, and brown; Mr. Revnolds peufiuaded him to work on the figure system. Mr. Lowe at ono time condemned Grand Flaneur and Cnrbinc. and it was Mr. Reynolds who induced him to change his opinions nbout these horses." .

Xhoujdi, on his recent form, Merinm stands out as the best of the seasons two-year-olds, no fewer than 14 hnvo been paid up for to oppose him in the Great Northern Foal Stakes., The Stead owned two-year-old is also in the Royal iStnkes, in which he wil\ be opposed by several smart three and four-year-olds.

Our Mnstcrton correspondent state.? Hint a ' classic weight-for-ugc race may possibly bo included in the next sprina meeting of the Masterton lUcing Club.