THE TURF NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 32, 7 February 1913, Page 4

THE TURF NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By Sir Bedivere.l The Feilding Jockey Club has pur- j chased one if not two of Mr. Saywell's improved starting machines, which' will be used exclusively at the Autumn Meeting. W. Adams, who broke a let? as a result of a fall off Gondolier at Dannevirke last September, has now dispensed with sticks and crutches, and will probably be seen in the saddle again in the near future. % Mr. F.. Prekon has taken over the White Hart, at Marton, which is, of course, to be rebuilt ; Mr. M'Manaway has become proprietor of the Club Hotel (Marton), and. Mr. Trail, whose son rides over fences, has acquired possession of the Hunterville Hotel. Mr. T. H. Lowry, who did not stop to see the 6econd day's racihg at-'HaWera, tells me he has quite a dumber of young horses to bring in this season. They include a two-year-old half-brother and a yearling half-sister to BobTikoff, an own sister to Beldame, a half-sister to Downfall, and a filly by Roy*l Fusilier from the speedy mare Finery- The two-year-old is. the colt that was taken over to Sydney for the Randwick etables last year, and for whom OSOgns publicly and lOOOgng privately was refused. Whilst at Randwick he had the misfortune to contract what has become known as American fever, a kind of influenza which leaves those it attacks with a nasty cough. Tbe colt, whom Mr. LoWTy decribes a© an exceptionally fine youngster, is now pulling round, and there is .reason to hope he may ultimately quite recoyer, but there is no prospect of hia being fit to race this s«ason. At a meeting of the Committee of 1 the Manawatu Racing Clnb held this week the programme for the Autumn Meeting was under consideration. Several important alterations -wore decided upon, and in all the club will distribute £3130 in stake money, as ' against £2800 last year. It was further determined that the entry and acceptance fee in connection with several evente be Teduced, and that the course over which the liinton Handicap is run be increased from a mile tt> a mile and a distance. The mile post at Awapuni, as at Feilding, Wangamii, and elsewhere, is situated in close proximity to the turn out of the straight, the result being that horses drawn in outside positions suffer a distinct disadvantage. In mile and a distance events on the other hand they are faced with a straight run out from the barrier extending to about a furlong and a quarter*