NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8350, 10 February 1913, Page 9

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By “The Judge.”) The cable states that the German Government has bought for the Graditz stud the Australian stallion Parsee at a price of 1750 guineas. He is a bay horso by Metal from the Gozo mare Poona. Among his successes on the turf were victories in the A.J.C. Derby, Caulfield Guineas (beating Alawa and Trafalgar), the All-aged Stakes, and the A.J.C. Craven Plate, in which he beat a very high-class field which included Comedy King, Prince Foote, Malt King, Maltine, Lord Nolan, and Maori King. He should do well in his new home, where he will have every chance. As was generally expected Los Angelos and Bon Ton have been scratched for their Wanganui engagements. The public at the Egmont meeting must have had a rather good time. Out of the sixteen races decided seven wont to the favourite, two to the second favourite, and four to the third favourite. The engagements of Tiresome and Allegation at tho Taranaki meeting have been cancelled owing to the death of Mrs Alex. Alison. The Victoria Amateur Turf Club’s autumn meeting will open at Caulfield next Saturday, when the chief event will be the Oakleigh Plate, of 1350 soys. Several New Zealanders are entered. Worcester, the brother to Jolie Fille, reached New Plymouth on Saturday. Mr Handley’s brown gelding, who claims engagements at the Taranaki meeting is reported to be in great fettle. Overtime was brought down to New Plymouth from Onehunga on Saturday, and will be a competitor at the Taranaki J.C.’s meeting this week. George Absolum has tho gelding looking well. J. Conquest will have the mount. Tho winner of any handicap after tho declaration of weights is called upon to carry 71b penalty at the Taranaki Jockey Club’s fixture; of two or more races 121 b penalty. Winners of hurdle races come in for similar penalties. This means that Ngatiruanui. Princess Flo, Sanguinary, Overtime, Grattan, Worcester, Zetis, Allegation, and Royal Simon have each earned a penalty for tho respective events for which they are carded at the Now Plymouth fixture next Wednesday. Undecided and Electrakoff have been rehandicapped. The Auckland Racing Club is giving £6150 in stakes for the Easter meeting, the chief events of which are the Easter Handicap of 1000 sovs., and tho St. George-'s Handicap of 1000 iqffs. Tho G;N. Champagfip Ut'kkes ’is worth 750 sovs., and the Oaks 400 sovs. The club, by the way, is om, barking on a big improvement scheme, which, it is said, will mean an outlay of some £20,000. The entrance to Ellerslie has always been a poor one for so fine a course, hut tho new scheme will make it the finest in the Dominion. To make this great carriage drive will necessitate the blasting away of a pro-, digioua quantity of solid rock, and this Will take a considerable time,' but the work is to be pushed on with all speed. The annual meeting of the Rotorua Jockey Club takes place on Wednesday. Time was when this was a very poor affair, each race being contested by two or three horses, while tho spectators had to make shift with a wretched tumble-down stand and very poor accommodation generally. All that is altered, the course having been much improved, an ornamental stand erected, and all the arrangements brought up to date. Tho stake money has been Increased, and, as the result, the acceptances for Wednesday’s meeting are excellent, and some good sport should be seen. Decidedly the Rotorua Club is on the np grade. The South Auckland meeting, which is held at Olaudelanda, Hamilton, on February 21nd and 22nd, looks like turning out a record success. Nearly all the best horses in Auckland have been nominated for the events, and it looks as though some fine racing should bo seen. The meeting at Te Kuiti seems to have been a decided success. The weather was fine, excellent fields contested various events, while the amount put through the totalisator, viz., £6918, was £1486 better than last year. Some horses seem to bo remarkably successful in cup races, modern instances of which are Merrivonla and Undecided. Another who is making a name for herself in this respect is Jolie Fille. She has annexed tho Te Kuiti Cup twice, the Takapuna Cup, and the Tauranga Cup. The hay daughter of Soult and Morrymaid is engaged in tho Rotorua Cup, and, as she is exceedingly well at present, may further add to tho list. Her performance at Te Kuiti was not unattractive, as she was giving a lot of weight away to a fair field, but won comfortably, running the mile and a quarter in 2min 10 3-ssec.