NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8355, 15 February 1913, Page 14

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By “The Judge.”) The Ulimaroa, which sailed for Sydney last evening, bad on board two of Mr E. J. Watt’s yearlings. They are the colt by All Black from Killindini, and the filly by All Black from Blue Ribbon. They will bo trained by A. Raynor. Mr Watt was a passenger by the same steamer. Aldgown, who won the Scurry at Gisborne yesterday, is a three-year-old brown gelding by Multifid from Opaque, a daughter of Kalo and the Dainty Ariel mare May Moon. He is said to be a rather nice stamp of galloper who may see a better day. The Oakleigh Plate, of 1350 sovs, six furlongs, is the big event at Caulfield to-day. Of the New South Wales contingent in the race Sweet Malt and Burri are considered to have the best chance, while Melbourne folk will stick to Takipono and Borrosov, who are both said to be very fast. So far from severing his connection with the turf, King George starts this season with nineteen horses in training. Of these four are three-year-olds, nine two-year-olds, and the remainder four years and upwards. However, there is said to be but little chance of his Majesty scoring a classic victory with his three-year-olds, and if any event of real importance is credited him it may he per medium of the two-year-olds. Player, who won the hurdle race at Gisborne yesterday without an effort, is a four-year-old bay gelding b> Sabretache- from Playmate. It was, I think, his first success. Caher Davon seems a particularly useful sort of “hack.” In the Railway Handicap at Gisborne he carried 9.9 and ran five furlongs in Imin 1 4-5 sec, a feat which would puzzle many of our horses who are not in the hack class. Caber Davon is one of Mr C. J. Parker’s breeding, and is a chestnut horse by Glenapp from the St. Leger mare Lady Augusta, and is thus a half-brother to Miss Augusta and Multiply. The accident to My Lqdy at Gisborne, which brought about her destruction, was a bit of genuine bad luck for her owner, Mr Furr, as she had been showing some very attractive form of late and looked like winning more races. She was a four-year-old bay mare by Birkenhead from the St. Leger mare Lady Reay, and was a fullsister to Iney. Although only eight horses have been accepted for in the Woodville Cup, the race still looks open enough and should give rise to a good contest. Distinction, who has shown good form this season over shorter distances, will probably be most fancied. Floss, who won the Final Hack Flutter at the Taranaki meeting, is a six-year-old bay mare by St. Clements from Pikimai. She has on occasion shown pace before, but rarely in a race. * A Sydney writer complains that the stipendiary stewards over there are asleep and do nothing but draw their salaries. Owners, trainers, and jockeys are to a large extent doing as they like, while the racehorses have developed a degree of inconsistency not only abnormal, but unparalleled. Whether this is really so one cannot say, but the reproach certainly capnot _be made against our New Zealand stipendiaries. They began slowly, feeling their way, so to speak, and thus at the Auckland and Wellington meetings one or two happenings were passed over concerning which questions might well have been asked. Now, however, they are up and doing, and at Egmont and Taranaki made determined efforts to check malpractices. From all accounts they had quite enough to do on the second day at Taranaki, when meeting after meeting was held by them to inquire Into the matter of dubious running and riding. If they continue in the effort to purify-the turf they will not only earn their salaries, but will receive the warmest praise from every straightgoing supporter of racing. Jolle Fille was taken up to Rotorua after all, .but failed to annex the Cup, Semolina beating her rather easily. The winner is a three-year-old brown filly by Gluten from Mignon, and her performance was a rather good one, as she ran the mile and a quarter in 2min ilsec on a course not too favourable for fast time. The “Australasian’s” winning sires’ figures for the first half of the current season show Ayr Laddie, who died the other day, to hold a substantial lead of Malster, who is second on the list, their respective totals being £17,174 and £10,742. The only others with five figures to their credit are: Wallace, £10,399; and Positano, £10,313. Malster has been represented by more winners than any other sire, his total being 41, who, between them, accounted for 69 races. The only Australasianbred sires among the first twenty-one are Malster, Wallace, Bobadil, United states, and Multiform.

Last season Malster was credited by the "Australasian Turf Register” with a total of £32,957, but this season it is somewhat doubtful whether he will reach the £20,000 mark. Of the 20 remaining in the list after declaration of forfeit for the V.B.C. St. Leger, nearly two-thirds owe their presence to forgetfulness on the part of either owner or trainer. Wolawa, Moe, Lanfranc, Sheriff Muir, Cider, Burrawang, and Pistol King comprise die whole of the possible starters, and it is on the cards the field will eventually dwindle down to three—Wolawa, Burrawang, and Cider. Starters for she V.R.C. St. Leger have never reached double figures, the largest field being eight, when Volley won in 1889. Since then there have been , eight races with only three runners in each, and one in which only two horses went to the post. The latter occasion was in 1890, when Dreadnought won from his stable companion, Singapore, in the record slow time for the race of 6min 2sec.

The Australian jockey, J. Pike, recently announced his intention of trying his luck in England. Concerning his chance in the Old Country the “Saturday Referee” says; There can be no two opinions as to Pike’s ability as a horseman, but none the less it does not follow that he will get a great deal of riding in England this season. For one thing, most of the stables have already made their arrangements as to jockeys, and those which have not will naturally sooner stick to riders they know than employ a newly-arrived Australian. Given fair opportunities. Pike can bo relied on to ‘'make good”; but if he does not get them early he may not get them at all, as the English climate is conducive to increase of weight, and he may find himself near the 9st mark in a comparatively little while. The last prominent Australian jockey to try his ruck in England was vV. McLachlan, who scored two firsts, two seconds, and two thirds for 14 mounts.