NOTES AND COMMENTS

(BY "VEDETTE.")'

Bonnie Winnie, with A. Oliver in the saddle, began smartly in the Brabazon Welter at Riccarton lasfc Saturday, but struck trouble in .the first two furlongs, and did well. to finish fifth. Ho looks more like the Bonnie Winkie of old, and now that he is down in tho weights a little, should be the winner of a good handicap very soon..

I'rineo I'erouz, who is one of the most ' consilient horses in training, ran another ■vi his solid races in the Brabazon Weltur, .nmny of thu spectators being of the opinion he had beaten the tiring Wharfcdale "for third place. Six furlongs seems to be the liniit of Los Ambus as yet in open company. His promotion from hack class has been rapid, and later he will do better, for lie is built on the lines to be suited by tho lower scale of weights rather than the 9-stone and upwards of the winter season. Iliapotoa wae noticed in the middle of the field in .the Brabazon Welter just at the turn for home, but she failed to run on in the straight. She was a fairly well-backed candidate, carrying 435 tickets. • • • ' The ' speculation of one sovereign on Eawene and Waetea at Eiccarton on Saturday would have returned a few shillings over the century. ' The race in the Homeby Steeplechase would benefit San Forte, who was on the pretty side, and blowing after the i'ace. In addition, the, experience over the course will be in his favour. The Beaufort or Lincoln Steeplechases seem better propositions for him than the big event. . . . ■

Carawock is one of the fittest liorses at Eiccarton. He was pulling A. Woiv maid out of the saddle on Saturday. Boomerday went a patchy race iv the Open- Hurdles at, Edccarton on Saturday last despite the fact that there was every indication that he was expected to run well. A. M'Donald was in the saddle, and he was favourite on the .machine. O»i this showing one could not enthuse about his Grand "National Hurdles chances, for although he looks well and has undoubted pace, his jumping leaves a great deal to be desired. Sir Rosebery showed that his recent efforts over country have not impaired his dash, for he was always in or near the van in the Open Hurdles.- Bo far as his steeplechasing goes,, however,, the BUerslie course is well within the compass of a well-schooled hurdler, so that he cannot yet be called a 'chaser. Erom present indications one would infer thati Sir Rosebery will start in the Hurdles in preference to the: Steeplechase, at Riccarton. He can have a race in the Jumpers' Flat "on the opening day. Royal Star and Le Forte were noticed running on at the end of the Open Hurdles, the former finishing1 up a very creditable fourth. It should not be overlooked that Royal Star .is a New Zealand Cup winner and a proved stayer, while Le Forte is a quiet tip in some quarters for the big hurdles, in which he is in at the minimum. L. G. Morris, on Santiago, was practically the only rider in the Open Hurdles who did not wear spurs. His handling of the San Fran gelding was very energetic, however, for after being one of the last away, Morris was hard at his mount all the "way down the back and round the turn. A bad jump at the last flight cost Santiago what chance he might have had of beating Lochson. .Moorland, who is now trained by his owner, Mr. GL h- Rutherford,, hit' out very freely when going down before the I'lyiiig Hack Handicap at the Chrietchurch Hunt Club's Meeting. The Finland gelding used to be troubled with chronic soreness, but the change has benefited, him, for he ran a good six furlongs, going under to Waetea onlyin the last half furlong.

Ruby King did a dashing preliminary ,for the Flying Hack Handicap, but appeared tq strike more than his share of trouble in the race. Both Star Ranger and Tussore ran in encouraging fashion in the Flying Hack Handicap, finishing close, up behind the placed horses. ' There is not a great deal.of Waetea, but she is game enough for a horse twice her size. Strongly handled by her trainer, W. Young, she finished, with great determination in the Flying Hack Handicap, after being not too well placed in the first three ■ furlongs. General Carrington, who won the principal fiat race at Gisborne on Saturday, finished a good second to Hyrax the week previous, following up that performance by being unplaced on the second day, on both occasions having ■ n. Gray in the saddle. General Carnngton, who on Friday last attained the dignity of being an aged horse, has been a. usciul performer, and last season had fourteen placed performances, including four wins He is a son of the now defunct Gazeley, from Cricium The O.J.C. liandicapper has paid Adjutor a rather pretty compliment iv awarding him lib short of 13 stone in the Hunters Hurdles at the C.J.O Meeting and assessing him "as 151b superior to Fireblighb over the small obstacles Grim Joke, meets both Adjutor and bwindassa on considerably better terms than was the case last Saturday and it is his name that takes the ey e at the nrst glance at the handicap. It was a wise decision to 'delay the publication of handicaps for this race until after (Saturday's Hunt Meeting. The ChWstchurch Hunt Club' should have, had a good "gate" on Saturday, as only the inside enclosure was open at charges of ss> for men and 2s 6d for ladios. "Added to this was the Is flat rate admission to the course. The latter sum did not buy- the - privilege to bet on the totalisator, so that practically everybody paid the major charge. There was some grumbling, but the racing public is a long-suffering one and patient unto a degree. ~ ■ ■'

Despite the fact that the Waverlev R..C. paid £3667 8s 2d to the Government in taxation, its annual, race meeting showed a good profit, so much- so that the bank overdraft was reduced by £2060. ,• . ... • * The success of Hector Gray on Hyrax in the Gisborne Hurdles has" caused the Taranaki writer "Historicus" to delve into the past to show that it is not a unique performance for a loading Hat raco jockey to take to riding over hurdles. He first refers to the . late Wally Clifford, and continues.:' "When Clifford first rode in New Zealand his art in tlie saddle was not readily noted, and, in 1882,' he rode Katerfelto to victory in fcho ' Grand National Steeplechaso at Riccarton, and it is worthy of note, that, big as the 'country; is today at Riccarton it was more formidable in the" 'eighties. As many sportsmen of to-day will remember, Clifford was a mighty rider on the flat. Coining down to more recent times, one may quote the case of W. Young, who, when nl his best (and ha waa a fmo rider 100, i.uid \yun rUJhig vyiiiiiufH in Dertijoa, Ciijijj, , jad^a^diiftp^ iy.uk ji^wt kmsvU U>

vide in hurdle races and steeplechases, and his name is inscribed as having ridden the' winners of both the Grand National Steeplechase and Hurdles at the same meeting. I refer to 1910, in which year Young rode Te Arai in the Steeplechase and Paisano in the Hurdles. Young also won the Grand National Hurdle • Race on Shrapnel and Continuance: So altogether Young's record wjll take some equalling." Sansovino, the English Derby winner, gets his name from his dam Gondolette^ The original Sansovino was an architect responsible for many of tho beautiful buildings of Venice. Officer Kelly, a two-year-old gelding by Kilbroney from Thames, and trained at Flemington' by W. Jacobsou, is a likely starter in the l?ulham Park Plato in Adelaide on 16th August, states an exchange. The r,ace is the first for two-year-olds in 'Australia-or New Zealand. The question of when a mare is at her best for breeding has often been discussed, but there seems to be certainly no hard and fast rule. An Australian authority has discovered that on actual figures ten years is about the zenith, with nine nearly as good. The ten-year-old band include Cicero, Cragnour, Donovan, Sunstar, Florizel 11., Orme, Amphion, and Roi Herode, while the following were foaled when their dams were nine years old :•— Hurry On, Lemberg, Minoru, Pretty Polly, Sundridge, and Tagalie. Of the extremes Galopin, Thormanby, Tredennis, Marcovil, Spion Kop, and the present-day good colt Diophon are —or were—the progeny of old mares, while Bachelor^ Double, Eager, and Hampton were from mares four year? old at time of foaling.