RACING NEWS NOTES AND-COMMENTS

(BY "VEDETTE")

FIXTURES.

Jnn» s—Lavin E.O. Winter. .'..". •Juns s and 13—Australian J.C. Winter. June IS—Franklin H.C. Annual. June 13—Waverley K.C. Winter. June 19, 20—Xapier Park H.C. Winter. June 20—Brackenfleld Hunt Club. • June 24, 25—Hawkes Bay J.C. Winter. Juno 26, 27—Asbburton County R.C. Winter. June 27—Hawkes Bay limit Club, •iuly 7, 9, 11—Wellington K.C. Winter. July IS—South Canterbury Hunt Club. July 2S—Wuiuiate District Hunt Club. July 23, 25—Gisborne R.C. Winter.

The Otaki Meeting will be concluded to-morrow, and there will bo racing at AVingatui. Canterbury Park and South Wairarapa...Trotting Meetings will be concluded to-morrow. ..■■'■-. -.. .' „

Cutts Bros, have a. number of horses doing strong pace work at Riccarton at present, and, though they/ are not engaged anywhere, yet they will probably be racing at meetings near at hand, in- j eluding the Trentliam ■ fixture, jn July. Barn Owl and Betrospect are both well forward, and Hich Prize is again in commission, in addition to which there are some, novices .who/are being got ready' to race. , . j The. extra racing permit handed to the Taumarunui Racing Club must have proved a very mixed blessing. The totalisator turnover for the day was less than half that of the regular meeting in the spring. The; postponement owing to the rain and floods -w,as in the main responsible. .- -, . . • . ' .., Recent files to hand show that Pica-i roon's owner was -very unlucky in his j colt going wrong. Picaroon cantered away from his stablemate Cross Bow in j tlio Craven Stakes at Newmarket, the.' unplaced division including Sqlario, El Cacique, and Ethharch.' .'■..■•- ' r

Martian's winning total continues to receive striking additions, and his descendants_ racing in New Zealand and Australia this season have captured stakes to the value of £16,368, writes ."Phaeton." ,'Xhe interesting fact bound; up in these figures is that it raises the grand total opposite Martian's name to £303,357, -which gives him the leading position among the sires of. the Southern Hemisphere. Martian having been sired in England, he'would, strictly speaking, be regarded as an English-bred horse, but he first saw the light in Isew Zealand, and ate his first blade of grass in Canterbury, so that ha can be legitimately claimed as a product of Maoriland. IToalod in 1901, Martian is now in his twentyfourth year, thus having reached an age .well over the. average span.. - Cfhe. ground staff at Trcntham is bein~ kept busy these days. A great improvement is being made to drainage of tho various tracks, and the covering of the *and track to the depth of several Inches is proceedings apace. When completed horses.should.be able to' work on the sand no matter how bad tho weather. Patrons will find another alteration wlen they visit. Trentharn for the ■Winter Meeting.' ;The concrete paviiif blocks in front of the totalisator house have heen removed, and the section of the enclosure is being graded aud laid 'dcroa ia.lawn... .Although this.may. cut up rather badly and prove inconvenient next month, -when the lawn has become -well established it should be more rest.ful and comfortable,than,tho flagstones— ;at least on the dry and windy days at -Trenfcham. ■ ■■■'■■■ ... -."■*::•!■ .;V :■":.; ... ■■■

. Kiga, an,easy -winner in!.-the Now .castle Chip, ■•was winning ladies' bracelet events at picnic meetings in New South Wales last year. He is regarded as one ot the moat improved stayers in Sydney, and if he keeps sound will be one'of the fancied candidates for the important .handicap events of the coming sprint. Kiga is by Eaton Lad (sire of Easing wold) from Lady Melba (dam of Dunwil). He is trained at Rand wick by E. P. Walker and has been lame at intervals since he joined that trainer's team. He was lame again after he won the cup, but it is expected that a brief rest-will cure the trouble.

_ The recent rains in New South Wales ' -had. some effect on the various-*iace-. .'courses. The Sydney corresp-ondeniTofi the ' Australasian "writes on 23rd May concerning the floods: " Rarely have we seen Eandwick flooded to the. extent it was, last; week,, yet little harm was done. The George's River was well over lower parts of the Warwick Farm Estate,, ■but, except that it left some silt,"/th'e'rV were-no injurious effects. - - Thero'^weriv parts of the Menangle Park Racecourse at least Sft under water, but there was no serious' interference with the race irack. The same may be said of the Canterbury Park track, where Cook's River overflowed; while the Hawkesbury track, at Clarendon, will'be bunc-filcd by tho visitation. "Unfortunately the race meeting down for last week had to bo abandoned."

A notable entry for- tho Melbourne ■Cup is Nigger Minstrel. It is to be hoped that this proved great galloper survives a preparation, and recent reports seem to favour his complete 'recovery. History has shown in the past, however,, that when a really good Jiorse goes wrong it is a very diMcult task to.patch him up again. The last of the Waikanae Stud was transhipped to Elicrslie last night. The three stallions, Paper Money, Kilbroney, and Bonifonn, were in the last detachment to be sent South. .

Some of, the best of the Dominion horses have been entered for the sprint; handicaps in The Hawk, Nigger Minstrel, K»d Wink, Inferno, and Musketoon- If "Count Cavour is sent to run in the Metropolitan some idea will be gained ot his • real quality. Sandstar and Sunny, Loch are . proved gallopers ot their class while Haze should pay his way in the Commonwealth. The vounfer horses, the rising three-year-old' BoSW. Hobbs s stable at Eiccarton, while bJapdasb is a rising three-year-old filjv by Humbng. Sottano is arteadiW ! proving gelding, but he has as yet to prove himself equal to the hU'cia S s company to be found at the spring meetings m Sydney and Melbourne