NOTES AND COMMENTS

(BY"VEDETTE.")

BACttiG FTXTTJBES. ;. September 8, 10—WaDganui J.C. ■ *- September 9—Egmont-Wanganul Hunt Club. September 10—Otago Hunt Club. September 14—Dannevtrke R.C September 15—Dannevlrke Hunt Club. September 24—Ashburton County B.C. September 24. 26—Napier Parli B.C. September. 24, 26—Avondale J.C. September 29. 30—Geraldine R.C. October I—Hawkes Bay J.C. October s—Manawatu Hunt Club. October 6—Kutow J.C. ' October 7; B—OtaM Maori B.C. October 8, 10—Auckland B.C. October 8, 10—Oainaru J.C. ■ . October 13, 15—Dunedln J.C. October 15—Carterton B.C. October 19,-20 —Cromwell J.C. October 22, 24—Wellington B.C. October 22, 24—Waikato B.C. October 24-^-Waverley B.C. October 24^-Waipawa County B.C. October 24—North Canterbury B.C. October 27..29—Poverty Bay Turf Club. October 29—Masterton B.C. October 29-^Banks Peninsula B.C. October 29, 31—Thames J.C. October 24, 20—Gore B.C.

The first payment for the New Zealand pup is due to-night at B.o'clock. : The Wangariui Meeting next week really" •xtends over three days, for.the Thurs» day and Saturday of the Jockey Club jrill.be added to this year by the EgmontJVanganui Hunt Meeting on Friday. Good apprentices are always of value, frnd in H. Mills it looks, as if O. Cox, of Hawera, has a useful lad. Mills rode Mon Desir for the Normanby trainer, J. Thacker, when the outsider scored in the hack scurry at New Plymouth, and rode • him well; while in his other eft'arts he was not disgraced, even though' beaten. In Cox's stable Mills is- likely to get plenty of opportunities, and it will not be fcurpnsing to find him doing well. At the annual meeting of the Opotiki afdckey Club the annual report stated that Jha totalisator profits showed an increase due to the use of the ten-shilling machine. This should be something for officials o"f come of the stronger clubs to think over, those who have advanced all kinds of objections to the installation of half-sov-ereign windows on totalisators. Last year Mask was rather a: disappointment, but it has to be admitted that luck was against him in some of his races. With B. H.- Morris on him this year, Mask should win some good races, and early in the season, for he is in great , buckle. He galloped a smart half-mile Vjith Damaris and Thaw at Wanganui on (Tuesday.- . Chief Ruler's stock will be racing for the first time this' season, and those of his two-year-olds who have been seen give tha impression that they will go far and come early. The Silver Link filly Silver Kule and Flying Binge are both speedy gallopers, with plenty of . dash. Chief Kuler_ certainly ■ suggests speed on his breeding, for he is a half-brother to Hum- ? mt> th« ill-fated Derby winner of 1921 by The Tetrarch from Jest, who is a sister rS.- .4, 9 urrie's ereafc stallion Absurd. Uuet Kuler is now-only in his eighth year.-so "thaf he has all the advantage of Valicare has been the star galloper of ttandwick during the past week, her e£*orts making those of most other horses . training at. that track appear commonplace. Despite her work, she is not fining down; in fact, she never looked bigger, borne of the critics are not quite satisfied with her, and the other morning I heard a well-known trainer, who does Jot -talk at random, remark: "She makes time, but somehow her action does not eeem quite right to-me," writes""Pilot." Whether there is much in that idea will - r be tested at Warwick Farm, and Valicare :. is doing sufficiently well to cause the rey* epective trainers of Commendation and .! lameriek a certain amount of . anxiety. * l£ mem^ is movin S very freely, and if 3 i? c Warwick Stakes were being run at •t KosehilM doubt whether F. Jones would jj fear Valicare or anything else. However .; liihierjck,.has been beaten at each.of his » two starts at "the Farm," yand I fancy „ tha*- is causing his trainer to think the ".I *F aok-does not suit him as well as Rand- :; ynck or Rosehill.

„| Without being required to do anything '. very strenuous, Brampton 13 working along .: usefully at Ellerslie. The Lord Quex geldJ; ing has.thickened during the winter, and •■ should have, possibilities in the hack class :i this season.. Brampton did not do much i\ racing as a two-year-old last season, but v: Jie^shaped creditably in his last start by t j finishing second to Tea Lady in the '.; Nursery Handicap at the Avondale A":.f tumn Meeting. ■4 •■ Mr. H.'Friedlander has disposed of Char- \\ I4dy,' and with Flora M'Donald, who is 1.; to visit the imported sire Leighton, she '< "was sent'to Hastings early in the week. ; It-ia-understood that Charlady js to be < retired to the stud and that she will also ' liel,mated with Lcighton. '.'. ...;'' r [; _ There has been nothing out of the or.j '•'dinary about the latest track doings of i Modest Boy, but he is coming along nicely ,-J and. should be in good shape to. tackle . his spring engagements, writes : "Archer." £ Modest Boy lacks size, but lie is a ftenu;i me customer, who always gives of his best, ;: and, he may be a better horse this season v. than last, -when he won two hack events Bind" also notched sis minor platings. G. J. Pine has a strong team in active commission at Riccarton at present, and

Borne of them -will open the new season's racing : at._ the Ashburton and Geraldine ;(* Meetings, says the"Press." The two-year- ■ Isolds Noteworthy, and Amorette have given JP eyery satisfaction in their track essays, and K 1 trill be well forward when asked to carry ui> silk. Clang, half-brother to John Brad?Jbury, also a two-year-old, is being given !«j time to grow, and will not be raced until w* later in the season. The three-year-olds, jij Silver Coot, Fair Exchange, Don Jose, and I"r Money Mart, all give promise of doing good '^ service for. the stable, and will be seen. ;<«out at either the Dunedin or Wellington r% Spring Meetings. Paper Boy has grown ;winto an attractive four-year-old, and he is ►H, expected, to be a good performer this seaJ^son. Crossbow, -w.no last season as a threew* year-old failed to run up to expectations, is instill enjoying a spell on his owner's sta';;tion, and will not be recommissioned until plater in the year. The Polymnian is still 'j^ in work, but there is a doubt about his •■•'2 landing up to a' solid preparation. He was for the New Zealand Cup, jjj'but there seems little likelihood of the ■ iljßix-year-old Martian gelding being produc£>/jed for the" two-mile event. Paper Rose, ■r'Vwho has failed to survive training as a result of.an accident during her two-year-old career, has been sent to the Okawa etud on a visit to Psychology. With such 1!? a. -formidable team, Pine has every prosAjpect of a successful season for his patron, Mr. G. Gerard. < ■ j ■

Racing men in England, particularly the _ bookmakers, are still perturbed over the '■Wlbetting tax. They do not appear to settle down in contentment. "Sporting Life" -'-':'prints the following letter from an ag- ; grieved fielder: "I have received a slip ; jfrom the Customs and Excise.in which it ; • 'Xsaysthat we are to keep records of all ■-•bets"in ink or indelible pencil. Good .•. . I cannot quite see how a racing man '■ catching trains can carry a bottle of ink i about; arid, if an indelible pencil is used, '. and we have torrents of rain, of the same brand as when Troytpwn won the i Rational, I.am quite certain that not one 1 bet would remain in the' book. . . ." '■■ .Tlle Banker struck himself while galloping at Caulfield about ten days ago, and J^s; not asked to race at Flemington on • , 20th-August. The injury is not considered to.be serious. . • : n^? Tr-kl takd at the A.J.C.- Spring I Meeting is for the horses that have not ; won'a race on the flat exceeding £200 ■ I^ l^ lneio the dinner. I know Mr. ft. C. ; Allan contemplates entering Rionscup for that race, but whether he is eligible will ; depend upon the way the A.J.C. Commitim- ,at i he value of tn<= franc,- writes •ti?w ,Ifjne aet"al rate of exchange ; with-England-at the time he won in irance is accepted, Rionscup is eligible ; but,it is otherwise at the old rate of 25 . francs to £1. In England the question cropped, up last year, and the English ! Jockey.Club, for the pui-pose of calculat--1 in^ he,Y aiuc of races, decided to adhere ;. to .the old: rate of exchange of. 25 francs , to -the _ £1. > ■ There. was considerable pro- ; test on the part of French owners, it be- ; ing pointed out the rule was unfair where • penalties were concerned.. With the franc ; at about 120 to £1, an owner might actuall. Jy receive the equivalent of £200,- and yet , on going to England, his horse would be ; penalised for a win of. about five times i that amount. ' - v .The following was written by the Hon. ■ tr.' Lambton just after the Royal Ascot , .-Meeting, and would explain- Coronach's ; complete collapse a few days later at

the finish of the Princess of Wales Stakes, 1% .miles, when Colorado beat him. It is no secret that - Coronach is not quite sound in. his wind, but there seems to be no horses in training that can stretch him sufficiently to make this weak spot tell." Alter defeating Coronach in the race mentioned, Colorado was also too good for him at a mile and a quarter so it would seem that Coronach is deteriorating with racing, which is not unusual with horses similarly affected.