TURF NEWS IN BRIEF

Acceptances for. the first day of the Grand National- Meeting next week, also for the big Hurdles, are due at 8 o'clock' tomorrow evening. :

Prcsont'appearances; point to tkis.ybar'a Grand National' Steeplechase; field reducing at the acceptance,:: to . about last year's size of nine. : ■'. ' ! • ■ ■

! A report now states that Valpeen will bo ridden in the Grand National Steeplecuriso byV W. Rennie, not by his usual jockey K. E. Thomson, .

The four brood rriares owned by Mr. p. J. Davis (Phaola, Eaglet, Princess Willonyx, and Cynthia N.), with-their foals at foot, were shipped to California on the Maunganui from Wellington yesterday.

\V. 0. Griffith, with Limbohui and Hunt ing Jay, went down to Riccarton on Monday night, and last night Stanchion, Currajong, and Constant Sun were shipped south to fulfil engagements at the Grand National Meeting. Ventrac, winner of the Brabazou Handicap last Saturday, was a maiden 'till last spring', having been disqualified for bumping in a nice in which he finished first the previous season at Vincent. Ho has now started' 2G timca in all for C wins, 5 seconds, and 3 thirds, and he has earned exactly £1000 in stakes. The Woodvillo District J.C. has applied, for a change of its .summer dates for Fri-" day and Saturday, December 7 and 8, lo Saturday and "Monday, December 8 and 10. The ITawkc's Bay district committee has forwarded the application to the .Racing Conference. Gay Sheila, who has been spelling during recent weeks, met with an accident on. her owner's property ,last Wednesday. She inflicted a- nasty' wound on one of her hind legs, as a result of coming in contact with a wire fence, and the injury will probably prevent her return to work fof several weeks." The former New Zealand trainer, J. T. Jamieson,. who recently added Miramond, King March, and a Chief Ruler gelding to his team, now has one of- the biggest teams in ■ training in Sydney for many years. Jack King also has a .large team, but he keepß:many of them on light exercise at his Woodstock property, about' 23 miles from Bondwick. At a. committee meeting of the Greymouth Jockey Club last week the secretary was -instructed to < prepare! a" report on the financial position of the club for tjie purpose of considering the erection of a grandstand tcrreplace the one destroyed byfire. : ■ ' '■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ • A Christchurch report states that J. H.! Prosser has Great Star and Grand' Eeview looking' exceptionally well and their track displays suggest'that they will be ready to show their best form next week. Great Star has rarely been in better order and he will have to be reckoned with in the Winter Cup, in which he will be ridden by the Otago lad, R. J. Mackie. The Riccarton trainer P. V. Mason has recently had handed him for education a two-year-old gelding by Honour from Goldspear, by Greyspear from Sunglow, halfsister to Martian. The, youngster can boast of plenty of siz^, and it is not intended to be in any hurry with him. Ho is owned by Mr. W. Greenhill, of- Greymouth, who races Giggleswick. Goldspear was bred by Mr. G. D. Greenwood, and was sold at the dispersal'of his stud with Honour's foal at foot and in foal' to Iliad for 50 guineas. According to a rcporffrom England, the Ascot Cup and Churchill Stakes winner Felicitation is to be retired to the Aga Khan's English stud at the end of the season. Firdaussi, the 1032 St. Leger winner, has recently joined Blenheim, the 1930 Derby winner, at the Aga Khan's French stud. ' - Blinkers are not barred in England, and after Felicitation had failed tin a couple of races for which he was Wicked they were tried on him in private. The result, was so satisfactory that they were, used on him for the first time in public in the Churchill Stakes at Ascot. The result must have surprised even his trainer, as lie was not extended .to win that race by ten lengths. The blinkers were again portion of his equipment when he won the Ascot Gold Cup later in the week. Of the eleven jockeys and one apprentice (P. Egan) who were, not granted licences for seasons 1032-1933 and 1933----1034, nine have been successful in their applications to the V.R.C. committeo for licences for the present season, which commenced on August 1. The successful applicants were H. Bastian, W. Brady, P. A. Egan, R. A. Evans, W. J. Howson, EL J. Morris, W. Scaulan, J. S. Scarlett, ond V. Tehan. Those unsuccessful wore R. Wilson, N. PercivaJ, aud T. Lewis.