NEWS AND NOTES

A correspondent -writes as follows: "i -wish to correct . a statement contained m 'The Toff's* notes of last week, wherein he states that Kilbroney is to be stationed at the Elderslie stuck. This, of course, is not a'ceurate. The stallion standing at the Elderslie stud for the forthcoming season is the imported horse Archery (son of the great Tracery, who sired the winner of- the ] English Derby). Kilbroney, m conjunction with Solferino, will be at the disposal of breeders at the Burnsido stud." Black Art ran a good race m the i Century Hurdles at Wanganui, and on j this showing he will be a public fancy at Napier Park. If Mervotia is started m the hack hurdle races at the Park he will be favorite. This old fellow goes well over 1% miles m soft going. At each fence at the Wbnganui meeting Ranui pu^a couple of lengths j on to his lead, so with bigger jumps < at the Hawkes Bay meetings the son of Maharanui should do even better. The two races over the battens which Crowhurst had at OtaM should work a big improvement m the chestnut, but, considering his pace and Jumping Crowhurst is not the success one would expect. , • A peculiar feature about the programme of the Australian Jockey Club's winter meeting is that while the- big hurdle race is run over the lengthy course of . two miles three furlongs, their chief cross-country event is only three miles. Mountain Peer was only produced on the first day at Wanganul, and In that event he went fast enough to gain him friends for twelve furlong hurdle races. Mountain Peer Is engaged at the Napier Park and Hawkea Bay meetings. » Sunny Vale ricked his shoulder after the Wanganui meeting and was struck out of Auckland events, but will do the Napier Park and Hawkes Bay. meetings. He Is well Just now, and punters will no doubt go for evens on the Hawera moke. After the Napier Park meeting Kahikatea will have to compete In open company, as his victory at Ellerslie put him out of hacks. Kahikatea is only a three-year-old and should be capable to paying his way m the future. When the last mall left Papyrus was a good second favorite to Town Guard for the English Derby. Last season Papyrus defeated Town Guard m the rich Criterion Stakes. The performance -at the time was looked on as a fluke, but the result of the Derby should dispel this idea. General Petaln gave a masterful exhibition of jumping at Wingatui, but

tired badly. over the three mile course. He will be more seasoned by the time the Wellington Steeples and the Grand . National Steeplechase come on. Kahikatea showed some pace at the last meeting at Trentham, and proved he could gallop' under any conditions by winning the Carbine Plate on a soft track at EUerslie. This colt is engaged at the Hawkes Bay meetings, where there is easy money awaiting: him. Although The Curragh had the valuable services of the gentleman Jock, Morris, In the Carbine Plate at Ellerslie, the best the chestnut gelding could do was to run fourth. 'Why not keep Spalpeen's son at the jumping game? . Comical ran very consistently at the i recent Auckland meeting, and after running third In the Cornwall Handicap and second In the King George Handicap he got m the York Hand*- ; cap with 7H> . over the twtnti>wMij and duly won, paying a gorpxlsingly good dividend. . LocheHa's half brother Pamplona is described as a good one, and if sent north for the Wellington Steeplechase he win. carry the confidence of the southerners. He will be one of the early favorites for. the National. Vagabond Jumped badly at Donedln, and one is safe m saying that the big son of Martian will never take high honors over the battens. Good Judges say early tuition Is necessary If you want to make a proficient jumper of a horse. Avispado was handicapped at 191 b above the minimum for the Winter Handicap decided on the first day of the Dunedin meeting. His trainer wisely kept him In his box, and for his patience the weight adjuster let him off with a drop .of lllb m the Farewell Handicap. In this event Avispado was a starter, but could only run third. Just before the Egmont meeting last month Complex went very muscle sore. He was given a run at nui, and considering he had done no work he performed creditably. The Hawera-owned gelding will -be on , hand at Napier Park and Hawkes Bay and should show Improved form. Class ii not a strong feature of the fields engaged m the Bracelet and Necklace races at the Hawkes Bay meetings. Put Hogan sent Mandrake and Rorke's Drift to battle for the stable m the Otago Hurdles and made no secret of the fact that -he thought Rorke's Drift the better of the pair. When running prominently the veteran lost his rider, but it is doubtful if he could have won under any circumstances. The name of First Salute figures amongst the nominations for the Hack Hurdle race to be decided on the second day of the Napier Park meeting. A couple of seasons ago the son of Marble Arch was narrowly defeated by Starland In the Auckland Cup and Maioha and Eleus In the Wellington Cup. So if First Salute is a capable Jumper and stands a preparation he would be- a useful hurdle horse. ...''.,'.. In a letter to, ''The Times" (London) the Rev. J. J. North stated that even the humblest .racing clubs, m .thje Do- : minion might* build their grandstands of marble, . so . great are their receipts due to the totalisator tax.. Possibly many of the leading clubs would like to exchange financial positions with some of the trustees to our churches. In the Australian Jdckey Club's Hurdle Race and the Australian Jockey Club's Steeplechase Spook was set to concede Kohu 51b." As Spook has failed 1 consistently since crossing the Tasman Sea the weight adjusters ars, certainly over-rating him. On the form shown m the Dominion Kohu is entitled to most weight. In his double win at Wanganui last month Ranui gave a perfect exhibition of jumping, and as he is endowed with more pace than 'the average steeplechaser it looks as if experience would develop this gelding into a firstclass 'chaser. If a starter m the Napier and Hawkes Bay Steeplechase, Ranui will have plenty of supporters. Birkenella ran honest races at Dunedin, but after the first day (when he ran fourth to G uncase,. Red Wink and Ravenna), he got his full share of weight. As a case m point, it seemed extraordinary handicapping to raise Birkenella 101 bon the second day and let Red Wink , (which Just got beaten) off with a 6lb rise. Red Wink duly won and paid a Gloaming price. Young Thurnham, who won both a hurdle race and steeplechase at . the recent Auckland meeting, should be an acquisition to what Is a weak branch of the racing game. Young Thurnham has been regularly hunted with the hounds, he Jumps well, has. pace, and is bred to stay (ho is a half brother to a pair of good stake-earn-ers m Analogue and Forest Gold), and having great size, is Just the sort to do well over country. The Church of England clergy, as well as all Nonconformist followers, are doing their utmost to prevent tha English Government from taxing betting. So if the Conservative* are anything like their New Zealand namesakes they will turn down the proposed taxation of bookmakers. During the last twelve months the committees of various racing clubs also owners and trainers, have had certain anomalies of racing rules brought home to them, and at the coming- meeting of the Racing Conference Rule 5 Part XXIII., which refers to the allowance to jockeys, will be up for consideration. During the time this rule has been m forco all true sportsmen have looked on It as a most unjust rule, and judging from the number of remits from various clubs Its repeal looks assured. In the past delegates have not exercised their rights, as the representatives of their committees, honce moat so-called reforms have emanated from tho one source. So for once will the delegates have the courage of their opinions? During the week we read m the | daily papers that tho Rev. J. J. North had written to "The Times" to enHzhten the readers of that great organ cf the dangers (?) of licensing the totalisator. In this Dominion the rev. Ecntleman has lost 'his mana as an authority on the gambling question and its attendant evils. It will be remembered that m a controversy carried on by the Rev. North and others the frentleman of cloth had a set of figures which, if correct, would have ]>iovod that the New Zenlander spent m ertormous sum per head- on the totalisator. These figures and statements brought a reply from the president of the Racing Conferonce, and m his letter Sir G. Clifford proved that tho Rev. North had little or no knowledge of the matter on which he had posed as an authority, also that his figures would not do credit to a Fourth Standard schoolboy. Tho Row North quoted tho gross amount Invested on tho .totalisator as money lost, quite' overlooking the fact that tho name money goes through and throuKh. However, our racing Baronet gave the sky pilot (ho coup do j?race, and In consequence J.J.N. tMd not again poso ns nn encyclopaedia on such matters. Judging by the prominence given to

JJ2X. m England- they -hay© not yet awakened to him. Royal Abbey was more than lucfey at the expense of his former stable mate, Tinokaha, when he w6n the Campbell Hurdles. Landing over the hurdle at the six furlong post, Royal Abbey pecked and was toppling over when Tinokaha bumped him on to his legs again and crashed himself, bringing down Monopole. Young Thurnham soon went out of hacks m the jumping game. He had > only been at it for a few weeks, and scored two firsts and a second m three pops. What a useful one the form makes Kauri Park, who beat him! - According to the Press Association the eight winners at Dunedin, second day, won their respective races by three, four, eight,; four, thirty, four, ten, and one-and-a-half lengths. The judge must have had a strenuous time, and the D.J.C. must be glad to have got a handicapperifrom Te Kuiti who could bring the field so closely together and make the finishes exciting.Musketoon was never sighted m the' hack race the second day at Ellerslie; but the English colt was made favor-! Ite for the final event the third day, and strolled m. Not a murmur was heard, but rumor hath it that a large mustard plaster meant for certain Southern blokes failed to connect. The rule on inconsistent running still needs altering a bit Bobby Hunt had only just got his ticket back for Ellerslie and had ridden a nice winner on KUbird when he struck trouble a couple of races later on Vociferate m the finish of the Great Northern Steeples. He carried Pittsworth right across to the lawn rails . and pinned him there. Hunt is ap- l pealing against his six months* stretch, but it all happened tinder the nosed of the District Cominitteemen present ' so his chances are not very rosy. The hrn at Ellerslie took all the ferocity out of Tigerland, , and the flat course at Trentham and Riccarton may suit him better. Tlnopono was stiff at Ellerslie running second each day, and just getting topped off when he looked likeN home. The Hannon horse is still m hacks and should be useful it sent South. The Gisborne R.C. having objected to Matamata— •Franklin meeting being Jammed too close on* to the Gisborne winter one, the dates for the oneday club's meeting at Ellerslie have been advanced to July 18 and 21. An injustice was done to Omahu m our last issue when he was charged with kicking Oranga m the Great Northern Hurdles. Omahu certainly played up at the post but did not kick; it was another black horse m General Advance who gave Oranga the X.0., and the Paterson moke is m a very bad way as a result General Advance rait his best race on the last day at Ellerslie, when he was close up fourth m the Campbell Hurdles. The Cambridge owner-trainer-breeder, Mr. R, Hannon, contemplates taking aibig team south for the Wellington and Canterbury winter meetings. The Waikato mokes were m great nick at Ellerslie, and finished up with two wins, five seconds and two thirds. Dick does not travel much outside Auckland, but the trip South should not be unprofitable. The question of appointing an expert to inspect all patent scales should be considered by the Racing Conference. , / Strategy's win at Ellerslie was not altogether out of turn as Mr. A. McDonald's moke had not won a race since his double win at the Auckland Great Northern meeting two years ago. Last season m 22 starts the Martian gelding couldn't even -hit place money once. T%e visiting brothers Reed had the Visitors' Handicap to themselves at Ellerslie, m a great finish Aahley winning on Refinement, while Con and Roy dead-heated on Some Fashion and Sheffield. The numbers on the card were 17, 17a, and 18. At the next Racing Conference Sir George, by. respectful request of the stipes, will move: "That no horse blind m either eye shall be eligible for any race." What about a compulsory eye test by unqualified optician for all stewards (stipendiary or honorary), judges and handlcappers? The public would approve of it. It will bfe a case of prop and cop with Compfex at Napier. Tigerland is now a busted flush. "Spearmint" never raved over his Ellerslie prospects and he always thought that the handicapper had taken great care of him. Talking about consistent horses what about the record of Tame Fox? He has been m a minor place m three Otaki Cups and has then won three Huia Handicaps. The agenda paper for the Racing I Conference is chock full of notices of (motion. Half of thftm can be cut out if the members had a meeting and dej elded what was urgent. Several clubs tare out to alter the weighing m rule, but a meeting could decide which alteration was the best prior to the Conference sitting. There is a motion before the Conference to block one-eyed horses racing. It will be a difficult matter to get through as the breeders and owners j will have a bit to say about it. For a jlong time they tried to prevent oneeyed horses racing m Australia and once they tried to bar a one-eysd Jockey, but success has not yet met their efforts, The apprentice races will probably receive the k.o. this sitting of the Conference. Quit© rJght, too. What good are they? They do not teach the youngsters to ride and neither the clubs, the public, nor the owners want them. R. Hannon does not travel with his team much, but it is his intention to patronise the Wellington winter meeting. Napier on Friday and Saturday of this week; Hastings next Wednesday and Thursday, and the Hunt Club meeting will be held on the same course on Saturday. The ex-New Zealander, V. O'Neill, won a race on. Moonee Valley last month with the Bright Steel gelding Sanglamore, who, scored m the Dingley Maiden. Some nice wagers were obtained about him and the connections of tho horse are reported to have had a good win. Early last month the cables were full of an attempt to injure E. A. Connolly's horses while working at Mentone. It appears that it was the work of mischievous youths, who were run to earth by black trackers and they were subsequently dealt with at the Court. The Minister for Justice has turnedt down tho petition of those fined for betting with a bookmaker at Stratford and it is probable that the petitioners will now ask Parliament for redress. Bob Masters has been requcstod to see that the petition gets a fair run. The Rangitikei Hunt Club meeting will be held on the Marton course on Wednesday, July 4. The programme,, which appears m this issue, should be looked up by owners of hunters. In addition to the usual hunters' oventß, there Is an open raco of soven furlongs and two hack races. Entries for all events close on Monday, Juno 18, at 0 p.m. with Secretary A. Way.