NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By " Sir Lancelot.")

We were advised by cable yesterday of the impost allotted the New Zealand horses engaged at Flemington. In endeavouring to bring the New Zealand horses together, Dr. Lang, the Victorian weight-adjuster, evidently had the ElI lerslie form (the first two days) to guide him. In the Hurdles El Gallo has gone up 51b, and Pursefiller is on the same mark as in' the big race at Ellerslie. On the last day there -was three stone between tho pair named. Pursefiller won, and El Gallo did not start. Sleight of Hand, who is within slb of Pursefiller, might well have been pnt in with the minimum weight. On performances, Merrimax is well enough treated. He has won at Bandwick with a. stone more on his back, but appears to be an unreliable customer. In the Steeplechase El Gallo has 151b more than in the Hurdles. At Auckland the difference was only 51b, but a Sydney paper put in 101b penalty for the Hurdles win, and the Victorian handicapper has evidently followed that report. It looks as if Tim Doolan will bo the only New Zealander engaged.in the race. He has nearly a stone more than when he ran second last year. The good race he ran in the Hopetoun Steeplechase a* Flemington, this month evidently impressed the j handicapper. Taking a line through Tim Doolan, Morning, who defeated Mr. Stead's 'chaser at Riccarton, would have been alongside El Gallo. It is very unfortunate that Mr. P. Armstrong should have lost Morning after getting him there without having the opportunity of measuring strides with i the Victorian cracks. Although many attempts have been made, no New Zealand horses havey«t been successful in either of the Victorial Grand National events. As far back as 1890 E. J. Eae, the Auckland-owner-trainer, ran second in the Hurdles with Donald, and second in the Steeplechase with Titokowaru.

A. J. M'Flyim leaves for Melbourne next week to steer. Tim Doolan in the Grand National Steeplechase, to be decided at Flemington this day fortnight. ,M'Flynn rode Tim Doolan at Flemington and Riccartou last season.

Although rising ten years of age, the American horse Hal Zoioch has not done a great deal of racing. His Victorian progeny win race next season as six-year-olds and his New Zealand progeny 3 year younger. During the present season he ran second in the Auckland Cup, and on his only appearance at Addin^ton at Easter time won the Metropolitan Handicap, of 400 soys, two miles, in 4min 56 3-ssec. That would have quali--1 fied him for inclusion, in the New Zeaknd Gup field had the class in the race to be run *noxi November not been tightened to 4min 36sec. Hal Zoioch wii! not be retired for tlfe present, but .will be taken South to compete at the iAugust Meeting of the Metropolitan Club, so as to qualify for the Cup. D. Nyhan has Hal Zoioch looking big and bright, and before retiring he should put up a fasti performance. Nyhan has settled down in his new quarters at the Hutt, vfhere C. Pritchard, used to be. ■He has two of the progeny of Hal Zoioch in his team. Bbss, a three-year-old from Ngaraima, trained by A. Hendriksen at Biccarton, competed unsuccessfully at' the Wavrar&pa. Hal Anzac has been leased by Mr. H. Palmer to Mr. J. Hublitz, a Petone follower of the light harness sport. Tl>e great little pony pacer, Jewel Chimes, is having an easy time at present. He has a representative in the stable in a two-year-old pacer from Cast Pearl (The Americans-Cast Off), who won a double at the Hutt Valley Meeting a few years back. H. M'Nae, who drove the sire and dam of this youngster, informs me that he is going into camp shortly. G. Mussen, who is at present with A. Hendricksen, will probably take the position of head lad vrith x D. Nyhan. .The Wellington Club is at present spending £200 on altering the course proper at the bend going out of the straight. The owner of Fifinella is a rich newspaper proprietor, who is credited with having had very little knowledge of racing at the time E. Wootton started training for him. Had Wootton remained in England he might have had the honour of training the winner of the English Derby. Mr. Hulton bred Fifi-

nelia, who is the fourth maxe to win the Derby and Oaks double. Eleanor won in 1801, and the next to accomplish the feat wis Blink Bonny in 1857. Shotover, who won the Derby in 1882, made way for her stable companion Geheimniss, in i the Oaks. Then the colts won the Derby, until Signorinetta took the double in 1908. Tagalie won the Derby in 1912, but was beaten in the Oaks, while those1 great mares, La Fleche and Sceptre, won both-Oaks and St. Leger, after being beaten in the Derby. Mr. Hulto'n has gone in for sport in a whole-hearted way, and is one of the principal owners in England. The most successful owners in connection with the Derby since 1860 have been the late King Edward, who won with Persimmon, Diamond Jubilee, and Minoru; the late Duke of Westminster, who won with Ben dOr, Shotover, Ormonde, and Flying Fox; and Lord Roeebery, with Lada-s, Sir Visto, and Cicero. Owners to win twice were :— Mr. James Merry, with Thormanby and Donca-ster; the late Lord Falmouth, with Kingcraft and Silvio ; the Duke of "Portland, with Ayrshire and Donovan; Sir James Miller, with Sainfoin and Bock Sand: Lord Aliujjton and Sir Frederick Johnstone. with St. Blaise and Common: the late Mr. John Gubbins, with Galtee. More and Ardi Patrick : and Mr. J. B. Joel, with Sunstar and Pommern.

Polymelus is maintaining his superiority over all his rivals, and has sired his second Derby winner, as Fifinella scored in the Derby at Newmarket. Cyllene, the sire of Porymelus, sired from Derby winners in Cicero, .Leroberg, Minoru, and Tagalie, and as Polymelus is a comparatively young horse as stallions' ages go, it is quit© possible for Mm to surpass the classic record of his sire. Pommern stood far above the others of his age last year, but seemingly Fifmella's superiority is not so pronounced, this season, as she could only finish second in the One Thousand Guineas, and. only just beat Kwang Su in the last few yards of the Derby. After winning the Derby, her Oaks success looked nearly a foregone conclusion. Fillies have.been doing well, in the Derby of late years, as Signorinetta., Tagalie.. and Fifinella have .ill won during the last six or seven years. Fifinella was bred by her owner, Mr. E. Hulton. His excursion into the breeding world has been a lucky one. Silver Tag, a sister to Fifinella, was about the best three-year-old filly in England last season, and although she missed the classic races, she ended up the season well by winning tlio Cambridgeshire. Silver Tag is a daughter of Sundridge, but the Derby and Oaks victress is by Polymelus. Mr. Hulton has a half-sister to this pair, a, filly by Lona.wand (son of Cupbearer). Silver Fowl, tho dam of Fifinella, is an Irishbred mare. Her sire, Wildfowler, a St. Leger winner, did well in Ireland for a, number of years, but was sold to a French breeder. He comes from the same line as Comedy King: The back line of the pedigree of Fifinella is typical Irish. Kwang Sn, like Fifinella, is a grandson of Cyllene, being by Cicero {son of Cyllene-) from GaKcia, by Galopin from Isoletta, by Isonomy from Lady Muncaster, l)y Muncaster (son of Doncaster) from Bluelight, by Rataplan. He was bred by Mr. A. w. Cox, his owner, and is a' half -brother to Bayardo (St._ _ Leger) and Lemberg (Derby). Galicia has been a wonder at the stud. Lemberg won £41,694 in stakes, and Bayardo £44,534. Between them they credited their lucky breeder with £86,228, and their value as sires would be nearly as great. Kwang Su will also have a big value as a stud horse. Galicia's progeny must have won quite as much as those of Mowerina, the dam of Donovan, P.aeburn., arid Semolina. Nassovian, who ran third in the Derby, is a half-brother to the unlucky Graganour, who, after winning the Derby, was disqualified in favour of (Aboyeur. Nassovian is by William.the Third (son of St. Simon) from Veneration 11. (half-sister to Pretty Polly), by Laven from Admiration, by Saraband.

A cable from Sydney announces the death of Mr. A. Goodwin, Mr. Frank Armstrong's trainer, from meningitis. The deceased was well known as a trainer at Hastings, where he acted for some years as private trainer to Mr. T. H. Lowry. During the past few seasons he trained the jumping horses that carried Mr. Frank Armstrong's colours.