NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By "Sir Lancelot.")

The Winter Cap is one of the" few important events on the Dominion racing calendar that has not been won by a representative of Sir George Clifford's stable In. the coming race the Chokebore Lodge stable is represented by Flying Start (10.12), Battle Eve (10.0), and San Sebastian (San Francisco— Brave Heart) 9.0 The two first named rac«l so badly at Trentham that it would not bo surprising if San Sebastian, who will race as a -four-year-old will carry the " blue and gold chequers " next month. He has recently done fairly well in mile races. At Riccarton in the autumn he ran second in the Aldington Plate, one mile, defeating ten others At Ellerslie last month he won the; Rant urly Welter Handicap, one mile, carrying 9.5, in a field of twenty-one. On the concluding day he ran fourth in the Fitzroy Welter Handicap, one mile, in another big field. At the Newcastle Meeting this month Regularity (Larino^Rufine) carried 11.0 to victory in a tv/o year-old handicap in a field of nine (67 minimum). The impost named js probably a record for a two-year-old in a handicap event. The Dates Committee of the Racing Conference found it necessary to make several exceptions and amendments to the list of racing dates applied for during the coming season, and in making its report stated : —" The committee greatly deplores the practice on. the part of certain clubs in making, without fresh proof of evidence in support thereof, applications and objections to dates which have been, repeatedlyheard and decided by the committee. Further, such objections, they feel sure, tend, in their opinion, to cause unnecessary expense and friction between the clubs concerned."

English papers to hand bring the news of the success of Pommern (Polymelus— Merry Agnes) in the June Stakes, a. mile and a-half weight-for-age event, at Nowmarket. He was followed home by Russley and Silver Tag, two other four-year-olds. " Vigilant " understands that with his victory in the June Stakes at Newmarket Pommern closed his racing career. It has been a brilliant one, for, accounting for the Two Thousand Guineas, the New Derby, and the September Stakes, he can take rank witji the winners of the "triple crown," despite the facts that the "New" Derby was a substitute for the great Epsom event, that the September Stakes took the place of the Doncaster 'St. Leger, and that both were decided at Newmarket. Pommern has won seven races of the total value of £15,616. He will prove a great acquisition to tho Maiden Erlegh Stud, where are located his sire, Polymelus, and Sunder. The Dannevirke Racing ' Club's Steeplechase Meeting will be held the week after the Grand National Meeting, and comes before the Masterton Meeting instead of after it, as was tlie case this season. The stake money is exactly the same as last year. The Spring Handicap has been reduced £10, which amount has been put on to the Otanga Handicap, which is the principal flat event. The two-year-old colt Venerable (by Achilles—Monarda) won a. race at Brisbane this month. He was bred at Waikanae, and is half-brother to Miraculous.

Among the entries macfe for the Gimcrack Stakes, to be run at the A.J.O. Spring Meeting, are the following New Zealand-owned youngsters : — G. M. Ourrie's brown filly, by Harrov —Alannah; G. D. Greenwood's Lovesick, by Slartian—Lovelorn; and A. B. Williams's Chuckle, by Mnlfcificl— Ajnusement. It looks as ii the Dominion, will not be well represented in the juvenile races at Randwick The Southern horses Heatherlea and Caseshot hay« already arrived at Riccarton ■to fulfil their engagements at the Grand National Meeting. Heatherlea is a North Island-bred horse that has dons well in steeplechase events in the South Island. He is engaged in tho Grand National Steeplechase with the minimum weight. A Christchurch exchange reports that Kilboy, who claims an engagement in the A.J.C. Derby, will be shipped to Sydney by this week's boat. It is understood that Kilboy will join Murray Hobbs's team on arrival at Sydney At Trentham on-Saturday the jockey A. Watson was disqualified for twelve months for being rude to the racecourse detective, S. Kraetzer. The disqualification was imposed under Rule 7, Part IV., of the Rules of Racing, reading: "The stewards may fine any person at any time guilty of improper behaviour towards any steward, member of committee, or official, in a sum not exceeding 50 soys, or may disqualify such person for any period not exceeding one year." Iron Mask, one of the most famous sprinters on the American Turf, has died at Lexington of double pneumonia. He was eight years old, and was by Disguise out of Royal Rose. Iron Mask had the distinction of having raced successfully in England, tlie United States, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba.

The announcement from the North to the effect that Rorke's Drift and Seadown are tho equally ruling favourites for the Winter Cup is puzzling Southland backers, and Invercargill punters in particular (says " Sir Madrid" in Saturday's Southland Times). Owing to the state of the local tracks the son of Calibre has not been worked in earnest of late, and it will take trainer Hogan all his time, even with three weeks at his command on Riccarton tracks, to get Messrs. Price's gelding ready for the principal flat race of the Grand National fixture. In the event of the horse being taken north early nest week, it is possible that he will be cherry ripe by 15th August, as he has been kept up to the collar for the greater portion of the season now in its closing stage, but as matters stand at the time of writing it does not seem good judgment to elevate the Dunediu Cup winner to the position of Winter Cup favourite—that is,' from a punter's point of view. When Rorke's Drift commences to stride out against the watch during tho forthcoming four weeks on the C.J.C. tracks, there will be ample time to support him straight out or couple him up, as fancy dictates. The enquiry into the alleged inconsistent running of Kooya on the first two days of the recent meeting was concluded yesterday. After hearing evidence of the persons concerned it was decided not to take any action. In the action brought_ by Mr, W. Cooper, of Masterton, against the Nat-trass-Harris Motor Co., Ltd., of Napier, for £200 damages for loss of the racehorse Franbonnet, plaintiff was nonsuited. In delivering judgment Mr. Tj. G. Reid, S.M., said that from points of fact he was satisfied that no undue negligence had been proved. The liotsc evidently became restive and jumped on to the car. There vtus no direct evi- > denes of excessive, epacd*. la- fact,, ths

.evidence of Mr. Sinclair went to show that Nattrass was not travelling over twenty miles an hour. It was unfortunate that plaintiff had lost a valuable horse, but the Court could not be

swayed by sympathy. Plaintiff would be nonsuited, with costs amounting to £12 19s.