NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By "Sir Lancelot.")

Mr M. C. O/Connell, of Masterton, who has not enjoyed the best of health lately, ha s sold his well-known Masterton property Kingswell to Mr. Win Looper.

a ?? °j the yearlin3s to be sold at the Auckland summer sales, the bay filly by The Nut-Pleasant Surprise, is a halfbrother to Ohoreka (by Poseidon), who is engaged at the Manawatu Meeting Ihe dam of these youngsters is an imported mare by Onne from Blue Hat

Indecent years jockeys have been able , to ride on the opening day at Ellerslie and be at Awapuni for the Stakes the following day. There will probably be hve or six runners in to-morrow's race Lronhurst and whichever of the Highden team—Panmure, Nystad, and' Cease .tire— 1S started will be favourite. The other runners may be Sweet Tipperary. Rockbound, and Rose Pink Mr Bert Taylor will be among the South Island visitors at Ellerslie this afternoon. Passing through he informed, me that Bee was doing well after the Australian trip_ ; and would be seen out at Trentham if sh« went on all right in the meantime. Zuland had a cold and that would probably keep him out ot commission for a month or two With few exceptions, such as First Wance and_ Panmure, horses imported to tne .Dominion have not gained distinction as track performers. Two well-bred Bntishners m Llanishen (Llangibby— Berrd mare) ; and Theirnham (John o Gaunt—Lady Disdain) will 'make their first appearance at Ellerslie this afternoon. Llanishen, who -will carry And E- «\ Wf t6lf ColoUrs > » one°f M? Andy Robertson s Australian importations. She won uj England, where she was credited with running six furlongs p Imm 13sec. Llanishen may be seln in action at lrentham Wedding Day, who was among the winners at Moorefield this monthf is a four-year-old by Antonio from Weddin<* present, an imported dauahtei- of Ti-eu-tou. ~

The Auckland Meeting will be continued on Friday, when the Islington Plate, a, mile weight-for-age race, romes up for decision. It is expected that Desert Gold (who won last year) will make her reappearance in the ivwe. She has only started once this season, in the Champion Plate at Trentham. Strange to say, last season's three-year-old fillies Desert Gold, Tauringamutu, and Nones! nave all been more or less under a cloud this season, although all have won races, lhirty-four nominations were received for the race, but probably no more than three or four will start. The probables are Desert Gold (or Egypt), The Toff (or .Koesian), Sasanof, and Chortle. P. Hazelman, for some time private trainer to Mr. W. E. Bidwill, has taken service with H. J. Jefford.

Linesman (by Linacre), winner of the Maiden Handicap, one mile, at the Moorefield Meeting this month, traces back to a well-known New Zealand family. His dam, Sweet Adeline, is by Maltster — Adelia, by Gozo — Maori Queen, by Musket—Rangi, by Ravensworth, from imported Skybird. Handicapper H. Coyle will witness three days' racing at Manawatu and two days at Hastings, and declare the weights for the opening day of the Wellington Meeting on Bth January. The four-year-old Boseacre (by Linacre)r who is about the best performer in Queensland at the present time, is from Rosette, by Gozo—Badge, by Escutcheon (Musket—Rosettte), who sired a good many winners in Victoria. Rose Argent (who carried the late Mr. Stead's colours) was another member of the family that won in. Australia. Lord Acre has won four races in Queensland this season, of the value of 1830 soys. Association, whose name appears among the acceptances for the Nursery Handicap at the Wairarapa Meeting, is by Elevation from Black Scotia, by 'AU Black—Scotia (dam of Bridge). Associoation is, a first foal, and is the first progeny of a daughter of All Black to win. a race in the Dominion. Mascot is a popular Trentham pick for the Wairarapa Cup. She is. the only Martian engaged in the race. The Radium colt Clarissimus, a halfbrother to Panacea, the dam of Panmure, now in the Highden stable, had no difficulty in winning the Champion Stakes at Newmarket. Pommern was taken to the course, with the idea of competing, but his owner, Mr. S. Joel, was not present, and his trainer. S. Lates, did not care about running the son of Polymelus, for fear he might be defeated by Clarissimus, Pommern, who lis understood to have finished racing, has only started ten times altogether, his record standing at seven wins, a second and twice unplaced. He won his ? last five races. '

It was stated recently that an Australian sportsman had purchased in England a yearling colt by Roi Herode for 1700 guineas, and speculation ran high as to the identity of the owner. There is now reason for saying that the gentleman concerned is Captain H. Alan Carrie, a noted Victorian sportsman, ■ and member of the V.R.C. committee, who many months ago went to England, and offered his services to the English Government in connection with the war. The youngster will probably be raced in England during the currency of the war. Flying Start and Full Speed are both amiss, and did not accompany their stable mates to Ellerslie.

Kilfiinn,. who claims engagements in the two-year-old events at Wingatui, and Oamaru, is a filly bred by Mr. J. B. Eeid. She is by Killbroney—Gambode, by Martin—Escape, the dam of Outlander, Martist. and Boutade. Full Bloom, another juvenile engaged at the southern holiday fixtures, is a filly by Pena£es —Mountain Flower, by St. Ambrose—Eidelweiss.