HERE AND THERE

I This Week's Races. I Racing this week will be held by the | Hawkes Bay Jockey Club on Thursday and Saturday, by the Oamara Jockey Club !on Saturday, and by the Taumarunui ; Racing Club (at Ellerslie) on Saturday. 1 The last-named meeting concludes next I Monday. i Visit to Dominion. Mr. W, J. Donovan, formerly a trainer of Hawkes Bay, where he had charge of Mr. J. S. M'Leod's team when Runnymede was at his peak, and also of members of Mrs. M. A. Perry's team, was a passenger by the Marama, which arrived to-day from Sydney. Mr. Donovan is on a business visit to New 'Zealand, and intends returning to Australia shortly. in Good Fettle. Without being asked any serious questions, Manawhenua, Taneriri, and Wild Country have been accomplishing useful work at Ellerslie lately, and they should be in great heart when required to race again, says the '\Ncw Zealand Herald. They i have all been nominated for the Wellington Winter Meeting, and, unless anything unforeseen occurs, they are practically certain to make the trip to Treiilham. Grand National Entries. The total entries (214) lcceived on Friday'for the six principal events at the Canterbury Jockey Club's Grand National Meeting are exactly the samo in point of number as they were last year. Ilje figures were (last year's figures in parentheses): Grand National SLceplechase 31 (20); Grand National Hurdles, 34 (32); Winter Cup, 50 (53); Beaufort Steeples, 30 (33); Sydenham Hurdles, 31 (33); ciud Lincoln Steeplechase, uo (jtjSteeplechase Field. Among the entrants for this year's Grand National Steeplechase there are two previous winners of tho luce, these being 'Juki, who was successful iv 1925, and Wiltshire, who led the field home in successive years, 1028 and 1029. Other interesting nanies among the nominations are those"of Corrieroff and Omco, the minor place-fillers last year, and Ihose ot previous winners over tho country this winter in St. Warrigat, Dark Prince, Pangdlin, Matu, Radiac, Tunamoe, Pans, Di&rank, Snowfall, and Umtali. Claremorc, Lucess, Wako King, and IJis'i Pitch are others on whom attention will be focussed. The most notable absentees are Aurora Tiorealis, last year's winner, and Master Lv, winner of the Great Northern Steeplechase. Hurdlos Contest.

■In the-list for the Grand" National Hurdles, 21 :of whose 34 entrants are North Islanders,1 there are previous', winners -in: Nukumai, -the . ■ -1028 victor,; and in

Garinthia, last year's victor. Thiß year's Great Northern Hurdles winner, Prince Lv, has also made the entry, and so has Uio 103) Great Northern winner, Mister Gamp. Others . whoso chances will be early discussed aro Luccss, Claremore, Conjurer 11., High Pilch, Amorist, Lancer, Camisader, Bed Fuchsia, Mountain Heath, Nucleus, and Singleton. Neither of last year's p]ace-iille.rs, Aurora Jiorcdis or King's Jest, is at present in commifision, nor i'h last year's favourite, INEangani. Actually there does not appear to be a surprise omission in the entry. The Wintor Cup, The Winter Cup has attracted 50 nominations, and there appear to lie very few among the list that have not at least some chiincc. Riccartou has mustered v formidable company, to mention only Charmeuse, Royal Love, Great Star, Sharp Thorn, Compris, Straightcourse and Ball Dress, Ranelagh, Kascal/Toperc, Arikiwai, and Meprisant. From further afield aro Palermo, Mount Boa, Punchestown, Koyal Saxon, Town Major, Great Charter, The Smuggler,- Mahora, Fitecuiex, Toba«coland, Royal Game and Black Mint, Rational II" and Kahikatoa. Neither ot the last two winners, Historic or Toseuraa, hus beou entered, nor have last year's minor place-fillers, Nancy Lee or Havering. Death of Mollison. The racehorse Mollison is reported to have died in Melbourne the week before last. As a two-year-old Mollison had an unbeaten record, and won over £17,000 in stakes. His total winnings in stakes up to the time of his death amounted to £31,000. He was by the imported horse Seramond, and was bred in Queensland nearly six years ago. Up to 12 months ago Mollison was owned and raced by Mr. E. M. Pearce, of Melbourne, and was then sold ot auction, being bought by the owucr-traincr, Mr. AY. Tindall. Going on Right. Avondalc reports credit Claremore with training ou in the right way, and lie is expected to be a fit horse for his engagements at the Wellington Racing Club's Meeting. Ularernore's second to Spalpiko in the Winter Steeplechase was a fine effort for a horse who was having his first raco over country, and, if all goes well with him,- ho should, take high rank as a jumper before the close of the jumping season. A. E. Ellis will ride Claremore in his engagements ai Trenlham. Team from Melbourne. An Australian writer slates it is now almost definitely settled that one of the leading Victorian trotting trainers, >V. M"Kay, will shortly leave Melbourne for New Zealand with a strong team of pacers and trotters. Aubun Lad -is • certain to be one of the team, and this fine pacer is expected to hold his own with the best. There is ajso a possibility of .M'Kay's bringing the. crack, Walla Walla, across. About Lord Val. Lord Val," who has "been entered for events at the Wellington Meeting, is a member of J. Clothier's Matamata team. This Valkyrian—Sweet Colleen four-year-old showed good form at the recent meeting of the Auckland Club at Ellerslie, running third to Gay "Lap and 'Emancipation in the second division of the Jcrvois Handicap, seven furlongs, and at his nest start dead-heating with Pewa in the Fitzroy Handicap, one mile. Lord Val, who handles soft ground freely, has the ability to hold on boldly under pressure. Another from Stable. Another from the samo stable, Prince Val, is also booked for the trip to Trentham. Ho is a five-year-old chestnut gelding by Valkyrian from Sports Queen, and indicated that he was well forward at the recent Auckland Meeting, where he scored in the open sprint on the concluding day. Prince Val has not made the most of it out of the barrier in many of his races this season, but if he can overcome this handicap- at Tre.ntham ho should prove equal to paying, his way on the trip. Truo Blood's Chanco, When True Blood raced at the Auckland Racing Club's Winter Meeting he was not thoroughly- ready, yet be- ran a good race in the' Cornwall Handicap after receiving none the .best of the start. Unsouudness has at various times affected this horse, but he is <t fine performer under winter conditions, and, now that ho is showing signs of returning to form, thero should b'a; a- stake for him very soon. Ho is in the' main flat races at Trenthara, and he may play a more prominent part in their decision than he did at Ellerslie. It will be remembered that he won the Parliamentary Handicap, one and ' a-quartcv miles, on ■ the second day of last year's Wellington Winter Meeting. Manawatu Classics. The total number of new - entries received recently by the Manawatu Racing Club for its future classic events numbered 4.j9, as against 402 last year, a very satisfactory response. For the 1931 Palmerston North Stakes the figures were 51, making 162 in the race with last year's first entries; for the 1932 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes they were 94; and for the 1932 Manawatu Stakes they were 00, making 201 with last year's first entries. First entries for the 1932 Palnierston North Stakes totalled 97, and for the 1933 Manawatu Stakes 124. The last total was ten in excess of the first entry made last year. High Pitch's Programme. Though not engaged on the first day (Saturday) .of the Taumarunui Meeting, High Pitch has been accorded an entry in the Raurimu Hurdle Race on the second day (Monday) of that fixture. He is also engaged in tho principal flat and hurdle events at the Wellington Meeting, and his owner will probably take tho opportunity of giving him a race at Ellerslie before leaving for the South. High Pitch has quickly come to the front as a hurdler, and, being a capable galloper in heavy ground, has excellent prospects of winning further races during the nest few months. Death of Fiflnella. The famous mare, Fifinella, died in England late in April, after foaling. Her chestnut filly was by Hurry On, being thus a sister to Press Gang, one of the best three-year-olds of his year, and now at the stud at Lord Woolavington s, Lavington Park. Fifinella. was bved in 1913 by Sir Edward Hulton, by Polymelns from Silver Fowl, by 'Wildfowler.' She was a brilliant mare. She won the Derby and the Oaks in 1916, and was second in Ihe One Thousand Guineas. She Was sold to Lord Woolavington for 12,000 guineas. The best of her progeny was Press Gang. In addition to Fifinella and Silvern, Silver Fowl produced Soubriquet, Silver Tag, and other good winners. Silver Fowl was one of the racecourse failures to become a very great brood mare. , ;