"SPECTATOR'S" NOTE BOOK.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9176, 6 August 1895, Page 2

"SPECTATOR'S" NOTE BOOK.

Mr J. Paul, the Wanganui sportsman, is sending his horses, Tariety and Rags, to the Grand National Meeting. They should arrive at headquarters to-day. It is on the cards that Boulanger will either be offered tor sale or stand during the coming season in Canterbury. He will arrive from Wanganui during the week, and will be located at Middle Park. Last season Boulanger covered a few public mares and some belonging to his owners. On breeding lines "Bally," as he was called when racing—and he was one of the most brilliant horses of his time—cannot be beaten. , Another item of stud news is that Mr J. O. Hayward, manager for Mr W. O. Williams, of Kaiwaiwai, Wairarapa, was asked'to put a price upon the Musket horse, Derringer, lately. I have authority for stating that, had he felt inclined to sell at the price, £300 would have been forthcoming, but as the Wairarapa stud master set a much higher price upon the borse, no business resulted. Flintlock has lately been purchased by Mr Hayward, and as Ascot joined the same stud last year breeders can have a wide selection. It will be remembered that, at the Autumn Meeting of the Woodville District J.C. when Wherlko fell ia one of the Hurdle Races, the jockey Hope was in a perilous position fer a few seconds. Frewin, seeing that the horse could not get up, ran down the straight co meet the other riders to warn them of the accident, and while signalling to attract their attention received a lash over the head from tbe whip of tbe clerk af the course, who was vigorously trying to get the people to leave the course. A lawsuit for damages has been commenced against the club's official. During last week one of the Wellington bookmakers, C. Patterson, was in Christchurch, but ha has the same story to tsll

as Chrutchureh penciller3 mid others at c i distance, viz., that very Utile business j has baen doihg in connection with the New Z-stand O-.ip. Tne h irse*" most in j favour, from -vhat I can leara from all i sourc33. arc N .>rth Atlantic, and Mahaki ! of the North Xslaadera and Skinnf-her of tho Southerner--. A note of warning mu*t ba sott'idcd ahoat Njrth Atlantic, a_ a report h:ts reached ?r,s to the effect that he is not all right. It will probtbly not bo till after the firs': piym'*nt. that bnsinesn in connection with the chief handicap r.ace of the year looks up. I hive been permitted to maks some extracts from a letter received from li. Dant by the recant .nail Iron Amcric. Dent went over from S*n Francisco to New York with the. drf.fc of yearlings from Mr J B. H:-2**ii'"' 11-ncho del Paso. These tiie eis' New Zealand*!described as a rnagtiiflcent lot ; but though much impressed \vi:h the country, he has already seen quite enoujju to satisfy him that racing there ia quite overdone, and that mast of tho3e who engage in its pursuit do so from a strictly business point of vie***. The New Zealand Grand National Meet ins attain engages attention. Since last week many of the horses intended to compete have arrived at headquarters, and more are to follow during the next fendays. I am writing several days before the final payments have to be made, and ten days before the meeting commences. Add to this that the snow is on the ground several inches deep, and some of the horses are short of work and ia need of a bit of galloping and schooling, which they may not be able to receive at a time when it would do them most good, aud it will ba conceded that probabilities have to be taken into account in thus early making selections for the various events. It is not my intention to more than briefly indicate my fancies for the minor events this week, leaving final selections for nest wnck's issue, which, like this, will be published a day earlier thsn usual, being outgoing English mail week. From the sixteen engaged in the Hunters' Hurdle Race I can make no decided selection, but will merely repeat that on paper the chances of Ben Trovato. Pararnu and Brin look good, and that a representative at headquarters that may be worth following is Much A.do, who has been jumping nicely, and who may be more at home as a jumper than as a flat racer. Repo is also doing well. The field of maiden candidates is likely to be large. Victim is reputed to be a good jumper, and if that be so he is worthy of respect. Invader, Gillie and Brin are the others I fancy. Minerva is not looking over well, nor does she go well. It ie thought by some who have been watching the work done by Liberator that his particular mission will be the Hurdle Race, but no later than Tuesday his owner informed mc that his present intention was to start him in the Steeplechase, and I will once more hazard the opinion that, should he stand up—about which I have no doubt—he will be returned the winner of the Grand National of 18J5. I place them — Liberator with Kulnine, Mutiny and Norton in the order named. The Tally-ho Plate S'eeplechase candidates nro perhaps much of a class, but three of those I like are Vagabond, Victor and Pastime, though nothing would have a chance with lon if he were sound. I see nothing better than Mystical in the Ladies' Bracelet, and in the Enfield Steeplechase I should prefer Kulnina to anything else if sure he would start. Next to him Gillie, Marcc'ial Neil aud Nero are those I would select. Of the Winter Handicap lot, Vogengang showed to greater advantage in a gallop thau Silver Spec during the week and, though he does not look over bright, he is evidently in better form than his appearance would indicate. From the pair named, Solano, Chaos and Triton the winner will, I think, come, and under colours, I think Silver Spec may be thereabout at the business end of the journey. A good deal depends upon the way in which Liberator gets on in the Steeplechase as to hid projects in the Hurdle Race. Couranto and Barnardo are both somewhat sore. Kahurangi, Donald M'Kinnon, Despised, Victim aud Belmont have yet to arrive. Nothing could be in better health than Empire, and should anything go wrong with the top weights, he will perhaps be found to have a chance. Auroa looks well, and so does Sunapot, but neither would bs class enough for a National Hurdle Race run on top of the ground, and in a true manner from end to end. With the chance** of several of the good horses in doubt, owing to soreness and Liberator haviug the prior engagement in the Steeplechase, which may take a lot of the steel out of him, I think it is quite on the cards that the race may not ba a particularly hard one to win. Still, with Baraardo aud Couranto not over sound, I don't know that I can advise anything better than Liberator all the same, and while I think he has a show of annexing the d.uble, I fancy that his chancos would have been improved if the Hurdle Race had been the first event. Without positive information as to Victim's state of health, I cannot pick him to win, bat it appears to mc this week that he is the most likely to dispute supremacy with Liberator, who I make my capital letter selection.