NOTES.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13376, 18 March 1909, Page 8

NOTES.

The mare Slaveaway, by Right-away —St. Siiave, imported from -England by Mr (j. U. Greenwood, foaled a colt t.. the English stallion \ eles at Mr J.

ti. Heid's stud iann, Cauowie, on Tuesday. mc annuai meeting of the Waimate Racing Club will be held to-day, and promises to be a great success, oeveral well performed horses are engaged in the leading event-., and generally tlie fields are of more than average qualitj.

There will be raco meetings m prtigre._s to-day at Waimate, Ohinemuri, >> estport, and Warrengate.

The trainer of Soultlino was not present to see that horse win the Xcwniarket Handicap. He had not recovered from the shaking he received by his hack stumbling with him prior to the meeting, and acting on medical advice liradiield did not go to the course. He spent the day in bed.

A\ bile doing slow work at Randwick recently, Montmore was seen to stagger and fall. After some struggling tlie son of Favour got on his feet, but fell again, and expired immediately. Montmore was owned by Dr. Mackinnon, and was trained by T. Lamond.

At Windsor (Eng.) last month, Kilsby, an aged chestnut gelding by Patron, won tile Paddock Steeplechase, run at two miles.

That good mare Prophecy (Pha-bus Apollo—Problem) was in such a bad way subsequent to the "Essendon Stakes at the V.X.C. Meeting, that it is said she may not race again. If Prophecy retires now she will do so with a remarkably good record, having won It of the 20 races in which she has consisted.

Concerning Pilot's running in Melbourne, and the V.R.C.'s action nnent it, the Melbourne "Ace" says:—"The Maorilander fenced magnificently, and to havo used unnecessary pressure in driving him home when palpably beaten, so far from merely meriting censure, would have called • for the intervention of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It is all the more strange that an undeserving case of this sort should be singled out for censure when instances of palpable 'roping' which havo disfigured the three days' racing at Flemingtoii were permitted to go unchallenged." The largest entry that has been gained for any of the spring handicaps is tho ono for throe-year-olds at Sandown Park (says a I/ondon writer). There are 05 in it, against 48 for the City and Suburban, which is worth double tho money, and has the whole range of ages to select from. There a_e only two three-year-olds engaged in the City and Suburban, and the same in the I.incolnshiro Handicap. Why aro not the other 63 inP This is a question that does not take much answering. The three-year-olds are shut out of the big handicaps by thc handicappers. With the lot entered at Sandown a range from 2st to 3st will I*e t-.ken ; but enter the samo lot at Lincwln or Epsom, and they would be placed pretty well in a line, with i.osssbiy a margin of 71b allowed. Either, ih'.rf-fore, the hnndicapper is wrong in taking a range of between 2st or 3st at Sandown, or in bulking them together at the other places. This bulking together causes the race to cease to be a handicap, as an equal chance is not given to every horse, and it is in this that efficient handicapping consists.

Another big Indian race, the Great Western Handicap, 9 furlongs, was run at Bombay on the 13th of last month, and was won by an Euglish-bred horse. Master Tlieo, who carried 7.9. Kaffirpan, 7.10, did best of the Australian division by running third, with Absentee, 8.9, next. Wandin was allotted top weight, 9.10, but did not run, and it may trouble tbe angular Russley gelding to win a handicap for somo time to come.