THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 263, 30 July 1908, Page 9

THE TURF.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. [By Glencoe.] { - The North Canterbury Jockey Club's meet iug takes place to-day. The new racing season commences on Sat urday. . The Australian Hurdle Race will'bo run at Caulfield on Saturday. Neither Waipu noi Cachuca has paid tho acceptance. ' 1 Mr. A. F. Douglas last, week' cabled from ■ Sydney!to Mr. J. Munn, asking the lattei to put a price on Gold Dust, but it i.' understood there is not, much probability of a - sale resulting, as Mr. Munn is not by any means-anxious. to part with the Gold Keef gelding. : Ataahua, whose name appears among th« • acceptors for. tile. Australian Hurdles nexi Saturday, was engaged in a junipers' flat racc .- at Mppiiee Valley last week, but infermatioi as tp.whetlier lie started is npt yet to hand. The annual balance-sheet of tho TaratahiCartcrton Racing Club, which has just' been submitted, shows that tho club ■ commenced the-year with an overdraft of £1121.185. 4d. t which was reduepd to £317 2s. .;6d. ' The pro fits pf the'year were,, therefore, £S()4 15s. 10d—a satisfactory : condition- of' .affairs - (writes our Wairarapa' correspondent) when one considers tlie extremely wet weather experienced during the November meeting. The 'club, which is well supported by the public, intends to call .for tenders for a now Rrandstand. -Messrs. T. P. Firman and G. W. Delleiv were deputed to draw .up the annual report.. . ' . , ' ' , The Merriweo-mare, My Darling, being I'giyeii a special preparation for'the Now Zea--.-.land Cup, and her owner, Mr. H. Linimcr, Ellas' great hppes of landing her at tho. post'fit: and'well to contest the . two-mile event in Novembpr." , Unearned distinction. An Australian writpf, .by ,a_ slip of .tho.'pen, states that Lord Jtoslyn is tho sirp of the New Zealand Gup winner,' Aniiamento. . , i : The AVinter Cup"' candidate, Aboriginal, has developed leg trouble since Saturday,< but it .is not yet'certain as to whether it is serioua 'enough ..'to. spoil' his pfosp'pets 'for his Riccarton engagements. . Gold : Seal, <who won tho Hunt Club Cup at Hastings yesterday, is fancied in some guartors for the Grand National Steeplechase. The owner of Lady Menschikeif has a halfsister to tho filly by the Australian sire Pa. troiius.' ■Thp .youngster. is said to be as pro- s raising as Lady Meuschikoff, ... . Sen; Sim was shipped to. Riccarton by the Maori last night. :• '' .', -Comedian, .who ran fourth in the -Parliamentary ...Handicap and . afterwards got ; thrpiigh':spinp. ; gppd track wprk.at Trentham, .'showed good form. at. Hastings yesterday bj defeating the Hawke's Bay Cup winnei ' Uenuku! The-Merriweegelding has been performing fairly well during the last ; two months, and,as he is still- on the improve h« should pay his way all right during the com' ing season.- ' . ' . Some'time ago "Zetland,". a .'Wairarapa sporting writer, declared that the. statement, made in these columns that Whatakura once occupied the; menial position of drawing lpgf - - on. tho Ruamahanga Flats, was incorrect, There .arc ; few writers, who, in their time da •not commit mistakes, but in this case the . burden is on "Zetland." Our 'Wairarapa correspondent has forwardpd written testimony by,' Mr.' "Jack" Tilson, .which proves Tns -. Dominion statement to bo absolutely correct. Mr. Tilson writes: —"My brother 'Tui,' ray'sejf, and ethers saw Whatakura 'pulling legs .oil the flats. He was driven- by''Rangi'. Jury who owned him at the tinie. Certainly, the logs were not .very large, stijl they were too big for a man" to carry. The' date vfas Novenibpr or December of 1905, 'or'just-about* t|iat time, and the logs were being shifted in . order to cjpar a piece of ground for'cultivation., Whatakura is also broken .into bar-, ii'ess; and 1 have seen him. in d gig."