THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 286, 27 August 1908, Page 8

THE TURF.

RACINC FIXTURES. August 27.—Wairarapa Hunt Club Annual. September 2 and 3.—Mart-oil J. C. Annual. September 9 ' and 10. —Horowhcnua Hack R.C. Annual. September 16 and 17. —Rangitikei R.C, Spring. September 16 and 17.—Asliburton County R.C. Spring. NOTES AND COMMENTS. [By Glencoe.] Racing takes placo to-day at Amborley, Carterton, and Wanganui. The Great Yorkshiro Stakes, one mile and a half, is run in England to-day. At tho beginning of July, the American owner, Mr. W. K. Vandorbilt, had won nearly £38,000 in stakes for tho present, season on tho French Turf. This was due principally to tho good form shown by his two threc-yeai-olds, Sea Sick II and NorthEast.

The acceptances received for tho first day's events at the Marton Jockey Club's meeting are very largo, and, if tho weather conditions aro anything like favourable, next week's fisturo should be a record one. In allotting Grenadier 9st. 101b. in tho Flying Stakes at tho Avondalo meeting, the haijdicapper appears to have treated tho Soult horse very leniently. In February last ho carried Bst. 71b. into second placo in the Oakleigh Plate, and later on was second in tho Newmarket Handicap with 7st. 121b. He won tho Farewell Handicap at tho V.R.C. Autumn, meeting with Bst. 41b. in tho saddle, and in April at Flemington he won tho Hill Handicap, sis furlongs, with 9st. 131b; In tho latter race ho was giving weight to Gorroboree and Akim Foo, and tho account of the race says ho won puling up •in tho good time of linin. lojsec. In the South Australian Jockey Club's Goodwood Handicap ho was handicapped at 10st., but did not make the acceptance. In discussing the breeding of the importod -horse Charlemagno 11, a writer remarks that the No. 8 family is " credited with being tho most successful of all sire lines." Surely the No. 3 family deserves tho credit, not only because its male representatives have sired more winners of the important races in England than the sires of any other family, but also because it has appeared in tho twenty leading stallions for each season more consistently than any other family. For .tho third timo a scion of Galtee More has won the Russian Derby. This year's winner was Galop. Hammurabi (in 190G), and, three years earlier, Irish Lad were the previous winners sired by the son of Kendal and Morganetto. Solution's half-sister, Prophecy, opened the new racing season by winning tho Spring Stakes at the Kalgoorlie meeting on August 15, from eight other starters. .The Auck-land-bred mare won tho same. event last season. :"Mr. Wire Tokena," owner of Martello and Paiono, was in Wellington for a couple of days earlier in tho week. . .Ukraine is'' in steady work at Trentham, and will probably make her appearance in public beforo very long. Tho full-sister to Munjeet has been given plenty of timo to mature, so that it will be no fault of her owner if the filly does not justify the high price given for her as a yearling. Sho is not engaged in tho Wanganui Guineas or tho Hawke's Bay Guineas, but she remains in the C.J.C. Derby and Oaks. Two years ago, the latter event was won by her sister Mungista. Perhaps Ukraine will follow in her footsteps.

Mr. W. E. Bidwill's two-year-olds, Provocation (Birkenhead— Stepfeldt) and Expansion (Birkenhead —Immersion) will make their first public appearance at the Hawko's Bay meeting (writes our correspondent). Both are said to bo in very good fettle, and aro . expected to acquit themselves creditably. 1 J. Farmer, private trainer' to Mr. Bidwill, informed our correspondent that Gravitation, of whom great, things are .expected, this season, had had the misfortune to injure his knee, ; and in coiise? quenco ho was being spelled for,an interval. It is not, considered that tho injury is of a serious nature, but it will have the, effect of keeping the colt back in his work. At tho Newmarket meeting in July, tho bay filly Princosse do- dalles (Gallinulo — Ecila), owned and bred by His Majesty tho King, won tho Chesterfield Stakes for two-year-olds. This was the filly's first public appearance, and a good futuro is predicted for her by tho English writers. ■ • Racing as a national industry is admirably displayed in France; While the outlay of owners has been reduced to a minimum and the added money is derived from gate receipts and the percentage from the mutuel betting, a further boon is conferred by the reduction accorded by different railway companies on horses travelling to and from race meetings, as .well as. on-mares sent to and from the studs. The Jockey Club and other racing. societies distribute a certain amount of money as prizes to winners at those provincial meetings which have been instituted in localities where interest has been evinced in breeding.—"Tho Field."

Tho trainers at Trentham complain that they aro unablo to give their horses enough fast work just' at present on account of tho poor condition of tho training tracks at their disposal. Tho inner grass gallop on which most of tho work has to be accomplished is rather rough, and the tan track has not been at its best on account of the rains that have fallen during tho past couple of months. No doubt, as soon as'the fine weather sets in tho now sand track will be continued, but in tho meantimo it would bo a great convenience to trainers if they were allowed tho use of the outer grass gallop : a couple. of days a week, and the outside of the course proper one day a week for fast work. A vtfny good argument in favour of using tho outer edgo of tho course proper for training is this —it scarcely ever gets used in actual racing, and for that reason does not get continual top dressing like tho inside of the track is to dressing liko tho inside of tho track so that be maintainedj why not uso tho outsido of the course, and let it get the benefit of tho top-dressing also ? At a meeting of stewards of the TaratahiCarterton Racing Club hold on Saturday, a committee was set up, with power to act with a committee of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society, in purchasing turnstiles for tho racecourse at Clareville. WEICHTS FOR THE AVONDALE MEETING. (di telegraph—press association.) Auckland, August 26. The following weights have been declared for tho Avondalo meeting:— AVONDALE CUP, of 300 sovs.' One milo and a quarter.—Uranium, 9st. 61b.; Wailethe, Bst. 131b,; Uhlander, Bst. 131b.; Leonator, Bst. 91b.; Celtic, Bst. 21b. ; Delegate, Bst. lib.; Doucho, Bst.; Loclibuio, Bst.; Carl Rosa; 7st. 121b.; Tui Cakobau, 7st. 111b. ; Comedian, 7st. 91b.; King Post, 7st. 91b. ;' Lord Seaton, 7st. 31b.; Dardanus, 6st. 121b,;. Aristocrat, 6st. 101b.; First Gun, fist. 81b.; Epsom Lass, 6st. 71b. FLYING STAKES, of 100 sovs. Six furlongs.—Grenadier, 9st. 101b.; Miss Winnie, Bst. 131b.; Uhlander, Bst. 91b.; Sir Artogal, Bst. Gib. j Lochhuio, Bst. 41b.; Foremost, Bst. lib:; lialdanc, 7st. 131b.; Master Soult, 7st. 131b.; King Post, 7st. 111b.; Devonport, 7st. 111b.; Lucio, 7st. 111b.; Dogger Bank, 7st. 91b.; Duart, 7st. 91b.; Waihnku, 7st. 41b.; Imprimus, 7st. 31b.; Talepitchcr, 6st. 101b.

'A SPORTING LIFE, (by TELEGRAM—rttESS ASSOCIATION —COl'Vil'jllT.) London, August 25. William Blenkison, formorly an owner- of well-known racehorses, died in a common-lodging-house. YALDHTJRST HORSES. Sydney, August 26. The horses by the steamer Mooraki wero landed in splendid condition. (Golden Slipper, Multiform, and about a dozen other horsos wore aboard tho Moojaki.).