THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 535, 16 June 1909, Page 9

THE TURF.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. TBr Gmmcos.l • ►. Tho H.iivkc's Bay Steeplechase will ho decided at Hastings to-day. Jlr. George Hirst, the crack gentleman rider, has been engaged to rido Pikopo in the Ladies' Bracelet at Hustings this afternoon. \V. Young lias ridden Nova in most of his efforts over hurdles, but as ho will bo required for Rookby to-day H. Telford will pilot Nova. 1 ' Nadino, a promising hack hurdle candidate, fell wliilo schooling at Hastings yesterday, and is a doubtful starter to-day. In the Heretaunga Handicap this after- j noon, C. Jenkins will have tho mount on Waikaraka, and A. Oliver will bo up cn Mahuta. As thero is likely to bo a big field for the Hack Steeplcchaso at Hastings to-day, probably more interest will centre in that event than in any of the others. Tho Daystar gelding, Northern Star, comes from Riccarton with a good reputation, as ho is said to havo improved a lot during tho past few weeks. Aorangi, who is a perfect jumper, is said to be in great heart at present, and other candidates that have been galloping well, aro Speciosa, Coy, and Aroha. Diplomatic, who is engaged, in the Whakatu Hurdles this afternoon, has started five times in hurdle races during tho past three months. At Maaterton ho won on tho second day, at Blenheim ho was first and second in his two starts, and at Otaki/ho was second and third. At tho present time ho is said to be better than he bos been at any stage of his career. Tho Avond'ale Guineas winner Pohutu, who is now trained at Hastings, has been responsible for somo very smart gallops during tho past woek. Yesterday morning ho covered a round in faster time than.: any other horse that worked on the track. Not many of tho Porirua horses are being galloped on the beach_ at tho present timo. Prosefir is a great believer in hill work for putting musolo on his horses, and several members of his team are given long exercise ever the bills each day.

Ballyhooley, a three-year-old chestnut colt by tho New Zealand-bred Uniform, ran a dead heat for first place in the Johannesburg Turf Club's March Handicap, to which a good stake (1750 sova.) is attached. The oolt was bred in South Africa, and is said to be one of the best handicap horses'of the season. , Mr. "Joe"- Thompson, the ex-Australiari bookmaker, who Died recently at Tcueriffe, left property valued at £24,000. ' Leo Grand, who caused rather a sensation at the Richmond Raeecourso, Melbourne, this week, left Auckland for Australia a few weeks ago in charge of J. Gallagher. He was reported as rather a smart pony, but suffered defeat through poor horsemanship. Somo of the jockeys riding at the pony meetings in Australia are good horsemen, but-it is 'diflioult to secure their services, and tho second-raters are generally very poor, exponents of tho art.

Auckland sportsmen have formed a very high opinion of Capitol, and regard him as tho equal, if not the sut>erior, of Kiatere.Since Mr. TvohiU has owned Capitol the Leolantis golding has won six races,, and, in his other starts, ho has not been farther away than second. It is his record .thathas appealed to followers of racing. In the Hawke's Bay ; Steeplechase to-day he meets three fresh opponents in Nadaaor, Euriw, and: To Kohau. The first two liavo excellent performances to their credit, and Nadador has always proved herself very hard to beat at Hastings. She has twice won the HawkeVßay Steeplechase, and, on other occasions, she has run second and third.' Should Capitol prove equal to beating; this pair, while conceding tliem weight, it will be no mean performance. '

HASTINCS TRAININC NOTES. ■ (by teleobaph—rnEss association.), . •.•• Hastings, Juno 15.-"' '. The plough was slow, ' owing to yesterday's rain, vet tho morning s ; work was interesting. Iney, with a. light weight up, finished in front of \'i aiicl Bercola at the end of fivo furlongs, in; lmin, 6seo. Cork held Resign safe' over four furlongs in 64sec. Somali waß too good for Coy, over six furlongs, in lmin. 24see.'. 'Androw Mack galloped and jumped' in fino' style,- going ono round of the schooling! hurdles. Ben Jonson created a favourable impression by tlie way ho hit out ; and the Hawke'B Bay Hurdles candidate is in rare nick. Tokoroa pulled ■up lamo after light work. It is not known yet whether tho injuries are serious. Yosami, by herself, jumped in an en-atic manner. Doublo or Quits did not give tho impression of turning out tiseful over fences. Capitol jumped tho fences in a faultless man-1 ner, and did solid work on the fiat. Nova, Loirct, Muskerrv, Bobrikoff; Atanui, Spcciosa. Kopu, and others did useful work. 1 The increased stakes, havo had the effcct :of enticing owners from a'.distanoo. Twentyone candidates arrived last pight, and the Auckland contingent at yesterday... Tho weather ib fine, and 'springlike. • HEAVILY BACKED,''BUT UNLUCKY. I LEO GRAND AT RICHMOND. : (at TELEGRAPH—I'KESS ASSOCIATION—COI'I-llIGU'r.) • Melbourne, Juno 15. ' The Auckland colt Leo Grand made a somewhat sensational first appesranco oii-vlho Richmond racecourse. - - • . • llidden by a W'estralian jockey named Egaii, he passed tho judge's box tho first.time six lengths ahead.; bnder ,tho impression that ho had won, Egan eased' up, but tho sbouta of tho spectators and tho pace of. tho other horse 3 made him realise that, ho had miscalculated tho distanoe. To tho surprise of everyone, however, Leo Grand caught the leaders in a dozeai strides, but in tho straight ho again stumbled and got rid of his rider, an outsider winning. The stowards severely reprimanded Kgan for his. carelessness, The horse carried a lot of money.