NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 800, 25 April 1910, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

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The Porirna team ior Hastings will go .forward to-day. It will consist of Exmoor, Swimming Befi, Gipsy Belle, and St. Felix. The first-named has now reached a good age, and if hij "succeeds in the Karajnu Hurdles it f can only bo assumed thai the field opr posed to him is a weak one. Swimming v Belt has dono considerably more racing this season than most horses, but, despite this, ho- stripped very fit at Trentham early this . month, and the determined manner in which ho finished in the Welter Handicap (won by Truganini) made it seem as if he was) rather unfortunate in being beaten. Gipsy Belle, another of Mr. J. Monk's racers, is very well just now, but she is ■ meeting a very strong. field in the Porangabau Handicap, and, in addition, has 121b . more to carry than .when she defeated Parula in the Suburban Handicap at Trentham. On that day North East and Tumut were amongst the "also , started" division,- but. it should be borne in mind that both these good performers had done a good deal of racing prior to thai, and pro! bably both were feeling the effects of • / it. Still, Gipsy Belle is such a really l good little mare when thoconghly well that she can never be left out of.cal*. culations. The remaining member of the team is St; Felix, who created a great surprise-'when Ire won tho hack race at Trentham, and paid a surpris- . ingly big dividend for a. Porinua-trained animal. Tho St.' Ambrose colt isa-'' quick: beginner, and this- skmld bo of great service to liim in a five-furlong race such as- the Poukawa Handicap. Probably' the stable will consider it advisable to put up Jenkins. at 'about<4lb. overweight. ~. .... ■ ,

As Lady "Eeimi is .an acceptor in tho Nursery Handicap at Hastings, and has gone north, it seems as if the veterinary surgeon has mide a success of the operatic whidi the filly underwent' some time ago. It is to be hoped that: this is so, as she is a high-class.-animal,', and her owjwr has stated that she ia : the fastest two-year-old which he ;ever' knew. . /: •' ; 1 - -'

'Lite Awapuni-owner, Mi. W. Tatham, has decided that Lothair will go to Hastings for . the hurdle race-onytha second day of the -meeting.

■ In the ligiit of fnnning at Folding. and Awapuni ■, (even ; though he scored a b|i>wlless victory at"the;latter place), it seems futile to run Pikopo in hurdle epents of one and three-quarter miles. . The big.hay is so badly aSectedin 'the wind that ho becomes very dis-'. tressed, and in the fmal dash, after the last fence is negotiated he usually rolls very'badly.

Merry -Lawn',' ■ who is owned '■' mi 'trained by J. Delaney at Hastings, has got through a good deal of • schooling, ovor fences since - the - last F-eildmg meeting, and he is now a- very proficient jumper. He showed up well in tho Hack. Hurdles, won by • Windage at Feilding,'and, it should be borne 'in mind that-lie was a green' horse r'then.

. . Paisano, who, afters he. had won a double .at . Napier. in October, , was stated'to bo a likely National librae, is an - acceptor in the Karajnu' Hurajes, at Hastings- on . Wednesday. He. and' Audax appear to be in a class by., them-/ selves up . compared with the rest.' of the field, but hurdle, racing is at. best a thing of uncertainty, and most unlikely tilings happen, in it. A faulty jump or other mishhp often . turns certain vie-, tory into defeat. '

Merrie Oliver, the handsome 'little son of Merriwee, who used to race at Miramar, carried 9st. 101b. into third ;place7..ih' 'a .14.2 handicap at a> 'recent Ascot 1 ' (Victoria) ' meeting.;, f- -. Achillean,« the five-year-old ■< full brother to Achilles, , changed hands in Sydney for .100 - guineas. ■. The'.aged chestnut gelding Hydrant must .be a useful horse, a£.lie is' entered in ' all/ kinds of races; 'At Trentham he was in the : hurdle race, at Blenheim next . week. he .is in the Cup, and 'at Wanganui later.' in the month ho will raoe in the big steeplechase. ' The name of Needlework, who has been turned out 'for over two years, is, amongst the entries for the Wangj> nui Steeplechase..- ' , A noticeable 'feature about the nom-inations-for. the Wanganui Steeplechase is the iabsento of an- Auckland-own-ed horse. , The fact that the "Great Northern Steeplechase .'meeting, opens on June 3 would account for the absence of'the northern horses.: Though Burns, who' lias a Wanganui and . a National Steeplechase -.- to -his credit, is-in. work at Riccarton, ha does not figure amongst the entries at Wanganui on May 24. and 26. Peters and Pritchard arrived back from Nelson by t-hoi Pateena with their horses !yesterday-- Peters had a,.very successful innings at the Nelson meet.', iug. . " ; :

.; 1 FIXTURES. April .27—Uanaia Hack R.C. AnnnaL ; April 27 auclv SS—Uawke's Bay J-.C, .. Autumn,, • .May"i anil s—Marlborough E.C. Autumo, May 11 andl2— R.C. Winter. Aiay 12 anJ IJ—Ashburton County E.C< Autumn. May 24 and 26—Wanganui -J.C. Winter, June a and -i.—Duue<liu J.C. Winter. June 3 and 4—Otaki R.C. Winter.

June 3, i, and R.C. Winter, Juno 15 .and-3&--Hawke's Bay J.C. Win?. ' ter. . . '; Juno 22 and 23—Napier- Park R.C. Win-

. tor. - • , . - July 7 and B—Gisborno8 —Gisborno J.C. Winter. July.-16,-20, and 23—Wellington E.C, Winter.