THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 900, 20 August 1910, Page 7

THE TURF.

.. NOTES AND COMMENTS. till Ur.r.KCon.i' Owners are given a final reminder that nominations lor the Rangitikei Racing Club's Spring meeting close tonight with the club's secretary, Mr. H. A. Goodall, Bulls. Telegrams should ho lodged early. It • is interesting to note that they are doing away with stipendiary stewards in West Australia. Weights for tho Marton Jockey Club's meeting will be declared on Wednesday' next. i Tho Amberley Sports Club's annual steeplechase "meeting takes place on Thursday next. Danube will probably make his first appearance as a three-year-old in - the Wangaiuii Guineas. In view of his Now Zealand Cup engagement, his running in the Wanganui race will be watched with much interest. Valentine, who showed good form at the Wellington Racing Club's winter meeting, is freely engaged at the HoroK'henua Hack Racing Club's meeting. A question that had excited a little interest in sporting circles was that as to whether Mr. D. Buick would bs represented in tho New Zealand Cup by Aberbrothock or Gold Battery, or both or none. The question was partly settled yesterday by the withdrawal of Abei'bro'thock. . Should Auratus be among the starters at tho Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club's meeting, it will add considerable interest to tlio fixture. If started he may not be at anything like his best. For-the sake of some of the others it would bo far better if he were not at his best. One of the winners at the Queensland . Tiirf Club's meeting at Brisbane on August 6 was Unlimited Loo, ■ a gelding ■ by : Louis XIII (sire of the Porirua-trained Bourbon). T. Pritchard, who was badly injured on the last day of the Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting, is making good ■progress' towards recovery, but of course it will bo some considerable limo yet before lie will bo able to do any riding. , . North Head, who went wrong at Trenthom in July, 1909, when on the way- to Riccarton, has not raced since, but ho is again in work at Ellerslie under the care of C. ' Two new recruits at the hurdle business are Sir Pmu' and Lethean.. C. Cochrane will probably .bo tho jockey chosen for both when they aro ready to start in hurdle races. During; A. Oliver's absence in Australia,. Stanley Reid will do a good deal of the riding.of Mr. Highden's team. Oliver will bo back in time to ride those of the team that are engaged at the Feilding.'mooting. -. Broadsword and Full Sail were both witerad for races at Caulfield last Saturday, but news as to whether they started will not reach us till ■ next Monday's mail. An Australian writer says that many of tho trainers who strongly advocated liheap racing in Sydney and Molbourno have now causo to regret that they did anything to bring it about. Cheap racing .'hits .been responsible not only for exceptionally big fields, but also for keeping in training many bad-tempered horses, that should never be allowed near a racecourse.' '. In view of the excellent form wlwcli Jie-showed at Trentham, Sir Frisco seems to be nicely'placed in l.lm Horowlienua Cup. Handicap. In his recent races he has not jumped away from tho barrier ill his old stylo, and it may be that long races will suit him best at bis present age. It is worthy of note that his. .winning., record .'un tin's Eorowhenua'Club's course is good. Milan, Lady. Lucy, and Eqiiitas were shipped to Sydney last night by tho Hnddart-Parker steamer Uliniiiroa. All looked ivell, but this remark applies particularly to Equitas, who has thickened out again nicely, and would-now bo scarcely, recognised as tho 'mare which ciimo home" from the unsuccessful trip to'the last Easter ineotina at Ellerslio. Although she showed great brilliancy last summer, it is just possible that tho best has not yet been seeii of Equitas. Let it be hoped so. any. way. Trainer F. Tilley was in charge of ■ tho horses, and A. Oliver, who will ride them in their Australian engagements, was also a passenger by the Ulimaroa. . Writing .from Buunos Ayres on June S, a Now Zealauder, who has seen all the principal racenourscs in England, Australia, and New Zealand, says: Tho Palermo racecourse here is without doubt one of tho most up-to-dato uoursea.'in the world —better than-- anything in England, and running Flemingto'n very close for.first place. The horses here are all run in a curb bit, and.aro held together much better than out our way, with a snaffle-bit, and tho jockeys are very light-handed on a horso. It's a funny stylo, but it's good. They register great times hero in races, but" it's owing to having flying starts. The starting-gato is always 40 yards behind the actual distance. That is to say, a. six-furlong race would be started at six furlongs and 40 yards, and so the horses would be in full gallop when, they reach the post from where they are Hiiiied. In tho principal race at.Palermo last week, 1600 metres, .which I think is just about 10 yards short of a mile, was 'covered by the winner in lmiu.3S 3-ssec; and in the 1401) metres race they ran slightly better than lmin. 27scc. They gencrtilly cover tho distances in times like these, so you can imagine that even with the flying start thrown in tho hursM aro pretty good. And so they, ure. Taken all round, they aro much bigger than Now Zen land horses, but lighter in the bone This lattc: point was very plain to me the other day, when I saw some of Mr. G. D. Greenwood's horses from !New Zealand, and shortly after looked over some youngsters bred in this country. FIXTURES. August 25—Amberley Steeplechase, meeting. SeptcmbiM , i and 3.—llorowhenua Hack B.C.'Annual. September 7 a'nd B.—Marton J.C. Annual. '' Sept. H and 15.—Rangitikei IJ.C. Spring. Sept. 15 and IG—Ashburton County H.C. Spring. Sept. 2!) aiid Oct. I.—Waiiganui J.C. Spring.