NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1074, 13 March 1911, Page 3

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[Br Glencoe.] The Napier Cup will be run on Wednesday next. Three candidates have been nominated as delegates to tho Racing Conference from the Wellington Country Clubs, viz., Messrs. W. E. Bidwill, O. C. Cooper, and C. F, Vallance. As only two representatives arc required (says our Featherston correspondent) an election will be necessary. Jena, who won a double at the Thames Jockey Club's meeting on Saturday, is a half-sister to Soultline. The Parisian, who won the Australian Cup on Saturday, ran unplaced in the Woodcliff Handicap at the V.A.T.C. meeting and also unplaced in tho Essendon -Stakes on the first day of the V.R.C. meeting, but as he was improving every gallop, he was expected to prove the strongest opponent Apple Pie would have in the Cup. Apple Pic has been a most unlucky performer this season. At tho Australian Jockey Club's spring meeting, she ran third in tho Epsom Handicap, unplaced •in tho Metropolitan Handicap, third in the Sydney Handicap, and third in the Waverley Handicap. Going on to the V.A.T.C. meeting, she filled second placo in tho Caulfield Cup, a performonco she followed up by running third in the Melbourne Cup and now, when tho critics would not hear of her defeat in the Australian Cup, she again fills second place. Mr. J. S. Cundy, Featherston, has a yearling colt out of Waitoti by Elevation. He is a well-grown youngster and in conformation resembles liis sire. The water service at Tauherinikau Racecourse is at present being overhauled and tho pumping capacity increased. It is intended (writes our correspondent) to instnl an oil-engino for this purpose in tho near future, in place of the hydraulic rams used at present. Mr. W. E. Bdwill has sold Tribulation to Mr. F. Armstrong, Akitio, at whoso place the Birkenhead horse will do stud duty. Diabolo, who ran third in tho Australian Cup on Saturday,' occupied a similar position in last year's contest for-the same event. Waikaraka has changed hands once again and in future ho will race in the same colours as Miss Sylvia and will bo trained by W. Kirk at Hastings. He ran in his new owner's interest at Lanncvirkc on' the second day and when he dashed to the front two furlongs from homo it looked as if his owner was going to get back his purchase-money first time out. But it was not to be, and after flattering his supporters till tho last fence he tired and could only finish third. At Dannovirkn on Thursday ..C. ..Millen, wired to Mr. A7"ttC Budge offering to purchase Mokara, whom he recently held on lease, but a reply came back that the horse was already sold. Mr. R. Har'.ey. the newly-appointed starter to the Ashburton Club, left for a trip to Sydney last week. Vice-Admiral, Danube, and Miss Mischief, whom backers are selecting to ho handy in whatever races they start in at Easier, are nominated at both EUerslio and Riccarton. and until tho weights appear no doubt their . owner will not make up his mind where to send them. However, everything points to their starting at Riccarton as the expense of shipping a team to Auckland runs into three figures and in addition the weigh t-for-age event at Riccarton is very enticing to owners. Considering that he is only a novice at the business, Marton made an uncommonly good impression by tho way ha won tho first hurdle race at Dannevirke. Probably twelve furlongs will always be the limit that ho cares to go, and it must be estimated that he did not beat much, but all the same, his exhibition under tho circumstances, augured well for his future. Lethean, who won the concluding event at Dannevirke and paid a big dividend, was last year backed down to a very short price" in tho same race, but an outsider in Marton, beat him rather comfortably at the finish. W. Price was on him on both occasions. . , The Highdon-owned Polymorphous is at present running out in the paddock with a view of lowering him to prepare for the knife and tho veterinary surgeon. The operation is being tried to see if his wind troubles can bo improved. There will bo no silver tube inserted, but simply tho scraping off of the mucous of tho larj'nx. Turna is the only Porirua representative to race at Opaki next week. Mr. H. Whitney's colt will bo ridden by L. Traill, and C. ■ Jenkins will bo a free lanco on both days. W. Ryan, leading horseman for J. W. Lowe, received a wire on Saturday asking him to go to tho Opunake meeting, whore ho has been promised several mounts. Mr. J. Tooker, of Tauherinikau, is the fortunate owner of a filly by Achilles, from Merrivonia's dam. Owing, no doubt, to tho recent Cup victories of Merrivonia, Mr. Tocker has been asked by . more than one prominent owner to put a price on the Achilles filly. E. Murtagh is at present suffering from a mild form of influenza, but he hopes to be well, enough to ride at Napier next week. The Hutt horseman is riding very well, but the luck has been against him. In nearly all the-races ho had mounts in at the Wanganui and Dannevirke meetings, he was always compelled to weigh in, though he did not get his number on top.