NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1202, 10 August 1911, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[By Glencos.] GRAND NATIONAL HURDLES. The Grand National meeting will lie a* vaia-ed another stage to-day when the'' "second leu of i\\<s double" will bo do eided. The Hurdles is tin-, year generally supposed lo bo a, very open rate, and thong.i Continuance will start favourite, Hi? chances cf Compass, The Rover, Tho Native, Espartcro, and Centaur are likely lo be well supposed. The following nio the probable starters and their riders:— Paisano, 12sl. 61b. (G. Jones); Continuance, list. 111b. (W. Young); Whaknweira, list. 31b. (R. Thompson); Compass, list. (T. Pine); The Rover, including 1-lib. penalty, lOst. 111b. (C. Price); Master Paul, lOst. 101b. (Hi Telford); Espartcro. KM. 81b.' fJer. O'Connell); Centaur, )os£ 91b. (P. l-'lynn); Tho Native, lOst. 51b, (T. Prilchard); St. Aillan, lftst. 51b. (P. Brady); Appin, lOst. 21b. (J. Hercock); Windage, Ost. (C. Cochrane); Kildonan, Ost. (C. Cress).

As J. Dolancy has been incapacitated, T. Pine will now ride Compass, but yesterday a strong effort was made to induce C. Cress lo accept the mount, as, after Kildanan's poor showing on Tuesday, it ia generally held that the Kilcheran gelding enn have Hll'le chance of success in today's race.

Glenmorc, who comes from the Fcilding district, and' is trained by J. Cameron, will meet the Hunt Club field to-day or, much belter terms than he met them in the Tally-Mo Plats, in which he ran a splendid race until ho struck ono of the fences very hard.

Boanerges will make his first appearance at Riccartou in the August Handicap to-day. The Pilgrim's Progress horse can hardly appeal to backers on the showing of Nyland, who was preferred to him in the Winter Cup. The small field should suit FlitaWay, who has been most unreliable of late. Boanerges is likely to start a hot favourite. Ahuapai is on unlikely starter in tho Woolslon Plate to-day. Her- winning form on the first day has caused her owner to give her another chance. Amongst returned visitors from tho south the general opinion is that no ono but R. Thompson would have won tho Steeplechase on Paritutu un Tuesday; The Invercargill-trained horse, Honest Tom, broke down in the National Steeples, Flitaway, who had been going well in her work,'had solid support in the Win-, tcr Cup, but the Chokcbore marc was again troublesome at the barrier, olid refused to jump away with the field. The luck of the racing game was fully illustrated in the wise of Undecided. At Christmas time h;s owner tried to give, him - away, but was unsuccessful. Ho has now won three times on end, and has been backed each time. In the Winter Cup his owner had a very nice, price about him. After a long run of bad luck, Ahuapai actually succeeded in catching the fudge's eye first in the Avonhead Handicap at Riccartou. The Sau Fran marc was in trouble at the turn, and appeared to lx> held safe by Friwolliti. hut tho latter stopped the quickest. The winner had- to I>9 very hard ridden over tho last bit to stall off SomeTsault. Tho promising 'chaser, Winiata, has apparently lost every vestigo of form. Ho fell in the Grand National, but was well in the rear when the catastrophe occurred.

Mr/ Bert Coyle, who for 60iuo. years past has acted as handicappor for tho summer and autumn meetings of tho Hawko's Bay Jockey Club, lias now been appointed to adjust the weights for all four race meetings of this club. Tho Feilding trainer, A. Atwood, will not after all make a trip >to Australia this year.

Dorando, the winner of the Bottisham Plate at Newmarket (England, Juuo 27), was named after tho winner of tho great Marathon race at the White City. Queen Alexandra took a keen interest in the plucky' little Italian who won the event, and King Edward named tho eolfc after him. lie could not be thoroughly trained as n two-year-old, and ran tor flip first time in public on I'liis occasion, his success being hailed with n hearty outburst of cheering, lie won easily, and promises to win further races for King George. As Herbert Jones could not do tho weight, his brother, R, Jones, donned tho Royal livery, and each has now tho unique record of having ridden winners for two Kings of England.

Considering the amount of business dono on tho racecourse (says (he "Arrow'") rind (ho rapid rate at which it is transacted, the small number of disputes in connection therewith are surprising. One of llieso occurred at J.looneo Valley last Saturday, when a backer hailed a bookmaker before tho stewards for refusing to soltlo a wager of £3 to 10s. about Black Native, winner of the Jumpers' Flat Race. Tho ticket produced was, according to the bookmaker's sheet, on Dyed Garments, nnolhcr runner in the race, and the stewards decided in favour of the bookmaker, who then asked his client to turn out the remainder of the betting tickets in his pockets. This was done, and the Black Native v wager, made with another member of the ring, discovered. After a profuse apology by the backer, tho incident, ended; but' backers should rmember that such stupid mistakes on their part might easily be o very expensive one to the bookmaker, whose enforced absence from his position in the ring might cost hini what he would hold in the next race.