NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1303, 5 December 1911, Page 5

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[Bt Glencoe.] Tho Woodvillo Jockey Cinb'a meeting commences on Saturday nest. dominations for the Hutt Valley Trotting Club's meeting closo with the secretary at Petone on Friday nest. Mr. H. Whitney's horses aro to bo again trained by C. Pritchard. at tho Hutt. Tho team has been considerably reduced of late. Owners aro reminded that nominations for tho Marfon Jockey Club's meeting closo on Friday next. T. Pritchard lias been reducing weight to rido Ceylon (ono of Mr. Whitney's team) at \Y oodritle. Ho will also ride Rongomau. In connection with tho Wairarapa Racing Club's summei meeting, owners are reminded that nominations close on Friday next. Tho acccptances received for tho Wcodvillo summer meeting aro easily a record and do credit to tho club's handicapper, Mr. J. E. Henrys. Meetings of this club are usually held on Wednesday and Thursday, but on account of tho general elections occurring this week, the gathcr'ng was postponed until- Saturday and Monday next. In quality, tho class of liorscs engaged is well up to tho average. Tho Woodvillo track is never very hard, and will suit horses that do best when the sting is out of the ground. First Battery and Naumai, _ winners of tho principal events at Feikling, aro engaged, and will have to put up penalties, as also will Coromandel. who is generally considered to have moro than an oulsido chance in the Auckland Cup. Australian files to hand, stale that Bright Laddie carried lOst. 41b. when lie won tho Summer Cup at Brisbane on Saturday. At a meeting of stewards of the Wellington Pacing Club, held yesterday, tho programme for the summer meeting was passed. It was decided to increase tho prize money by ,£350. Of this amount £100 has been added to the Cup, making the stake JIBSO. and .£IOO to tho Summer Handicap on ihe third day, making the stake <£500. 'Three other races have been increased by <£50. Mr. John Cotter, the well-known owner and breeder, whose death is reported from Masterton. was formerly a noted amateur rider in the Wairarapa district, and won races on Dromedary, and the district performers, Bluejacket and Dan O'Connell. His services to clubs in the Manawatu district, when lie resided at "Siberia" in tho Manawatu Gorge, were recognised by both the Manawalu and Ashhurst Clubs, of which he was made a life member, while tho Pahiatua Club showed appreciation by farcwelling him two years ago when lie" was leaving on a trip to tho Old Country.. Among useful performers bred by the late Mr. Cotter were .Tolly Roger, "Jolly Friar, Great '?cot, Merry Maiden, Derrv, and Fond Memory, tho last-named being a present from Mr. Cotter to Mr. W. Homes, of Bulls. At the hearing of tho Gold Bird case at Christchurch. Messrs. Geo.' iGtidby,. owner, and C. Pritchard. trainer, "attended. Tha latter called T. Pritchard, who gave evidence as to the running of tho race in which Coleman had the . mount on Gold Bird, and also D. Moraghan, the wellknown lticcarlon trainer. Mr. Cudby was not present at the meeting when the horso was disqualified. He is surprised that tho rehearing has not been decided by now, seeing that it only took about ten minutes (o disqualify tho horso in tho first place.

There was a deal of incident in connection with the Newmarket (England) meeting in October (says an exchange), and the owner of Hornet's Beauty will certainly have unpleasant remembrance of the fixture. The horso named was a strong fancy for the Cambridgeshire, but was struck out a few davs prior to its decision, a fact the public resented to such an extent that when ho camo out for the Scarlyorougli Stakes lie was hooted, and when ho cantered homo ahead of his solitary opponents. Olearia, the receptioi. was the most hostile ever accorded an? horse at Newmarket. This was Horr.c't P.emh-'s 15th win this year. Considerable unrest exists among 'j'asmanian jockeys nt tho low fees recntly adopted in this Slate. The "bovs" "hnvo once or twice nearly got as far as "striking" point, ntul recently a deputation from tho registered iockeys waited on the committee of the Tas'mahiau Turf Club and requested that tho new scale of riding fees should bo abolished, and the oUFscale reverted to. It was pointed out that no alteration in tho few. could be made without altering the rule, which could not bo done without the sanction of the members of both cI»K Thr. matter wis left.in the hands of the T.T.C. eomnuttoc o bring about a fair and just scale.—Sydney "Referee."