NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1312, 15 December 1911, Page 10

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[Bv Glencoe.]

Nominations lor the Wellingvn Racing ..Club's summer meeting close on Monday next. Acceptances for the first day's events at the Manawatu Racing Club's meeting cioso at 10 o'clock to-night, with the secretary, Mr. J. M. Johnston. Two likely hurdle horses seen out at Woodvillc were Jlatana ' and Fond Memory. The iormer made the pace from the barrier rise, and it was oniy in the last quarter that he was cut down, and that by a good one in Wuiputere. lie and Waipiitcre jumped excellently, and when the iormti learns more about the business he slioull win.- Fond Memory, on the other hand, could not go the pace in tlio final pari, but he stayed on and finished as well, as anything in tho race. He, too, should quickly find his way on to the winning list. A Sydney exchange has the, following in reference to a pair of New Zealand performers:'—"Flying Spark (lOst. 71b.), who, with 21b. less, declined his Victoria Park' Cup engagement last Saturday, was produced. for the Flying Handicap run.on Wednesday. Doughboy, winner of tho Ascot Thousand last month, in which Flying Spark ran third, was a pronounced favourite for this event, while a long price was'on offer against the,speedy sou of Clanranald. Getting to the front inside the distance, the victory' of the favourite was loudly proclaimed, but, wide oil tho outside of the . field, Flying Spark put in work over the last furlongthat landed him a winner by a head from Doughboy. It ,was a good performance on the part of the winner, the actual value of which is difficult to assess: but, if nothing else, it disposed of the theory that lie was unfavourably treated by some of our handicappcrs. Flying Spark was ridden a patient race by the Victorian jockey, T. M'Grath, and the tactics adopted evidently suited him to a nicety. He was a long way back in the early stages/of this race, whilst in the AscotThousand, in which he finished third to Doughboy and Tuneful, he was first into the straight, and was only beaten out'of second place over the last furlong." Since she won at Wanganui last season, Gladiole ha/' done nothing to distinguish .herself. However, • her running ■at Woodville'snggests that she will'soon "come good" again.. To jump off first with Ost. 71b. on' her back, and set a merry pace for half a mile on such a heavy track makes it appear as if Mr. , O'Neill's mare lias not lost her pace, and it will not be,a surprise to find her amongst' the winners at Christmas. She looks nice and fresh at the present .time, and if. not, overdone on the track, her owner "will probably have, a profitable time .with her during tho next few weeks. Though die cognoscenti were not very accurate in their summing up of the fiat races at Woodvillo still, in the hurdle events, they 'sized lip (lie situation extremely. well. On the first day "Strathmoira. Polynices, and All Trumps were backed in that order, and they rail into the places. On Monday the public, vote was for Wniputcre, Polynisos, and Fond Memory and that was the order in which the trio went past the ]>ost. It is a wonder that backers do not'confine their attention solely to hurdle events, as past, experience has; shown that they are more successful in dealing with these events than with fiat handicaps. Really remarkable was the number of horses that made a wide detour at tho hoiiic turn in some of the events at Wocdville. Surely it is notlto be-imagined that the keenne.ss of tho stewards was such that it was intended to give the horses a fright sufficient to cause them to run off the courso or nearly so. St. Wood, .lately engaged amongst the hunters at Ellc-rslie, is set down to compete in hack flat races at the A.R.C. meeting. The scarcity of capnblc jockeys is still being keenly felt by local owners, who, nowadays, find it a hard matter to at times secure tho services of a horseman so as to enable an animal to bo backed with any degree of confidence. As usual there were some indifferent exhibitions of horsemanship at Woodvillo last Saturday. Acceptances for the Mastcrton Racing Club's meeting are due to-morrow night.