NOTES AND COMMENTS,

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1554, 25 September 1912, Page 9

NOTES AND COMMENTS,

[3t Glencoe.l The Av'ondale Jockey Club's Spring meeting commences to-day, when tho Srincipal event to be decided is the Avonale Cup, ono mile and a quarter. Owners are reminded that nominations for the Wavcrley-Waitotara Racing Club's meeting close on Friday next. Our King, Multiply, and Hiskyne, three of tho acceptors for the Wangainu Guineas, claim engagements in the NewZealand Cup..' Their running in Thursday's milo race will, therefore, be watched with more than ordinary interest. At. dlenora Park, the Grafton mare Alfalfa has foaled a colt to Marble Arch. The Auckland horseman. A. J. M'Flinn, will leave for Sydney after cha Avoudalo meeting to rida Black Northern in his engagements at the Australian Jockey Club's Spring meeting (says the Auckland "Star"). J. Buchauan is to ride Rosea in thd Avondale Stakes' to-day. Buchanan has tilrcadv won tho event on two occasions— on Grey Seatoa in 1901, and Ashby in 1909.

Nominations for the Mnsterton Racing Club's meeting closo on Friday next. A largo number of local sportsmen will be leaving for Wanganui this morning ito be present at the Spring meeting, which takes placo to-morrow and on Saturday. At the monthly meeting of tre D.J.C. Committee on Thursday afternoon, J. Olseri applied for a reduction of his sentence of sis months' suspension from Nriding, but tho application was refused. The Winton "Record" reports:—Waikaraka, Beuzowen, and a black filly. Finland—Lady Garland, have been sold. ,It is .understood .that.rthKe,.horses _brought good prices, anil that .there), were inquiries from as far north as Wanganui for Beuzowen. Although the hcrsos have changed hands,'they aro to remain in Southland. • After arriving in Southland, the Charlemagne II colt, Jan, lost a shoe during what a southern writer describes as> a "long and headstrong gallop/' Subsequently the colt showed slight signs of lameness, but has siiice got oyer the trouble. The brood mare Shawnee (St. AmbroseSavannah), who was sold at the lilderslie dispersal sale for 80 guineas, is this season to be mated with Pallas. Princo Soult, who showed good form as a two-year-old, will make his first three-year-old appearance in the Avondale Cup this afternoon. The South Auckland Raciug Club has decided to substitute two-jvar-nld races for the trotting events, which figured on last year's programme. Midnight Sun's withdrawal from the Melbourne Cup and the A.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap may mean that the brother ta Noctuiform is to be brought back to the Dominion to contest the New Zealand Cup. After Duke Footo's victory in tho Chelmsford Stakes (w.f.a.), in ( which he carried 9st. 4lb'-, it did not look as if Midnight Sun could have any chance of win-; ning the Metropolitan Handicap, in which Duke Footo has 7st. IMb., or m the Melbourne Cnp, in which Duke Foote has only 7st. 71b. Probably Trainer T. Quinlivan' realised this, and' advised thp scratching of Midnight Sun. "Pilot," in the Sydney "Referee," says that if Duke Footo should win the Spring Stakes on the opening day of the A.J.C. meeting, he may start at as short a price for the Metropolitan as did Mooltan when ho scored in 1907; nnd, in any case, "Mr. Baron's" horse would need to make a particularly poor showing in the w.f.a. event to cause him to lose his place at tho head of the Metropolitan . quotations. , Naturally enough, after the stylo in which he won the Chelmsford Stakes, many racegoers !regard both the Metropolitan and Melbourne Cup as good as over, but it may be advisable to remember that w.f.a. results have been- productive of similar ideas in regard to other horses on previous occasions. - For instance, aftor easily vanning the Melbourne Stakes in 1594, nothing 'could have read mnch better for a Melbourne Cup than Ruenalf with 7st. 71b. the same year. Still, he ran nowhere, and it was tho same with Lancaster with 7st. 101b., after winning the Melbourne Stakes at the 1300 meeting.

FIXTURES. Sept. 25 and 28.—Avondale J.C. Spring Sept. 26 and 27.~Geraldine R.C. Spring. Sept. 26 and 28.—Wanganui J.C. Spring. Oct. 2—llawke's Bav J.C. Spring. Oct. s.—Napier Park R.C. Spring. Oct. 9 and 12.—Dunedin J.C. Spring. October 17,—Ifasterton R.C. Spring. Oct. 21 and 23- Poverty Bay T.C. Spring.