NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 10, 7 October 1918, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

fBY GLMCOE.I Weights for the Wellington Meeting aro due to malio their appearance on Friday. The Becond day of tho A.J.O. Jleetins will bo hold to-day, when the Metropolitan Handicap, Breeders' Mate, and (Jiiouorn btakes will he decided. In the iirslineiiuoncd ovent New Zealand will be represented by Kstlaud, btic in tho Breeders ' i'lato thero is not a candidate lor the race that iu owned in this Dominion. The Metropolitan has not very often fallen to New Zealand, and tho last succesa scored in this race by a local horse was m 1906, when Solution finished first. Tho previous year-tho year of "the New Zealand invasion"—tho race was won by Maniopoto. As for the Breeders' Plata, tho race came this way last year, when the Yaldhurst colt Almoner scored. ''Xhe siro of Almoner in Doniform also was Bucce3Bful in tho race in question in 1906 when the Wa'ikanao sire carried the lato Mr. G. G. Stead's colours. Mr. E. J. Watt, -who has won the race with Venturaand Del iisiitc, has Bigaroon, a colt by Beragoon (who is by the great Multiform) entered in to-day's Plate. All Black also has a representative in n, colt from Dame Humour. In the Olibhorn Stakes, run over nine furlongs, tho placed hoi-Bos in tho Derby aro entered, also tho best of the Australian three-year-olds. If Gloaming should, bo sent to tho post he will havo to put up a 141b. penalty,-making-his weight 9st. 21b. ns against Bst, 51b. that Finmark, Almoner, and Kilmoon will havo to carry.

It was expected in many quarters that tho A.J.O. Derby would bo won aKain this year by a Now Zealand-owned horse, but if anyone had suggested we would supply tho three placed horses they would have been ridiculed. But when tho result of tho Derby cnino to hand it was seen that New Zealand-owned horses accomplished that, and in doinc so they beat the best previous record of this Dominion in.tho classic event. In 1905, when Koctuiform won, he was followed home by his 6table-mato Sun God, but au Australian maro in Lady Wallace was third. It will thus be seen that this performance was bettered on Saturday, when Gloaming Finmark, Kilmoon, and Almoner finished in that order. Gloaming was favourite, wiiilo the third horse in the Rosehill Guineas—Princess- Olara was oeooud choice.

Though defeated in the Spring Stakos on Saturday Desert Gold was by no menus disgraced. Th'o winner turned out to bo Poitrel, who had to establish an Australasian record to defeat tho mare, and then only got homo by a short head. Poitrel went through last season with three wins-tho Tattcrsall's Cup, one mile and a hall; A.J.O. Holiday Handicap, ono mile and a quarter;-anti the A.J.O. Summer Cup, ono mile and ltvo furlongs, which ho won on protest. It will thus be seen that tho winner was a horso well suited by middle distances. The third horso Keuuaquhair won fivo races last season, tho most important being the A.J.O. Anniversary Handicap, ono mile. Desert Gold is due to raco in tlio Craven Plate, ono mile and a quarter, on Wednesday, in which she can be expected to do better, as tho race on Saturday, being her first for many months, will improve her.

As ho was ablo to defeat Desert Gold and will havo 51b. less to carry in tho Metropolitan Handicap to-day it, is sata to say that Poitrel will bo a warm order for the big handicap. Sportsmen will admit that his clfort on Saturday was a pretty good trial for to-day's race. In previous years Duke Foote and St. Oarwyno won the • Metropolitan Handicap after being iu tho van in tho Spring Stakes.

Rebus, who won the Epsom Handicap on Saturday, was thrco weeks «ko runnerup. to Gloamiuß when the Derby winner won the Chelmsford Stakes, run at Sydney Tattcraalls' Meeting. Last season licbus, who is an imported horsi by lindiuin from Quibble, won the Sydney Cup for hia owner, the well-known Sydney penCiller Mr. Joe Lemon. On Saturday ho gave his supporters a, big return, duo to tho idea that.lie would not begin quickly enough to have a chance in the bier field. The oracle English coll Gainsborough met his Waterloo when ho competed in the Newmarket Jockey Club Stakes, run on lhursday: Tho iirsl horse, I'rincu UJuniay, was third in the September ..jtakes, m which Gainsborough was successful. Tho third horse, Queen fcquaro (nut, Qiieeu Qubair, as previously reportoil), had not been brought iuto prorniuenco prior to Thursday. A feat w;tth noting about the race is that tho ilanton trainer. Alec Taylor, traiucd the three placed horses. In tho September Stakes a similar stato of things prevailed. Good times were the order of the day at EundwicU on Saturday. The Hurdle lface, run over a course of two miles, was won in the world's record lime of omin. 40 3-58 CC. Tho time established in the Bpsom Ifandicap-lmln. 38scu.-is the second host on record for the race; tho Derby was the faatcsl. run blue ribbon' music since Koctuiform's year; the iiprinc; Slakes, one mile ,11$ a hair, was run in record time for (he race, also for Australasia, while tho Kensinjton Handicap was clocked at lmin. Msec.

The win of Gloaming in tho A..T.0. B'orbv on Saturday K avo R. J. Mason his third success in that race, horses trained by him.having won in 1505 (Nocluiionn) and 151? (Biplane) 11. Deeley also rode his second Derby winner on Saturday.

Excellent nominations have been received for the bis events to be decided at the CI.C. Spring Meetinj; next month. All the best horses in commission iieure in the lists, including some who are at present in Australia. There is one exception, and that is Mr. T. 1 11. Lowry's team, none having been entered for the rjecarton events. This means thai Desert, Gold and eo. will stop in Australia till after the V.li.G. Meetiuc and then return in time for tlu> Auckland Cup Meeting.

In the matter of entries the Auckland Clip shows a blj? advance on its Riccarton counterpart, no fewer than 57 horses having been engaged in it. I,'iccnrlon stables are well represented, their contributions including flcathcrcoto. Cynic. Glendower Almoner. Kilmuou, Melee, Winter Cherr,, and Kilrußh.

The Wellington Oup winner Buntine can not have recovered I'roni tho breakdown that, occurred to him at ISrisbaue in August as a Press Association message from Sydney slates that be lias boon scratched for tho Melbourne Cup, in which he was nicely, weighted with Sst. 31b.

In the First. Slcenliichiise to be decided at linndwick in-dpy Hie New Zealand National winner tit. Klnin is weighted at list. 711). The St. Ambrose reUliw nrnv V.! favourite. Another New '/enlauder i.n tho race Is Tararu .lack, who has been allotted 12st. 511)., but it does not seem possible for the Spalpeen gcldinc to givu 121b. to St. Elmn.