SPORT AND PASTIME.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 62, 10 September 1910, Page 14

SPORT AND PASTIME.

The Turf. FIXTURES. Septen&er 14 and 15— Rangitikei R.X3. Spritig. <■ September 14 &nd 15 — Ashburton County B.C. SptioK. September 17, 21, ;snd24 — Avondale J.C. SpringSeptember 22 a»d 23— Lower Valley J.C. Annual. September 29 and October X— Wanganm J.JC. Spring.. (By SV Bedivere.) On arrival at Palmerston North last Week, about the £«st man I met, as I stepped off the trapn, wds George trice. "Come out and hawe a look at my place; we will jost get there in time for afternoon stable," said Mr. Highden'a private trainer. "Right you are, I replied, and away we went. It was my first visit to Price's establishment, and after looking round I can say, without fear of contradiction, that the arrangements thereat are as complete as any io be found in New Zealand. The itself forms three sides of a square, the fourth being taken up by th ft cottage containing the boys' quarters A nice piece of native bush provides shelter from the sou- west winds, there is an abundance of convenient paddock'ing accommodation, and the ratproof granary, feed and gear rooms are up to date in every resect. Price himself has a pretty little "house, situated within three-ox- four chains of the stable, and in another year or so, when the garden gets shi^-skspe, it will be a very cosy little home indeed. On making our way back to the stable, the first of the team, which at present numbers ten to be inspected was the younger owA sister to Gloss. This filly is far and away a better sort than the pony now in Australia, of whom she would nearly make two. She is a goodlegged one, and, though' Price has not yet • done very much with either of the youngsters m his charge, she looks like coming to hand qu^ly. A two-year-old daughter of iield Battery and Simmer mare Our Lady, is a "thick set, powerful s&rt, as, too/, is the brown son of St. Ambrose and Ttfarseillaise, who is carrying a very w.uitrylooking coat, and will pro^iably want more time than the others. Kilouteri •v?as away at Marton at the time of my visit, and I am sorry to hear he was lame in the shoulder after competing there. Whether he is troubled with rheumatism or just growing pains is not quite clear, but it would be a pity « fie does not train on, as he finished like a true stayer last week, and there are distinct possibilities about him. The .§"* Laddo — Windlass gelding is just a use-ful-looking sort, whose appearance n* rather detracted from by a plain head and neck. Nyland, who had been ha\ ing a few days' spell, is as bright and healthy -looking as could be wished, ana Price could have him ready' again at. almost a moment's notice. JBoanergea, too, stripped in fine trim, and has evidently been getting through somb useful work lately. He is now a far more robust constituted horse than he used to be, and he promises to go on improving in this respect. Polymorphous is the horse that, according to some wiseacres, has done no work worth mentioning lately, and, according to other author-^ ities, has been galloping over long dis-* tances already this season — the horse in fact, that everybody is wondering about. Well, there is not now, nor ever has" been, the slightest mystery concerning Km. Price himself has not a shilling about him for the Cup, but as he says, •'that is not the point." The whole ques tion as to whether he will or will not start depends entirely upon how he shapes in the meantime. All being well, he is to be given a start in the longer distance races at Trentham next month, and, if he shapes satisfactorily enough to warrant the belief that he has a really firstclass chance of winning the big event at Riccarfcon, he will continue to be trained for it j if not, he will be withdrawn, and reserved for such races as the Feilding and, Palmerston North Stakes, Challenge Stakes, etc. That is the position, and what more could those who have supported him desire? They have simply backed their opinion as to his staying powers. If they are right the chances are in their getting a j run for their money; if, on the_ other ] hand, they are wrong, they will lobo their , wagers. Anyway, the colt is just looking splendid at present, and is quite sufficiently forward. He has furnished oat and let down in a most promising way since last autumn, and if he does go to the post for the two-mile event, it is odds on his being the best-looking and most commanding thoroughbred of the party. A. Oliver will, I understand, have the mount in whatever races the big Multiform four-year-old takes part. The remaining member of Price's team is a chestnut gelding by Sir Laddo from Aorangi's dam. He is three years old, and his trainer has not yet done very much with him. There is, however, a fair amount of him, and, if he does nothing better, he should make a useful hurdler at the back end of the season. Collectively speaking, the team is a good one. for, though the two-year-old division may not be quite so strong as could be desired, any stable containing three such horses as Nyland, Boanerges, and Polymorphous is one which needs to be most seriously reckoned with. No young trainer has put up a finer record than George Price, and, with an ounce of luck, he should do even better things this season.