NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 134, 3 December 1910, Page 14

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By Sir Bedivere.) ' .Looking back over Full Rate's form this week one pannofc help speculating how/ he 1 would have 'got on had he' been 1 in a position to contest the Feilding Stakes. Taking a line through Equitas and Gipsy Belle, who met last' month at Biccarton, he must have been' aD exceedingly hard nut for Provocation to cr^ack. It is only fair to Equitas to adtait that Full Rate's form in the York Stakes was not in reality 1 quite so commendable as>it appears on paper. Had he not seriously interfered with Mr. Preston's little mare the race might have resulted differently, for, in nearly knocking Eqaitas off her lega, he caused her to cannon into, and so interfere j , with, Tenterhook. How the incident escaped the attention of the stewards it is difficult to conceive, for it took place within full view of those on th& stands.- Such inaction on their part was distinctly regrettable, for, even if they had found Pull Rate's rider to be guilty of nothing more than carelessness, prompt enquiry into the matter would have afc .least had a desirable effect. But for this incident, the Feilding meeting was remarkably free from anything unpleasant. Full Rats is engaged in several events at Awapuni. Rumour hath it, however, that he is to be given an easy time of it for a month or two, and will not be seen out at the Manawatu fixture. Birkdale's victory in th© St. Andrew's Handicap caused him to come into favour in connection with the Auckland Cup, for which he earned a 71b penalty. It will be seen from -the acceptances, however, that he has" accepted for the Rail-way Handicap and left out of the Cup. It is said, by the way_, that Roosevelt is not to be taken NortE. I have no authentic information to this effect, and merely repeat the rumour for what it' may be worth. Both Irish. Rifle and Koran were backward this week. Each should be seen to better advantage about Christmas time. Bunkum is anotiher that is likely to 1 be benefited by the racing he has' bear*, doing. The much-boomed Te Tikwra, a three-year-old brother to Miss Advance, was seen out -twice at Feilding , this week] and the twist he could do was to run fourth in the Maiden Hack Scurry on the second day. Looked at broadside on he is a colt that cannot fail to attract attention. When one 'comes to criticise him more closely, however, there is a lack of substance through the flanks and about the quarters which is not pleasing. He is, of course, just a jbig, overgrown baby ait present, and n||, thenrforeys_e|j^cpiß6ted to fill, out anor improve. Tersonally^ however^'T cannot fancy he will turn out anything like the smasher some o£ his admirers would have us believe. Seahorse's brother Powerful, who is now twelve years old, is still battling away at the Auckland fixtures. He is still a maiden performer over hurdles, and though he manages ik> jump the battens well enough, he has no pace worth mentioning. As he i.s entire,, one would have thought his owner would have retired him from the turf long ago. Master Theory was well ' supported for the St. Andrew's 'Handicap, m - which, however, he failed , to reproduce his Ellerslie form. He was at a shorter price than either of the Remaining three-year-olds engaged in the two mile race, but the scratching pen,, has gone through his name. Bonnie. Jean, who contested the Maiden Hurdles at Takapuna, 'in 'which she whipped in the field', is a sis-year-old own sister to the Great Northern Steeplechase winners Capitol and Red M'Gregor She belongs tc- Mr. C. Shaw, who owns Red M'Gregor. Sir Prize and Toney, Hawera's hope for the Auckland double, are said to be getting through a lot of • good . work on the Hawera tracks and pleasing the local track-watchers. There is jno doubt the former can stay and the latter can go fast. But can the former go sufficiently fast and the latter Buflreiently far? ; Sharpshooter is, I understand, to go on to .Ellerslie with the remainder of Sir George Clifford's northern contingent in charge of H. Cutts. E. Cutts is expected to take charge of the Chokebore Lodge repTesentatives at the Manawatu meeting. The accep^nce for the Auckland Cup, it may be s&^id at once, is disappointing. The withdrawal of Master Soult, Oiyoi, Husbai'dman, Roosevelt, Polymorphous, Formaden, and several others was fully expected, but few people can have anticipated that neither Maori King, King ' Soult , Birkdale, noc Master Theory would malUe the first acceptance. So, however, it is, and with a further payment of 12 sot's still to be made, the field has alreao'y been reduced to thirteen.* Of thei c three are hurdle racers. Goldfinder, who scored once out of ten attempts last season, is the only three-year-old st ill engaged, and in view of the import* ince and value of the event the field i s an exceptionally poor one. King Soult, it is t<. v be noted, has been withdrawn froim both handicap events, and is e-identlj • to be specially reserved for the Great Northern Derby and Royal Stakes. Pi> ovocation is no doubt to contest the Pa lmerston North Stakes on Boxing Day ' prior to going north for the Royal Stafces. The field for the Raihvray Handicap now numbers sixteen, this most noteworthy withdrawals, apart from Provocation and King Soult, being Penates, Faunus, Madam Madcap ( who will, no doubt, be racing at Awapund), and Kapanga (who was 'severely injured recently). Since taking his horses to Melbourne Mr. "Middleton Melrose" h.as scored more than one success. At the Epsom meeting, held on the 23rd and 24th of last month, he won a double with Advantage and Masonic. AUCKLAND RC. ACCEPTANCES. [BT TMJCGBAPH.— FRISS ASBOCIAVeiOWj AUCKLAND, 2nd Decennber. The following are acceptances \ipr the

Auckland Racing Club's summer meeting :— Auckland Cup, of 2000 soys; two miles.— Diabolo 8.13, Bridge 8.11, Sedition 8.2, Kopu 7.10, Waimangu 7.9, Sir Price 7.3, Paisano 7.1, John 7.0, Advocate 7.0, Manapouri 6.9, Prophet 6.9, Dunborve 6.7, and Goldfinder 6.7. Grafton Hurdles, of 200 soys; two miles. — Tauira 11.7, Continuance 11.2, Lady Patricia 10.4, Black Northern 10.0, Swagsman 9.10, Tui Cakobau 9.7, Reservoir 9.4, Hoanga (mcl. 71b penalty) 9.11, Delegate 9.3, Omati 9.0, Spectre 9.0, and Eoyal Day 9.0. Railway Handicap, of 650 sovs^ six furlongs. — Salute 9.1, Theodore 8.6, Gipsy Belle 8.3, Turbine (mcl. 51b penalty), 7.3, Miss Winnie 7.11, Kakama 7.10, Wauchope 7.10, Birkdale (mcl. 71b penalty) 8.0, Perle dOr 7.6, Tamainupo 7.4, St. Toney 7.2, Tenterhook 7.2, Countermine 7.1, Tanekaha 7.1, ' Hohungatahi 6.10, and Urukehu 6.7. Great Northern Derby, of 1000 soys; one mile and a half. — After payment of first 'forfeit, the following remain in the '37th Great Northern Derby : — Fawne, Antoinette, Goldfinder, br c by St. Ambrose — Eketarini Passeropoulo, br c by Kilcheran, Strathspey, Dearest) Birkdale, Formby, Danube, Domino, King Soult, and Master Theory. Great Northern Foal Stakes, of 750 soys; six furlongs. — Peirene, Orton, Sylverlyte, Malwa, Sea Pink, Miss Winsome, Miscount, CulDrit, and Midnight Sun. Sixteenth Eoyal Stakes, of 650 soys; six furlongs. — After payment of . first forfeit, the following remain in the 16th Eoyal Stakes : — Provocation, Antoinette, Sharpshooter, Tenterhook, Countermine, La Eeine, J. Lane's br c by St. Ambrose— Eketarini Passeropoulo, Polymorphous, Dearest, Kakama, Miss Winsome, Formby, Wee Olga, Danube, Orton,' Peirene, Sunburnt, Culprit, King Soult, Tieize, Our Queen, Sylverlyte, Glad Tidings, Sea Pink, Bootle, and Midnight Sun. '