THE TURF

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 146, 17 December 1913, Page 2

THE TURF

FIXTURES. December 26 and 27— Dunedin J.C. Summer. December 26. 29, January 1 and 2—Auckland lI.C. Summer. December 26-~Taratahi-Carterton R.C, Annual. December 26 and 27— Taranaki J.C. dimlliHVS. December 20 and 27— Reelton J.C. MidBUmnior. December 26, 27, and 29— Manawfttu R.C. Summer! December 31 ahd January I— Greymoulh J.C. Midsummer. January 1 and 2— Wairarapa R.C. Summer January 1 and 2— Hawkes Bay J.C. Sum« mor. January 1 and 2— Stratford R.C. Annual. January 1 and 2—Marton J.C. Summer. NOTES AND COMMENTS Sir Bcdiverc.) Nominations for the Wellington Summer Meeting are due with Mr. A. E. Whyto on Friday. Acceptances also closo then for events to be decided at Ellerslie, Martou, and Caitortoii. Seeing that horses will be scattered* all over tho Dominion on Boxing Day an acceptance of 95 for the seven handicap events to be decided at Awapuni must be regarded as highly satisfactory. Special train arrangements have been made in connection with this fixture, whereby Wellington rewdentrs will be enabled to see tho whole of the racingand be back in the city by 10 p.m. All that is now necessary to otis'ure the success of the Manawatu Summer Meeting, is that the weather should take a turn for the better. Tho Manawatu Cup field now stands a,t 21 and appearances Buggost that the whole of these horses may see the post, In this ease there will sure to be some scrambling for positions and the winner will need to have a certain amount of luck. Midnight Sun nearly always tails off during the early stages of his races, and his chance would therefore bo preferable if the field were not quite >so large. Still there is no lack of room on the Awapuni course, and the top turn is quite an easy one. Loa Angelos ia another candidate that is generally ridden a waiting race, as those who saw him win the Hawkes Bay Cup will well remember, for when the barrier rose W. Young promptly checked him and so cot him to drop in behind and next tli© rails. Sinapis may be relied upon to lie in a handy position and her chance will probably be well favoured. So too, will that of Ladoga, who has plenty of pace and promises to stay. The most notable withdrawals from the Manawatu Cup are Masterpiece, Sir Solo, and Brown Owl.. Sir; George Clifford will apparently be unrepresented at the meeting, for not only haß lie scratched his two Cup candidates, but Briar Patch and Snapdragon, who were engaged in the Grandstand and Juvenilg Handicaps, respectively, have been i\l> lowed to drop out, and there is nothing to carry his colours in the Palmerston North Stakes. Sir Solo is evidently to go to Ellerslie. Erinengarde has been withdrawn from the Fitzherbert Handicap, and llio anxiously awaited meeting between her and Baiideira will not, therefore, take place until the Palmevston North Stakes comes up for decision on lite second day of _ the fixture. In her _ absence Sanguinary may prove Bahdeira's most formidable opponent. Some of the lightweight division can muster up a lot of pace, however, and the event will be far from an easy one Uy win. Presumably' Gipsy Belle and Bel&sco were left in the Palmerstou North Stakes through an oversight. They are expected to go North to-morrow. Salzburg also has engagements at Ellerslie, but there is no reason why he should not race at Awapuni on 27th Becembei prior to contesting the Great Northern Derby and the Royal Stakes on Ist and 2nd January. Probably Miis is the programme mapped out for him, as it will be noted his stable mate Honesty is also engaged at Awapuni. Pariform is 'apparently still Mjffering from a cold, as he has been ' withdrawn from) the w.f.a. event to bo decided at Awapuni,' in whicli Mr. Highden will rely upon Ennengardo and Garance. Coming as it does on the top of the disqualification of D. Price nnd J. M'Lttughlin, the news cabled to the effect that E. D. Hammond and Ranji Thompson have been found guilty of dishonest practices is most unwelcome. Australian sportsmen have long been inclined to regard «11 but a few prominent New Zealand "racing men with suspicion, ahd tho Loch Maben and Marton cases cannot fail to accentuate the wrong impression prevailing there | as to the morality of the Turf in this country. According to report, no rider has yet .been secured for Soltano in. the Railway Handicap. Several were approached last week, but all had prior engagements. Mr. T. H. Lowry's colt will probably start a hot favourite for the event in, question. Coroniform has proved untrainable, and A. M'Cauley ' has returned him to his owner. Autumnus is moving ia his best style on the Riecarton tracks, but he will not be seen -out at any of the Christmas or New Year meetings. Probably ho will make his» next appearance at 1 rentham. A laco meeting was recently held at, Rowena, Now South Wales, for the purpose of gathering funds, to bo dovoted to tho building of a now church. It was a successful affair, and tho executive were able to hand over £180 to the church fund.