NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 56, 8 March 1915, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By Sir Lancelot.)

The four weight-for-age events decided at the V.R.C. Meeting were each "run over separate distances, and were won by four different competitors. In the Essendon Stakes, a mile and a half, run on the opening day, Land of Song, Di Gama, and Pistol King finished in that order. In the C. M. Lloyd Stakes, one mile, Traquette won from Jolly Beggar and Mountain Knight. The Loch Plate, two miles, run the same afternoon, 'went to Hayston, with Land of Song and Carlita in the places. The last-named defeated both Land of Song and Di Gama over a three miles' journey in the Champion Stakes on - Saturday. Mountain King, the St. Leger winner, was not enfaged, but Hayston, winner of the Loch 'late/ was among the also started division. The Musket family has played a prominent part in the decision of the race, formerly called the_ Victorian, New Zealand, and Tasmanian Champion Stakes, because' it was decided in the States named. Since 1896, when Quiver (daughter of Trenton) dead-heated with Wallace (whose sire, Carbine, won the race "on two occasions), fillies have been successful on three occasions . prioi to Saturday : La Carabine (daughter of Carbine) won the race twice, and Wakeful (daughter of Trenton) was also successful. Amberite (by Carbine) won the race, and Trafalgar (by Wallace) won two years in succession. The Champion Stakes winner, Carlita, is a New Zealand-bred filly by Charlemagne II. — Couronne, by Gipsy Grand — Coronal, by Medallion — Corolla, 'by St. Albans — Water Lily, by Rapid Boy— Blue and White (imp.), by Monseigneur. She is a full sister to Mr. Highden's Bertrada, winner of the Wairarapa Cup and other races. When at the Elderslie ' Stud, Couronne bred Step Up and Aema (by Stepniak). The latter carried the colours of Mr. H. iWnitney, the Wellington sportsman, and is at present in his stud at Waikanae. Kilmeadon (by Kikheran) won several races in New South Wales. Couronne was sold to go to Australia, and died on the voyagfe to Sydney in June, 1912. Carlita runs in the ownership of P. Rogers and^J. Rivers, and ran eight times as a two-year-old. She was second to Traquette in the Maribyrnong Plate and Mimosa Stakes, won the November Nursery at Flemington in the springy and also the Easter Stakes at Randwick in the autumn. This season she has won the Victoria Derby and Oaks, and finished third in the 0. B. Fisher Plate, one mile and a-half, won by Mountain Knight. At the Taranaki Meeting Merry Guy carried 9.13 and. ran a mile and a-half in 2min 47 2-ssec, beating Styrax (who has since won in open company at Wanganui) and Ascalon (9.0). At Dannevirke the latter met Merry Guy on 71b worse terms, and never" looked like getting overtaken. Ascalon has improved with racing, and in his last four starts ran three firsts and a second. He is engaged at Opunake on the 17th. The filly by The Welkin— Wilg^a," who reaEsed ft.25 guineas at the Victorian yearling sales, is a sister to Eugenist and Welkin Queen. Wilga is an imported mare by Marco — Lottie Hampton, by Royal Hampton. Wilga is a half-sister to Manaton, Ormeton, Sandstone, and Passing By. Welkin Queen won the Karrakatta Plate of 1000 soys, in Westralia. The Wallace — Zoraya colt who fetched 1000 guineas belongs to a successful family. Merrimax, who .won the Brighton Hurdles at Ellerslie last Easter, is again engaged in that event.' He is at present in Sydney,' where he has won two hurdle races and a jumpers' flat race Bince he went across. Kosmos Bey, sire of First Glance, is making a name as the sire of jumpers in the Old Country. Elgon (a four-year-old by the , sire named) has won 'five hurdle races on end. Hackler's Bey, a seven-year-old gelding by Kosmos Bey, from an unnamed daughter of the champion jumping sire Hackler, won the Highfield Handicap Steeplechase (three miles) at Birmingham, and has been nominated for the Grand National. The North Island will be well represented at the Nelson Meeting on Wednesday and Thursday. ,., L. V. Crawford took across Plunder, Lady Vladimir, and Otakura on Thursday. On Saturday H. Telford left with , Rerehau, A. Goodman with Hap Dha and Multoe, W. J-. Porter with Killaloo, and F. Higgott with Want and Kina. Gold Soult, Goldstream^ Mount Victoria, Immer. Roumania, Prince Laddo, and Ally leave to-night. j Sea_ Pink has been engaged in the Rosehill Handicap, one mile and a-quar-ter, to be run on Saturday next. Telford's patent bridle to stop pullers was used with advantage at the Dannevirke meeting. It has been suggested I by a correspondent that it would be an I advantage to , backers to notify the public what horses are using the bridle. The' Victorian performers, Swedish Lad and Clontaft have been engaged in the Great Easter Steeplechase to be run at Onkaparinga on Easter Monday. The maximum weight in the event named is 13.0. J. Scobie, who trains Swedish Lad, has Megas entered for the hurdle race. I Daylight Bill, who is being got ready for winter racing, was given a run at the Akaroa Meeting on Saturday, when he carried the steadier of 12.9, and beat five opponents, the runner-up (Horoscope) being in receipt of 451b in weight. The -latter is a stable mate of Kilmeny, one of F. Christmas's team, by Daystar— Skirmish. The stake attached to the Peninsula Gup, 100 soys, could easily be doubled to imake it more attractive. Of the six acceptors only three started, and Chrysotis '(St. Ambrose— Rosella) defeated Ladrone and Multum in Parvo. The last named is an Australian-bred mare by Murillo (imp.)— Pride, and was a fair performer in New South Wales, winning up to a mile and a-quarter, but has evidently not yet become accli' matised. Mr. Watt's Athenic is an Australian-bred horse, which was probably the reason why a- competitor bearing the same name was allowed to start in the Maiden Plate, which he won. Bonation, who ran second, is by Bonlform from Salaam, a New South Walesbred'mare by Medallion-^Salutation, and Bonation (now four years old) is a first foal. Bonation ran second in a Maiden Plate at North Otago at New Year time. Athenic. is a five-year-old Charlemagne 11. from Seashell '(the dam of Sea King dnd Kina). Later in the afternoon Athenic and Bonation competed unsuccessfully in the Terawera Hack Handicap won by Derby Day (by

I Stronghold — Son of a Gun mare). Martigues (the full-sister to Immer and Pall Mall) ran second, but has evidently not improved much since she ran second to Miacara in the Trial Stokes at Trentham in the spring. She .managed to win a similar class event 'at New Year at Oamaru, The Forsyth Flying went to Skirl, one of Mr. Hobbs's team, by Martian — Reel (Medallion — Pibroch), who had four foals by Gipsy Grand and five by Stephiak. >Some of them were winners, but none were anything out of the ordinary. Skirl is owned by Mi*. C. W. Keid. The Kinloch Welter field included two veteran campaigners in Kilts and Medallist, the latter running second to Glen Owl (Glenapp — Brooklyn mare). There were as many competitors in one of the trots as in the half-dozen gallops. The club gave 120 soys in stakes for the two trots. Owners paid in nomination and acceptance fees £91 15s, which left the club a liability of £28 5s over the two races.