NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 147, 18 December 1915, Page 12

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By "Sir Lancelot.")

The Summer Meeting of the Wellington Racing Club will be held on Thursday, Saturday, and Monday, 20th, 22nd, and 24th January This arrangement will allow a spell in between each day, and will not be so hard on the competi-tors-as if they raced on consecutive days. The programme has been made more attractive than last year, and is the most liberal the club has yet offered toowners. There are two welter handicaps each day, two weight-for-age. races (the Waterloo Stakes, one mile, and the Kelburn Plate, four furlongs). The prin-cipal-handicap' events are the Welling>ton Cup, of 1300 soys, one mile and a>-half; Racing Club Handicap, of 600 sows, one mile and three furlongs; Summer Handicap, of 500 soys, one mile; and Consolation'Handicap,'of 400,'sovs'. one mile and. a'-quayter. ... Owners of sprinters are also well-provided for with ttie Telegraph Handicap, of 750 soys, six furlongs; Metropolitan Handicap, of '400 sore, six furlongs; a-nd City Handicap, of 300 soys, six furlongsi Owners of hacks- have the Ruapehu Handicap, of 200 soys, six furlongs; Douio Cup Handicap, of 350 soys, one mile and Kaitoke Handicap, of 200 soys, five furlongs. The Fitzherbert, Handicap, of 250 soys,. five furlongs, and Hopeful Stakes Handicap, of 350 soys, four furlongs, are for two-year-olds. Nominations for all handicap events at the, meeting "close on Monday at 9 p.m. with Mr. A. E, Whyte, secretary. ,| Two of the progeny of Soult, Prince Soult and Soultikoff, are being schooled .over -hurdles at Ellerslie.

White Plume, "who scored an easy win in the Hurdle Race on the second day at Feilding, will make her next appearance at New Plymouth on the 27th inst. She is also engaged at Maifcon, and Stratford at -New Tear time. At. Marton Rexer has been asked to concede 'her 161b, but-at Stratford the difference between the pair is only 51b.

The list of horses left in the Tenth Pabnerston "North Stakes, prior to the final payment on the 14th inst., iriclnded the names of Rockbound, Rangitero, Flying Start, Sweet Tipperary,

Emperador, Nvstad. Flying Spur, Marco Bello, Seadown, Belasco, Gold Soult, Chakwana, and othei-s. The likely starters aye Rangitero (who is coming back to form),. Emperador (who is likely to be sent out favourite). Flying Spur (who showed a lot of pace in the Feilding Stakes and will win races), Hythread (who scored at Gishorne), and a few others. Emperador has escaped a penalty, and it will take a good two or three-year-old to finish in front of him over six furlongs. Flying Spur will get 71b maiden allowance, and Hyft-hread may. be class enough to put up'a good race with the Canterbury representative.

The records of Ribbonwood, King Colei and Country Belle were .all established on the Addington track. Country Belle's sire, Wildmoor, is by Wildwood from the imported, American mare Alice Aznioor, and he therefore belongs to the same family as Ribbonwood and King Cole. The Christ-church Jfews states that, after being jogged a few times round and given a couple of smart sprints, Country Belle stepped to the mark in great style, having the assistance, as a •pace-maker, of the well-known hurdler Kmgsway,,who was ridden by F. Holmes. With a flying start, Country Belle leftthe first portion behind in 15 l-ssec, two furlongs in 30 3-ssec, four furlongs in lmin 2sec, six furlongs in imin 35sec, and.the full distance (one mile) in 2min 7 l-ssec, thereby reducing the existing record by 1 2-ssec. The mare was most. ably driven by her owner, Mr. W. J. Morland, and at one part of the. journey was' showing a twominute, clip, but to a close observer it was evident that the mare was not altogether at home on the track, the bends not being. negotiated as freely as one would have liked them to have been After her remarkable performance, Country Belle showed little signs of distress, and on returning td" the judge's box both the driver and the mare were heartily cheered, while on dismounting Mr. Morland was freely congratulated, by a large number of sportsmen. He was naturally very proud of his mare's performance, as he not only bred a-nd trained the mare, but also drove her. During her racing career Country Belle has won over £3000 in stakes, _ and is only a yong mare, being now seven years old. She is still sound ■ in. wind and limb, and possesses what many of our local, pacers and trotters do not—that is, a level head, in spite of'the large amount of racing she has done. Mr. Morland stated that he was very sanguine of breaking the record, as on Saturday, ■without- a pacer, he drove the mare one mile in 2min Bsec, and again on Tuesday a similar distance in 2min 6^sec. The judicious manner in which Kingsway, the pace-maker, was ridden .by F. Holmes, did much to assist Country Belle in completing her. task successfully. In spite ■of the early hour, the ■attendance of the public was surprisingly good. Mr. J. H. Tompkins wasstarfcer, and Mr. W. G. Garrard judge. . The timekeepers, Messrs E. Clarkson, .R. Wallace, A. Dickson, • and F. T. Panned!,

-were all in agreement as to time records. Country Belle is to be retired from the track. She was this season mated with the imported horse Logan Pointer.

In consequence of all profits of the Manawatu Racing Club for this year going to the Sick and Wounded Soldiers Fund, without any deduction for depreciation, etc., it lias been decided that no complimentary tickets will be issued for either the Summer or Autumn "Meetings. Season tickets' for admission to the front gates, lawn, and stand are, however, being issued at the following rates, for the meeting of three days ■- gentlemen's tickets 25s each, ladies' tickets 5s each. These can be obtained on application to the secretary. No. 11, Cuba-street, Palnerston North.

E! Bro (Soult —Momil won three races at the Ballarat. Meeting this month. The Soults look like lasting a long time. R, Lewis rode five winners at the Meeting. The Australasian states he is the best horseman they have hud since T. Hales.

R. J. Mason left for Auckland on Thursday night. The other Christchnrch trainers, G. Murray Ansley, R. O'Donnell, and H. Cutts, left yesterday. The special train to Auckland, which started yesterday, means that sixteen instead of eight horses can. be railed through daily.

'Bradbury, who is performing well in two-year-oid events .in Queensland, is a half-brother to the Fordeli-trained Pohehe, who was among the unsuccessful competitors at Feilding.

Seddel Bahr is not engaged on. the opening day of the Manawatu Sleeting. He will probably make his first appearance in the Liverpool Handicap, nine furlongs, on thejvsecond day. Bertrada was beaten by ajieck^by Pavlova in the; race named iaet yea-r.l

J. Bryce, the -well-known. ' tiotting ti-ainer, has applied, to the Canterbury Jockey Club. for a l.vaineT's license. F. Holmes, D. J. Price, L. Robertson, and other New Zealandp.rs have been successful both with gallopers and trotters.

C. Emerson left for Auckland yesterday. He will have the mount on Blackall in the Auckland Cup.

Eraperador will come up to the Mana■watu Meeting in charge of P. Mason The ChaTlemagne 11. gelding is the only member of Mr. G. D. Greenwood's team to compete at the meeting.

Bob Soult is top weight in the Christ--mas Handicap, run at Adelaide to-day.