THE TURF

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 27, 31 January 1917, Page 4

THE TURF

FIXTURES

January 31 and February I—Esmonfc Eaoins

Club. February 1 and 3—Gisborne Kaoing Club. February 3—Canterbury Jockey Club. February 7 and B—Marlborough Racing Club. February 7 and S—Taranaki Jockey Club. February 8 and 10—Poverty Bay Turf Club. February 14 and 15—Woodville Jockey Club. February 14, 10, and 17—Dunedin Joclcey Club, February 22 and 21—Wanganui Jockey Club.

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By "Sir Lancelot.")

Square- Deal broke down badly in the Wellington Cup, and has been turned out for a lengthy spell. He may nab race again. At the A.J.O. Anniversary Meeting the First Nursery Handicap was won by Lady Comely ( Charlemagne II. — Comely), a half-sister to Bimoter. 11. Telford -will be going to the Marlborongh Meeting with Probation and Mn.rsinah. Merry Trick (Treadmill—Delusive), a cast-off from Sir Gco. Clifford's stable, •won 'the Borough Handicap at the Tamworth Meeting this moivlh.

Although Soult has been dead sis or seven -years the stock of the son of St. Simon and Beanharnais keep on winning important races. It does not seem a very long time since the writer accompanied Mr. J. 0. Haywood, who imported Soult and Gold Beef, to Somes Island when the horses named were interned there during the term of quarantine. The first batch of Soult's progeny were sold as yearlings at the meeting Uhlan won the Auckland Cup. .The weather was similar to this year. Cup day concluded in wet weather and simiiar conditions prevailed around the salering\ Compared with the youngsters sent up by Messrs. Nathan from Sylvia Park and'jVlr. T. Morrin from Wellington Park, the Soults were' very small, and five of them only realised 122 guineas. Matters did not improve the following season, when four of the Glenora Park lots only realised 10 guineas, an average of 17i guineas. The third batch, seven in number, brought 247 guineas, an average of $5 guineas. It was not until after Soult's stock proved themselves' successful' two-year-olds that ■ better ibices prevailed. The first of. the progeny of Soult were racing in the season. 1899-1900, and his winning record in the Dominion-since then works out as follows: — £ 1899-00 « v . 156 1900-1 617 1901-2 »--...■ 1,700, 1902-3 •. 5,611 1903-4 .. -. 6,827 1904-5 6,409----1905-6 .~.. 6,517 1906-7 ... 7,071 1907-8 _j , . 9,486 1908-9 15,600 1909-10 18,049 1910-11 18,483 1911-12 16,678 1912-13 „ 20,685 1913-14 13,436 1914-15 .„ 13,319 1915-T6 8,770 '£169,414 ] During the present season Colonel .Soult, Merry Roe, Kauri King, Soultano, and Soldier have won over 2200 between them.

The Hon. J. D. Ormdnd's crack two-year-old, Hymestra, is engaged at | Easter both at Ellerslio and Riccarton. Biplane will probably be at Eiccarton to contest the Canterbury Champagne Stakes. In. 1 recent years the Hon. J. D. Ormond has raced pretty regularly at Ellerslie, and the colt may be sent North with his stable mates to contest the Great Northern Champagne Stakes, which should not be a difficult race for him to win. His absence from the C.J.C. Meetings means that the meeting with Desert Gold in the Challenge Stakes will not take place. Sea Pink (9.7) is top weight in the Hobart Cup, to be run this afternoon. C. Pritchard leaves for South on Thursday with Mount Victoria, Pall MaJl, Rose Pink, and Trentham Eose. Tho same itraioer will be represented at 'the Marlborongli Meeting by Humorist, Kouroiuiia, and Royal Sleeves. Tho lastnamed will be lelt at Blenheim, where his owner resides. Mr. Whitney engaged the two-year-old Arihia in tho maiden events, but ho will not bo takeii across. The New Zealand-bred maTe Alegar (St. Leger-^Brc-wn Alice) died recently j at Mr. Sol Green's Shipley stud. Her two-year-old daughter, Sweet Comedy (by Comedy King), met with fatal injuries while Taringl at Caulfiekl this month. i So far this season Depredation, winner of the Auckland Cup, and Bunting, winner of the Wellington Cup, have not met. They have both been engaged in the Wanganlii Cup. Mr. Morse will j declare the weights at the' conclusion of tho Taranaki Meeting. Gold SOIII6 recently got away from his attendant on the Porirua beach, and in consequence may not fulfil his Marl- j borough, engagements. The members of the team that go across will be ridden by L. H. Howitt. On Hewitt's last appearance at Marlborough he won a, rtfce> for Miss Bertha Clifford, daughter of Mr. Walter Clifford. By winning the Takapuna Jockey Club Handicap on Monday Lady Penury improved on her performance of twelvemonths' ago, when she ran' second to Master Lupin. On both occasions she had King Lupin behind her. Lady Penury won at Avondale and Ellerslie, .and will be a good winner before the end' of the" season. The local horseman, A. Eeed, rode Lady Penury. ■The All Black gelding Bingham raced' prominently at Takapuna, but the best he could do was to finish third each day. In tho Hobson Handicap on Monday Empire, rimnei;-up to Demotic on Saturday, j scored from tho New South Wales filly Agnestes. Empire i«- a bay gelding by General Latour (son of Soult), from Lady Musket, and is therefore half-brother to the w oil-known performers Lass o' Gowrie, Glcngowrie, Salute, King Soult, and other performers.' Lady Musket had ten foals by Soult. Empire is owned by Mcsdamos Foss and Steuart, who won good races with Prince Soult and Elysia-n. Te O-iifja has recently shown a return to his form of a. year ago. Ho was successful at Whangarei and Kawawawa, ran second to Gluepot on the opening day at Takapuna and scored on Monday. To Onga defeated Gluepot and Tararu Jack, and on yesterday's form appears better than the pair named. The Trenfcttam-trained Miss Do Valhas been engaged in tho Ha-zlitt Memorial Plate, the weight-for-ago race at the Dunedin Autumn Meeting. Class is well represented by Koesianand Sweet Corn, Last year there were only two runners in tile race, Panmuro and First Glance, and the imported horses provided an exciting contest.

Bee has not done much -work since slao returned from Australia^ and may not fulfil her engagement in tlie Craven Plato a.t the O.J.C. Meeting on Saturday next. She has also been entered for the Dunedin. Cup and Hazlitt Memorial Plate, the veight-for-nge event at the Dunedin Autumn Meeting, also the Wanganui Cup. She may make her reappearance at the West Coast fixture. Rockfidd (Monoform—Golden Boso) was not saddled, up on Saturday at Tokapuna. but cm Monday ho scored in h thS,.Ka.iagito I t : q.. Hack.:, Handicap, lls^is,

one of Mr. E. W. Alison's team, and won a double at the North Shore in November. He was brought down to Trentham for the Spring Meeting, andwas started both, days, but did not show any form. ■

Acceptances for the Marlborough Baciug and Trotting Clubs' meetings close to-morrow. For some years past tho Marlborough Racing Club has kept the grass on the course down by running sheep on it. This year, however, this practice has been discontinued, a new course committee deeming it advisable. Instead, the: grass has been allowed to grow and cut with a mower on two or three occasions. The result is most satisfactory, and J;ho course is now stated to be in splendid condition, and, notwithstanding the dry weather, the going will be absolutely first-class. As a large number of owners have signified their intention of making the journey to Blenheim, it is anticipated that the Summer Meeting, which is an innovation on the part of the club, will be the best meeting yet held in Marlborough.