NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 52, 30 August 1917, Page 10

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(II "SIR LANCBLOT.")

Acceptances for the Dwmevirke Eacing Club and DanneviAe Hunt Club's meetings close on Saturday, at 9 p.m., with Mr. R. Takle (Secretary). Pistol (Carbine —WenonaJh) again headed the list of successful sires in South Australia last season. Thirty-eight of his progeny won 76i races, of the value of 7908 soys. The Waikanae sire Bezonian had one winner of two races of the value of 1000 soys. Spearmint was represented by one winner of four races of the value of 994 soys.

There -was considerable diversity of. opinion among the stewards o£ the Woodville District Jockey Club as to ■whether it would be better to hold one meeting of two days or two of one day during the coming season. The matter was finally settled at a meeting of stewards of the club. The voting was equal, and the chairman gave his casting vote in favour of a two-days' fixture. The meeting will be held on sth and 6th December. It was decided to increase the stakes by 400 soys. The principal events will be increased as follow : Woodvillc ,' Cup 350 boys, Borough Handicap 170 soys, Electric Handicap 170 soys, Gothard Memorial 200 soys, Railway Handicap 165 soys, High-Weight Handicap 170 soys. According to tie London correspondent of the New York Times, flat racing was to be resumed at Newmarket and other English racecourses sanctioned by the Government on 17tlh July. This will continue with meetings of three clays' racing every week until the end of November. The sanction to arrange about forty days' racing is appreciated by all lovers of the Turf. There will bo races corresponding to the Nstt Derby and the New Oaks andi two-year-old racing of high class. This decision is expected to check the wholesale gelding of colts and provide a. sufficient number of stallions for carrying on the breeding of stock of good quality. Last autumn the military authorities were obliged to draw attention to the fact that the Bupply of home-bred horses was exhausted.

Reports front the North elate that the Auckland Cup will this season carry a stake of £2650, which is the amount it has been worth for several

years. Brambletye scored twice over a mile course at Wingatui and Riccarton last season. She was also placed in the Huia Handicap at Otaki and Winter Cup, also run over a journey of eight furlongs. The sister to Heatherbrae, Briar Patch, and Botanist should win a good middledistance handicap at Riccarton this season.

Word is U> hand from Auckland that El Gallo's death on Friday last was probably the result of heart failure. He had been given a half-pace task, and apparently pulled up all right. When walking back to the scraping-sheds he dropped down, and succumbed almost instantly. Xanthos, who was brought from tho West Coast to Biccarton for the Grand National Meeting, is still located at headquarters. He will probably be raced in some of the minor eventi at Ashburton and Gersddine, the company • in which should be of his own class.

This season the Dunedin Cup and all other ordinary handicap* on the D.J.C. programmes will have 7.0 as the minimum weight. The D.J.C. have advocated this at the conference for years, and now proposo to make the reform on their own account.

Tlio Wingatui mentor, C. Giesler, has just had erected a new range of atables, which will be ready for occupation in the cours* of a few days. His team comprises cix active members, including Ardenvhor, who is being got ready for the next New Zealand Cap. Although the programme of the Auckland Racing Club for the coming season has not yet been finally decided, it is understood that the Auckland Plate will be the only weight-for-age race deleted. The Guineas and Welcome Stakes will be run as usual at the Spring Meeting, and the Islington Plate and Royal Stakes on the second day of the Summer Meeting, the other classics being on the same days as last season. ■ The result of the German Derby, with £6250, run on 24th June, is now to hand. It was won by Landgraf, as anticipated, with Ecco and Frohsinn running a dead-heat for second place. The winner gained an easy victory by four lengfclis, and ia a brown colt by Louviers—Landora, by Ladas. Charles Planner trained the colt, who is the .property of Mr. R. Haniel. The New Zealand contingent made a good and a bad start in Australia la*t Saturday. At Canterbury Park th« Rokeby filly Ample, a member of R. D. O'Donnell's team, scored her first win. At Williomstown, on the same day, Tenacious, won the Hurdle Race for E. J. Rae. Luperino, who had scored a week previously, was among the also-started division in the race his stable-mate won. Luperino and his owner and rider were added to the already fairly long list of New Zealanders ruled out for the running of hurdle horses. At the Waikanae Stud, Margarethe (Birkenhead—<Jhant) has foaled a bay filly by Martian, and visits Boniform; Bebe (Bezonian —Blue Water) has foaled a bay fflly by Birkenhead, and visits Martian; Satisf aire (Birkeuhead—Content) has foaled a brown colt by Bezonian, and visits Boniform. Judging by the way they were working at Trentham it was expected that Menelaus and Chakwana would fulfil their engagements at Marton, but the names of both performers were missing from the acceptances. J. W. Lowe is taking up Coalition, Mascot, and Matilda. The smallest field is nine, in the Rangitikei Steeplechase, in which the Riccarton winner is engaged. Sleight-of-Hand was allowed to forfeit his engagement in the Marton Handicap. Some of the top weights arc missing from that event, and Orleans (8.0) now heads the list. The Auckknder, Kauri King, is No. 1 in the sprint event. The Waikanae Stud mares RibMe, Nones, Sonbird, and Mistime were shipped South last night to the Elderslie Stud, where they will be mated with Kilbroney. Mr. Lan Duncan lias also sent Snowstell, Tortnlla, Secret Link, Crimson Rose, and Glen Helen to Martian.