THE TURF

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 70, 23 March 1920, Page 11

THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS

CBI "SIR LAKCILOI.")

The annual meeting of the Rangitikei Pricing Club, one of the oldest-establish-ed racing institutions along the West Coast, will be held to-morrow and Thursday. Satisfactory fields are engaged on the opening day, the smallest being nine in tlie Scott Memorial, named after the late Mr. David Scott. The Masterton winners Affectation and Astinome are down to ran. The best of the pair will probably encounter most serious opposition from. Bindle. whose winning record at Mai'ton, Wellington, and Hamilton will bear comparison with that of any other sprinter engaged at the meeting. Affectation will have to carry 9.7, and Astinome 8.9.

Fifteen horses dropped out of the Trial Plate, including Valencia and Sling Camp, who are not now eligible, but there arc still 31 left in. They are more or less unknown quantities. Sweefc Tipperary is down to make her reappearance, in the Ohakea Hack Hurdles. She is conceding a good deal of weight to Lepanto and War Star, the latter of whom should be improved with the racing she has had over hurdles. In the Cameron Hack Handicap, backers may follow Napier Park form and go for Hepta and. Irapuka. The latter also ran second in open company on the concluding day at Da-nnevirke. Lovematch may be the best of the lot in the Bangitikci Cup. With a light weight up there is no reason why Amberine should not run out ten furlongs. Nobleman will be all the better for another race or two. The Pukeuui Hack Welter field includes three recent winners in Risingham (who will carry 10.4), Valencia-(9.1), and Ulaster Curran (8.12). The two latter have a big pull in the weights, and the better of the pair, probably Valencia, should run prominently. Now that he has struck form, Old Gold, who won at Dannevirke, may score again in the Parewanui Welter. A 51b penalty will bring him up to 9.8, within I 31b of Pretty Bobby. | Sweet Memory, American Beauty, and Hori are recent winners engaged in the Ngatiapa Hack Handicap, five furlongs. The first-named is such a great beginner that with all her weight she is sure to go well. Sweet Memory will have 10.1, American Beauty 8.7, and Hori 7.10.

Horses engaged in the principal event at Amberley on Saturday can compete successfully without fear of incurring a penalty in the big events at Riccarton. After racing Affectation at Rangitikei it is intended to take the colt on to Auckland to run in the Great Northern St. Leger. It was also intended to take Rose Wreath up to compete in the Oaks, but after the poor showing at Masterton ' she ■ will be given a spell. She will not therefore be taken to R-angitikei. The members of J. Ayres's team which raced at the Pahiatua, Woodville, Wanganui, Nelson, Blenheim, and Masterton Meetings have on very few occasions been out of the money. At Masterton the three horses started ran first, second, and third. Nine of Mr. W. R. Kemball's team competed at Opaki on Saturday, and two of them (Miss Gold and Rilceful) were successful. Red Ribbon, who generally races at Riccarton or Elleislie-, has not nominated at either place at Easter. She has been engaged at Feilding and Wairarapa, and will no doubt ba seen at one of those meetings. A correspondent, "Visitor to Opaki," writes complaining about the, want of proper ambulance requirements at the Masterton Meeting. He asks that should the Jockeys' Association fail to receive favourable consideration from the racing clubs and conference tha matter should be brought under the notice of the Minister of Internal Affaire before the totalisator permits for next season are issued. It is reported that Mr. Allan Cameron has sold the property alongside tha Opaki racecourse, for some time occupied by T Pritchard, Tho latter is seriously considering the advisability of retiring from tho training and riding professionl, and going into business at Masterton, where he is well and favourably known. He has had his share of falls when riding—one particularly bad one in ;i hurdle race—and the spill on Saturday may havo caused him to definitely decide to retire from the pigskin.

The house and training stables alongside the Tiiuherenikau racecourse for some time tenanted by-A. M'Aulay have been purchased by P. Hazelman. The writer the new cwner takes possession after the Easter Meeting. E. S. Garrett, a diminutive son of the Opaki-trainer Walter Garrett, had a mount in a race for the first time at the Mastqrton Meeting on Saturday. In the Great Autumn Handicap Eleus is conceding Warlike lib, but in the Southland Cup there is 161b between the pair of performers named. Miss Gold, who on Saturday scored her first win since her return from Australia, and also her first success as a three-year-old, is engaged in the Great Northern Oaks and St. Leger. When she ran at AVanga.nui ten horses w_ere better backed than Miss Gold, who finished in a place, behind Kinsem and Dainty Step. On Saturday she was backed down to less than level money. The V.Pv.C. has raised the stakes in the Marlbyrnong Plate and the Sires' Produce Stakes to 2000 soys.

Acceptances for the Easter Handicap at Ellerslie, and handicaps for the big events at Biccarton have already been published. Several horses were engaged at both places. Die appended table shows the opinions of the handicappers:

Silver Link did not accept for Auckland, and as she, was withdrawn from her C.J.C. engagements before the weights appeared may be amiss.

Auckland Easter. 1 mile, st. ■ lb. S'asanof 9 10 imythas 9 3 Surveyor 9 3 Bazique 8 6 rigritiya 7 12 ipaiiner 7 12 BindJe 7 12 Affectation .....' 7 12 Hetaua 7 12 Maioha ..... 7 6 d. (J.J.U. East«r. 7 fur. St. lb. 9 11 9 6 9 '6 8 5 8 4 8,1 7 10 7 13 "7 11 7 13