NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 121, 22 May 1920, Page 12

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(BI "818 LANCELOT.")

.Handicaps for the opening day of the. Otaki Maori Racing Club's Winter Meeting will appear in Monday's issue

Mr. W Slattery informed me at Wanganui that Paraoa was not 'quite right, otherwise ha might have run at Wanganui and Ellerslie. .

Fordell-trained horses ha^re a great following with patrons of the Wanganui Jockey Club. F. Tilley started a horse in each Of the three flat races on tha opening day at.Wanganui, and they were all sent out favourites. Tame Fox ran first, Rude second, and Kinsem fourth.

F. Higgott informed me at Wanganui that he will take Wirokino and Luke to the Dunedin Meeting if the transport arrangements permit.

The hold up of the North Island-owned horses Seadown, Coalition, Gang Awa', and Master Strowan may mean that they will race at Dunedin instead of at Ellerslie as originally intended It looks as though, thanks to the Royal Meeting, there will be a, strong contingent of North Island-owned jumpers racing at Wingatui. First Line, who has incurred a- penalty for the Otago Steeplechase, and Foeman, will probably be taken down. The latter was engaged at Dunedin last winter but was taken. 1 to Napier Park instead, and won the big race each day.

Excepting Parisian Diamond, who has a good horse's weight, the Cornwall Handicap field is not a strong one. After Marqueteur's good form at Egmont and Wanganui. the connections of that horse must have wished they had left him in the Ellerslie race. .'Marqneteur' paid short prices at Egmont, and the dividend returned at Wanganui must have been a pleasant surprise. Punka was the only Cornwall' Handicap candidate that competed in the Connolly. She was only in receipt of 71b from Marqueteur at Auckland, whereas at Wanganui the Egmonttrained horse conceded 171b and a good half stone beating.

Mr. F. M'Menamen, the Auckland ha«dicapper, witnessed the racing at Wanganui.

In their engagements on the opening day of the North Ota-go Sleeting the Miramar-trairfed horses, Arlington and Bairnsdale, each filled second place. With the exception of Appland, Kauri King was the least fancied of the eight runners for the Oentury Hurdles. He ran a remarkably good race, considering he carried top Weight. He may pick up another race or two when the company is not too select. He was allowed to drop out of the Great Northern Hurdles, in which he did not have his engagement continued. Most of the horses engaged at Wanganui and Elle'rslie had practically the same weight at ; both places. Lochella, who had 9.8 in both events, will have to put up 51b penalty at Auckland, and should. again beat the horses he defeated at Wanganui, including Omahu, -Lord Naga*r, who had no chance of getting in the money when he came to grief, and Goldstream. It was intended to take the latter to Auckland, but he may not go on to chase Lochella. Lochella was fancied to win the Ellerslie double before Wanganui, and he will probably go out favourite for the Hurdles. With 11.0 in the Steeplechase he has been given a chance to repeat the performance of El Gallo.

The members of Mr. James Bull, junr.'s team that competed at Wanganui ; are to fulfil their engagements at the Great Northern Meeting. So far as the jumping meetings have gone tliis season, it does not look aa though Mr. W. R. Kemball's team of jumpers are likely to take a prominent part in the decision of the big jumping races this.winter. ■•

Mr. G.. M, Currie sent a Jpatch of brood mares into the sale ring at Wanganui yesterday. There is evidently no demand for this class of thoroughbred stock, as none of the lots found new owners.

Luperino was taken to Wanganui from Egmont.. He knocked his hock when working,, and as it did not improve during the night he was railed home on Tuesday. The transport holdi-up may also have had something to dv '-with his return home. Some judges who were at Egmont consider that Luperino was lucky to beat Lochella there, as the latter's rider lost a stirrup iron, and could not do his mount justice at the finish. The writer expects to see Lochella beat Luperino at Auckland.

The Eemont form worked out well at Wanganuj. MarqueteUr and Tame Fox were winners at both places. In the Pur-ua• Hack Handicap the last-named came from a long way back. He has evidently improved, and should win again before the season closes'. At the Sydney yearling sale, at which he was bought, he was the only youngster sent into the ring sired by Volpone. The Wanganui Steeplechase winner. First Line (Advance--Ballarat), is nearly full-brother to Foeman, also trained by A. Wright at Foxton. He showed some form over big- fences early in the season, when he won at Otaki and Dannevirke. He was among the runners on the second day at Egmont, when he was interfered'with, and came to grief. ■ First Line was in the Gruat Northern Steeplechase with 9.11, but was allowed to drop out when the first payment became due. A penalty would have brought his impost up to 10.4. The Northern Steeplechase candidates he were Gladful and Polthoffue. The latter cannot have much chance at Ellerslie. Returned visitors to the Royal Meeting at Riccarton mention among the remarkable incidents in connection with the gathering the break Right and Left got at the start of .the Marlborough Stakes. It is generally estimated by Riccarton trainers that the two-year-old (ridden by R. Reed) got off with about three seconds' advantage, which, travelling at the rate of a mile in lmin 40secj represents about 51 yards. It certainly does not make Right and Left out to be much good, when he' was beaten out of a place under such circumstances. Probably if> was just as well that he finished last instead of first, as the reception his rider would have received after stealing the' race from the two fancied runners might have apset the harmony of the proceedings, and marred the enjoyment of the Royal visitor, who officiated at the barrier at the race in question. The other remarkable thing was the price paid by Amythas. An objectionable skin disease has made its reappearance among >the horses at Trentham. A few are troubled' with strangles, 'while quite a. number are suffering from colds, which generally go through a stable unless special precautions are taken. To minimise the trouble as far as possible instructions have been issued have the scraping sheds and sand rolls at the> course fumigated as often a3 is considered necessary. Mr. Fred Mansell, the old-time treasurer of the Baiigitikei Club, has been on a business visit to Wellington. He informs me that the club is continuing the Gcheme of improvements started 'last season at the Bulls course. At .Trcntliarti J. M'Laughliii is handling a rising two-year-old brown gelding by Bezonian—Sequinette. He is a fullbrotlier in blood to Fortune Teller, and, like most of bho tribe to which he belongs, may 'enme to hand early and! go fast over short distances. Prince Hal has done well since being operated on, and may be an improved ■ horse nc-'t whsou. A. Godfrey also has Martian. Prjaces* in, .good, condition.

The vising two-year-olds in H. Telford's Trontham stable have already been given some practice at the barrier, and the smartest of them should be among the early two-year-olds racing. They are a chestnut gelding by' Al! Black—Effort, appropriately named Rugby; chestnut filly, by Boniform—Vicereine, and bay filly by Boniform—Peace. \V. M'Conkey mentioned at Trentham yesterday that "he, and not A. J. Shearsby, should be credited with having ridden Orient to victory in .the Wangamii Steeplechase of 1887. The error appears in the N.Z. Turf Register. Mr. J. T. Murphy, the Blenheim owner-trainer, has in his team a wallgrown bay yearling gelding by Boniform —Mils Birkenhead—nearly full brother to Brackenfield. The latter is by Boniform—Gargoran, by Charlemagne ll.— Miss Birkenhead. Brackenfield and his dam are both first foals. -

Tho two-year-old colt Listowel is to hf operated upon, and when he races again next season it will be as a gelding.