NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 33, 8 August 1921, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS

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The Grand National Meeting opens to-morrow, and will b"e continued on Thursday and concluded on Saturday. Unfortunately,! the weather has interfered with training operations at Riccarton, and, in consequence, stay; at-home sports have been unable to. get a line about the chances of their fancies in the jumping events. Proceedings open at 11 a.m.,, with the TallyHo Plate, two miles and a-half over the National country, for, gentlemen riders. Of the half-dozen entries, the absence of Bay Lupin/ a useless brute, who has since caused Serious injury to L. Hegarty and ended his own career, further reduces the field to fiive. Three of them have previously started, and the only one that has shown any form is Petitesso: She ran second to Fire Eater at the Brackenfield and Christchurch Hunt Clubs' Meetings, The best performers engaged in the Trial Hurdle Race are Penury Rose and Dribble. Unless Tigritiya and Sir Fanciful show a lot of improvement on what they have previously done in public, one of the first-named pair should win. There is a report from Masterton that Master Boris has beaten Penury Rose, and*is the better of the pair at a difference of two stone. It is a long time since Master Boris won a race tot Trentham and paid a sensational dividend,, when he beat Undecided.

In the Hunters' Hurdles, Grange, the top-weight, has recent form to recommend him. Birkenvale has had plenty of time to become experienced as a jumper since he was last seen in public, and may bother the top-weight. i Taking the adjustments in the National Hurdles as a guide, Multive appears the best handicapped horse ih the Jumpers' Flat, He i* in receipt of 311) from Demagogue, whereas in the Hurdles he is conceding that opponent two stone, and we had a somewhat, similar case with Coalition and Omahu at Trentbam. Hyttus and Kauri King are others that may show up prominently.

, The thirteen horses left in the' Grand National Steeplechase include four previous winner of the race in Coalition, Lochella, Master Strowan, and . laimai. The performances of tho competitors have been previously referred to by the writer, Who experts the top weight's two msst dangerous opponents to. be Coroglen and Sturdee If a surprise ia in store it may come from Barrister.

The ■ writer has no particular fancy for the Winter Cup. Mustard Pot has raced so consistently for several meetings past fiat he niust be given a chance second to none. If General Advance is preferred by his owner to Miss Muriel, he is also entitled to a place among the probables. Prince Martian and Pine Arch are a ' pair lightly Weighted that may be in the fighting line at the finish when the whips are cracking. * ■ ■ ,\

In the Avonhead Handicap, seven furlongs, Cantoris may be expected to do better than at South Canterbury. Linton (who won over, the same distance at Waimate), Sembric, and Staff Officer, (who won at South' Canterbury),, may also show up., '-> „

Fire Eater and Joffre, l-ecent winner* in the South, will be'among .'the fancied ones for the, Enfield Steeplechase. If Tigerland can reproduce the form he showed at,-Hastings and Dannevirke, he will probably account for the South Is land representatives nairied.

Sandule mads the best showing of the top weights that competed in the Australian Hurdle Race at Oaulfield on Saturday. About a year ago he won the V.H.C. Grand National Hurdles, and in the Australian Hurdles, distance 3£ miles, less 92 yards, essayed to win from end to end, but fell when leading at this second-last jump. Two New Zealanders in Ataahua and Westerley had a similar experience in the Caulfield race. Two of the place-getters on Saturday were in with the highest weights. The winner, Roisel, has some redent form to recommend him. He had won a couple of months back at ■Geelong, and last month at Aspendale Park, where he defeated Fiscom, winner'of the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles. Roisel is by the Flyiflg Fox horse Ulavkney 11, who hay a representative in the Dominion in Lord Usk. He is trained at Caulfield by S< P. Caa'ey, and is owned by Mr. G. Wall, of'Werribce. The time put up on Saturday was Bsec 3lower than last year's, when Silver Heart es*.abli6hed a record.-