NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 128, 2 June 1922, Page 11

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(IS "SIR LANCELOT.")

The Otaki •- Maori Racing Club's Winter Meeting opens to-morrow, and will be concluded on Monday. Particulars of the train .arrangements will be found in the advertising columns. To-morrow trains leave Thomdon at 7.40, 8.33, and 8.47. The last two are non-stop trains, and should reach Otaki in. time for the first race, set down for decision at 11 a.m. On the return journey trains, will lea,ve Otaki for Wellington at 4.15, 4.30, 5.35, and 7.45 p.m.

Very few of the eighteen horses engaged in the Maiden Plate, six furlongs, have any public form to recommtend them./ Misrule was placed at Blenheim. Battle Knight, top weight in the Flying Hack Handicap, has not raced for some time. Comic, who won at Waipuknrau, and Ben Nevis, who nun. first and second at Egmont, have recent form to recommend them.

The country at Otaki is not big, and may suit Te Maire, while Nga&anui should beat all the others.

Marqueteur or Volo, whichever is started, may be the choice of backers iv the Raukawa Cup. Tame Fox and Dissertation may get in the money. The Awapuni-trainod pair, Pantlar and Martulla, are expected to show up in the Otaki Handicap. Wanganui form points to Kinsem in the Taipua Handicap. Astinome, who genera,lly runs well when fresh,; may be the best of the Trentham lot. '

Manchester, who has shown up prominently in his last six starts, is in the Birthday Welter Handicap, also March. On, who runs seven furlongs well. Raised 161b for the first day's win, Master Hamilton again won a good race at Wing&tui yesterday, beating all but Glenisla, a place-getter on the open-1 ing day, who came in on about a. stone better terms.

A most excellent programme has been drawn up by the Wellington stewards for the Steeplechase Meeting, to be held on filh, 12th, and 15th July, and as a, portion of the surplus is to be devoted to unemployed relief,' there will be nothing wanting, so fa<r as public interest is concerned. Stake money, amounting to £12,050, will be given for1 the three days. The big Steeples and Hurdles" are each, endowed with £1500, and there is no race on the programme of less value than £1350. Owners from all over New Zealand' are expected: to nominate freely, both on account-of the good prize money offered and) to help swell the receipts for the benefit of those unfortunates at present out of a. job. Listening Post and Bella Lake were both unplaced in the Tradesmen's Handi-' cap at Winga'tui on Tuesday. The race evidently sharpened the pair up, as in the Waironga Handicap yesterday they ran first and second. Listening Post (Solferino —Eager Eyes) scored in his two starts early in the season. He made his reappearance at Eiverton at Easter time, and ran last in,a field of three.

Punishment has contracted a cold, and will not fulfil his Otaki engagements.

Uust prior to the Dunedin Meeting Opiate had the misfortune to slip on the greasy track and strained a tendon, and was consequently-unable to start. His trainer (C. Pritchard) anticipates a short let-up will put the. horse right again.,!

Mr. 'P. D. M'Nab has been appointed starter to the Canterbury Jockey Club ■for next season. The Otago Hunt Club was anxious to secure Mr. M'Nab for its meeting in September, but it is unlikely that his services will be available for any fixtures outside of Canterbury.

The field for the Provincial Handicap at Dunedin yesterday was weakened by the withdrawal of Foo Chow, ijivho had 10.0, Corn Rigs, and Silent King. As pointed out in this column yesterday, the shorter distance suited Bonnetter better than the longer journey in the Birthday Handicap, and the .Wairarapa-owned mare scored from Redstbne, who was unlucky enough to be similarly placed behind Foo Chow on the previous'day. Bonnetter's previous successes this season were in the Maslerton Cup and Easter Handicap at Tauherenikau. Silver Peak failed with 9.4, as also did Dutch Courage, who only-had 7.6 to carry.-

Two of the principal events on the programme of the Auckland Racing Club s Winter Meeting, the Great Northern Hurdle Race and Cornwall Handicap, will be decided on Saturday, and the Great Northern Steeplechase on Monday. Master Boris showed improved form at Egmont and Wanganui, and he may be the best, of the Maiden Steeplechase field. Backers will have a task sorting out the winner of the Jervois Handicap, which will be run in two divisions. Vagabond is top weight in the Maiden Hurdle Race. Voluble, on Wanganui form, may go well. E.. Hannpn has turned out some good hurdlers, and it would not be surprising if King Abbey's name has to be added to the list.

The withdrawal of Ngata from the Great Northern Hurdles gives that event a more open appearance. The two local representatives, / Killard and Poanui, may show up prominently. Simonides and Passin' Through may be the best o£ the foreigners. \ Trentham stables are represented' in the Cornwall Handicap by the Wanganui winners, Printemps and Scion. Dovelet is in with a handy weight, and among those on the minimum mark is Bagdad, a great mudlark.

Roman, Cold Steel, and Kilreid hava a good pull in the weights in the Members' Handicap.

The form in the Jumpers' Flat Race on the opening day of the Dunedin Meeting worked out well in the Otago Hurdles yesterday. Falstaff and General Petain ran first and second on Tuesday, and yesterday they reversed positions. General Petain (All Red—Lady Lillian) is the best class hurdler at present competing in the South. In yesterday's race lie conceded all his opponents weight, and a beating. He won at the Dunedin Cup Meeting carrying 12.5, and later at Waimate with 12.9 up. In the Otago Hurdles Gladful was asked to concede General Petain a stone, but the writer doubts _the ability of the North Islander to do it. The only excuse that can bs made for Londonderry is that he cannot stay two miles.

Muzzle, who brought off a. surpriseln the Silverstream Handicap at Dunedin yesterday, and Lomagundi, who ran second, were both among the also started division in the Brighton Handicap on the opening day at Wingatui. Muzzle, who was placed at the Southland and Riverton Autumn Meetings, is one of the useful Calibre tribe from Mr. John Grigg's Longbeach stable. He is from Walda (Perkin Warbeck ll.—Chiara)* and: is full-sister to Mettle, dam of Dutch Courage, who carried Mr. Grigg's colours to' the fore at Wingatui oil Tuesday. Walda had four fillies by Calibre after producing Muzzle, but according to the Stud Book none of them were named.

The dra\^ for -the divisions in the Jervois Handicap, to be run at Ellerslie on Saturday, are:—

First Division.—Jolly Princess 9 6 Gold Bud 9.5, Gold Star 9.3, Te Kuri 8.13, Eippling 8.12, Emerald Hill 8.10 Wish Wynne 8.9, Lady Polly 8.9 Euphoria 8.8, Tireless 8.6, Te /*kitai. 8.3, Haligan 8.2, Mangawhero 8.2, Election 8.0, King Neva 8.0, Economic 8.0, Rosullus 8.0, Lady Eidicule 8.0, Princess Rell

8.0, Merry Times 8.0, Spirit Level 8.0, Valley Queen 8.0, Lady Merriwee 8.0. Second Division.—Bitholia 9.6, Doric 9.4, Glen Cairn 9.0, Birkenella 8.13 Marble Crag 8.10, Arizona Maid B.io' Polini 8.9, Golden Glass 8.8, Blissfulness 8:7, Gold Jacket 8.3, Cartoon 8.2, Salvaless 8.2, Utakura 8.2, Pengwen 8.0 L'Amour 8.0, Sanhaven 8.0, Semper Idem 8.0, Quintillian 8.0, Lady Varco 8.0, Malatour 8.0, Inness 8.0, Edieform 8.0, Uncle Jack 8.0. The first race at Ellerslie to-morrow wiir start at 11 a.m.