THE TURF

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 57, 8 March 1923, Page 4

THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS

<BI "SIR LANCELOT.™)

In connection with the- Autumn Meeting of the Masterton Racing Club, to be held on the 17th iust., owners and trainers are reminded that acceptances close with Mr. T. B. Southall, secretary, tomorrow, afc 9 p.m. Ireland's Patron Saint's Day has lost a lot of its old time prestige in recent years. The only meetings now held on the 17th are: Masterton, Ohinemuri, and Waimate. In the old days Qamaru, Henderson's Mill, Wav-erley-Waitotara, Hawkes Bay, Ohinemuri, Masterton, Reefton, and Gre-y----momthj and nine other meetings were held on that day.

The Wellington Racing Olub has issued a most attractive programme for the Autumn Meeting, to be held on 12th and 14th April. The piece de resistance is, of course, the time-honoured Thompson Handicap, £1500, but the Challenge Stakes, the Autumn Handicap, the Trentham Gold Cup, and the Pacific Handicap have each been endowed with a £1000 stake. The Suburban and Railway ynth £750 and £500 respectively, the LiTger with £550, the Hutt and Nursery with £500 each, and the Hack races "with £350 each ought to get a big response from owners. The Pacific Handicap, six furlongs, £1000, is confined to two-year-olds, maximum 9.7, is framed to decide the two-year-old premiership, and should prove of great interest. Nominations close on Friday, 23rd March, and the writer hopes to see a really high-class field contest the Trentham Gold Cup. The three-year-olds are a very even lot this year, and the Leger is by no means a certainty if Rapine, Enthusiasm, Many Kittle, and Gold Light can be got to the post. Trentham is rapidly forging its way to the front as a ptt>•vider of' the very best form of racing, and the public are appreciating the enterprise of the club. Nothing succeeds like success.

W. Donovan leaves for Sydney to-mor-row by the Ulunaroa with Kick Off. The All Black gelding ha 3 already made two trips _ to the other side without racing, and it is hoped -Mr. M'Leod bus better luck this time. Kick Off is no doubfc useful when in form, as he recently demonstrated by winning the Egmont and Taranaki Cups. The A.J.C. Meeting, at ■which Kick Off is engaged, opens on the 31st hist. Weights for the Sydney Cup ehoiild 3,ppear about Monday next, ou the conclusion of the V.R.C. Meeting. , The members of J. H. Jefferd's team will bo seen in action at the Napier Park Meeting-, to be ]ie!d to-morrow and Saturday. Rapine was allowed to drop out of the Cup, in which Gasbag- will make his reappearance. Bathos is in the Sapling Stakes, conceding his opponents a Jot of weight. Grotesque is in the Welter Handicap,- and; Epitaph and King's Trumpeter in the Flying Haudi, cap.

It was bad luck for Mr. Norman Falkiner that his batch of yeanlings went into the sale ring a couple of days before instead of after the opening day of the V.R.C. Meeting. The catalogue included six colts and the same number of fillies sired by Comedy King. A cable stated that one of the colts fetched 1300 guineas. G-artmore, who carries the colours of Her Excellency Viscountess Jellicoe, has been accepted for in the Sapling Stakes, to be run afr the Napier Park Meeting to-morrow.

The full-brothers to Bathos and Ambitious, purchased at Mr. Curries sale by the Wellington representative of a Melbourne firm, were bought for Mr. George Tye, owner of The Monk. They will be shipped across to Sydney by, the Ulimaroa to-morrow.

The popularity of ths Wellington Racing Club does not appear to be on the wane. There are twenty-nine new members up for election, the ballot for which closes on the 17th of this month. It will not be long before the memberahip list will have to be closed, as after all the very excellent accommodation provided on the new stand has its limitations.

The Newcastle coal king, Mr. John Brown, has again changed hjs trainer. The Sydney correspondent of the "Australasian" announces that a recent sensation was the news that Mr. John Brown had removed the whole of his .horses in training by F. J. Marsden. The team's new quarters are those famous old stables known as Zetland Lodge, erected by the late Thomas Lamond, and now presided over by his son, S. R. Lamond. During- the period that Marsden lias been training for Mr. Brown he won in stakes about £35,000, His principal wins wero made with Richmond Alain, Pelaw Main, Duke Isinglass, and Prince Charles. The Lprses that have gone into-the Zetland Lodge stable are. Prince Charles, Princess Bob Roy, Lady Rob Roy, Duke Napoli, Duke Sterling, Duke Isinglass, Wallace Piper, Wallacß Title. Wallace Minting, and Wallace Armstrong. With reference to tjie transfer, 'Marsden was interviewed in Melbourne by the correspondent of the "Referee," and made the following statement:—'''Presumably," said Marsden, "my late patron is looking for a better trainer. After the holder of his power of attorney came to my atables and removed the horses, I received a letter from Mr. Brown, who ia on his way back from England. It contained only four or five lines, and intimated that the severance of relations was due to his dissatisfaction with, the results I had achieved during his absence, extending over about 12 months. During that period, I have won him only about £10,000 in stakes. The races captured included a Sydney Cup and Challenge Stakes, besides a. good many smaller events. Basing ths conclusion, on what was told by Mr. Brown's attorney," continued Marsden, "j\h\ Brown seems aggrieved, because of Prince Cox having wpn races for his present owners. Originally I trained Prince Cox for Mr. Brown, his breeder, and the horse was subsequently sold. _ Prior to this Mr. Brown disposed of Prince Stoekrington, whose training I undertook on behalf of another client. He could not win a race. I bought him, and he is'still a maiden. Mr. Brown was perfectly, satisfied with the sale of Prince Stoekrington, who is a failure, but because^ Prince Cox has turned up trumps, he is annoyed," In conclusion, Marsden remarked that he was very sorry to lose the horses, that had been so abruptly .taken .from' his stables, as, they were good ones and promised to be heard of in the near future.

Mr. G. Tye, the Victorian sportsman, made a good purchase when he secured The Monk, Rationale full brother, as a, y-earling for 1200 guineas. He scored his first win in the spring-ai the. V.R.C Meeting, Flemington, in the Flemington Stakes, worth 350 soys to the winner. At Caulfield last month he won the Federal Stakes, worth 750 sqvs. His most important win was on Tuesday in the Ascot Yale Stakes, worth over 1000 soys.