NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 89, 14 April 1923, Page 15

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(BY "SIR LANCELOT.") Sir George Clifford has not been in the best of health lately, and in consequence did not come up from South to witness the first day's racing at- Trentham.' Messrs. T. A. and W. MA. Duncan, the well-known Wanganui sports, put in an appearance, although nono of the Fordell team was racing. - The well-known Birkonhead gelding Matatua was recently purchased by Mr. A. G. Hill, the South Island owner, and made his first appearance in his new owner's colours in the High Weight Handicap at Trentham on Thursday. He wos one of the last to finish. Probably he has been purchased with a view to hurdle racine. at which he should pay his way in Otago. The health of Mr. Harry Hayr. the well-known secretary of the Avbndale Jockey Club, is not so jrood as his numerous friends would wish. - Mr. T. H. Lowry has already claimed names for his rising two-yoar-olde. They are as follow:—B f by Finland—War Scare, Table Talk; eh f by FinlandDesert Gold, Desert Land; br c All Black—Aurarius, Nigger Minstrel; b c by Kilbroney—El Parole, Phoenix Park; blk f by Finland—D'Oro, Orozina. In the North Island Challenge Stakes Thespian} conceded Queen. March, one of the best'of this season's two-year-olds, 201b and a beating. Queen March in turn gave Gay Juliet a stone, and probably . a seven pounds; beating. This 'does not make the South Island two-year-old form out to be much good. In the Champagne Stakes at Riccarton, Gay Juliet ran second to Owlscombe, beating Murihaupo, Viewpoint, and Parody. The latter carried top weight and won in good style at Trentham on Thursday. Uncle Ned mads a successful comeback at Avond.-Ue on Monday, when he won the Autumn Handicap," this being hi 6 first success since ho won the President's Ha-ndicap at the A.8.0. Autumn Meeting twelve months ago. The veteran ("Whalebone" states) has not done a great deal of racinj since then, but put up a Rood allowing in the Avondale Handicap on Saturday, when he ran fourth, and this prepared a lot of people for his victory on Monday. Uncle Ned is one of the wonders of the Auckland Turf. Mr. Murray Hobbs, the. well-known owner-tvainer, was at the A.J.O. Meeting on his way back from a visit to the Old Country, and was among the buyers at the Randwick .yearling sales. Mr. Eliot Davis's filly Queen March, by running second in the North Island Challenge-Stakes, brought, her winning record for the 6eason up to .4635 boys. This-is £65 ahead of the previous best total, £4570, put up by Mermjn. ■ After Kilbird had done his preliminary canter in the High Weight Handicap he.returned to the enclosure, some of hig .gear having carried away. The cause was rone into by the stipendiary stewards, as there have been a good many similar cases this season. Mr. J. Vincent, who usually.. assists Starter O'Connor at Trentha-m", was not in his usual place on Thursday, as he was officiating at Matamata. There was some slight delay at the start of tho Thompson Handicap. Blackmail broke through the tapes, and her rider, H. Wiggins, was fined £2. Mr. Willliam Nidd's colours were well known on local courses when he resided here and raced Peroneal. Peronilla, and other horses. - Since he resided in Christchurch he has deserted North Island, meetings, but got a good welcome from old friends on Thursday at Trentham, where Boadicea carried, his colours in the i Thompson Handicap. A suimestion has been made to the writer by a prominent follower of the racing game that the correct cards of the principal meetings should include a copy of the weight for aj;a scale. It would be useful to owners and trainers as well as followers of the Turf generally. Earlier in the week the writer mentioned the names of some of the successful progeny sired by Finland, but did not expect to have to add the Thompson Handicap winner to the' the list. Highland is from War Scare, by MartianGossip (dam of Bobrikoff). A» a- two-year-old he only won once, a handicap a_t Woodville, out of nine starts, and was thought a good one. by the handicappers. This season he has don© better. ■ He won the Wanganui Guineas on his first appearance, beating Rapine, Enthusiasm, and two others. In the Great Northern Guineas he was somewhat unexpectedly beaten by Matinee. Ho was successful in the King Edward Memorial Handicap on the concluding day of the Auckland Meeting. Highland iB a full brother to Bjorneberg, Estland, and Finmark, all of whom raced successfully in Mr. T. H. Lowry's colours.; also Fingon, a winner in Victoria. Rapine's success in the New Zealand St. Le.ger Stakes was one of the easiest in connection with, the Red Riband race, j Strange to say, one of the Martian tribe had not been successful in the race since Danube won in 1911. Rapine's previous successes at Trentham were in the Plunket Nursery Handicap last autumn and in the Wellington Cup. His full brother, Penitent, also won raced in Messrs. Williams's colours, and was sold to go ,to Victoria. He went wrong on the other side without sinning a race for his new owner. Tile Auckland scribe "Phaeton" thus refers to the death of Lord Kenilworth: —The Auetralian-bred horse Lord Kenilworth made a sudden exit a few days back. After performing a, gallop on Takapuna beach. he suddenly faltered, went down, and died where he fell. Lord Kenilworth formed one of a collection of yearlings imported from Australia to Auckland by the Hon: E. W. Alison, but though he won several races he did not race up to his high breeding-, and the circumstances surrounding his death point to his having some weakness. In the decisionof the Great Northern Derby of 1918, Lord Kenilworth ran second'to Estland. In the winter of 1921, Lord Kenilworth was trained for hurdle-rac-iniT but though he displayed some aptitude for jumping, he failed 'to earn distinction. ; ' The two-Year-old colt Tarleton lvii been brought back to Auckland froih Sydney, where he contracted a cold. Trentham Visitors.—We nre noted f" Overcc-H vnli'e*. Stocks include .T^rBarvon's. Bnrlwrv's. Znmbrene. smdDr tot-V. Hin-b l' ( -ic B '» Stove, WjJiii street —A<tvfc, . -