NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 124, 26 May 1923, Page 17

NOTES AND COMMENTS

The Minister of Internal Affairs has yielded to the general wish of the Wellington Carnival Committee, and granted a special permit {one having been abandoned) to the Wellington Eacing Club for Saturday, 7th July. As the. usual Winter Meeting of the Wellington Eacing Club, takes place on 11th and 14th July, this means that a three 'days' meeting simliar to last year will take place. This will be welcome news to horse owners throughout New Zealand. Judging by the success which attended the last Winter Meeting, when horse owners and visitors were present from Auckland " to Southland, it is a wise move on the part of the Carnival Committee to work this in with their Welcom* Week attractions.

Earlier in the week the tracks at Otaki were in good order, and most of the work is being done on the inside grass training track. The course proper is also in order, and has a good sole of grass. All the accommodation at the course has been bespoken, and the local trainers have placed their spare boxes at the club's disposal. Kilminster's quarters are full, trainers having secured their old berths there at the time of nomination.

, Mr. W. B. Kemball's team for Dunedin, consisting of Bonetter, Gladful, Vagabond, Birkenella, and Mart San Miss were shipped South last night. In the autumn of 1920 a brown colt by Demosthenes from the Royal Fusilier mare Tete-a-tete, bred at Okawa, Hawkes Bay, by Mr. T. H. Lowry, figured among the yearlings sent up to auction at Band wick, and he was regarded in so promising a light as a prospective Derby candidate that the bidding for his possession was carried to 1700 guineas by the commissioner acting for Sir Samuel Hordern, and the youngster went down to the popular New South Wales sportsman. Under the name of Dialogue the colt managed to win one small race at two years old under Sir Samuel Hordern's colours, but he failed in, all his races at three years old. Dialogue was sold some time back to the Sydney trainer, B. Baillie, who has confined the New Zealand horse in the interval to countiy" courses, and he has had the satisfaction of seeing the son of Demosthenes capture a number of races. As Dialogue is only in his fourth year, there is plenty of time for him to live up to his high breeding, and maybe he will yet be seen to advantage in something in adr vance of country racing, for H. Baillie i 3 credited with working a transformation in cast-offs from other stables.

Kohu has been nominated for the Victornian Grand National Steeplechase, but his name does not appear among the list engaged in the Hurdle Race. ,

Kovno, a tig upstanding • gelding by Guianforte—Miss Beckwith, and therefore half-brother to Master Beckwith, is engaged in the hunters' events at Ellerglie and lie may be taken up for them. He is a good jumper, though he has not yet displayed much -pace on the flat. ,'Nokerakau, a full sister to Kahikatea Pitch, recently arrived at Napier, from Gisborne, and has joined Joy Ride and other members of W. Howard's team at Greehmeadows.,'

Lord Desmond has been jumped at Otaki recently with A. J. Thorner in the saddle, and gave a good display. The other mebers of F. Higgott's team at present are Imperial Spark, owned by Mr. Percy Nash, of Palmerston North, and Orellana.

It ie expected that Mr. H. M. Campbell will be represented at Ellerslie by Zircon and Doleful Ditty, and possibly by Comical as well. Doleful Ditty, a three-year-old: filly by Kilboy—Mandola, and therefore half-sister to Mandrake, is a useful sort. She scored her first win on the second day at Wanganui, but she may not be long before she notches another.

The Special Commissioner of the "Sportsman" has been visiting South America, and has the following notes about a visit to the leading stud there:

As to The Panther himself, he is more ideally beautiful than ever. I have described him as "a perfect dream of a horse," and so he is. Each year he ha* developed in character and superb quality, and I question if the artist lives who could now do him full justice. • I can say without hesitation that I never saw such a horse. There is something spiritual about his perfection, which can be felt but cannot be described. He was led out on the lawn in front of the house, and though the flies worried.him, they only caused him to show more variety of his beautifully balanced action. Now and again he stood as if posing for a picture, and looking into the far distance with eyes such' as no horse that I can recall, except Ladas, could have matched. If ever there was a king among horses, this is the one. Moloch was led out at the same time, and I make bold to declare that it is a mistake to lead any horse out with The Panther, if it is desired to give the other a fair show, for by comparison the other looks, almost of necessity, a commoner. And yet Moloch is probably the best of all Diamond Jubilee's many sons., He is a powerful, big boned, shapely chestnut out of that very good mare Melilla, by Neapolis, and there ran be no question about his very great racing merit, fof not only did he win 339,938 dollars in' stakes, but he established time records over three different distances, viz., 57sec over 1000 metres, lmin 9 4-ssec over 1200 metres, and 2min 2 1-fysec over 2000. On this last occasion Diablo 11. ran a dead-heat with him, but was carrying 42 kilos, as against Moloch's 59 kilos. On this showing Moloch ought surely to make a successful sire, and it is greatly in his favour that his dam is by Neapolis,. th» best brood mare sire ever imported tr> South America. This can be well understood, for he was by Springfield out of Napoli, by Macaroni out of Sun shine.

Quite a sensation was caused at Fitzroy on the 14th inst. when it became known that Chastelard was not allowed to start in the race for the fourth heat of the Fitzroy Purse. When Chastelard arrived at the starting barrier, the starter (Mr. P. Kierce) noticed the sweating and infirm condition of the horse, and consequently ordered the rider, D. Timms, to dismount and to take the gelding back to the weighing enclosure. The veterinary surgeon (Mr. H: Kendall) took a sample of the saliva of the horse, mid the stewards held an inquiry, with the result that they decided to reject any further nomination of Chastelard owing to the infirm. condition of }ij,i joint*.. .Aftjhv few» |Mg ifl. Gui

starter's hands, backers were returned the money invested. - Dancing Days, who won on her only appearance at Ashburton, was produced in the Eedcastle Hack Welter at North Otago yesterday, but 10.6 pulled her up. Guncase, who ran second to Piccaninny at Ashburton, won from Bloom. Guncass is a four-year-old by Calibre from Matchbox. He gave Bloom 111b and a beating yesterday, but there is only lib betwen the pair' named at Dunedin. Guncase is liable i to be rehandicapped for the Brighton Handicap and Winter Welter, both run over a mile course. In the first ha receives 9lb from Osterman, and in the second they are on the same mark.

There are seventeen horses in training at Otaki, and most of them will be racing at the local meeting. Militaire has been accepted for at Otaki, and will run provided a suitable rider can be obtained.

Only, about half the horses engaged in the Trial Plate at North Otago yesterday started. The best of them proved to be Geranial, who was making his first appearance. The runner-up, Olympia, is a two-year-old by Buckwheat—St. Regis (Hotchkiss—St. Evelyn). She was sent to New South Wales on a visit to Buckwheat at the same time as her daughter^ Sister Radius (by Charlemagne), dam of Loughrea. The latter produced a filly that died at Dunedin recently. That was bad luck for Mr. L. C. Hazlitt, who owns both the matrons named and races their progeny.

At the Leicester Meeting sth April, H. Gray rode Meteorite (Sunstar — Pletchette), to victory in the Worksop Three-Year,Old PJate. Meteorite, who is trained by O. Bell, started at a remunerative price. Osterman. (Cronstadt —Fairy Benzie) scored a win for owner-trainer P. T. Hogan in the Moeraki Welter at North Otago. yesterday. The best he had to beat wa s Carmine, one of the All Red tribe bred in the South Island. Kilbarry who ran first and second at Ashburton, .was not produced. Osterman is liable to. be .rehandicapped for his two engagements on the opening day at Dunedin. The position is somewhat complicated, and it will be difficult for students of form to work out. In yesterday's race Carmine was conceding 101b, but at Dunedin the pair are on the same mark. Kilbarry had to concede Osterman 171b yesterday,' and they are also on the same mark at Dunedin, where Osterman may be penalised, and will, therefore, be conceding weight to Kilbarry, who was lucky to get in with the lightest weight.' So was Vice Royal, who was placed 71b above Kilbarry at North Otago.'but, evidently, is also waiting for Dunedin. Vice Royal, won three mile races on end.