NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 29, 3 August 1923, Page 11

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(BY "SIR LANCELOT."}

W. Hawthorne leaves for South on Tuesday with Vagabond and Gladful.

The Pahiatua Racing Club lost about £300 over its one-day meeting last season, and the stewards have found it necessary to further mortgage the club's property. The following officers have been elected for the ensuing year:—President, Mr. J. M'Ardle; vice-presidents, Messrs. S. V. Rodney, H. M'Sherry, md P. Tulloch; stewards, Messrs. •W. M'Dowell, W. White-Scott. D. Kelly, S. T. Tinney, W. C. Eccleton, J. R. Cook, R. J. Smith, G. D. H. Smith", E. L. Harvey, W. Boyd, J. Coombe; treasurer, Mr. M'Sherry; auditor, Mr. G. C. Miller; hon. surgeons, Drs. Paterson and Dawson; clerk of scales, Mr. A. Judd; timekeeper, Mr. W. Simpson.

formerly Santonio raced in the ownership of. Mr. Dave O'Reilly, and the horse's full-brother, Santiago, ran in the colours of Mr. Eddie Trevor. Both are patrons of.A. Oliver's stable. The horses named will in future be raced in the combined interest of the two sports, whose registered colours are amber and dark blue stripes, amber sleeves, .rod cap.

The election of officers in connection with the Ashhurst-Poharigina Meeting resulted as follows:—President, Mr. H. Mac Donal d; vice-presidents, Messrs. \V. Howell and A. P. M'Hardy; treasurer, Mr. J. H. Paton. There were 14, nominees for the; eight stewards' ■ seats, the following being elected: Messrs. J. Mac Donald, D. Crowley, C. Neilsbn, H. Knight, 11. Harper, E. Leamy, A. G. Havill, and J. Tremewan. ' New members : Messrs. W. Coombs. 13. Healey, D. Spelman, J. Spelnian, H. Tagg, J. Enright, A. Tagg. E. Kerrigan, A. Thompson, ¥. Maui, and J. Borrett. With the exception of Blue Streak, all the horses engaged in the Hunt Club Steeplechase at Eiccarton on Saturday ;ne also in the Law ford Steeplechase later in the day. It sometimes happens that a horse may make a mistake that ■will put him out of a race early, and he may do better on his second appearance.

At the meeting of the Fcilding Jockey Club the following officers were elected unopposed :—President, Mr. W. G. Haybittle; vice-president, Mr. C. A. Levett; committee, Messrs. H. J. Bailey, L. 'Gorton, J. S. Parsons, J. A. Sutton; honorary treasurer, Mr. G. H. Wa-v----aiouth; auditors, Messrs. O'Halloran and S. M. Hobbs..

There are a great number of racing colours registered in the Official Calender .that have not been worn for years, and as it is difficult for new owners tv obtain the colours that- they wish to register oh account of the same .hues and blends being held under the names of a big body of owners who have gone out of the game,; the 'Racing Conference has brought in a new rule in the matter,-which wilt take effect from the Ist August, 1924. It is that if a new registration is not made within sixmonths the registration oE these, particular colours will be removed from the list, but this rule will not have to be enforced every season, for the subject of re-registration will only have to be made every three years from the Ist of August, 1924.

At the annual meeting of members of the Egmont Hacing Club a vote "-of sympathy was passed with Mi. V. B. Stratton (secretary), who was "absent through-illness. ... -'

Tho Masterton Racing Club lost £64 5s 2d over its Spring Meeting last year, but the one-day autumn fixture showed a profit of £147 lls sd. The club has acquired an additional twelve acres r.f land'on the Opaki racecourse site, which Avill allow of the lawn being extended and give more room for the parking of motor-cars.- The club paid £2893 19s lOd in taxation during the past twelve months for three days' racing, made up as follows:—Government tax, £988 16s lOd; dividend tax, £1610 3s, and £300 tax on stakes.

General Petain was allowed to forfeit his engagement in the Homeby Steeplechase at the Ohristchurch Hunt Club's Meeting, and it would appear that the All Red gelding, who is the biggest 'chaser at present in commission, has failed to train on.

Foxton Jockey Club's annual balancesheet shows a bank balance of £296, assets £4834, liabilities nil, Government taxes paid £1079.

Ruddy was engaged in two events at Riecartoti on Saturday, but as his name is missing from the acceptances for both, Omahu, who has been paid up for in the Open Hurdles, will bo Mr. James Bull's only representative. During the fast-dying season there were 53 days' race meetings (galloping and trotting) held in the Auckland district, the totalisator investments roachiug £2,554,637, an increase of £26,734 over the amount handled by the totalisator staffs last season, but the fact has got to be taken into consideration that a great number of country clubs held their meetings on other courses than their own, where better-facilities existed than would have been the case in their own part of the district, and in addition the Franklin and Mata Mata Racing Clubs, who had no totalisator permit last season, held' a combined meeting at Ellerslie, when £70,897 wim machined as the result of the two days' speculation.

Tlie Ashhurst Jockey Club reports that charging all ladies for admittance at the entrance gate and admitting them free to the lawn met with general approval, and gave satisfactory results. . ■. . ■ .. . .

"'■l'he Squire," in the "Napier Telegraph," writes:—Conning over the published list of-entrants in the Official Calendar for the Hawkes Bay Stakes, I came across the name of Pete, who is there described as a three-year-old by Demosthenes, out of Gold Foil, but according to the returns in the Stud Book of 1921 the produce' of Gold Foil in 1920 is there described as a chestnut filly by Formative, not Demosthenes. Gold I'ii:l was m;jted with Demosthenes '-n 1918, but the official record has it that upon that occasion she missed to the English-bred sire, so it can be observed that an error has crept in somewhere.

The Ashhurst Club's year closed with an overdraft of £638 (the only liability), an increase of £70, and assets x.4156. Eighteen more horse-boxes were erected, and saddling paddock extended.

Vasilkov was shipped South last night, and will in future be trained at Wingatui. It is reported the half-bro-tlier to Sasnnof changed hands for 50 guineas. llauinanuwhiri, wlio has two engagements at Kiccarton to-morrow, was seen to, advantage at Riecarton yesterday in a school over seven fences in company with Orange Bitters, Isla Bank, and '.Mettle-.Drift:..

. Pitprop, who is to make his reappearance in the Brabazon Welter at Eicearton to-morrow, was in front of Sunny Loch and Some Kid, at the cud of a gallop, over six furlongs at Eicearton yesterday. ■ ;

The Wellington-owned horses Cara•wock and Blue Socks went together a round over the schooling hurdles al

Riccarton yesterday morning. Carawock gave a good exhibition, and pleased moat. He is in the Kennels Hurdles at Riecarton to-morrow.