NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume 137, Issue CXI, 10 June 1926, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(BY "VEDETTE.")

June 18, 19—Napier Park R.C. Winter. June 23—Hawkes Bay Hunt Meeting. June 25. 26—Hawkes Bay 3.C. 'Winter.

Nominations for the Aucklaud Racing Club's classic events close to-morrow at 5 p.m.

Under the heading of "A Neat Point" a Christchurch exchange prints .the following from a correspondent:—The maximum penalty was imposed on two bookmakers to-day (Tuesday). If my memory is not too faulty, a newspaper was fined (not BO long ago) for suggesting (not publishing) a dividend on a race. I heard last Thursday, broadcast by wireless, the result and dividends, of every race. I may he foolish, but I can't differentiate between' broadcasting and publishing dividends. "Just as Englaud has her Liverpool Grand National at Aintree, so also has New Zealand its Great Northern . . ." cays an Auckland exchange with becoming modesty. It is evident this unconscious humour would not have been perpetrated by anyone who realised that Aintree and Ellerslie in comparison are as the Poleß apart. Zircon, as expected, came into his own at Ellerslie. He ran a great race into third place in the Great Northern Hurdles, and produced again in a hack hurdle field on the second day, was allowed to pay a false price. He was the only one of a very tired field who had a kick left. On the last day he took off too far at the first fence, coming a very complete cropper. ' Zircon should pay his way through the winter, for he has only just graduated out of hacks. Merry Damon is one of the best horses racing in and around Auckland. He had a different rider each day at Ellerslie in B. H. Morris, S. Henderson, and A. Tinker. Henderson- won on him, but B. H. Morris, who rode him on the first day, was in trouble from barrier-rise H a big field. On the last day Merry Damon was knocked from pillar to post,. and at the turn A. Tinker had him at the rear of the field. A three-year-old with 10.10 up, he then had a hopeless task. It is unfortunate that he is not too sound a horse.

The erstwhile Trentham-trained gelding Tresham was produced on the concluding day at Ellerslie. He looked nice and mellow, as if not a great deal of harxl work had been given him since his transfer to the North. In the actual race, lie showed out first from No. 23 at the barrier, but then dropped back to an inconspicuous position. W. Ryan rode him, R. Reed being on Passionate. Lord' Star was showing decided signs of lameness before the York Handicap on Monday, but he pulled up fairly well after the race, iv which he did well to finish fifth. Going to the turn in the Cornwall Handicap on the first day he looked to have a great chance, and was hailed as the winner until Degage pounced down on him. That he is a good galloper there is no doubt, for it was obvious that such a big fell aw had not had all the galloping that should have been given to him. It is to be hoped he stands up to his racing, but there is room for doubt. Zaragoza had an unlucky trip to Ellerslie. She was in trouble all the time before the meeting one- way and another, and then.at her first start, in the King George Handicap, received a shocking passage, then to . finish on in third place in great style. The last furlong of the York Handicap on Monday found her wanting, and ■ apparently seven furlongs in good company is as far as she cares to go. Passionate is a gelding to be kept well in mind for events ahead. A proved galloper in mud he was next to being a good thing beaten in the York Handicap at Ellerslie on Monday. He began rather slowly, but made up his ground well, racing round the top, so that he was in about the middle of the field as they turned for home. Just when he began his final effort two horses converged on him, so that only gameness brought __. through. The delay was fatal to-his chance, however, for he was narrowly beaten into third place. If brought to Trcntham next month lie should make his presence felt. ' , , „ . Danae, the dividend payer of the Great Nortlfern Meeting, who is owned by Messrs. H. R. M'Kenzie and C. F. Mark, of Auckland,. once before brought off a surprise when she scored in the Great Northern Oaks at Easter time. On that occasion she was the outsider of the field. Her joint owners were justly pleased at her success, for they bred the filly, and incidentally own both sire and-dam, Catmint and Marabout. Catmint, who was inspected last Sunday, at Papatoetoe, is looking in the best of health. He runs out in the paddock during most of his time, and naturally lacks the polish of boxed stallions. Marabout, the dam of Danae, is by tho Soult horse Elysian from Lady Gwcn, by Leolantis from Lady Flora, who goes back to Wood Nymph, by Musket from Sylvia. Catmint is by Spearmint, a grandson of Musket. At a function on the course at Ellerslie on Monday Mr. M'Kenzie threw out the tip that Danae would win the Avondale Cup in the spring. As he has proved an efficient tipster in the past, those who like long shots have now the opportunity. The new Gray barrier in use at the mile post at Ellerslie is a formidable structure, composed as it is of six stout cords. To judge by its appearance, if a horse attempted to break through there would be little hope of the jockey remaining in' the saddle. Some of the experienced riders stated that the release was rather slow, but possibly the, network of cords as they flew up gave that idea. Peach Brandy, at one time owned and trained at Trentham by J. Lowe, is now at the Auckland Stud Company's farm. He had a limited number of mares last season, and each of his consorts is undoubtedly in foal. Pearch Brandy is a beautifully bred horse by Call o' the Wild from Peach Blossom by Bayardo from , Cornfield, by Isinglass. He was a dismal failure as a racehorse, but similar failures -have in the past done well as sires. He is a little on the small side, but being young there is every chance that he will develop and furnish yet a good deal. His stud career will be watched with interest. > Compiling a list of horses who have earned good money at Randwick this season without winning, a Sydney writer has found that Pilliewinkie tops the list ■with £2300. Others to earn over four figures are Petunia £1600, Frances TrcsBadv £1450, Caserta £1200, and Cromwell £1100. Apparently the Kedgeree case has not yet been concluded, for after the last meeting of the A.J.C. committee Mr. V. G.Benyon was notified to appear before the committee on 10th June. , Sir Roscberry has 11.0 in the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race (top weight Pildin 11.7) and 11.9 in the Steeplechase. Llewellyn has 9.9 and 10.4 respectively. The nominations for the big events in Australia in the spring arc of the customary huge dimensions. When the last mail left Australia nobody had then attempted the task of a count or comparison. Either West Australian form is many degrees below the worst in New Zealand, or Otauru has improved many hundreds per cent, since going to West Australia, for at the W.A. Tattersall's Meeting on Bth May he won a double. With 7.12 up he beat nine others over nine furlongs in Imin 57 l-ssec, and three races later, with 8.10 and twelve opponents, he won over a similar distance in lmin 56 3-ssee. This reads a good deal better than the Otauru formerly trained by D. M'Cauley at Trentham for Mr. J. A. Taylor. Sir George Clifford -will have half a dozen promising maiden three-year-olds .in his team when racing opens next season (writes "Argus"). Green Cloth (The Aco '— Equipment), Record Trip (The Ace— Sailor's Hope), and Card Trick (The Ace —Counterfeit) are going .along nicely at present, while Wild Work (Autumnus — iHelter Skelter), Miss Flighty (Warplane —Miss Mimic), and Scotch Wit (The Ace —Scottish Star) will be commissioned by C'utts Bros, within the next week or two. Tigerland is not fully wound up yet, but he shaped well enough at Wingatui to suggest that he will be hard to beat in cross-country engagements later in the winter. The Mountain Knight gelding, Toa Taua, who was purchase's recently by an Otago owner, made a poor show in his hurdle engagements at Wingatui last week, according to Southern reports. Pamplona pulled up sound after his race in the Wingatui Steeplechase. It is to bs hoped he will train oa for Trentham

and lviccarton, where he will be a welI come addition to the cross-country per- | formers. I The Racing Conference passed a rule last year providing that "no apprentice jockey shall be entitled to claim any allowance if the horse in respect o£ which such allowance would otherwise be claimed is weighted at 8.5 or over." Apparently it is felt that this rule has not worked equitably, as, at the request of the conference covnmittee, the president will move next month to strike it out, making apprentice allowances available for any horse, regardless of the weight to be carried. There was a discussion on penalties at the Racing Conference last year, a proposal being made that no horse should carry extra weight in a handicap in consequence of having won a weight-for-age race. As passed, the new rule contained an addition, "unless specified in the conditions of the race." This provision nullified the intention of those who suggested the reform, and next month the delegates will be asked to delete the words "unless specified in the conditions of the race." The principle of penalising horses in handicap for weight-for-age wins is unsound, and the proposed change should have a strong backing. A proposal will come before the Pacing Conference next month to increase the contribution for the Accident Fund from £1 to £1 10s for each horse. This is necessitated by the heavy claims on the fund. Trainers and jockeys pay a fee of £1 per annum for their licenses at present, but it is proposed that the fee should be increased to £1 10s, while it is also contemplated that apprentice jockeys shall be charged 10s in future.