NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 109, 4 November 1926, Page 9

NOTES AND COMMENTS

SACING FIXTURES.

■ovember C, S— Auckland R.C. November C, a, 10, IM-Ciinterbury 3.C. November 13. 15-Wiiikato IS.C. Xovcmber IT, Is -Winton J.G. November SO—Levin II.C. Kovemher Hi— A;h!iurt>t-Pohangfnii R.C November 27, Decumber I—Takapuna J.C November 30. December I—Feilding J.C December 4— Methveii K.C. December 4—Taurnarunui R.C. December 8, 9—Woodville District 3.C December 10, 11—South Canterbury J.C. IVeenber li—Wairm R.C. lVeember IS, 18—Dargaville K.C.

Spearfelt's Melbourne Cup victory retells Nigger Minstrel, and through him Commendation. George Jones, the present trainer of Commendation, had charge of Higger Minstrel in Australia, and it has been proven what a great horse he was. When only half ready at Wanganui he dead-heated with Gold Light in the Eclipse Stakes. Jones contends that anything Nigger Minstrel did for him as a three-year-old on the track Commendation las equalled, and Jones is very confident that the big son of Limond will prove the champion three-year-old of the year. No one in his sober senses will doubt Commendation's pace, and it is a pleasure to ■watch him when galloping. Two doubts, however, arise in regard to him—one real, the other, perhaps, only theory. The first is his waywardness at the barrier, and at the Derby start at Biccarton he will have to face all the distractions of the crowd right in front of the stands. His manners are sure to be well tested. The second doubt is his ability to sec out a solidly-run mile and a half. If the Derby is run at a canter for the first halt mile, it looks long odds on Commendation winning easily. With the pace on all the way one is not so sure. At Ellerslie, in the Avonnale Guineas, he had an advantage over liysander, and could not maintain it, and that race was only a mile. Eulogy's stock have been noted non-stayers, granted tliiit previous to Commendation the majority iveve by Abcyitl. What is more, they' ilid not is-,'. Ion;; on the Turf, suggestini;- some constitutional weakness. S Comment on this morning's track > 1 work at Riccarton and a descrip- \ ? tion of the work at Riccarton and > \ ENerslie will be found under ; | ■ "LATE SPORTING." a J Great galloper and all that he is, this has not been absent, altogether from Commendation, and although his great pace may pull him through the Derby at Riccarton on Monday, and his class certainly seems greatly superior to the opposition, one or two of the other three-year-olds may stick well fjnough to worry him at the end of a solidly-run mile and a half. According to the "Press", the totalisator arrangements and the racecourse equipment in other reapects at Motukarara last Saturday was a good deal below what it might have been. Complaint is made by the same publication concerning unruly horses. In two races at Motnkarara oi- Saturday the ■tart was considerably delayed and the chances of other contestants jeopardised by the behaviour of Prince Ferouz and Brown lady, who have oftimes been adversely reported upon by starters, without any re.Tii]ting action being taken by there in control. The starter cannot be biar.-o.i for holding up the dispatch, as if a club allows' such animals to go1 to the post, his duty to the clnb, to the connections of the horary, and to those of the public. v.'ho invest money on them, is to use h;i: he-it endeavours to get them away on tli." bast possible terms. In the case of l'rij].-,- j'orous!, the dub allowed an attendant to hold him at the ijack of the field, a procedure that did not meet with the ■ approval -of •-owners, and trainees of other contestants engagr-d in the race. The stewards were justified, under the Rules of Racing, in giving permission for this course to bo taken, but if the horse was so unruly that he required extra assistance, then tho stewards might have. taken other drastic steps. Clurus should be worth keeping in mind for events at Ellerslie. This three-year-old was.good enough to finish third to York Abbey and Hoariri in an open sprint event at the Pakuranga Hunt Meeting, jet he is in hack races now with 7.0, the absolute minimum! Lysamler appears on paper to have more or less of a walk over in the Great Northern Guineas, and more interest will be centred in trying to pick what will be runner-up. . Tea Bell, True Blood, and Threadueedle were all smart two-year-olds, and True Blood, in particular, looked like developing into a really useful three-year-phi. The Ellerslie trainer, J. Buchanan, has both Serang and Merry Damon in the Shorts Haudicap on Saturday. If Serang is quite right, and the track conditions are suitable, he seems well placed at 7.11. High Finance should be at a Gloaming price in the A.R.C. Welcome Stakes on Saturday. Laughing Prince and Royal Ceres will be absentees, leaving a probable seven runners. Ti Tree, from the same stable as High Finance, if she has recovered from the gruelling she received at Treutham, looks the greatest danger to her stable-mate. In the Higgie Handicap at Wanganui Mandane (8.4) ran Beacon Light (7.0) to two lengths, and the Wanganui mare looked in need of the racing. Beacon Light's form at Trentham does not need to be emphasised, and Mandane is in the Mitchelson Cup at Ellerslie on Saturday at 8.3. Mandane should be quite at home at Ellerslie, for last New Year's Day she ran Star Stranger to a head in the Great . Northern Derby. ' The nominations received for the Victoria Racing Club's Derby of 1926 numbered 570. The date of the first forfeit saw no less than 516 withdrawn, which left 54 engaged, and at the date of the second forfeit 47 were paid out, whichleft only seven in the race. The added money to the race was £5000, but the forfeits and sweepstakes all went to swell the stake, and tho value of this year's race was £5950. A. Tinker is to do J. T. Jamieson's riding at, Ellerslie when the weights permit. He will be on High Finance, Le Choucas, and Nippy on Saturday, but W. H. Jones will ride Eden Hall. Novar, Nukumai, Glen Innis, and Bronstell went South last night. It is regrettable that Battlement has had to be withdrawn from his Derby engagement at Riccarton, for he -has proved himself such a rare stayer that he promised to make the three-year-old race interesting. With Young Lochinvar reported sore, Limerick's bruised foot, and now Battlement under a cloud, F. D. Jones has had more than his share of bad luck with his three-year-olds. The death is reported from Hawkes Bay of the brood mare Delight, the dam of Cimabue.

tBY "VEDETTE.")