NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 137, 7 December 1926, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

RACING FIXTURES.

December S and 9—Woodville District J.C. December 10 and 11—South Canterbury J.C. December 11—Waipa. R.C. December 16 and 18—Dargaville B.C. December 27—Waipukurau J.C. December 27' and 28—Westland R.C. December 27 and 28—Taranaki J.C. December 27 and 28—Dunedin J.C. December 27, 28, and 30—Manawatu R.C. December 27, 29, January 1, 3—Auckland R.C. k December 31, January 1 and 4—Greymouth J.C. ' January I—Waikoualti R.C. January I—Wyndham R.C. January 1 and 3—Hawkes Bay J.C. January 1 and 3—Stratford R.C. January 1 and 3—Marton J.C. January 3 and 3 —Wairarapa R.C. January 3 and 4—Southland R.C. January 7 and B—Reefton J.C.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Strand," Wellington.—Racing and trotting are not under the same controlling body. - The New Zealand Trotting Association, Christchurch, would supply the information.

Nominations for the Wairarapa. Racing Club's Summer Meeting close on Friday «t 8 p.m.

Nominations for tho Marton Jockey Club's Summer Meeting are due next Friday at 9 p.m.

The Woodville Meeting which opens tomorrow promises to be as successful as any on this popular course. The galloping ground at Woodville enjoys the reputation of being of the beat, and a striking tribute to this is the class of Horse engaged at one Woodville Meeting after another. With the holiday meetings looming up the form at Woodville may be worth the closest study, and", amongst the ■winners and losers, there may be some pointers for events ahead. With the removal of the obstruction in the Manawatu Gorge, racegoers will have an adequate train service from Palmerston North. After his good showing at Feilding Kalos seems certain to start favourite for the Trial Plate. His appearance is certainly superior to that of the average maiden candidate, and he should be very hard to beat. Lady Cynthia, Tau, Truney, and Comedic have all shown some form. Vexatious should be suited by the course and is a possible; outsider, but one can hardly go past Kalos. Peneus and Santonio are two notable jumping novices, in the Manga-atua Hurdles. If Peneus can jump he should distance this field on the flat, for he is very well. Revel has had the experience and looks the only likely one of those who have raced over hurdles. Gurnion is improving- with every race, but although Peneus is making.his first appearance be appears to outclass the rest. Star Stranger with 10.4 heads the list in the Woodville Handicap, but no doubt he will require the race to bring him absolutely to his best for engagements ahead. If he hag done well since .racing at Christchurch there does,not appear any reason why he should not make a bold showing even if he is not keyed right up. Tanadees should appreciate the Woodville track, and much the same applies to Merry Day. Nukumai may find the class beyond him, and the same, though to a leaser degree, applies to Kilfaire. Novar, who has a.good handy weight, appears to bo just coming right, and he looks the likely Opa, Perle 'de Leon, and Little River do not appeal, although the last-named,,if he did his best, would have a great chance. Misgovern is a possible ■ outsider. Feilding form points' to Merry Day, and Novar should improve on his sixth in the Feilding Cup. Magna Charta, who was rather a,disappointment last year as a two-year-old until the late autumn, will be making his first appearance this season in the Flying Hack Handicap, now being top weight with 9.0. At his best he would have an undeniable chance. He is closely followed by. three improved horses in Lin Arlington, Pop-Off, and Kilmezzo. Riverna, Merle, and Addlepate further down the list have all done well comparatively recently, and they are possibilities. Luck at the draw and in the running may be the deciding factor in an open race, but tho alteration to the handicap ,has favoured the top Weights. Pop-Off 4nd Kilmezzo may be troubled most by Merle. Clarinda may run surprisingly well in' the Oete Handicap, despite the fact that the distance is shorter than usual for her. The selected of H. Hickey's pair, Rojwl Damon or Epistle, should go well. Epistle appears to be the more likely one. Gold Box has been rather disappointing, but Penman has been unlucky lately. Of the others Bonideer and Plain Sailing may settle each other by cut-throat tactics, for both are good beginners. Epistle, Royal Damon, and Clarinda may show up best. The Nursery Handicap should be the most interesting race of the day. Chelono, ai his weight' indicates, has a bit of form on his side, including' a head defeat by Laughing Prince at even weights. Wreath of Myrtle and Golden Shadow have shown nothing in public. Expense on the contrary showed a good deal of pace on the \track at Randwick, and was expected con.fidently to win on the last day of the big Sydney meeting, but failed to gain a placa. Insulation raced fairly at Feilding. Mandy showed promise in her races at Trenthara in October. Silver Grey and Auratum are F. Davis's pair, owned by Mr. T.. H. Lowry, and although Silver Grey has yet to race the bracket may be favourite. Auratum showed in her only start at Wanganui that she is not ■;. :ng to be altogether a disgrace to her mo.her, Desert Gold F. Davis's selected (Auratum or Silver Grey), Chelone, and Expense may °TiegV and Killocra if really fancied are not overburdened in the Borough Handicap, which has a 7.11 minimum. Polar, a really good galloper from Gisborne, is nicely placed at 8.8. Blonde and Wristlet are a pair of possibilities. , It appears a peculiar race at this season, and one which may prove a trap for the unwary. Polar may do best. Only 131b separate top and bottom weights in the Whariti Hack Handicap. Asleep meets No Favours on the same terms as at Levin, when the head was in Asteep's favour with No Favours unlucky. General Wai has been the essence of consistency, and does not appear badly treated at 8.3. Sir Moment ran a really good race at Trentham after being left, but the effort settled him. Freshened up he is not out of it with 8.4. Mountain Star ■was unlucky at Levin. General Wai, Mountain Star, and Sir Moment may do best.

Handicaps for the first day of the Manawatu Meeting are due on Friday. Diogenes, although one of the favourite for the. Auckland Cup, is no certain visitor to EUeralie. Some difficulty is bein- • experienced in obtaining a rider, and no definite decision will be arrived at until after the Manawatu Cup handicaps appear. . White Fang appeared to be rather unlucky to bo beaten' at Randwick a fortnight ago. He was the medium of a solid commission. He opened at good odds, but weight of money brought him to a, short price, which lengthened again considerably when it was seen that he had drawn No. 19 at the barrier. A big commission then Brought him down again

(BY J'VEDETTE.")

to a solid favourite. White Fang began well and looked all over a winner a fuvlong from home,j but a rank outsider in Orient Princess then appeared on the scene and, gradually overhauling White Fang, beat him by a head. R. D. O'Donnell the ex-Trentham trainer, is not haying the best of luck in Sydney, but it isa long lane that has no turning. White Fang should do him good service. Judging by the nominations, the Dunedin Meeting is to be a purely South Island fixture, no Northerners being engaged. That good horse Loughrea is in the Otago Handicap but not in the principal race on the second day. | Vaward, who is now trained at Wingatui, is reported to have freshened up nicely since the New Zealand Cup Meeting. No doubt he will soon win a stake for Mr. J. M. Samson. A patient policy which should turn out to be a wise one is beiug adopted with the Kilbroney two-year-old Ark Royal. He has been put out of work until th% late siimmer, and he may play a prominent part in juvenile races in the autumn. Practically all the two-year-olds engaged at Woodville to-morrow _ figure iv the nominations for the juvenile handicaps at Ellerslie. Eden Hall was scratched for the Auckland Cup at 4.15 p.m. on Friday last, the day after publication of handicaps. Stormy apparently did not earn a_ great deal in stakes in Australia despite his four successes, for he has been nominated for hack events at Ellerslie.

The general entries for the Auckland Summer Meeting are as one could confidently expect, first class. _It is evident from them that the racing at Ellerslie during the holidays will be worth going a long way to see.