NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 29 January 1927, Page 3

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By ‘Maecenas.’’) Present indications point to the Egmont and Taranaki Clubs having very successful meetings this summer. in popularity with owners of good “hacks” the Nolan Cup rivals the Douro Cup, and this year’s race for the Egmont Racing Club’s trophy will be strongly contested. Vesperus ran some excellent races at the recent Wellington meeting, and if taken, to the Egmont meeting will prove hard to beat in the Nolan Cup. If raced at the Egmont meeting Crown Area will have a big following, as those who saw him win at Trentham recognised his performances as good. Trainer M. Gardiner has worked, a great improvement in Whenuanui, who made the opposition look very common at the Foxton meeting. First Acre finished remarkably well at Trentham against our best “miters,” and was unlucky in not beating Centrepiece. This gelding is better than generally supposed. Deluge has shown trainer AY. Rayner some good trials of late, hut after having every chance at the recent AVellington meeting he failed badly. H. Hickey has Merry Day looking well, but she appeared to be as-moody as ever, when racing at Trentham recently. She might do better from now on.

The .stable mates Clarinda and Piuthair ran excellent races in the Wellington Cup last week. In fact, but For interference Piuthair must have paid a dividend. Since racing as a two-year-old Ora zone has furnished into a nice mare, and judged on her Trentham showing should win races. The Australian bred Dimmer from J. T. Jamieson's stable was fancied foi the concluding event run at Trentham last Monday. Jumping out smartly, Dimmer looked decidedly dangerous a few chains from the post-, but weakenened in the closing stages. Sudden Storm, a. daughter of Autumnu-s, made a favourable impression at Trentham, _ and she may do well in Autumn racing.

Great things were predicted of Aura-turn (Absurd-Desert Gold), hilt up to the present her public efforts can be classed as poor. At Trentham last Monday Auratum was one of the leading division over the early part of her race, but retired later. Footfall ran well at the recent AAtellington meeting but at the weights was not quite good enough to win. Footfall

has improved greatly of later, and may be even better in the Autumn. In Centrepiece, Sir Geo. Clifford owns a- good “miter,” but the son of The Ace appears to possess a temper of his own and takes some handling. Even with E. E. Jones in the saddle Centrepiece hangs badly. After his second race at the recent AAtellington meeting. Ring the Bell was reported -as sore, and did not fulfill his third day’s engagement. He is said to be an unlikely starter on the first day at Takapuna. Ring the Bell is well just now, and as he is useful when in condition, he may make up for past dissapointments ’ere long. There is little doubt that South Island horses are underrated by the vast majority of northerners. Meeting after meeting horses from the other side of the Straits visit Trentham and when pitted against the best of the North Island horses they secure more than their share of the prize money. The same thing applies to Southerners visiting the big meetings held at Ellerslie, when they repeatedly win big mces.