NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 6 March 1928, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By “Maecenas.”)

The autumn meeting of the Napier Park Racing Club is set down for I' riJay and Saturday next. The Franklin Racing Club will hold :beir annual meeting 'on Saturday and Monday next. The connections of at least one winner it a recent minor meeting, were unprepared for his success. His form 'suggested that a good handicap was. “set’’ .or him.

For many years past, Taranaki stables have been the “sheet anchor” of ;lubs : both large and small, hut one leed only glance at. nomination lists of ;o-day and we find that owners from ;his province seldom now go far. Even or Wellington, only three or four have seen nominated.

Commendation is not yet in training, >ut hie name appears amongst those still in the North Island Challenge Rakes. The neglect o,r oversight in not withdrawing him, will cost his owner 210.

Backers of The Swell on the opening lay of the Dannevirke meeting were ery unlucky not to collect a first divilend, instead of losing heavily on their nvestment. Half a furlong from the iost The Swell looked to have the race won, but Tresham then came along with i , challenge, and as R. Reed went to !raw the whip on The Swell, it flew rom his hand.

Many breeders and owners of horoughhreds make a very poor atempt at naming their animals, and it s' quite refreshing to- read a well or tppropriatelv named racehorse. Silent friend, a sonmf Paper Money, is a name hat appeals, as we all recognise the I.S.D. as a good silent friend. As stated last week, Tresham is now ooking. as well, and is possibly as fit, is ever he was, ancl his condition rejects great credit on his trainer (T. F. Juinlevan), who' lias only had the Aus-ralian-bred gelding a couple of months, t was generally thought that the even furlongs at Dannevirke would be oo short, but he put in a great run to vin.

Gestopvho was unlucky to lose at lannevirke, is a two-year-old half- ) rother by Lord Quex to- the useful Ciega. Gesto is still very “green,” but ie gives decided promise. Brilliant Light, who- figures in the franklin acceptances, is an Australianired gelding, trained by J. T. Jamieson. Ie ran at the last meeting held at .’akapuna-, and, although not quite eady, showed a lot of pace. He is vorth remembering. Time was when some racing clubs I .-ere indifferent to owners and trainers, iut in these days of limited nomination ists, clubs are very keen to secure the latro-nage of strong stables, hence rainers such as Messrs Jamieson and J. Now, with big teams of horses, are nuc-li sought for, and their teams go ar towards the-success of a meeting. The recent successes of Gothic under ig weights in the Futurity Stages (10 tone) and Newmarket Handicap (9.10) tamp the son of Tracery as a particuarly brilliant animal. Like many ithcr great horses imported from B'ngand, he is owned by the ex-bookmaker, Jr. S, Green. Bookmakers and also iig bettors, like Mr. FJ. Oonnolly, have lone much for the improvement of racetorses by importing the bast to Ausralia, but in our Dominion this class if owner is discouraged. Quite a number of promising horses tave been racing in the hack ranks this eason. A few that can be.named offland are Bright Glow, Lady Ldmond, jloshawlc, Arikiwai, and Royal Doulton. There are others that could be mentionid,' but those named give promise or taking high honours in coming handicap races, and it will surprise many if they ire not to he numbered with out best holies when more seasoned. Mr. J. M. Samson Avon the Waimate Gup la-st year with Vaward. He has nominated three representatives this year, all trained in different stables, They arc Wayward- (R. C. Keeper), \lonov Peer (Trilford brothers), and Fabriano (E. J. Ellis).

Scion, who was a good horse Avhen he Avon the New Zealand Cup, has been a. great disappointment for some time past. He was tried as a hurdler at Gore last Aveek, and 1 his form encouraged the belief that he would soon be a winner among the jumping brigade. Transformer’s prominent running at the To Aroha meeting on Saturday, after his failure at the Taranaki meeting, suggests further that the handicap form in Auckland is not up to that of the south of this island, says the Wellington Avriter “Vedette.” The easier going, of course, might have suited Transformer, hut the; fact re-

maims that he shaped better than he did when beaten out of a- place in the Taranaki Cup. ~ F. D. Jones left for Sydney by the Maunganui last Friday with LimericK and Zaragoza, the special mission ot the latter being to act as a working mate for the champion. This will be Limerick’s fourth trip to Australia, and on each other occasion his visit to the Commonwealth has been highly successful. He has beaten, in turn, all the cracks who could be pitted against him in the weight-for-nge events which are such a prominent feature- at the leading fixtures in Australia. _ As a result, he now holds. _ a position similar to that of Gloaming at Ins heist, and Australian sportsmen are keen to find one of their own horses capable, of beating the New Zealand invader. Limerick has had one race since he resumed work, following on a spell after the Riccartom spring carnival. This, was at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s meeting last month, when he scored an easy win in the Hazlett Memorial Stakes. During the past fortnight he ha® had a few sprints, in which he has shown great- brilliancy, and he should be at is best for the valuable events lie will have to contest on the present Sydney trip. It is a matter for regret that the imported horse Silvins will not he on hand to measure strides with the New Zealander, but if Trivalve comes through the Victoria Racing Club’s meeting all right he will assist to make matters interesting. On present .appearances, however, it look as if Limerick will meet a weaker lot of opponents than on some of his earlier trips, and lie should add considerably to hi® winning list.