NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 23 June 1923, Page 5

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By "Maecenas.")

For some reason Palm Oil ras almost as well supported as Nukumai on the' hrst day ot the Hawke's Bay meeting. He ran well for about a mil© and then

gave out. Triboulet looked well when sent out for the hack hurdle race at Hastings

oh Wednesday. Re led for about ten furlongs, bat tired badly thereafter. First Line was backed down to less than even money for the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase. After being in the rear over the first part of the race, First Line headed Uoldscene at the pre- ) ultimate fence, but had to be ridden out to win. Although the fences at Hastings are not as formidable as of yore, they are quite stiff enough to stop -a poor class of" horse racing there. Only two horses completed the course in the chief steeplechase at Hastings. Oak Rose will take part in the hunter races at Dannevirke, and will I also assist at the Rangitikei Hunt Club j meeting. ' ] Last season General Raven showed j poor form, but this season he is doing I fairly .well in his races, although he still has a tendency to "chance" his jumps. Judged on his poor showings in the Napier and Hawke's Bay Steeplechases it is hard to realise that Dick filled second place in the Great Northern Steeplechase. Half a mile from home in the Hawke's Bay Hurdles, Alteration was j giving the leaders a twenty-five lengths j start. Putting in great work over the j last half-mile the Tar.inaki gelding | just failed to catch Vagabond and'/ Woden. On the form of the pi'evious week Nukumai looked nearly a certainty on the first day of the Hawke's Bay meeting. He duly won, but L. Morris had him doing his best to shake off Eerie. Eerie brought a reputation to Hastings of being a promising aspirant for jumping honours. The well-bred daughter of Nassau certainly ran up to her best, as in the raoe she was giving Nukumai a big start over the last halfmile and ran him to a short length. Vagabond gave his best exhibition of jumping to date in his race on the opening day at Hastings, but, despite this, he only beat Woden, and was very lucky to beat Alteration. When being exercised at Hastings a few mornings ago the one-eyed Doleful Ditty collided with a post. Evidently the accident caused him little inconvenience, as Doleful Ditty ran well on Wednesday. The connections of Strategy~were very confident about the colt for the Heretaunga Handicap at Hastings. Bagby got him away well, and a,t the home turn it looked as if Strategy would come on and win, but hefailed'to come on over the last furlong. Seadown looked nice and mellow at Hastings on Wednesday, but as the old ! fellow had not had a jump since last July his trainer-owner was not keen on his chance. Seadown jumped with ail his past cleverness, and should be a much better gelding when he is saddled up at Trentham next month. Since winning at Napier Park, Complex has done well. He was backed with confidence for the Hawke's Bay Hurdles, in which event he carried over twice as much as any other running. Losing a lot of ground throxigh ■ jiwnping big and outward. Complex ran in the rear over most of the journey, and eventually pnssed a couple of beaten horses in tho run home. At Napier Park Ramnanawhiri was badly handled in the Hunt Club Cup, being kept too far away from the leaders over the first 1J- miles. At Hastings on Wednesday H. McSweeney rode the black mare, and always near the front she drew otit over the last furlong .to beat Seadown. As Raumannwhiri is still a little robust she should be better at Dannevirke next week.