NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7267, 25 October 1910, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By " The Judge/’) Mr Hartland. secretary of the Auckland, Racing Club, has ,bsen on a visit to Wellington on business connected with his club. The V.R.C. Derby will .be run at Flemingtou next Saturday. The race looks more open than has been, the case for many a long year.

Mr M. Foley, chairman of the Avondale Jockey Club, arrived in Wellington from Auckland yesterday on a short visit. • ' .

Dearest, who won at ;Trentham on Wednesday, is engaged in the Groat Northern Guineas. California’s haltbrother, Goidfinder, is also in the nice. '

An Auckland writer thinks that it is a long time since such a poor lot of two-year-olds have been seen in the north. One time Auckland was the nursery of some great horses, but the break up of the Wellington Park and Sylvia Park Studs have altered all this. One >of the unluckicst mares in Australia to-day would appear , to be Apple Pie. She has not won a race since-1908, but has run four seconds and .seVen thirds.

That smart filly Antoinette is said to be looking particularly veil and she is expected to run prominently at the Ellerslio meeting next week. , • ' Handicaps for the Taratahi-Carterton meeting are due on Monday. Entries * for the Dannevirke R.C.'s meeting close with Mr J. S. Freeman at 9 p.m. to-morrow. The spring meeting of the Poverty Bay Turf Club wili’tak© place on Thursday and Friday next. Acceptances for the first day of the Auckland R.C.'s spring meeting close next Friday. . The San Fran horse Eangikapua has been getting through some good track \vork> at the Hutt recently. If ever a horse, is due for a win “surely Rangikapua must fill,the hill.

J. Tait, the southern horseman, rode the winnerscf three 4 races on the second, day of the North Otago meeting last week. Provocation was sent home to R-oto-tawai yesterday morning. , California is in such ‘a had way that some time, must elapse before the big chestnut will again sport silk. r It seems • fairly certain that Martian will prove a .big success at the • Stud, - Martist and othels having already proved that his stock can gallop. .When one comes to think of it this is not very remarkable, for he ia a beautifully bred horse. His sire was Mafhagon, who comes of the great Stockweil, Doncaster, Bend Or line. Otter den, the dam of Martian, was . got. by the Hampton horse Sheen from Springmorn, by Springfield—Sunray, by King of the Forest—Sunra'y,'by Thormanby. He would be indeed a glutton who wanted anything better than that, Martian is a .half-brother to Sun. God, Boniform, Sunglow, and Formedon. Being but nine , years old, he has a long period of activity' before him. Mr E. J. Watt will be represented at the Auckland spring meeting by Parable, Cheddar and the two-year-old Ireland. .. ' The Stepniak mare Petrovna has foaled a filly to Birkenhead. • * •••■. THE MASTERTON FIXTURE. The Masfcerton meeting on Friday, and. Saturday should be a particularly successful fixture. The acceptances for the hret day arc excellent, there bedng_ seven in. the Hurdles,: fourteen in the Flying, eight in the : Cup, twelve in tEe Bracelet, fourteen in the .Dash, thirteen in;.the' Publicans*, and ten in the October 1 . Handicap. This reads like the promise of a. day's good sport. . The Birkenhead gelding Sleacombb -is doing well under J- Oldfield's tuition at Greenmeadcws. AH going well in the interim this jumper will be seen out at Masterton. •' ; The racing that' Bally Shannon had at Trentham should sharpen him up considerably, in' view of his engagements at Masterton. . ’ Leah ora is galloping in: an attractive style at Olareville, and the chestnut is expected to run prominently at the-.Mas-torton gathering. Merrie Land has made a spend:d recovery . from his 'recent attack of influenza, and his owner, Mr T. Ray, anticipates starting the gelding, at the Masterton meeting this week. Gaelic continues to please J. Cress by his exertions at Opaki. # on present appearances this Bonnie Scotland gelding should run prominently at the‘local meeting this week. : . - . - C. Pritchard, the Hutt trainer, leaves for. Opaki on Thursday morning with Lares, Penza, and Rangikapua. The trio are in good condition to do themselves justice at this weekV meeting, THE CUP MEETING. - With Pierenis, Culprit, Masterpiece* Bootle, and Miscount engaged, the race for the C.J.C. Welcome . Stakes looks like proving particularly interesting. . The time test points.to Culprit as being the best, but this cannot be relied upon, as the youngsters have.been, performing on different courses. An. acceptance of 32 for the Stewards' Handicap is a big compliment to the handicapper. Mr J. E. Henrys, more especially as all the top weights have hold their positions, A great field shouldgo to the post. - - There is a good deal of curiosity as to how Formby will shape this ' season. So far he has not carried silk as a three-year-old, but ia expected to do ao in the C.J.C. Derby, where he will have a particularly tough nut to crack in - the Champion Plate winner Danube. The latter is almost certain to start favourite. Martist has incurred a 71b penalty for the New Zealand Cup, but has ; still 51b less than weight-for-age. ’He is generally looked upon as the , best of the three-year-olds engaged, and the two miles event has been won by horses of this age on twelve occasions. The Queen's Wharf, at the Lyttelton berth, presented a busy scene last evening, the occasion • being the shipping of a: large number of racehorses claiming engagements at the approaching C.J.C. spring meeting. . '. , C. Cress has been engaged to . ride, Aorangi in hurdle events at the C.J.C. meeting. The G. G. Stead Memorial Cup this year promises to provide a very interesting contest. With Bobrik off out of the way the race will probably be won by one of the three-year-olds engaged.

Mprriwa, Cullman, and Kohinoor have reached Eiccarton, and the trio will receive the finishing touches at headquarters.

Stewart Waddel, in charge of the‘Hon. J. D. Ormond's big team, went south last night. The bearers of the all cerise should do well in their. various engagements at Eiccarton*

J. -Farmer, in charge of Tribulation, and - Inspection, - left tor Lyttelton last evening. The pair will’ represent Mr W. E.' Bidwill at* liicoarton. A Press Association message states that Lady Itccna was omitted from the official list of horses left in the Canterbury Oaks after, declaration of first, forfeits,, and Muniura from the Canterbury Derby. The‘‘high, priced Golden Slipper continues. to: disappoint Mr .White. At the •Sydneyr Tattersali’s meeting she started iu the . Flying Handicap, but could only get second to Osme. The first half mile of the Caulfield Cup was cjm in 51sec, the next half in 52soc, and the final half in 51isec, so evidently the pace was consistent- throughout. The tini© was a record. The Caulfield Cup winner • Flavinius will now carry 8.9 in the Melbourne Cup, which by. no means puts him out of the ■race. ; It ’is interesting to note that ho ‘cost ISOgs as a yearling, was not raced as a two-year-old, won four races at three years, three ; races, at, .four years, and this season has three wins to his credit. When Mimdic ran third at the recent A.J.C. meeting the black fellow was ridden by ;• the; hurdle ’rider J. N. McGregor.