NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7301, 3 December 1910, Page 12

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By "The Judge.") The annual meeting ot the Waiter® Racing Club will take place nest Thursday. Nominations for the Kaikoura, Forangahau, and Hurunui annual meetings close this evening. Nominations for the Ashhurst meeting dose this evening at 9 o’clock with Mr A. W. Trass. Handicaps are due next Saturday. Tho Woodville meeting will be the next to engage tho attention o£ local sportsman. 'lnis is to take place on Wednesday and Thursday next. , Handicaps for the first day of tho Manawatu Rating Club’s summer meeting are due from Mr J. F. IXenrya on Friday. The Cuirassier gelding John’s form has been very consistent ot late, but he does not seem lucky' enough to win. Ho ran third in the bt. Andrew's Handicap at Podding and second in the Manchester Handicap. Will he make amends in the Auckland Cun, in which he will have ,171 b less to carry? it is a question that many of us would like to know the answer to. Judging from Provocation’s fine performance in the Fifth Feilding Stakes it would seem to he rather a pity that the scratching pen was put through his nume for the A.R.U. Handicap. Had he started it is a safe assumption to say that he would have been a very tvarnt favourite. Jformby appears to have quite lost all the brilliancy that distinguished him as a two-year-old, and put him at tho head of the list of winning horses last season, in the Feilding Stakes ho jumped off very smartly, but was in trouble after going half a mile. From the. colt’s appearance it looked as though Waddell has been rather lenient inch him, and he may bo seen to greater advantage if sent to the Auckland meeting.

But for beginning very slowly Polymorphous might have troubled Provocation in the Feilding Stakes. After going a furlong ’Tli' Highden’s” colt was a long way back, and he was quite five lengths behind the leaders as they turned into tho straight. Oliver brought him along with a great rattle over the last furlong, and in another couple of strides he would have been in second place. Evidently the son of Multiform is coming back to form. "

Turbine has been showing form of the most brilliant description in Auckland this season and. weight seems to have little effect on Mr Envies’ smart sprinter. At Takapuna ho was saddled up three times, and on each occasion got the verdict with comparative case, despite the fact that he was giving lumps of weight away to some fairly speedy ones. If the son of Menschifcofi strips in the same condition for the Railway Handicap on Boxing Day he is likely to carry the confidence of a small army, of investors., Tmtbine is yet another instance of the folly of our studmasters in letting; MenschifcofE leave the Dominion for a comparatively low figure. A wonderful galloper himself lie has shown that, despite few opportunities, he could get who can more than hold their own with the best. Armlet and Turbine are. typical instances. The successful riders at the Feilding meeting were H. Gray (2), A. Oliver S. Esicl (2), 13. Muriagb (2), F. E. Jones,., Abbott, It. Hatch, F. Coleman, W. Price/ C. dress, .E. Tate, and AT. Ryan.

Mark Ryan, who was badly injured through a fall at Ellerslie, is one of the oldest horsemen riding in the Dominion. In Sydney he rode winners before most of our present jockeys were born, and still he is in the first flight, a. vigorous finish being his specialty. Ryan lias a 'severe handicap in that he has the use jef but ome ©ye. • I The running of Waterworks 'at Pending was a little bit difficult to follow. On the opening day he was handicapped ‘to give The Native 161 b, but the latter) •did not start. -Waterworks, ran-parti-cularly well and.was only ]ust beaten ml the last stride or two by Canadian by a{ head. Next day in tho Cheltenham •Hurdles The Na£ive was asked to concede, 81b to Waterworks and, as they had notl met an the previous race, it looked as u. the handicapper had made an error the’ first day or that Waterworks was very* favourably treated the second day. Ifcj was not surprising to find that the black' son of Sou’wester was very stoutly back-, cd in the second race, but those who, risked their money bad very little fun for, it, as the gelding whipped in the fieldl throughout and finished last. The old,l sayiug that “horses , are not machines [applies, I suppose. There cau be very little doubt that Vibration would have won the Fitzroy Hack Firing on the , opening day at Feilding had Meagher ridden - a more vigorous finish, but, thinking the race was, his, he let Merrie Frank, snatch the; verdict on the post by a short head. In the Nikau Hack Handicap Mr Buick s i colt met the Merriweo gelding on 31b betiter terms, but Oliver had the mount. The I result was that Vibration fairly romped ,in by over two lengths from his conqueror ofi the day before. Handicaps for the first day’s events of the Eangitikei Racing Club’s summer meeting are due from Mr Hlic Shannon on Friday, December 16th. Thirty years ago the site at present occupied by the Feilding racecourse was covered with manuka and flax, in which wild pigs were frequently seen. I wonder how many of those who admired the trim-kept lawns and . enclosures at the meeting this week could remember it in its original state? Emblem is a very uncertain proposition to have in a race for, being of a very wayward disposition and with a great dislike to the barrier, it is always an even chance she will be left. Mr Major’s filly met -with, a somewhat unaccountable mishap in the York Stakes on Thursday at Feilding. She got very badly away and was running about three lengths last when she was seen to suddenly stop and Price dismounted. On an examination after being led back to the enclosure it seemed that an injury to the stifle was the trouble and it should be some time before she worries the starter again. •

The Officer gelding. Full Fate, put n P two smart performances at the Feilding meeting. On the opening dav he won the Flying Stakes very easily indeed, mimin' the six furlongs with 9.3 on his back in Imin 15sec. For this ho was raised 101 b. but he went one better on the second day despite his increased poundage, for the time returned was Imin It 3-ssec. In each race Mr Cooper’s gelding got a flying

start and was never headed. On Thursday he gave Jib and a clear length, beating to a fast mare like Equitas.

When reallv himself, as is the case at present. The Native is very useful both over hurdles and on the flat ; .He won the Spring Hurdles at Feilding with each, case that Mr Henry-, gave hun_a lift ot 251 b on the second day, but this did not prevent tho gelding winning again, although the margin in his favour from Hydrant was only a small one. By the way. one hardly recognised the owner s name in the race book where it appeared as Mr Tiemi Punt. The throe most successful horses i’n Franco this season are Nuage, who has won 7,230, Marsa, who has annexed -£12,400. and Oversight, whose winnings amount to .£10,015. In England they are not afraid to give a long price for a good hunter. Recently a hunter named Moorsido was sold for JCI2OO, which must be nearly a record for this class ot horse. Tho New Zealand-bred Masonic, by Kiltlieraii from Purity, who won the Park Stakes at the Hawkesbury spring meeting. secured the Epsom Handicap at the Betidivo J.C. spring fixture last week. Late Hours was favourite for this event, and was beaten by a short neck only. Another New- Zealand representative in Advantage won the Epsom Plato on the opening dav. Everyone will be pleased to bear of Mr Middleton Melrose’s good luck.