NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7867, 1 August 1911, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By "Tho Judge.") The ‘Woodlands Hunt will bring of? its annual steeplechase meeting at Pahiatua to-morrow. Xyland, who has been responsible for some very attractive work at JKiceartou, is the ruling favourite for the Winter Cup, in which ho is handicapped at 10.11, or 101 b more than lie won with last year. A. Whittaker, the successful Auckland horseman, was to have left the northern city last night by the Maheno bound for Syclney. Ho will ride the Messrs Steady horses in their coining engagements at Kandwiek. The Hon, J. D. Ormond’s Grand National team, viz., Beilin, Peary, Dreadless, Xappor and Mollington, have been scratched for all engagements at the C.J.C. meeting. A. OUiver has ridden the winner of the Winter Cup three years in succession, having been up on Penates, North Past and Xyland. He will have a chance to repeat the performance next Tuesday, as ho will have the mount on the favourite, X viand.

It must be a very rare thing for > a member of the committee of a racing club to bo ruled out for life by the stewards.- This actually happened in Victoria the other day over a "ringing in case.

Arquebus© is the present favourite for the Australian Hurdle Pace, a point shorter than Obi. Confide is most fancied for the Australian Steeplechase at two points shorter than Grafnax, who is a point iit front of Bribery. P. Woottou and D. Maher had each ridden r>o .winners when the last man left England. \V. Huxley was eighth on the list and S. Woottou fiftecntii. If. Luke, who won the Two Thousand Guineas on Petrarch and the Cambridgeshire on Bendigo, and was in his day one of England’s leading jockeys, was obliged to enter Willosden Workhouse recently, A gelding which has caused quite a sensation in. England this season is Hornet’s Beauty, a thrce-year-old by Tredonnis out of Hornet. He has now won twelve races in succession, and. a ■writer in the "Sportsman" considers him to be the best horse in the world up to a distance of a mile. Evidently ho can gallop, as in the King’s Stand Plato, five furlongs, at Ascot, the gelding lost eight lengths at the start, yet won with the utmost ease in the fastest race of the day. Hornet's Beauty is owned bv Sir W.*Cooke, who purchased him for SOQOgs, at which figure he has proved ft bargain. Mr Sol Joel, however, is doubtful as to Hornet's Beauty being the best sprinter in England, and has expressed his willingness to match his four-year-old horse Sunder (by Sundridge) against him for £MK) or upwards at weight for age, over either the Rous (five furlongs), tho Brotby Stakes (six furlongs), or Dewhurst Plate (seven furlongs) courses, at Newmarket, in the autumn. Comedy King’s two-year-old Jialf-sister ' (Fositano —Tragwly Queen) has Bad th« name of Comedy Queen bestowed upon her- , , It is reported that the smart Auckland pony Peggy Pryde is to be taken 1 to Australia. The daughter of St. Peter has been having a spell, but is ouco more in work. . To-day is the horse’s birthday. In© 1910-11 season has ended and tho 1911-12 season commenced. Tho C.J.C. will lead (♦ff .with tho Grand National meeting today week, but, apart from that fixture, matters will be quiet until September, when racing will be in full swing one© ihoro. ' ~ Tho nick of tho Karamu two-year-olds is said* to be a big colt by Birkenhead from Outer, by The Officer—Target, by Dreadnought. He was out on tho course at Hastings during the hunt meeting last week, and his stylo of going greatly pleased tho onlookers. . _ Ixnpessa, ran at the Hawke s Bay hunt meeting, is said to bo the kind of horse that would win over country with proper schooling. He had done no training at all, but ran a couple of good races. It was almost decided that Lovell should not be seat south for the National meeting. However Prosser finally decided to take him with a view to contesting one of the shorter- jumping events. J. H- Prosser, tho Porirua trainer, proceeded south last night having in his caro Lovell, Kopek, Salopin, Ribstone Pippin, Dearast, Hawick, and Turna. who claim engagements at the Grand National meeting. • • Saluuin, tho 'chaser who gave such an excellent exhibition of schooling at Trentliam prior to the W.R.C. winter meeting was on board the Maori bound for Lyttelton last night. This jumper should pay expenses on tho trip. Of tho Porirua contingent shipped south yesterday afternoon none looked better than Dearest, who appeared in capital trim. This descendant of Soult will be sure to have many admirers in her engagements at Riccartou. Kopek boro a well-trained appearance when he was shipped on the Maori yesterday afternoon, and some sanguine sporting enthusiasts are picking the fullbrother to Oiyoi to mu well in tho Winter Cup. . Certainly tho son of Stepniak has been given a great chance to erfrn distinction.

The many friends of Mr W. J. Stratton, the popular secretary of tho Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club, will be sorry to hear that lie is at present confined to his bed. It is hoped that a few days’ rest will restore Mr Stratton to his usual health. It may not bo generally known that the late Air F. McFarland, of tho Hotel Cecil, whose death occurred on Saturday last, was one of the pioneers of racing on tho West Coast of the South Island. Away back in the 69’s Mr McFarland owned the winner qf tho first race run on the Ahaura racecourse, which in those days.was situated forty miles from Greymouth. Mr McFarland also had in Ms possession a horse that rejoiced in tho name of "Win if yon can." Apparently it could not, for there is no record of it over having won a race. Air McFarland took a keen interest in sport of all kinds up to the time of his death. It goes without saying that, with such a gonial personality, ho had scores of friends by whom ho will be much missed. SALE OF A RACEHORSE By Telegraph-Press Association—Copyright, (Received July 31. 9.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 31. Tho racehorse Eormedon has been sold to Mr Shiel, of Camden, for stud purposes. The price is not stated. ASHBURTON PROTEST PRESS ASSOCIATION. ASHBURTON. July 31. The.Ashburton Trotting Club to-night passed a resolution strongly protesting against tho action of the Racing Commission in depriving .it of two days'* racing in the year, seeing that Ashburton is one of the principal centres for tho breeding of trotters in tho Dominion.