NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8653, 11 February 1914, Page 11

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By “Finland.”)

The Moystyn marts Drought, with a bay filly foal at foot, has been sent through to blastings to join the rest of the brood mares, the ; property ol Mr Wilfred G. Stead. The dam of Sunburnt has been on a visit to Mr I. G. Duncan’s imported horse Bezonian. The foal is by Boniform, and does credit to her sire, as she is a beautifully turned little lady and brim full of quality.

Blackfill (All Black—La Notte) is hitting out .yell on, the tracks at Hastings, aud will probably make his debut at Wanganui at tbs end of tbo present mouth.

Football is again in active commission. as is -Ventura. The last named has filled out into a massive equine. Her injured hock' appears tq be quite sound /igain.

Tho general topic in and around Hastings at present is tho progress made with the extensive improvements that are being carried out by Mr Luttrcll on tho Hastings racecourse. It la roally marvellous the amount of work that has been • got through in a foiv weeks, for which great credit must bo given to the energetic Christchurch architect.

Mr E. J. "Watt, who i§ paying a short visit to Australia, is expected hack in the Dominion about tho 11th inst. The Squire of Longbuds gives up possession of his private residence at Ngatarawa next month, Mr Shadbolt, of trotting fame, having purchased the property. ,

Mysteriarch is., said to. he a , much improved horse as far as appearance is concerned, and is now-one of tho nicest .geldings in training, at Hastings.

: An offer last week of 300 guineas for the Auckland-owned pplt Soultikoff did not lead to business. The son of Soult is to bo operated on after the A-HD. autumn meeting.

By winning the Middle Park Plate with 8.1 in Imin 14seo, Samcils chance in the Flying Handicap at Wanganui with 6,7 looks particularly rosy. It is the general opinion that Mr Morse .published the weights for the Wanganui Cup and Flying too soon, when it is considered that several horses which tyere entered for- those events claimed engagement at Kiccarton on S^tvfrday. The San Francisco gelding Devaster tion was offered for sale “by auction by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Co. at Auckland on Friday, but was passed in when bidding ceased at 100 sovs.

The Wairarapa Racing Club has increased the stakes for the Easter meeting. The increase amounts to £230, making a total of £IBOO to-be given away. There will be no race with less' than a stake of 100 sovs, and that Easter Handicap (first day) and Autumn Handicap (second day) will be endowed witjr 300 bovs and ,2%5 soys respectively. i Some of the riding at the Tf Kpiti meeting on Thursday was very rough, says “Whalebone” in the Auckland. “Star,”- and once two-thirds of the horsemen engaged moved on their | mounts that was the end of it, for they tampered rather than assisted the! horses.

Mr Brown seems to have got hold of a useful sort in To Ohgo, which, following his victory at Whangarei, accounted for the Hurdles at Te Kuiti, on Thursday. Te Ongo, which Is a full-brother to the defunct Hoanga, should he useful over country. Mr Jackson recently had Marconi operated on by Dx Ring, but the operation was such, a critical one that itj i<sould'only be half oompleted. The son pf Soult is making a splendid recovery ■ ■end, will go under the knife again shortly.

One of the most ancient jumpers now racing in England; is Achaicus, a halfbrother by' Sainfoin, to Fortunatus, which has done so well in Australia as a sire. Achaicus, which was foaled the season after Fortunatus, and is ponseqaently fifteen years old, .was sept out favourite in, a field of nine for. tiro Guildhall Selling Steeplechase at Folkestone a few weeks -ago, but though he ran well under bis 11.9, ho was beaten into second place by Milfoil. AchaiqUs is a gelding, which, in great measure, accounts for his turf career having extended over such a number of years. In V Australia the sixteen-year-old Hautapu was abo'nt the most ancient steeplechaser seen out this season. It will be remembered/ he ran at Randwick in October, and though he did not finish on Metropolitan day it might be unwise to say he had reached ithe length of his tether in respect of winning races. ■.

Mowbray, which was considered to have a good chance in the Middle Park Plato on Saturday, again, disappointed his connections and has evidently lost all form. Rencontre will leave Rdccarton during the week to fulfil engagements at the Wanganui meeting. Kilts was given a few jumps over the pony hurdles on Monday morning. He has evidently been tried before, as he was inclined to jib at sight of the hurdles, hut jumped fairly well after a little persuasion. The two-year-old gelding by Menschikoff —Lady 'Mellon has rejoined R. J. Mason’s team. Ho is much more civilised now than he was when in commission before. A well-known frequenter of suburban racecourses, who has been betting “on tie nod” rather extensively and then, it is alleged, failing to effect -a settlement with several bookmakers, was in attendance at tho Richmond races (says the Melborune “Age”). Ho was kept under surveillance by an official of the club, and immediately he made a cash wager he was escorted into the stewards’ room, when he was questioned as to his finances and ability to discharge his obligations to bis bookmaking creditors. His replies were regarded as unsatisfactory, and the stewards ordered his removal from the course, and ho will bo forbidden admission to the pony courses until he pays his outstanding wagering debts.