NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8679, 12 March 1914, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By “ Finland.”)

In yesterday morning’s issue I Stated that Mr Harvey Patterson’s Engliellbrsd stallion VafcO, by Mardo-—VArt, had died from rupture. This is incorrect, -and, should have read Vasco. Vasco was purchased, by Mr Patterson at Mr J. F. Raid's dispersal sale in 1012 for 850- guineas; Ho was a bay horse, bred in 1002, by Velasquez (the sir© of Bozoniau), frond Seabreeze, by Isoriomy—St. Marguerite, by Devotion, by Stockwell, and was imported to NOW Zealand in 1908 by Messrs 1. Gr. Dllnoan and J. Wt Paid. Vasco himself was a good perforin©?, and was; conSiftetOd the hefet tW6‘-yoar-old in England iii his year. When VftsOO was a yea Wing hiS owftdr, LOfd RoSebery, kept two strings goihg,. P. Pedk being in Ohafgh Of onO lot, While George Blackwell trained another team. At this time Lord Rosebery was said to have had a .fine collection of yearlings, and he ordered the , batch to be paraded in his presence for a couple of hours. Percy Peck had first choice, and took VaSCo, while Blackwell picked oht a fUly by St; Sirhon; VasoO, aS I have already mentioned, turned Opt good. Peek's host Selection Again came out truftips, tor he took Over Oicero, which afterwards wort tnd Derby. Vasco is the sire or Mr D. McLeod’s two-year-old oolt Tavistock, whidh Was bred by Mr I. 8j Dilhbkh) and sold in Canterbury fot the modest sum of twenty guineas. He is also the sire of that promising colt Columbus. There ate a few of his progeny facing in Australia, the eldest of Which are three-year-olds. The MensoWkofi: colt Pabrifeofl , has developed a Very Ugly back, Which looks very much like A bog. Spavin. AS yet it has not troubled but there is the possibility that it Might; It is to ho hoped that it Will ndt pfOVe serious, as the colt's three-yCaf-old career looked a> bright one on his two-year-old forth. 'The Merriweo gelding Merrio Valet, which has been recommissioned, is still showing sighs Of pOteness, and there seems little chance df his . improving while the tracks Ate So hard. Tuliiso, by Andria—Tunis, Whidh is ill Six)bid’s stable at Rideation, haS been sold to make room for some m the youngsters due to arrive from MeadoWbank shortly. ■ Reports from the south state, that some of the horses which visited the northern meetings brought ‘ back,; A Skin disease,'with them,. , n - ; Lady, Marcia has thrown off itef sore-' ness, ans is a regular attendant' on the Ki ocar ton tracks*; Lord Renown ran Vdry badly iff 4 the Dannevirke Cup, and has gone fight off. A good rest would do him a dot of good. R. J. Mason has made a start With the bfoaking-in of Mr G. D. Greenwood's yearlings. The , first id be handled is a sister to Historiettc, by Achilles—Chinwag, purchased at the Waikanae stud sale in January. Stevedore, by Treadmill—Fairhaven, pulled Up very lame a few mornings ago, after galloping. A short time back he burst a hind foot. • The American trotting trainer, C. James, Who arrived about a month ago with El carbine, the latest horse imported by Mr J. Porter, df Oamaftf, has decided to start as a trainer Christchurch. He has secured stables near the Metropolitan Trotting Club s grounds at Addington, and has brought El Carbine from Oamaru to prepare for racing. It is also reported that another well-known trainer Will gird the new arrival some horses to train. The tracks at Ricoartoa are Very hard, and there are quite a number of horses on the easy list. Masterpiece and Autumnus are both standing up to their work well at Riccarton, and a couple of mornings ago galloped a good mile together. Mr E. J. Watt.has claimed the following names ■ for' some of his youngsters: —Chestnut filly by All BlackFloat (full-sister to Football), “DribSale,” and a bay colt by All BlackRose Seaton (half-brother to Merton), “Blackheath.”

Recently, at local (New South Wales), a yearling, who will do mentioned later on, hopped in and out or a big cattle paddock over a fence likely to daunt the bravest steeplechaser, and he did it. without losing a hair, says “Milroy” in the “Sydney Mail.” The fence, I should say* is over five feet high; but some time back the “Special Commissioner” of “Sporting Life” recorded a much bigger jump which was executed by a mere foal:—“At the-Turbine stud, Epsom, a colt foal six months old jumped a fence 6ft high and 3ft wide. The youngster was running in a paddock with other foals, who, -like himself, had been weaned. His dam happened to be in the adjoining paddock, into which he made the mighty, leap; but apparently he whs not actuated by any desire to rejoin her, for no Sooner did he find himself On the wrong side of the hedge than be began to sqneal because he was unable to get back to his pals. The jump he took was a downhill one, and he evidently realised the impossibility of leaping the hedge the opposite way. This same

foal, when nine weeks old, cleared a fencj 4ft 6in high. Mr Gage and his stud groom are now wondering what they had better do in order to keep the young gentleman within bounds. He is by Turbine.” The sire of the colt is a half-brother to Tressady. Patriot, who was bred at Neotsfield and is by Autonomy, put up a. record jump out of one of tbs Neotsfield picket yards, which certainly looks to be over six feet high; and no doubt thbfe have been numberless other instances of greatactivity in this direction among mad-brained, stout-heart-ed foals and yearlings; but there have been more failures, and in consequence more cripples than successes, as most studniasters'knoW to their cost. Inimer'e two-yea f-old full-sister ri’ill Be known oil the racing tracks as Pall Mail. • Matlow will more than likely be turned out for a spell. He Was rather sore after facing at Dannevirke, and a short respite will do him no harm. The ancient Kaipetipeti has been brought to light again after a long absence from the tracks; He is being hacked about the roads in Palmerston preparatory to being placed in Work; He is quite sound, but it is doubtful if he will stand a solid preparation. Elirtgofe is ill daily Work at Awapuni, and has built up A lot of lath. Ho may make hie reappearance under silk at the Feilding meeting next month. Glenfern arid Princess Flo are in the private, sale list oil account Of their owner retiring from racing. > By Winning the Nelson Clip yesterday Under 8:l3 iff fibrin 9sec, Peroneal put Ug A really good petfofmanCe. Last year she wan • the Maflbofough GUp, and during that season preyed a Consistent, stake ©afn&f; This yeAf she has not done so well,, hut has won AmOng other faces the Higgle Handicap at the Wanganui meeting: Odessa was greatly fancied for-, yesterday’s race by his party, hut he ihiSsed a place, and probably he has ■ eithef trained off or else the journey was hardly far enough for him. 6 Lady. Vladimar Was qdnsidefOfl the best of good things, ..and her party would have a good win:. Royal §lCeves, on account Of his good track work, was thought to have a good ehance, but it vwould take a pretty good hack to beat the Tfenthamtrained mare ever a five furlong course at the present time;