NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9632, 12 April 1917, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By "Tohunga.”) At the Warrington stud sale Mr Geo. Nash purchased the brood mare Rubelite, who has a filly foal by Sarto at foot. Bubelite is one of the number 13 family, and is by Lord Koslyn from Tourmaline, by Hotchkiss—Chrysolite by Castor. Rubelite is in foal again to Sarto. At the same sale the. local leading legal luminary who races as Mr Lance Wood purchased Similette, who has a colt foal at foot, by Sarto. The mare is by Similie—La Reine, bv St. Clair— Lady Gertrude by Cadogan. Sarto (St. Simon—Miss Mildred) was also offered, but was 'passed in. when the bidding jibbed at 375 guineas. Both the above mares and their MMs will run out at Silverstream, where ao-’ oommodation has been booked for them. They arrive from the south this morning.

It has been suggested in town that the term wowser is now extinct. Its place has been taken by the word coachbuilder. -It was a most significant thing that the coachbuilders' conference, in unanimously denouncing racing, did not include trotting. The probable reason is that in • practically every trotting race there are many sulkies, the handiwork of tho coachbuilders. but, of course, in galloping there are no .perquisites for the coachbuilders. Hence their high indignation against racing. It is a matter of conjecture now who will be the next one to hop up and denounce racing. Perhaps the Jocksters will try. Only two first favourites got homo on the first day at Riocarton, and three on the second day. At Auckland on Monday only two first favourites won, at Feilding two on tho first dav and three on the second day, so that Brother Me* Shortodds must have had a very pleasant Easter.

The same Brother MoShorto4ds is a very genial individual when he chooses to bo so. Yesterday there were numerous people wandering about the city with large quantities of greenbacks, eager to place portions thereof upon a certain intelligent animal who wlas racing somewhere in the vicinity of Albert Glover’s home. But the worthy Brothers were not doing business with {h&t horse. It ia all right when it goes their way, but when the other fellow has a chance — dicken!

Desert Gold appears to have given the Melbourne Cup winner, Saaanof, something to think about in the Challenge Stakes. The report states that the filly won comfortably, after being in the van all the way. Quite a number ox omadhauns still cherish the belief that Desert Gold flukes her races.

F. Hogg left for Blenheim yesterday with a commission in his pocket to sea Pariform safely over the sticks. Panform is a noive at the business.

Discussing tho sitting of the National Efficiency Board at New Plymouth the Taranaki correspondent of the “Referee” says;—During the past week the provincial papers have been full of .the opinions of such “unbaised authority” (?) as Mr L. M. Isitt, etc., and everybody who before the war, cast the cold eye of disapproval on all things racing has rushed . into print with redoubled energy. Nothing but the absolute abolition of racing will extit these cranks, and unfortunately the racing public usually remains in a comatose condition when their rights are assailed. The racing clubs here, as elsewhere, have contributed largely, both directly and indirectly, to the war funds, and to epeak of "economy” when cutting out these re-venuo-earnine meetings appears to be strange reasoning. Those who do not look deeper into racing than beyond the gambling element probably never realise that racing clubs have liabilities to meet; that sportsmen have hundreds of thousands of pounds invested in racing or breeding stock, which., after all, is fair business; that thousands who are neither fitted by stature or physique for other callings depend oft the continuation of racing for a livelihood; and that finally the clubs themselves are patriotically helping the Government to , finance the war, and the various Patriotic Societies to do the good work they are doing for the soldiers. .The present war means a wastage of millions of horses of the test quality, and the cessation of racing would be the biggest blow to breeding establishments possible. The Minister for Internal Affairs would do well to view the whole matter broadmindedly and reasonably, before bowing to the dictates of the biased minority to whom horse racing in any shape or form is anathema.