NEWS AND NOTES.

NZ Truth, Issue 82, 12 January 1907, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Nelson races on 15th and 16th instant.

Achilles is" quoted at 5 to 1 for the Wellington Cup: *

S. Howie is riding with a fair amount of sucoess on the other side.

Assayer-has been scratched for all engagements at the Trentham meeting.

Stated that J. Garasford, the Ellerslie trainer, will shortly return to Sydney.

Jockeys H-. Telford and G. Price put m a week m Wellington after the X-mas meetings. \ .

' Probable, 6.9, looks, pie m the Tele-gxaph Handicap at Trentham on Anniversary Day.

At the scale of weights the light weights have all tine worst of it m tiro Wellington Cup.

• The Victorian owned Benhow had a very weak field to .settle m the West Australian Derby.

Mystification is at present a trifle sore, but will most likol- be ready to start m the Wellington Cup.

The Hutt trainer, W. Davies, went to Christchurch by last Saturday's boat and. returned during the week.

When Blessbok first went to the West Coast it was to win a number of races. ■ Lately it has been figuring as runner-up.

The Pahiatua Club has received good nominations for its coming meetinpv For the Cup seventeen horses are entered. .

The Caulfield Cup winner, Murmur, who. recently changed hands is undergoing a preparation and may be seen under colors again.

The Choke-bore contingent of horses are already at Trentham, having been railed there at the conclusion of the Manawatu fixture.

Munjeet is a sure starter m the Tetegraph Handicap at Trentham, and on recent form she looks to possess a great chance.

Pink 'Un looks well treated m the Telegraph Handicap, but should all go well with Sir Tristram the Sir Lancelot horse should take a power of beating. ■

If' Mr G-. Payne decides to race Submarine m Australia he will have to alter his name, as there is already' a horse of that name racing m N.ew South Wales.

A country punter gives as a reason for patronising the totalisator m preference to the bookmakers that the latter' advertise "S.PV on . all events,} 1 - which he takes' to' mean "snide prices." ■ - ■•■

The Palmerston Stakes, as telegraphed to Sydney appeared as five furlongs, run m imim. 3 3-ssecs. Doubtless when pressmen read of six furlongs m lmin 13 3-ssecs, they smelt a mistake and made the misleading alteration.

The Question is being asked as to what the state of the Trentham track will be should the dry weather keep up. I understand the local, club are prepared for such a contingency, and have ample means of keeping the going normal by watering the course.

Last year there was- a large attendance at Trenitiham on Anniversary Day, but this year, as the Cup is to be run on that day, and as the. place will be free from the disagreeable dust which abounded then, the crowd will probably rival the best Riccarton gathering. '•■-...

Considering Munjeet's form at Awapimi one would have expected the Stepniak mare to have been rushed by punters for the Telegraph Handicap, but she was not as much m demand as some of the horses lower down. Perhaps they are frightened that Munjeet vail" refuse to eat prior to tihe races.

A nice, colt by . San Francisco— Sybils is now 'bainc handled by Harry Telford at Awapunj, It is the property of the Manawatu Stud Company, and is stated to be the best seen m the district for ma-ny a long day. Other members of Telford's team are Lady Beresford, Lady Stockwell and some young stuff. /

The opinion of a well-informed sportsman as to the best animal he ever saw is always interesting, and it will surprise many people to know that m Sir George "'Chetwy-nd's opinion Kisber, occupies that position (says a London paper)'. Speaking- of the son of Buccaneer on the occasion of his Derby victory, Sir • George says: "I am quite certain he is the best horse I have ever seen, and am confident that he would have beaten Ormonde if the latter had been of the same year. Through his trials and on bis best form I niaide him out at least a stone better than Petrarch on the latter 's Two. Thousand running." .

O'Neills' buckjumping show continues to run with success m Christchurch. Miss Button, the clever horsewoman, appears frequently, and displays great skill. That beautiful pony, Silyer Prince, is a very tough customer ' for riders to tackle, and the other night he 'defied all attempts of two Christohurch coves, w«ho tried to ride him double-banked. Recently the O'Neill Bros, received a challenge from Mr Twentyman Hodgson, who proposes the following conditions fot a competition, twelve unbroken horses to be secured m the South Island and two to be handled by each competitor every night for three nights. The points to count m respect to handling, throwing, riding and driving, t<he' time taken, and the effect made by the rivals m subduing t'he animals. The challenge is evoking a good deal, of .interest among hftrse dealers round Christchurch, and when the details are arranged, if they ever are, the competition should be a. most exerting one.

Lord Soult is engaged at Poxton on the 22nd. Entries' for the Disposal, States are due on Monday.

Armamentq, who met with an accident some time ago, ■• is m work again. v :. ' •

Champion was very sore 'after his exertions at Bulls and he will rer quire a long spell.

Visitors to Trentham will notice a wonderful improvement m the general appearance of the I grounds.

When the weights appeared for the Wellington Cup the "local was immediately made favorite.

Thunderer further demonstrated his usefulness by annexing a couple of events at tlie Southland meeting.

The membership of the Sporting League, recently formed m New South Wales, is rapidly increasing.

C. Jenkins will probably be well enough to take part m the fun at the. forthcoming Trent-ham meeting.

The two horses most m demand for the Telegraph Handicap when the weights first appeared were. Ballarat and Pink 'Un.

.. The racecourse privileges for the Wellington meeting will toe sold by auction at noon to-day by Messrs Hareourt and Go. "

This is the first occasion on which a race meeting at Wellington has extended over three days, and there is every reason to believe that the new venture will be ~ sucoess.

The hard . tracks 'have placed mpre t/hain 50 -per eoip.: .of \thfe' hibrs.es -,on tenSer legs, by the tinje -..iha Wellington meeting rolls round ' the majority of , them will be sound again.

The owners of Nusna were for la-. note enough to secure a dual win with their roaTrer, on the West Coas-t, during the holidays. In the -last 12 mouths the Pinfire gelding has prevailed on four occasions. ; ■

Mr Bertram Coyle is to be congratulated on the successful adjustments made by him for \ the Hawke's Bay , meatjitgi He is evidently a capaiblc juidge ot the respective merits of the various horses at present running. . . ■: ■

English papers of recent date contain correspondence regarding the merits of the starting machine. Some of the English sports are dead against it and prefer the old style of the flag. Some Britishers absolutely refuse to mend their ideas and keep pace with the times.

Owners and trainers m various parts of -Europe have: recently been turning to Enfdarrd for jockeys, and quite a number of riders have been approached to accept engagements oh the Continent for next season. J. H. Martin, the -American jockey, who has been a very successful : horseman during' his residence" m England, has accepted a two years' engagement, at £2000 a year, to , ride for Baron Aide Rothschild m Austria. B. Dillon was also offered £2000 a year to go to Austria, but he .preferred . to remain, m England, and has accepted a. retainer to ride for G-ilpin's stable, which shelters. Pretty Polly and one of the favorites for the next Derby, Gal van i. K. Cannon had an bffer of £1500 a year to ride m Austria, but had to decline it on account of increasing weight. A substitute has skice been found for Mm m the ex-Victorian jockey, B. Carslake, who, it is stated, intends to return to Australia m the meantime for a brief holiday.