NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17570, 14 May 1919, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By "EARL.V BIRD.")

Racing at Hawera to-day and tomorrow. A special train runs from Wanganui both days.

Vance will not be a starter to-day, but will fulfil an engagement on tho concluding day of the meeting.

Proceedings commence to-day - at 11.40 a.m., with the Hurdles, in which the top-weight, Golden Grafton, is expected to perform better than Minister.

The Hack and Hunters Steeples looks well for Spalperion, which is the only one of the party to have any cross-country form to show this year. I'olthogue may be the danger.

The third event carded is the Egmont Steeples. Bore has been jumping consistently of late down south, and of the others Merry Jack and Yellow and Black have good reports, This trio should fill the places.

Although getting high up in the weights, Simonides has only to be ii; the nick to set Play Off and the others a merry dance in the Tawhiti Handicap.

Kareao has a fair field in opposition in the Telegraph. The danger might be expected from Hallow and

Kareao

Carniel Arch, after doing a good scallop at Wavcrivy yesterday, broke a blood-vessel and will not face the starter in t!ie Tawhiti Handicap. H. I'.ayuor's charsjo promised to be dangerous in the first "leg." Hector Gray will be on Cadet ana Hallow to-day. 3<> will s<ll Taraiaki.

Inah and Alteration will be piior.ed by H. Gray this afternoon. The woo-1-brokers. witli vivid recollections of r.it-t week's Vagabond-Chimern, report "full books" of this combination, and sciie large sums willl change hands if Gray lands a third big dowMfi within the week.

The Mcßae Memorial will see only a small field of seven at most. If he has got over the soreness evident after racing at Awapuni, Marqueteur should always be in the picture. Arrowfield and Master Iney may show up better than the others. The Railway Hack appears to be a race between the honest Tiranga and Cadet, and at the weights the former should be the better horse.

Te Toa looks the best of the remainder.

Horses for courses. Sir Fisher who ran second to Sleight of Hand in the Karere Hurdles at Awapuni, v.'on that race last year in about half a second faster time, carrying 11.8, and the previous year, carrying 10.3, was second to Leonta, when the going was holding.

In Mode, a promising hurii-v by Fashion, T. Long has si • •snuiitiute for honours over the battens and bmsh as who bids fair to establish i rc;iur..-u:un next season. Yesterday af tern urn Modo was sent a round over the small sticks, and acquitted himself well, fencing very cleanly, Wanganui sports.nen woulc,' be pleased to see Mode fulfil e.Kpeotiuons. if only for tlie'trainer's sake.

The Pateena, which sailed for Picton on Monday had on board the following horses: —Rose Pink, Trenthara Rose, Pervola, Russett, and Rakaia, in charge of A. Goodman, J. M'Laughlin took Comment and Red Signal. M. Williams took Montalvo, F. Carmont had Metallum, Gold Problem, and Ladify, and E. Penr man went ver with Some Girl. Jockeys B. Deeley, A. Reed, C. Reed, C. Price, B. H. Morris, L. Morris, and F. Corlett were also on board.

Meetings between cracks of all ages were always interesting (says a northern writer), but just now a large section of form followers are very deeplyl concerned about the doings of the jumpers claiming engagements at Egmont to-day and tomorrow, Wanganui the following Wednesday, and at the Auckland Racing Club's meeting commencing on May 31st. It does not do to form hasty conclusions about the prospects of some horses. The writer saw Sleight of Hand less than a year ago with a pair of legs that iooked beyond redemption. He had uone some hard racing, and had gone wrong, and had been treated in the hope that he would go through the winter campaign. After running and falling in the Wellington Steeplechase he ran unplaced in the last Grand National Hurdle Race, and had not started again until Thursday, when in a mile and threeQuarters hurdle race, carrying 11.13, be won in 3.18 2-5 very unexpectedly from Master Lupin 11.9, Sir Fisher 11.9, and amongst others Thrace 11.9; so unexpectedly, indeed, that his supporters received for each £1 they invested a return bordering on the region of a third of a century. It was one of the largest dividends paid over a hurdle race in New Zealand for a considerable time. The! New Zealand Grand National Hurdle Race winner of two seasons back seems to have been regarded by j racegoers, if not by the handicapperj (Mr. Henrys), who put top weight on him, as a spent light. Whether he will go on racing and stand remains to be seen, but the performance has raised his stock for the Great Northern, for which he has not earned any penalty. The second to him, and the win of Master Lupin en Thursday with the- same weight on his back, viz., 11.13, has caused Mr. Bull's gelding also to be regarded with further respect. The distances were shorter than the Great Northern, but the weights each of] the runners have to carry are about] 141b less all round, by a strange unanimity of opinion. Sir Fisher and Master Lupin appear to have represented the same thing over the mile and three-quarters. The extra distance will suit .Master Lupin, but a bit of extra time will suit Sir Fisher, and some jumping and more j racing would be helpful to Thrace, and the further distance, too. Thrace did not nearly run up to his Hamilton form.