NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 852, 5 July 1906, Page 5

NOTES.

(By

“The Judge.”)

The Gisborne Racing Club’s steeplechase meeting commences today. * * * * The Wellington Racing Club’s Winter Meeting takes place on the 11th and 14th inst. * * * * Handicaps are due for the C.J.C. Grand National events on July 16. * * * * The death is reported from Gisborne of Galtee More, who broke his neck while being schooled over the big jumps. * * * * It is reported that old Halberdier is to be nominated for the Auckland Cup. * « - * Sea Lion has been shipped across to Australia. This brother to Achilles will require a very light impost to have any chance of a win, for he is very moderate. * * * * The Quilt gelding Comfort got badly cut when competing in the Napier Steeplechase, part of his leg being stripped. * * * * The handsome full brother to Wairiki has been nominated for the rich Maribyrnong Plate. He has been called after the late Premier. * * * * Melodeon has been scratched for the New Zealand Cup, being the first horse to drop out of that race. * * * * Among the local horses running at the Gisborne meeting to-day are Hakaria, Kruger, Cuiragno, Loch Fyne, and Trephine. * * * * ;The jumpers Cavalry and Swimmer go South this week in charge of T. A. Williams. After competing at Wellington they will journey on to Riccarton for the big meeting in August. * * * * Noctuiform has been entered for the Prix de Conseil Municipal, the big event of the October meeting at the beautiful Longchamps course, near Paris. * * * * The progeny of Phoebus Apollo continue to win races in Westralia. Garrison, a two-year-old son of the defunct Auckland sire and Vivandiere, won a race last month, putting down a field of a dozen. * * * * Seventeen horses remain in the Avondale Stakes and thirteen in the Avondale Guineas, the two classic races of the Avondale J.C. Spring Meeting. * « * * The following horses should run at Gisborne to-day:—Hurdles, Cuiragno; Flying Handicap, Trent; Park Steeplechase, Kruger; Winter Oats, Mahutonga; Hack Steeplechase, Loch Fyne. * * * * In the list of entries for the Avondale Stakes appear seventeen unnamed ones. The following are suggested as suitable names for the youngsters:—b g, by Soult—Miss Dauphin, Fleur-de-lys; b f, by Menschikoff—Slave, The Serf; b f, by Soult —Lottie, Lottery; br c, by Hotchkiss —Aleger, Legerdemain; b c, by Menschikoff —Jennie Deans, Crimia; br f, by Hotchkiss —Sister Francis, Red Cross; br f, by Menschikoff—Castorlace, La Russe; br f, by Bluejacket—Radiant, Blue Sky; ch f, by San Francisco —Campania, Destruction; br f, by Phoebus Apollo— Eve, Aphrodite; b c, by Freedom — Black Watch, The Bruce; b c, by Cyrenian—Miss Annie, Misanthrope; b f, by Cyrenian—Dreamland, Land o’ Nod; ch f, by Cyrenian—Lute, Songbird; b f, by Eton —Guinevere, Idyll; blk c, by Soult —Inamorata, The Lover; br c, by Explosion—Miss Rose, Report.

The Monaco gelding Faro won a double at the Napier Park meeting. He belongs to Mr. J. Clark. * * * * From Wellington comes word of the death of the brood mare Leda, who was got by Castor from Weicome Katie. * * At the Napier Park R.C. Meeting last week the sum of £13,028 was put through the totalisator, an increase of £1955 on last years fixture. * * * * Treadmill having broken down again, has once more been relegated to the stud, but this time for good. ■K * * Practically nothing has I been in the way of training work at Ellers lie lately, the heavy ram having thor oughly saturated the tracks. * * * * Two Auckland veterans in Haydn and Cannongate will not be seen ou at the Wellington meeting. * * * Nominations for the Auckland Racine- Club’s committee close on Mon day, July 30. The annual meeting takes place on August 6. * "W * * Mr C. O’Connor will be in charge of the starting barrier at Gisborne today. The right man for the place. * * * * Pearl Necklet has been sent to. Wellington with a view to assisting at the meeting next week. Miss King is among the entries for the V.R.C. Grand National Hur d e Race to be run on Saturday. She carries lOst 61b. ■X- * * Tn the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase, which run ICT on Saturday week, u P' t °' l ? a ‘ e h 12st 71b and Miss King lOst 51b. * * * * The Carbine colt Ramrod won the Maiden Plate of £5OO at Kempton Park on May 12. * * * * The death of the Soult mare Annette is reported. She was a clipping good mare, and when really well Sd show the way to the best, as she proved n the case of King Bil y, Boomerang and Co. she was a rather difficult one to train or more races would have come her way. # # * As showing the quality of the horses some people think good enough to win the Melbourne Cup, it may be pointed out that no less than 84 horses are handicapped as under 7st while 35 are in at the minimum. « * * * . Achilles has been given 9st 121 b in the A.J.C. Epsom Handicap and 9st 71b in the Metropolitan. Evidently the Sydney handicapper doesn t wish the son of Medallion to cross the Tasman Sea. * * * The V.R.C. Grand National Meeting commences next Saturday, and will be continued on the following Wednesday and Saturday. * * * * Bachelor’s Button and Pretty Polly, who ran first and second in the Ascot Gold Cup, were both bred in Ireland. * * * * The subscribers to the A.J.C. Derby of 1907-8 race total 128.. The Hon. J. D. Ormond holds the highest hand his representatives totalling half a dozen, all of whom claim the imported horse, Birkenhead (by Orme), as sire. Mr. G. G. Stead has three nominations, among whom is Boniform, a brother to Sun God; another New Zealand sportsman, Mr. G. Palmer, has a half-sister (by Royal Artillery), to Isolt, standing in his name; while Sir Geo. Clifford has nominated the Clanranald colt, Glenculloch, half-brother to the well-per-formed Quarryman, and full brother to that smart filly Glenowlet.

The great blot on the Caulfield Cup handicap is the absurd handicap given to Menschikoff. In his very best form he would not have been entitled to the weight given him, but now he has been at the stud for several years, to load him up with top weight in a list of 172 horses, including all the champions of the Commonwealth, is to come perilously near making a burlesque of the race. tl is bad handicapping to find Achilles with 9st 121 b in the A'.J.C. Epsom Handicap, but the treatment of Menschikoff is infinitely worse.

Reviewing the handicaps for the Melbourne Cup, the Melbourne correspondent of the “ Town and Country Journal” says that Dividend, if he can be got to the post, should have a show with his 9st 51b, and Emir is not harshly treated at a pound less, but his temper does not improve, and Marvel Loch should be handy with 9st lib if she retains all her old form. Lady Wallace must be given a show with Bst 131 b, but Boabdil is bound for India, and may not run. If Gladsome can stay, Bst 121 b is not too much for her, while Lord Ullin’s Daughter, on the same mark, should have a chance. Sweet Nell and Fifeness (Bst lib) are not too kindly treated, neither is Torah at 11b less, but I like Mahutonga at Bst 101 b and Maniapoto at Bst 71b. Of the others, Scot Free 8.5, Tatterdemalion 8.2, Dynamite 8.0, Collarit 7.12, Proceed 7.9, Antonious 7.9, Ebullition 7.7, Port Arthur 7.0, Pompous 6.12, and Melodrama and Disaster at the same weights, must all be given special consideration.

Menschikoff is well taken care of in the Caulfield Cup with 9.7, but these stallions get very gross, and are hard to train, so I question if he will get to the post, and probably will not show his old form if he does. Emir, Dividend, and Marvel Loch, 9st 51b each, have nothing to complain of, and Gladsome at 21b less should be dangerous, if she can get the journey, with increasing age, which I doubt. Lady Wallace and Maniopoto at 9st lib are not overburdened, while Boabdil and Sweet Nell, at Bst 111 b, must not be overlooked. Blue Spec with Bst 91b has quite enough; but Scot

Free is entitled to respect on the same mark, while Famous may get the distance. I don’t think we have ever seen the best of Grand Rapids, and he may run well with Bst 71b, but I like Torah better at Bst 51b, and Little Toy reads well at Bst lib. Collarit has enough with Bst, and Dynamite with 11b less. Sylvan King and Charles Stuart are not hardly dealt with at the same weight, and Proceed should run well with 7st 111 b. Of all the others, nothing seems to me better in than Roycroft, 7st 91b; Nipper, Scorcher, and Antonious, 7st 71b; Pompous, Pliable, Dyed Garments, and Port Arthur, 6st 131 b; Tom Moore, 6st 91b; Gapon, Ellis, and Lord Allendale, at 6st 71b.

When commenting upon the racing at Kempton Park on May 12, a writer in the “London Sportsman” said: — “ Noctuiform, who set foot upon an English racecourse for the first time, was closely scrutinised prior to the Trial Handicap, and was generally considered a very taking horse. A chestnut, with scarcely any white about, he is a trifle above the average in size, his formation is beautifully symmetrical, and when thoroughly acclimatised and trained he should show fine muscular development. With 9st 41b in the saddle on Saturday he was not expected to accomplish much, and was outpaced from the start.”

An interested spectator at Newmarket (England) of the finishing touches of the toilette of the Guineas winner, Gorgos, was the veteran Mr. Henry Chaplin, whose Hermit won the Derby in the memorable snowstorm year of 1867.

That there will be a good attendance at Trentham next Wednesday and the following Saturday is very certain, and the Railway Department appears alive to the occasion, as special trains are advertised to leave Te Aro and Wellington for the course, from the former place at 10.30 and 10.51, and from Wellington at 10.30, 10.50, 11.0, and 1.10 p.m., returning after the races.

I understand the name chosen for the Menschikoff —Golden Rose colt, viz., King of the Ring, has been disallowed. Perhaps Ring of Gold or Goldfire might do as well.

I notice Messrs. Scott and Martindale, the well-known Wellington commission agents, have a treble book open on the Winter Cup, G.N. Steeplechase and Hurdle Race, the quotation being £4OO to ss.

The New Zealanders Nonette, Miss King, Lion Heart and Black Diamond have reached Melbourne safely.

Of the New Zealanders in the Melbourne Cup Gladsome has most weight with Bst 131 b, and then comes Mahutonga 8.10, Maniapoto 8.7, Grand Rapids 8.5, Multifid 8.3, Solution 7.8, Delaware 7.1, and Melodeon 7.0. The latter is perhaps the best treated of the lot.