NEWS AND VIEWS

Evening Star, Issue 25425, 5 March 1945, Page 3

NEWS AND VIEWS

[By Watcher.] Immediate is now regarded as likely to be dangerous in both the Easter and the Autumn. His next engagement is the Oamaru Cup Handicap. Leonin broke up at the start of the Waihora Park Handicap at the Banks Peninsula meeting. Horses trained at or near Wingatui nominated for the Great. Easter include First In, Listen In, Lord Nuffield, and Monetary, and in the Autumn First In, Arabian Night, Lord Nuffield, and Lance Wing. Handicaps for the Oamaru Jockey Club's meeting wiil lippear on Thursday. Acceptances will close at 8 p.m next Monday.

High Play*is evidently all right again, as he has been entered for both the Easter and Autumn.

Atreus, winner of the Peninsula Handicap, is missing from the nominations for the Easter and Autumn. - 'The Southland-trained Sing Sing and Good Cast are among }.he nominations for the Oamaru Cup Handicap. Acceptances for the Timaru Trotting Club's meeting are due to-day. The Vulture is reported to have received a bump during the running of the Terawera . High-weight Eandicap, and failed to recover from the interference.

Canterbury horses engaged at the Wyndham Trotting Club's meeting include Bohemian, Characteristic, and Binky Dillon. Max Baer may appear as a trotter at the Tiihnru meeting. He is among the field at present engaged in the Temnka Handicap. The Oamaru Jockey Club has received sufficient material to ensure a first-class meeting. This club has not held a meeting since May 15, 1943. Weights for the Wellington meeting will appear to-morrow, and acceptances will, close at 5 p.m. on Thursday. For the first time, the Riverton Cup will carry a stake of £I,OOO, and in addition, a sweepstake of £5 will go to the winner Nominations are due to-day for all events. W. Elisor rode three winners at the Franklin meeting, and K. Nutta'll (Banks Peninsula) and G. Ivil (Franklin) scored two wins each.

Te Hinemoa, who has performed m an outstanding manner at North Island meetings this season, is to be retired to the stud.

Aberhall is next engaged in the President's Handicap at Wyndhani He is on the limit of a 3.38 class. He won by five lengths at Invercargill, under .saddle; in 3.27 1-5. W. J Broughton has made a fine start to make up for his month's suspension. He rode three winners, a second, and a third, at the Egmont meeting. He won the Egmont Cup on Embroider, and was also successful in the succeeding race > on Comrade. Tiercel was his othi-r winning mount. The Oamaru Jockey Club has included a two-mile trotting event on its programme, and 11 nominations have heen received. At mixed meetings the distances of the light-harness races do not usually go beyond 12 furlongs. The race over this distance on the club's programme has drawn 19 entries. Fearless, a two-year-old filly by Solicitor General—Stout HeartJ has made a promising start. Prior to her win on Saturday, this half-sister. to Foxleap finished second to Montezuma at the .Canterbury Jockey Club's nontotalisator meeting in February—her first start. She is owned by Mr'J. B. Douglas-Clifford, and trained by H. and A Cutts.

Until the Canterbury Jockey Club meeting last November, , the presence of photographers on the judge's line was barred, but a visiting photographer obtained special permission to take his shots from above the judge's box with a view to presenting a photofinish effect. Evidently local camera--men have taken their cue from him. and at the two recent'trotting meetings two were conspicuous as they d ; d their work above the official's box While the ingenuity and ability of New Zealand photographers is unquestioned (says the Christchureh 'Press'), it should be remembered that in America " phoV>-finish " cameras' are long pavt the experimental stage, and are ae cepted as a normal part of the raping scene. The Americans have leift tin stone unturned in their research work on photo-finish, and the latest cameras in use is far removed from the camera used hy the average Press photographer. The danger of allowing thi« new practice to continue is exemplified by the fact that, without-special lenses, ordinary cameras favour the nearest horse, and it is quite possible that in a close finish the photographic distortion _ of the result could conflict with the judge's decision (Tt may be added here that Press photographs taken almost on the line of the finish of the 1943 N"ew Zealand Cup stirred up a lot of comment. The positions of the horses appeared to differ from the judge's placing*, but apparently the. Press enniera at present in use does lie). The progressive New Zealand Metronnlßnn Trotting Club recently, through Mr A. Matson. requested Mr V Barker to obtain complete information on the nenossarv gear during his visit to the United SMos Mr Bftrker renentlv re+'i-ned to New Zealand with all the details, which he intends to pass

on to both racing and trotting clubs. Naturally the Metropolitan Club would like to be first in the field with this equipment, which will bring a " third man " to the aid of the judge and a feeling of confidence to the public. .