TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1898, 19 June 1890, Page 24

TALK OF THE DAY.

BY MAZEPPA

%* Lady Emma's yearling son by Rubezabl haß been brought in from Warrington and handed over to Mr Guinness for schooling to the career at which thero is every reason to believe he will shine — that is if looks are anything to go by. I have not yet had time to pay a visit to this young gentleman, but those who have seen him tell me that he bids fair to turn out better than his half-brother Emmason, who is no duffer — indeed, they say that he is one of the best-looking yearlings ever seen here. I Bhall take an early opportunity of giving my own opinion on the subject. His name is Dilemma. The Hon. G- M'Lean, was the other day casting about for suitable names for hia young stook, and after hitting upon " Gnome " for the son of Rubpzahl and Lady Gertrude, and " Conjuror " for the colt by Gorton out of Legerdemain, he remarked to a friend, " We shall want s*. name for this fellow now," indicating Lvcly Emma's bou. "I am in a regular dilemma." "Call him 'Dilemma,' then," was tho reply, tbo punning name w.%8 forthwith adopted, I dent know that a bettor one could bavf> bi*an cbos-nn. The name giveu to tho cok out oi L *(i> Gertrude is also appropriate, seeing that fiubezahJ, his sire, ia in Gnrraan twliii<vu 'ho Kiin; of the Fairies. Talking of tha B.8 '. G'air stable, law pleased to hear that S. J»rno9 in getting all right at the farm.

%* The Canterbury Jockey Club -nnounees in this i»"Ue the rev/ terms wi h ,vhioh the Challenge Si ikes of 1893 is to ho invHstod. This race is to be inctea ed in \;> \e to such an extant as to top anything y • in the colony for from 8003ovs the ' ake is to be brought up to 2000iovb, nut (<•' .tnioh the nominator of the winner hto r- -^ vr> 100 ovs, the owner of the second uorat; JijOoO\H, and the owner of the third dumb lOUsuvs. Tho race, like" the Lancashire Pl-U\ is fco be for two, three, and four year olds a*; weight for age with a gvndod scale of penaltien and allowances. Tho entries will not all cloho at the same time. Friday, the Ist August, is fixed as the day for rooeiving entries of foals of 1888 and foals of 1889, and the 6th of February is the day for entering foals of 1890. No money is required at date of entry, and the total subscription of 25gs is not payable until general entry day. The conditions of the race, though somewhat complex, appear to be well thought out, and I wish the club auccess in ita spirited venture. Full details appear in &w advertisement. *„,* It is always a pleasure to oblige a correspondent who asks reasonable questions, and when the subject ha introduces is of general interest I make it no trouble to go a little beyond the written requeat of the interrogafor. This week lam asked certain questions about trotting at the Forbury, and, the inquirer being a correspondent who I am satisfied does not trouble newspaper men out of shear wantonness, I deem it as well to anawer him by giving a history in outline of the trots we have Been here for the last 10 years. It is possible that what I have l> tay may be of interest, or at any rate handy for future reference. Wte commence then with the spring of 1879. This wan the meeting at which Jack Vezey's Zulu won from a start of 300 yds. There were eight starters, including Mr Fairley's Bella, well remembered as one of the most regular performers on the Duuedin track. Mr Kirkwood's Blackboy was at scratch ; but fchn race lay entirely between Zulu, Titokowaru (275ydf), fnitf Alt Suthtnlaua'a Cbarloy, the horses finishing hi thtit ord<*r, This wa«i the last race at th Q Forbury under the distancestart pystem. Jn M<^y of that Geisou, nb the meeting at which Adamant won the double, Tulu Btartod - 3 fc scratch, and hid no hand in the finish, tho public having unor.rlhed a real good thiDg in an old tram car horae named Donald, who with a start of 62aec won by four lengths from Bella, with Kafonzloum third. Bella trotted in splondtd form, and would have won if sho had uot. broken twice in tha straight. Donald cculd not h» v e been a

Wonder, as Bella was conceding him 50sec. In the following November we saw that fast and enduring horße Native Oat, ridden by Jimmy Allan, win from a start of lOaec, the acratch horses being Zulu and Bella. Tho finish was a very interesting one as between the winner, a pony named Minnie (55sec), and Doctor's Maid (50sec). The latter was supposed to be a good thing, but she broke somewhere about the distance post and lost the lead to Minnie, who was at once challenged by Native Oat, the latter getting home first by two or three lengths. The grey, who by the way was then Bix years of age, was also successful at the Birthday meeting. Our Pony was handicapped at soratch, and the Wanganui horses Marmion and Millie were, in consequenoe of their recent performances up North, put on the 17sec :nark with Native Oat ; but the lastmentioned was at the head of the handicap when the acceptanoe list came out. He Btarted an even money chance, and won easily, 'second place being taken by the Tokomairiro representative Vioious (3Oseo), ridden by Mat M'Laren. The winner was ridden by Glas sett. Bella was among the starters in that race;

*** And she also appeared to do combat in the event of November 1881, having to give lOsec to Mr Hamilton's Peggy (32aec), who was reckoned good enough to Daok at evens in a field of 10, including Zulu and Vicious, who each started at lOaec, the hindmost of the fleet, Mr Bourne's Mooney, handicapped at scratch, being a non-acceptor, The race was a gift to Peggy, who went to the front in tbe first half mile and was never headed, Winning by 30yds. Bella was second and Billiard Ball a fair third. The trot that took place in the ensuing May was one that will never be forgotten. It was the race won by Randall, then a three-year-old. He started from the limit, 653e0, with two others ; speedily gave them the go-by ; and though breaking three or foar times, won by 100 yds from Tiger, who had started a red-hot favourite. Randall had at that time been broken in only a few weeks. He paid a dividend of £27 10s, there being 24 investments on him and Ace of Clubs combined. Zulu and Bella were among the unplaced contingent. The next Trot was also a runaway affair— just one horso in it, but this one not an outsider as Randall was, I refer to Maori, a mare, pioked up by chance Bomewhere in the North Otago district, and, luckily for her party, pitchforked in at 65aeo. She won easily by 20 lengthF, beating Bella (25sec) and Ace of Clubs (35sec) for places, the favourite, Wairuna, breaking repeatedly and putting herself out of it. The dividend was between £4 and £5. In May of that season Randall was the scratch horse and Wanaka (7sec) the favourite, Derrett having the mount on him. These two, with Mat M'L'weu's Wairuna (25sec), were well backed, but 1 they really had nothing to say in the race, which was simply a matoh between Mr Harding's Polly (30aec) and the Green Island grey^ Disappointment (45s8c). This pair went clean away from one of the strongest fields we have had at the Forbury, Polly winning by half a dozen lengths, with Wanaka a bad third,' Disappointment ought to have won, and would have done so but for repeatedly breaking. ! The dividend in tha inside maohine was £159 6s, and outside £72 13s 6d. This was the biggest dividend to date paid out at the Forbury.

%* In the Trot of November 1883 that fast horse Lunatio was honoured by being put at soratch, and went so well for half the distance that he seemed likely to win ; but from that point he kept on breaking and was of course out of it, The race was won by 60yds by Mr Wallace's Shillelagh (30sec), who was backed down to 3 or 4 to 1, Randall (12sec) being second and Wanaka (12seo) third. On the seoond day of the meeting there was that year a Consolation Trot, in which Randall and Lunatio started from soratch. Thiß race resulted in the well-remembered finish between Wakatu (17sec) and Bella (3Oseo), both mares coming home under the whip in the last; half mile. Poole managed tc get Wakatu first past the post by a length, thus earning for her backers a dividend of over £40. There have at variouß times since been frequent arguments as to whether this was a two or a three-mile race, and to make the reference complete I may again state that it was a three-mile race. For this performance Wakatu was put at scratch the following May, while Bella was given 20sao. Neither had any say in the race,|though Wakatu started fiist favourite, the winner being Mr Rutherford's Ace of Clubs (55sec), who led almost from the start, and won by 50yds from Cock Robin (20aec), with Randall (7sec) third. On the second day we saw Chromo (late Disappointment) win from a start of BOsec, beating Cock Robin (scratch) and Mr Black s Bella (25sec) for places. Maurice Glassett was fined £3 for galloping Grace Darling, presumably with the intention of making Ohromo break.

*4* November of 1884 brought us Pretty Jane's coup. She was no wonder, for it.took her 9min 20seo to do the three miles, but having a 60aec start she had the finish all to herself. Seoond place was gained by Oliver, who gave a magnificent exhibition of trotting, and ran through a field of 17 horses to be beaten by nothing but the chucked-in one. But Oliver bad his little bit of luok before the season was out, for in the following May, starting from scratch, be came in seoond to Randall (20sec), and was awarded the stakes on a double protest, Mr Kirkwood proving that Randall had jostled his mount, Darkie (who went out a hot favourite), and it being also shown that Randall had gained ground by galloping. The totalisators paid out on Randall and the stakes went to Oliver. The 1885 86 season opened with the landing of a " moral " in Mr M'Gregor's Tommy (late Rocket), who had a start of 50aeo and won from Moa (65sec) and Acrobat (403 ec). In this race Mauiao, who afterwards proved one of thejfasteßt horses in the colonies, was unplaced with a start of GOaec, and another noteworthy circumstance is that Duchess with 30aeo was allowed to start absolutely unbacked. Axe was thought something of, but it was one of the races in which he sold his friends. This season we had the March meeting established, and |the Trot on thi3 programme was won by Oliver from scratch. The Yankee horse was trained and ridden by Jack Poole, and gave a splendid exhibition in trotting, winning by 60yds from Silver Bell (28sec), with Axe (35seo) a bad third. In May Mr D. O'Brien brought down the grey horse Erin, and rode it himself, getting home in 9min 7&sec from a start of 65sec, beating Narrow Gauge (50seo), Polly (50aeo), and a capital field, including Oliver (scratch), Wakatu, Duchess, Reefer, and Maniac. *** November 1886 was Duchess' race. She had 13aec start and won easily by a dozen lengths from Wanderoo j(3ssec) and Narrow Gauge (scratch). The actual first favourite at the start was Old Identity (35sec), who was nowhere. Duchess paid dividends of £14 and £13 10s. At the March meeting the Tokomairiro division were to the fore with Antrim (35sec), who won as she liked from Mabel (553ecj and Flossie (70sec). Duohess started from scratch on that occasion, and the favourite was Roger, who had a start of GOaec. At the May meeting the Christchuroh horse Ohantioleer was backed down to 2 to 1 in a field of 19, and never gave the others a show, having got into the handicap at 55seo. Wanderoo (50aeo)

was second and Rockwood (47sec) third ; DaoheßS, the scratch horse, being out of it. To Bhow what the handicapper thought of Chanticleer's performance, it is sufficient to state that this horse was promoted to the top of the list of the candidates engaged in the race oi November 1887. He did not come down, and in his absence Duchess was the rearmost of the starters, being put in at ssec. She, however, had no hand in the finish. It was Reefer's day out, and once more the Toko, party secured a most decisive win, though they had to buy their money, as Reefer was so well that with a 60dec start he was reckoned a certainty. So he was, and he won by 100 yds from Dolly (55sec) with Folly (55sec) third. His time was Bmin 47|seo. At the Maroh meeting we saw Pat winning by nearly a couple of hundred yards from a handicap of 80seo, the longest start from which a horse has ever won at the Forbury. He had got in on these liberal terms owing to his being defeated by Duchess at a difference of 70seo at the Toko, meeting. When they oame together at the Forbury there was the same relative handicap, Duchess being at 10360 and Pat at 80aeo ; but the last • mentioned had improved in the interval, and hence the trouble. Duchess finished second and Boojum (43seo) third. Pat's time was 9min lljaeo. In May there was an interesting race and a capital field of 20, including Maniac (scratch), Frolicsome (28sec) — this mare being made favourite — Hawkdun, Reefer, Pirate, Foremast, and Folly. At the end of two miles Folly seamed to be winning easily, and even money was betted that she wo aid get home ; but in the last mile she broke badly and Foremast (55seo) came from the half-mile post with the fastest rush I have over seen from a trotting horse, travelling two feet to the others' one, and winning by 30yds or 40yds. Foremast had broken several times, aud hance it was fast work on bis part to get over the three miles in 9tnin Ofaeo.

*** In the season of 1888-9 we had trotting race? brought into the Ofcago Hunt Club's programme, and the first of these was taken by Crowhurst's Spot, a strapping stallion who had improved fast in Jimmy Ootton'B hands and was thus able to win, though it was not a great performance considering that Frolicsome was Riving him. 6ssßo. The mare, indeed, looked like winning as they oame into the straight the laat time, but she broke, and the limit horse lasted to the finish. Orion (45seo) was third. In November we had the celebrated Evangeline affair, this mare with 4Oseo start going out without a sixpence on her and winning by a dozen lengths from Fossicker (6(heo), with Anneau dOr (35sec) third. Mosgiel was favourite, and Froliosome had the distinction of starting from scratch. In the first trot at the March meeting Random (29sec) and Blaok Rose (60aec) were the favourites, but neither gained a plaoe, the race being won by Anneau dOr (12sec), who covered the distance in Bmin 45sec, and beat Folly (40seo) and Evangeline (40seo) for places, paying dividends of £23 5s 6d and £34 115. It is somewhat remarkable that four of the starters, Folly, Evangeline, Emily, and Rose, oarried eaoh exactly the same number of investments—via., 10 inside and three outside. That season there was a second three-mile race on the programme, and it was one of the best batting races ever seen. Random (15aeo), who won, had 66 investments, Evangaline 55, Potatau 67, Jane 72, Flora Temple 33, .Rose 50, Lunatic 68, Frolicsome 33, and Anneau dOr 49. Mr Dowses handioap had indeed puzzled backers. The May race was Zenobia's. This mare had shown a good performance in Ohristchurch after the handicap came out, and on the strength of that, having a start of 60seo, she was backed down to about 7 to 4 in a field of 17. The places were filled by Silver Prince (7Oseo) and Jane (60seo), the scratch horse, Anneau dOr, being unplaced.

*** The season 'now closing was began, so far as our present subject ia concerned, by Pirate (35sac) securing a win from the scratch tnrse, Frolicsome, the favourites at the post being Phantom (50seo) and Banshee (40sec). In Maroh we had Ruby's performance—practically a walk over ; and in May there was the awful showing-up that Count (GOsec) gave to his opponents. Claret (saec) was the hindmost of the starters in Ruby's raoe, and there were three at scratch in Count's race — viz., Ruby, Orion, and Telephone, that concludes the history to date of the three-mile trots held at the Forbury since the system of starting by time handicaps oame into vogue. A lißt of the winners in order may appropriately end this part of our notice, and it may be instructive to show also what horse was favourite in eaoh race, and where the soratoh horse finished in those races in which he started : —

theee-mile trotting rages. Season 1879-80.

May I Count, 60 | Count | Unplaced ''Randftll came in first, but was disqualified. It will be perceived that of these 30 races only two have been won by a scratch horse, and that horse was an exceptionally good one p9rhaps the best we have had in the country ; and one of his races was won only on a protest. Randall's disqualification in that race was doubtless thoroughly deserved, but some think that he oould have gone fair and then beaten Oliver at the handicap. That, however, is a matter of opinion. In calculating how the scratch horses have fared we must count with them Oliver's two wins ; and the total result is that the scratch horse was twice first, three times second, once third, 18 times unplaced,

and six times scratched— that is, scratched as often as he gained a place, The inference is that the soratch horses have generally had a bit the woret of it. And that is the point I wish to make. Not that the scratch horses have a special grievance. One might as well assert that, to piok another example at random, the horses starting at say 40sec are an ill-ÜBed lot because only one of their number has ever got to the end of three miles. I select the scratch horses merely as representing the hinder division, who, it seems to me, are not allowed a fair chance by the present system of an unlimited range in the handicap ; and I have purposely arranged this statement with the twofold purpose of conveying information and at the same time showing the reasonableness of my opinion. Let us set out the list of winners in a separate table and see what start they have had. Arranging the winning hordes in the order of the start they received, we find the following result ' —

FATB OP Winner. Favoubitb. Scratch Hobse. May | Donald, 62 | Donald | Unplaoed Season 1880-81. Nov. I Native Oat, 10 I Dr'a Maid, 50 I Unplaced May I Native Oat, 17 | Native l&t | Soratched Season 1881-82. Nov. I Peggy, 22 I Peggy I Soratohed May | Randall, 65 | Tiger, 55 | Unplaoed Season 1882-83. Nov, I Maori. 65 I Wairuna, 65, I Unplaoed May [ Polly, 30 | Wanaka, 7 | Unplaced Season 1883-84. Nov. Shillelagh. 30 Shillelagh Unplaoed Nov. Wakatu, 17 Lunatic, sor. Unplaoed May Kce of Clubs, 55 Wakatu, scr. Unplaced May Ohromo, 50 Ok Robin, acr. Second Season 1884-85. Nov. I Petty Jane, 60 I Pretty Jane I Unplaced May I Oliver, scr.* | Darkie, 35 | Won Season 1885-86. Nov. Tommy, 50 Tummy Unplaced Mar. Oliver, sor. Oliver Won May Brin, 65 Erin Unplaced Sbasoy 1886-87. Nov. Duchess, 13 Old Id'n'ty, 35 Third Mar. Antrim. 35 Ko^er, 60 Unplaced May Chanticleer, 54 Chanticleer Unplaced Season 1887-88. Nov. Reefer, 60 Reefer Soratohed Mar. Pat, 80 Silver Bell, 55 Scratohed May Foremast, 55 Frolicsome, 28 Unplaced Season 1888-89. Sept. O. Spot, 65 Fr'lics'me, Bcr Second Nov. EvaDgeline, 40 Mosgiel, 65 Unplaced Mar. Anneau dOr, 12 Random, 89 Soratched Mar. Handom, 15 Jane, 65 Unplaced May Zenobia, 60 Zenobia Unplaced Season 1889-90. Sspt. I Pirate, 35 Phantom, 50 I Second Mar, Ruby, 32 ltuby Soratohed