TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2013, 22 September 1892, Page 27

TALK OF THE DAY.

BY MAZBPPA.

*#* In July last the celebrated trotting stallion Palo Alto, one of America's wonders, stretched out stiff. Those who take an interest in trotting will no doubt be glad to know something about this remarkable horse, inasmuch as his career vindicated most completely the arguments of those who contend for a plentiful supply of thoroughbred blood in trotters. Palo Alto was at least half a thoroughbred, his dam, Dame Winnie, being a stud-book mare, got by Planet (son of Revenue and Nina, by Boston) out of Liz filardis, by Glencoe. Palo's sire was the great trotting stallion Electioneer. Governor Stanford found out very early that Palo Alto could trot. The colt was broken to harness as a yearling, and exhibited a good gait almost at once. As a two-year-old, remarks an American writer, Palo trotted a quarter in 33sec and a mile in 2min 23$ sec, and it was then that the name of the great farm on which he was bred was given to him. In his three-year-old form there was no advancement, but as a four-year-old Palo Alto was a racer of the highest class. Though sick in the spring, and troubled with a splint, he showed a gait of 2.2o^before the season had far advanced. In 1888 he was one of the sufferers by fire on the farm, and from then till his death he carried a meagre tail. What was more important, however, was the fact that the four-year-old campaign had told upon one of his fore legs. Still he trotted some great races in 1889, his fastest go being when he tied the record of Stamboul, 2min 12-^flec. In 1890, despite a lameness that must have caused pain, he beat Rosalind Wilkes in 2tnin 15sec, this being counted a great performance under the circumstances, and at Philadelphia, the same season, he pub up 2min. 12£ sec, though travelled so much that he became stale, and his leg was seriously bothering him. In 1891, after a season at the stud, Palo Alto's successive times for a mile were 2min 12£ sec, 2min lLjsec, 2min lOsec, 2min 9^sec, 2miu lO^sec, 2inin 9|sec, 2min lO^sec, and 2min Bfsec. These are great records, telling their own tale, and what makes them more wonderful is that he was constantly suffering, so much so, that when he raced at Stockton cocaine was used to dull the pain of the injured leg. Had Palo not been full of courage he would not, iv his suffering, have tried to extend himself on the track. Governor Stanford was in love with him, and two years ago refused an offer of 100,000dol for a deal. As the horse was but 10 years old, there were hopes that he would still further reduce his record this season, bub an attack of pneumonia carried him off.

* # * A history such as this should not be without its lessons for us in New Zealand. Ib should encourage us to try to develop a higher rate of speed on the tracks. In what way is the encouragement afforded? Well, I find, on looking through Palo Alto's career, that at four years of age he began in the threeminute class, and that his great speed was developed gradually. He mutt have been bom with a rare gift of going — that may be adniitted — but il is no doubt equally true that that gift would never have been brought to its proper and full use bub for scientific attention and the stimulus *of rich purses, litre in New Zealand we have some of the best American trotting blood ; we have men as trainers who are ready to bestow as

much care on the training of the horse as any Yankee ever did ; and if we could boast of more good tracks and a few valuable stakes to go for, there is no reason why New Zealand should not produce some of the fastest trotters in the world. At present there is no inducement to attain to record-breaking speed. Our everlasting handicaps without classification directly discourage the production of the fast gait — in this way : the stakes are small, the bulk of the profits come from the totalisator, and an owner's readiest mode of making a haul is by working in, say, an 8.30 horse with a long start in a handicap. Our Wanderoos and Counts and Raruses seldom pay big dividends. Wanderoo was an exception, I grant, but even in her case she was forever closed down as a money winner as soon as she made her record. And I have seen good hauls made with horses slower than' B.3o. A horse does not often pay a dividend when he has shown even that gait. My contention is that we should aim at something better than that. As a means to that end, class trotting should be at once instituted all through the country. That would help the handicapper considerably, enabling him to do something towards giving the best horses some sort of show ; and it would also work for good in other ways. The advantages are well recognised, and therefore need not be elaborated. Next I would have, as before suggested, a champion meeting once every season, held at the various subscribing centres in turn (provided a suitable track 13 obtainable), and at this meeting there should be handsome stakes, say LSOO for a two-mile race, L3OO for a three-mile event, and L2OO for a mile spin — all to be decided in heats. Such a meeting would mean something to go for, and our records would be quickly cut. At present, as remarked, the aim of trainers is not so much to lower records as to smuggle a fairly-fast horse into a handicap and snatch a dividend. As a matter of fact we have no use for record-makers. The fastest time ever made in New Zealand for three miles was in a private trial for tho purpose of a 6ale !

* # * These matters are worth considering. It paid the colony very handsomely to produce Carbine and Maxim and Sir Modred and other fast gallopers, and it would do us an equal amount of good if we were to utilise tho American horses now here to raise a Sunol or even a Palo Alto. The latter is indeed the more useful type of horse. Wherefore I do most heartily regret to have to chronicle a pplifc as between our trotting authorities. United, the results achieved iv Yaukeeland were always possible hero ; divided, the chances of their being realised are materially reduced. Another reason why the division of parties is to be deplored is that a certain amount of bad feeling is sure to ensue. And for a third reason why the circumstances related in another column are to bo regretted, I am bound to say that the separation of Otago from the association was wholly unnecessary. The Dunedin Jockey Club, acting as the metropolitan of a large district, conceived it to be its duty to work in a constitutional way towards placing trotting on the same footing as other racing, and to that end proposed amendments in the rules which if carried and enforced would have settled the proprietary clubs. In this the D.J.C. was quite justified, if for no other reason, because the clubs referred to were imperilling the continuance of the totalisator. These amendments were duly carried, but a counter movement was at once organised, the result of which was a reversal of the reform, and the way in which this was done left the D.J.C. no alternative but to " cut the painter." Thus, for the sake of preserving a little longer the advantages which the proprietary clubs enjoy, the association wantonly drives away loyal friends, and postpones indefinitely the prospect of a real and far-reaching union which could have worked wonders for trotting. I say "wantonly," because the association must have known that the tactics resorted to would sever Otago. If this is trying to promote the interests of trotting, then I'm a Dutchman. It looks very much like grab, pure and simple, and if a poll were taken of all the clubs in New Zealand we should find a crushing majority condemning the action of the association. Personally, I see no harm in permitting proprietary clubs if their carrying on entails no risk to the public clubs, but in our peculiar circumstances there is this risk, and as every oue realises that that is so there will be little sympathy for the "proprietaries" if they go under in the trouble which is at hand. If they had been wise they would have gracefully avoided the crisis altogether ; if faithful to their own constitution they would have accepted the inevitable without a fuss. A little tact would have saved the association.

*** The present position is that the Government are being urged by the conference to effectually put a stopper on the proprietary clubs, and request is also made to place trotting clubs on the same footing as other clubs in respect to the amount of money to bo given before totalisator permits are issued. It should be mentioned, to save misunderstanding, that this action was resolved on at the Wellington sitting of the conference, long before Dunedin broke with the Trotting Association, and the recommendations made are therefore in no way to be taken as a siding of the delegates with tho D.J.C. in its quarrel with the association. The latter body was threatened by the conference many days before Otago disclaimed partnership, wherefore one would have thought the association would have hesitated before forcing the severance. That, however, by the way. As to the demand of the conference, the first is cue the justice of which cannot be gainsaid, but I do not altogebher agree wibh the request to take away the only remaining privilege of the trotting clubs. These bodies have, it seems to me, some claim for consideration in tho matter of added money, and in practice no one so far as I know has previously objected to this being recognised ; besides which the improving of the breed of trotting horses is a matter which concerns thousands of persons who don't care a hang for the animal viewed merely as a medium of sport, and if you decrease the inducement to breed upwards the minister, the farmer, and the shearer will feel the loss just as much as the racing man. That is how the matter strikes me, and therefore I should be sorry to see the prayer of the conference given effecb to in all its amplitude. Perhaps a compromise would be the best thing. To compel trotting clubs to raise as much added money as racing clubs would be to deal trottiDg a serious blow, for the clubs which make this their chief business cannot command such an extensive patronage as ordinary racing bodies. There are many who, like myself, would not go a yard to see an ordinary trotting race.

*#* Announcements are made elsewhere that the Duned'.n Jockey Club now assumes control ovt r trotting races in the Ofcago metropolitan district, ami will issue a set of rules for the purpose. Notification is made that horses having trotted under the rules of any recognised club or association will be eligible to trot under the D.J.C. rules, and I understand that thtie will bo no proposal to charge an affilia-

tion fee. It is probable, I should say, that the rules will in the main follow those of the association ; it will at any rate be wise to have no more difference than is necessary, so as to prevent confusion.

*** Backers made a mistake in the 'first race at Timaru last week. They chose Magpie as favourite, nob without solid reasons, but this horse's jumping was by no means so neat as at the Grand National meeting and he was practically done with a quarter of a mile from homo. Invader fell at tho first hurdle, Lady Grey blundered badly and nearly came down. Rangiora was outpaced from the beginning, and as a matter of fact there was nothing in it but Smuggler from half the distance. This clever little horse has retained his form long enough to mount several steps on tho handicappers' ladder, and I do nob know |that we have his measure oven yet. Three of the starters were almost in equal favour for the County ' Plate, these being Kate Greenaway, Victim, and Young Cheviot. The first-named, a half sister to Prime Warden, got to work very early in the race and at the finish she and Young Cheviot raced away from the others, the old horse, however, holding the mare as safo as if she had only three legs. The other fancied one, Victim, foil before going far. Another misfortune in the race was that Finetta broke a blood vessel and had to be pulled up. Vogengang won the Guineas as was expected. He could hardly miss it, seeing that the only one sent out against himwasWarrington, who could have had but very little galloping beforehand judging by the length of time it took him to get his wind after the race. But Vogengang himself was far from being at his best — they say he had been dead off his oats for three days— and if anything fully trained had gone out to oppose him we might have had just such an upset as occurred when Moraine was dished by Diadem. The hack race having been won by Reinga, who was afterwards bought by Mr Burgess for Ll7, tho Cup came up for decision. Crackshot, looking very well, was made a hot favourite, Liberator being next in demand. The race proved to be a rather one-sided spectacle. Crackshot, nicely handled by Dcrrett, was in a good position throughout and he simply walked in. Wayland, going faster than anything else at the finish, secured second place, just in front of the other Dunedin representative, Conjurer ; but there were at least a couple in the unplaced crowd that will be heard of before long. I refer to Crown Jewel and Saracen. The latter ran rather roguishly, bub when wakened up with the stick he camo with a rare rattle and showed speed that will bo of use to him when ho is fitter. Tho High-weight Handicap resulted, as I prophesied, in a win for Roselcaf, and tho Flying saw the overthrow of Vogengang by Galtco, which was not really much of a surprise after all in view of tho facts above stated. The time for this race was by mistake returned as 1.25. Mr Goodman tells mo that he made it 1.35, and that is probably correct.

*** On the second day Smuggler was brought pretty closely up to Magpie and Erin-go-bragh in the handicap for the Hurdles, and this caused many to prefer the pair named ; but once again the improved son of Duntroon pulled through, paying nearly 3 to lin a field of four. Young Cheviot carried his 10.5 to victory with plenty to spare in the Gladstone Welter. He is a clipper over a mile in second-class company. Rothamstead won the Disposal Stakes in a canter, and was then sold to Mr J. Loughlin at L 29. A cheap horse, I should say. Jack seems to like the big 'uns. The performance of Conjurer in the Cup caused him to be highly fancied for the Jockey Club Handicap, bub he was beabea at the home turn, where Liberator was at the head of affairs, having been in front with Saracen all the way. When they got to the distance Saracen was in trouble, and Prime Warden came up ab a great rate, but he also failed to do the trick, as Liberator struggled on with conspicuous gameness and won by a nose. The Ladies' Bracelet provided a splendid contest between the placed horses, and Gillie, a son of Tasmanian-bred Calstock, just got home with nothing to spare. Young Cheviot put up the steadier of 11.10, and ran the six furlongs of the Members', Welter in lmin 20|sec, thus scoring his third win at the meeting ; and the day's sport -was brought to a conclusion with the Final Handicap, in which Prime Warden, being let off rather lightly by the handicapper, gave Wayland a decisive doing.

*#* Mr Blaikie, of Auckland, has fairly and squarely fought out in the Supremo Court a question of considerable interest to bookmakers and others in these days when racing rules have to be occasionally enforced by ejectment, and the result is a decisive reverse for him and as a consequence a substantial victory for the clubs. Not that they were in any fear that their rights were endangered, but one can never be quite sure how the law will work. The defendant in the case referred to was the Auckland Trotting Club. Mr Blaikie claimed LSO as damages for being removed from the club's course. In giving judgment Mr Justice Conolly said that the most important point raised by plaintiff was that if the committee caused their officers to sell a ticket giving admission to the course, had they authority to rescind any rights conferred thereby unless plaintiff had committed a breach of the regulations on which the issue of the ticket was dependent? He was unable in this respect to distinguish the case from the English decision in the case Wood v. Leadbitter, as the present case and the one cited were identical in the main points. The principle on which Wood v. Leadbitter was decided — in favour of the person whose position was equivalent to that of the defendants in this case — was one which ho entirely upheld. In the present case the plaintiff could only succeed if he had a right to the course by a pro-perly-signed deed. The document pub in as an instrument of contract was merely a ticket admitting the bearer to the course of the Auckland Trotting Club at tho Spring meeting of that club. Judgment was given for defendant, with 10 guineas costs.

*** The events of the week have caused several important changes in the betting on the N.Z. Cap. One of tho firsb results was to pretty well knock Vogengang out, but his friends, being satisfied that there was a reason for his indifferent racing at Timaru, quickly accepted tho longish odds offered, and t"ae colt has now settled down at about 100 to 7. Crackshot's success in the Timaru Cup give 3 him a 3lb penalty, but that will not materially affect his chance, and he w.ts at onoe backed from 100 to 8 upwards, being now fairly quotable at 100 to 12, which makes him second favourite. Prime Warden is, however, firmer than ever. That late run of his in the S.C. J.C. Handicap was a caution, they tell me, considering that the horse is big, and there are many who are content to look no further for ihs winner. He is quotid this week at 100 to 14, but as a matter of fact it is hard to say what his price really is. Several of the books are full about him, others are holding on for fancy prices, and thus, there being no transactions of any magnitude to report, I meiely guess in putting him down at 100 to 14. This explanation is necessary, since I vouch for ib that tho odds named in my table were on offer the day before

the Witness goes to press week by week. A horse that has been supported during the week is Boulanger, aud there are signs that he will further shorten. The other principal alterations in the odds are that Dilemma, Lebel, and Stepniak are a trifle easier, while St. Hippo, who escapes a penalty by his win on Saturday, has advanced a couple of points. Trices are as follow :—: —