SOUTHLAND NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2289, 13 January 1898, Page 34

SOUTHLAND NOTES.

By Gomjspur,

The annual race meeting of the Wjndham Club, held on Nev/ Ycai's Day, proved a great success. The company "present was a large one, numbering close on a thousand people, and over £4.0 was taken at the gates, which i 3 a record revenue for the club. The day waS favourable for racing although a strong hot wind somewhat marred the comfort of those present. Within a few pounds of a couple of thousand went through the machine, which surpasses all previous years. Owing to the recent dry weather the going-was somewhat hard, and, strange to note, although the course is reckooed a faiily fast tra<-.k, in several races tlow times were registered. Substantial dividends were the order 'of the day, and thanks to the handicappng both good fields and interesting racing weie provM-ed. The opening event was the New Year Handicap, one mile, yrhich tnv-duced a good tussle fcetwaen Chaos, Victim, and Ms.ydawn, resulting ifl a somewhat fortunate win for Chaos by a head frem Victim, who was fast catching the winner at the finish. Maydawn vras installed "a hot favourite, but was beaten a furlong from home. Wbtn making his lun Victim stumbled, which "Undoubtedly lost him the race. Battlefield, Intri.feur, and Find Out were the other starters. The I'wo-mile Handicap Trot was won by Charity from scratch, iu smin SB|sec, with Manuka in cloecattenilance second. Had Manuka trotted more evenly in the first mile the winner would have been troubled. JCrameline accounted for the big handicap in 2min 18iec, paying the handsome dividend of £7 2s to her Joyal supporters. Marenima, a hot favourite in the machine, got away badly, and finished a couple of lengths behind the mare. Prime Warden was left at the post, and the other starter, St. Patrick, failed _to get sufficient steam up to make anything li-ke a show in the race. r Jhe mile and a-half trot was one of those unsatisfactory exhibitions too frequently seen on racecomses. Young Abdallah and Manuka were the only too backed with any spirit, and after the poor display of the fermer in the Two-mile 'J'rot it |b difficult to work out how backers were falling over one another to get on early, excepting that th*-y kuew something, or had heard a whimper. He had no difficulty in winning from Banehee in 4nain SWec, Tory Boy some distanco aw*y third. Decoy played up for some tinie at the start in the Welter Handicap, and, although well in fivnt when the word to go was given, she did not get away on even terms with Victim, Chaos, and Black Pearl ; but once on her feet she gave the field a taste of her speed, and in a true-run race finished a length in front of Victim. Once the two leading horses commenced racing in earnest Ohaos wjs never able to foot it with them, and this settled the question of whether he was in his risht place or not in the list of weights. The .followers of 1 the red_ jacket and gold stars were rewar d with the nice price of 3 to lin a field of four. Of the nine entries for the Handicap Trot, of two miles, post entry, all cried content •with their starts, and after an interesting race for three parts of the distance the iss.ua was left to T«ry Boy and Binshee to fight out, the former winning by three lengths, in the jpspectafele time of smin 49sec. XCnturing the straight Banshee skipped, otherwise she -would have been nearer at the finish. In the Flj ing, Dan O'Eries's .cas6 off, Tassy, after travelling with his companions for three furlongs, g<*ve them the go-by, «cd won full of lupning by ]0 lengths in the remarkably slow time of lmin 23£>ec Tommy .Atkins wns> his nearest attendant, and the favourite, Miss Otley. made a poor display, as did that fas-hionaLly-bred colt Senior Wrangler, who has been on his worst behaviour since he commenced racing in these climes. The Wyndham stable scored another y'c'ory with Prime Warden in the County Handicap, Warden winning as he liked with 9.7 on h ; s b<ck in 2min 7sec. There is life in the o'd dog yet ! Tot White's successes were enthusiastically re "eived by the general public, and Mr Shaw came in for a good deal of hand-shaking after Chaos won, tbis bei»K accentuated by the fact that he was practically debarred from taking part in Monday's racing — a bungle, it is to be hoped, the Southland Club will seriously t ake to heart and meditate over. The officials are to be complimented on the management of affair?, and each and all worked hard to make things run smoothly. Mr Ire's judging was never questioned, acd so ended a meeting which bore evidence of even better times ahead.

In one of the trots at Wyndham it was quite evident that a majority of the_ horses or the riders (hard to tell which) were anxious to come in last, sad the stewards, fully alive to what was going on, held an inquiry into this undesirable state of things, without, I am afraid, much moral effect resulting therefrom. Were the public to stand off trots for a few meetings a cure would soon be •ffected.