THE GORE MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2396, 1 February 1900, Page 39

THE GORE MEETING.

The committee of this popular club are a go-ahead body. With every successive year of late some improvement in the general arrangements or in the appointments is noticed with pleasure by the public, and the confidence in the progressive policy is so great that nobody would be greatly surprised to find one of these fine days that the whole enclosure had been roofed in. The principal improvement since the club's spring fixture is that a substantial post-and-rail fence has been erected around the course. This was finished just in time for the summer meeting. Already I hear that the profit from this gathering is allocated to an enlargement of the saddling paddock, and the erection of a newroom for the stewards. What the actual profit will come to I have not heard, but as there were nearly 1000 persons in attendance at one time during the meeting, and as £130 was taken at the eates, and as the totalisator takings constitute a record, the treasurer will have a considerable sum to handle. "While on the subject of the totalisator receipts, I may as well show the figures for the past years since the meeting was extended to two day-!. In 1890, when Ixion won the Cup, the sum of £3500 was put through ; then in successive years the totals were: £3539, £3569. £3328, £2497, £2335, £4225, £3434-, and £4737; and this year the maximum of £5034 is reachec l . I was not at the meeting myself, but on all hands the management is spoken of in terms of praise. Mr Latham, the secretary, is a Trojan for work ; in Mr Gibbs the club has a handicapper whose adjustments take a considerable amount of picking. On this occasion the favourite won eight races, was four times second, and three times unplaced ; but the handicapping was better than would appear from this severe waj' of stating the results, for in some cases where the favourite won it was a capital race, as for example the Two-mil p Trot, which Duche&o won all out by a neck. Mr Wallis's starting is 1 also described as up to the mark. A very fair lot of horses attended the meeting, includPaladin and Fulmen. The latter, by the way, was being looked after by Ted Hankins, the shift from Ellis's stable being made after the Tuapeka meeting. By the curious chances of luck, it was one of his late stable mates that beat Fulmen in the Cup, this race being landed after a good go by the Messrs Ellis's St. Ouida, greatly to the delight of tf>e mare's owners, who were, I understand, satisfied with the stake and a small in■veslment on the totalisator, as supplementing the honour and glory of the result. The winners of this race in past years are here shown : — The Cork Cup.

Taking the events in order, Decoy gave some

trouble at the post for the Croydon Handicap, but when the flag fell she jumped to the front and gave nothing else a chance. Her rider, M'Comb, was? fined £2 for disobedience. Letty won the Selling Race by a length, and was bought in at £15. The Cup was practically a match between St. Ouida and Fulmen, who jumped away together and never lost their positions. St. Ouida, showing more

staying power than she had bee.H „ '- edited with, won by a length and a-half. '• J aladirt\ got bustled at the start, and though at ona stage he made a bit of a demonstration, he< never really threatened the leaders. ClinkeK, had an easy win in the Hurdle Race. He is*, an impro\ ing horse, and will probably winA again before long, though I doubt whether he, will develop into a carrier of big weightsi' Ulyt^es fell and gave Higgins a seve.re shale-* ing. Andy Pringle had an easy win with?' Return in ih Two-mile Trot, and the WoK verine mare Waimea was never troubled in the Hack Race, whilst Edelweiss's smartness in beginning enabledjier to score from Paladin in the F-lying. Hero, owned and ridden by W. Grant, won the Mile Trot by five lengths, and then lost on a protest, the stewards deciding that Hero had shown inconsistent form. The story is that in the rac<j earlier in the day Hero was going very well at a mile, but was pulled up when the rider believed he had no chance of catching Return. The stewards decided to disqualifyhorse and rider for &ix months. An appeal to the association is talked about, wherefore I say no more at present. On the second day M'Comb had his fourth win at the meeting on 'Decoy in the Mat aura Handicap ; Clinker was again successful in the Hurdle Race; Pringle landed the two Trots, giving a splendid exhibition of riding in his handling of Duchess ; and Paladin got his revenge by winning the Racing Club Handicap. The protest alleging inconsistency on his part was not sustained, and from all I hear the verdict was right. That the form was inconsistent can hardly be denied, but they tell me it was aIL straight enough, the explanation being that or> the second clay Paladin had the luck to ge* away well and secure a clear passage.

iS!)O— lxion 9. 7 !K9l— AnoDvma ... 7.12 8.12 -Don Pedro ... 8. 8 IS<K-Temvest ... 8. 2 1894— Mari' er ... 7.11 '895-The Winchman 7.11 Sltfi-Mirrinma ... 9. 5 JSf»7-Mi!-flre ... 8.11 iSnS-TBmmeliiie ... 8. 7 lß99— Pitch and Toss 8. 3 mnO-Sfc. Onida ... 8. 2 2mm Fss> c 2mjn 50?,scc 2min 47+ sec ?niin 43 s c 2min WJsec 2min 45 sec Sm'n 16£-ec Smin )?S'C 2min 18 sec 2inin 16 sec 2min Hi prr £X 16 10 6 2 6 2 6 10 2 6 14 6 15 3 3 2 14 1 12 fi in