TALK OF THE DAY

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 43

TALK OF THE DAY

By MEXfiCHIKOFF.

TAIERI.

Thp T.ueri Amateur Turf Club were exco'J'ngiy liiiforcunato in experiencing «uich a (!i < i i 11' 1 (n( n f!>;n_o in the weattur ;u that \v!i:ch took pla- c between Sunday night and Moiicla", morning. The atmospheric conditions during the previous fortnight had been so propitiovs that it was any odds on a fiae day for Easter MorrSSy; but the Fate= were agam?t the Taieri Ckib, and they had to put up v.'ith a inisTably rohl. waitry djy. Thia state of affair^ haa the effect of keep in^ some lnmdieds of pleasure seekers away from the race°. but notwithstanding the untoward conditions the attendance \tas fairly good, ard speculation much more brisk than at the same mpetmg 12 months ago, the sum put through the machine amounting to £2395, ac "compared with tho £1700 10s handled last year. The racing, on the v. hele, was good, tome of the finishes creating a good deal of excitement, notably those in the Flyinsr Handicap and the President's Handicap For the Trial Stakes Gladys II wfs a strong order, and the public made no mistake in their selection, for Mr Twomey"mare \icn rather easily, returning a dividend of £1 6-. Five facod Mr Grindley for th--Pre-ukntN Handicap. Brisa being m much ipo'-o demand than anything cl c © : but the St. Plair n'a r e pro\ocl a disappointment, and the finish was lpft to Spider and Belligerent, the Artillery gcldmpr being defeated by rs length after a good set to, and Spider re turned h^ sunoorters the nice dividend of £9 18s. Tic Two-mile Trot proved a soft snap foi Ohromo, who won easily from 1? other?, but «! 0 paid less th.in e\pn money. Speculitors i>i,ide no m"-tak" in selectin" Likefiold a 5;a 5 ; a good thing for the Novel Handicap, as sho led from start to finish, and boat her nearest attendant, Rubigo, by six lenKtlip, the dividend reiJi eventing odd* of 5 to 3 on. The Mi]«-and a half Trot ended unsatiffactorily, for though Flower Girl got home by pome lengths in front of Chromo, J. Rutheiford. the rider of Booby, who was placed third. prote?^l against both Flowei Girl and Ohromo, (W^h© ground that they =tartcd bnfore their proper time The protest, so far as the winner was concerned, was allowed, but in Chromo's case the evidence was not so convincing, and tho Rewards awarded the stakes to Mr Reid'« mare, and ehe paid the nice price of 7 to 1. l*ertie, who was made a' strong favourite led foi about a mile, but Mas then dorm with Belligerent and Spider were almo*-, equally backed for the Easter Handicap, but Mr Hill s gelding had no difficulty in ar-1

propriating the race from Witchcraft, Spider ■ecuring third place. Sharpshell had the call in the betting for the Hack Handicap, the concluding event of the day, and she easily disposed of her six opponents, and paid a dividend of £1 19s.