SUMMARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2558, 25 March 1903, Page 47

SUMMARY.

The leading pfrformers at the meeting were Wakeful, Chantress, Great Scot, Abundance, and Emii. The latter «s, I fancy, the best two-year-old seen out for some yeaTS, and he is hkely U sweep the board in the three-year-old department next season. Abundance is undoubtedly the best three-year-old of the season (over distances), and Great Scot is next. The pair will meet again in the A.J.C. St. Leger, and Chantress may also have a cut at them. If Abundance picks tip in the meantime, he will, I think, beat Great Scot again. Chantress, I fancy, has a great future in front of her. Sir Leonard went off towards the cud of tfie meeting, but Fishery, Vanity Fair, and Annotate were all coming on, and I don v think we saw the best of Acrasia, Clochette, Duke of Grafton, or Cherson. The Victory and Flagship were both right off. The most successful owner at the meeting was Mr W. Brown, who has Chantress'. His cheque, amounted to £1302, won by Chantiess in her two winning races. Mr Agar Wynne was a good second with J21584, all won by Great Scot. The result of the race for first place -,t the autumn meeting in 1002 was almost as close, Mr W. T. Nolan taking £1763 and Mr C. L. taking £1719. ifr Macdonald had but one winner on this occasion, Wakeful, and she earned £1235 fox him, placing him fouith or. the list. Thiee horse 3at Ihe meeting, Chantress, Great Scot, and Wakeful, earned, it will thus be seen, a total of £5081 amongst them. The Ballarat trainer, J. Scobie, ie "•third on tho list irith

£1-403. Id addition to winning three races -witi& his own horses, he took three for patrons. Hiu> stable was the most successful at the meeting**winning six races, running second four timea^ and third twice, the totel amount won in staked by his team being £2852. Though Mr C. N* Kidman did not win a race, Adjuster carried his colours three times into a place, and won £340, which would more than pay the expenses Df the trip from Weat Australia. The fad of the V.R.C. Committ&e in giving so much money, to the second horse in certain weight- fqr-agG races has been very adversely criticised by Tacing men. Thus Wakeful's win in the Essendom Stakes represented £400, while The Victory, earned £200 for running second. It was th^j. same with Chantress and Wakeful in ihe Allaged Stake 3. The policy of the club should in • all races, it is genrslly considered, he to give, a . much greater proportion of the prize-maxey to' the owner of the first horse. Mr S. Miller, th«r chairman of the V.E.C., was poorly representsd l at the meeting, and his cheque is but £80, earned by Kaimate in running second in thet March Steeplechase. The 'total amount of the stake money was £14,657, as compared with' £15,046 at last year's meeting. The added, money was slightly more than in 1902, but field;: were smaller, and" theTe was a consequent fall- ; ing off in owners' sweepstakes, which are added to the prize-money. The most successful sires at the mes-Sng •were . Pilgrim's Progress and Bill of Portland, botK' bred in England, the former, a son of Isonomjj and the latter a son of St. Simon, Each^ received credit for thre* winning races. Pilgrim's , Progress, who is still with us, had three good; 1 winners in Abundance, Vanity Fair, and Bright , Beauty; while Bill o£ Portland- (how in Eng-'^ land) was represented by the Newmarket Handi-^ cap and AU-aged Stakes heroine Chwitress,and by the Elms Handicap winner Fishery. Trenton, who is also in England, was -well re* piessnted by Wakeful (two races); trad the de : funct Lochiel had a good three^year-old son mn« ning in Great Scot, who accounted for the Australian Cup and Loch Plate, besides running second in the St. Leger and Champion. The following sires had one winner apieoe — viz., Positano, Haut Brion, Patron (now in 'England), Firelock, Wallace, Postmaster, Priam; . Padlock, Albatross, Annesley, Eiridapord, Mostyn, The Admiral, and Swiveller. Tte success of Sydney jockeys over Victorian jockeys was most .pronounced. There were 20 r*ce;j on the flat during the meeting, and 13 of these 1 were won by riders hailing from the sister State. W. H. Smith, J. Barden, and A. Richardson «usJj scored three times; W. Jenningii twice; and L. Kuhn and S. Caliban once each. Barden cannot be complimented :>n the way he tode Great Scot in the St. Leger, and the siable will «ot, it is said, put him up again. The successful Victorian, jockeys or the flat were K. Lewis (twice), E. Turner (twice),- W. H. Eoss, B. Carslake, and B. Porter. The two last-named, are promising young riders. F. Burn (twice), T. O'Brien, and J. Sutherland (all Victorians), were successful 'in the jumping races. The final returns have not yet been made up, but it is quite likely that the club will lose £4000 over the &rture. The returns -were somewhat better than at the corresponding fixture last year, but the added .money -was increased!, by £100, while the club some time back gave; up the privilege of collecting a- certain amount,' on each railway ticket, in order that the rail-. way fares might be reduced. , The loss last yera was £3600.- < .