THE C.J.C. MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2612, 6 April 1904, Page 46

THE C.J.C. MEETING.

There was an excellent attendance., at the opening of the CLJ.CJ. autumn meeting, and ih-e^ dayv w.nieh was ushered in. by heavy showers;*" affae-iwards' Gleared, and was finet&ongh- somewiEat overcast. The track wasom the soft side-, and some of thet times put ftip during, the day, under the circumstances, were particularly smarp, notably in the Champagne* Stakes, which, several, private ftvatehes msufe faster tlian the official time. Phaetonitis practically- won tile Hurdles tfronr. end. to- end', and Stronghold always" Appeared to have* Golden I^ily in safe keeping during the running of the Champagne Stakes. Eappy. Home won the Maiden with a bit in hand, and feolted. after, the race» and unshipped her- rider. Tho Easter was an interesting race,, and was remarkable for ■ the very pooir showing of Mautoiaii, who- was ■ never- near the leaders. Prom a good start Quarry-man and. Mkitian*. wexe th-s first tD -^tail off, and at the- end of two furlongs the iatfcer was second* last, and was never afterwards dangerous. Martian has never worn ihoes, and- raced with a few- nails in his feat, to prevent him from. 3ligpin<j: Considering the state of the going, it seemed aZ bad. policy lo race a horse practically barefooted, and, hia form was very much below what even his most diffident supporters expected. It ia quite possible lie may race better in a smaller field, But on hisr showing in tho- Ea(*te-r He- can have absolutely no chance in either the Autumn or

Challenge Stakes. Vladimir W£S always near tho irront, and won, ell out, afKr shaking off Kremlin's chalieng-e at tho 'ninsh. Canteen started from the extreme outside, and stumbled badly after going a furlong. After running over a lot of ground, as the result of his position at the barrier, he appeared to be close* to th-e leaders as ' they were in line for home. After the race ,he was" very lame. A oin roofing nail, which lie had picked up either in the saddling ' paddock or on the track, was •extracted from ' his near hind foot. The 1 point of the nail ' was embedded in the sole of the foot to th© extent of about half an inch ; but the grey ■| did not seem to- be much affected after its ■removal, and soon throw off his lameness. • Lady Lillian, who looked very big, ran well j' up to six. furlongs ; and Red Gauntlet was ;; lying about fifth or sixth up to th© same 'point. Outside of the placed horses, ['•"P&fcrovna and Bulaw-ayo appeared to be 'finishing the best. Blaokstone just scratched home in front of Ragabrasb, and a great j! finish was- fouglit out between Rubia and i! Signalman in the Russley Plate.

' "WILLIAM I'ANSON ON STARTING. ! At the- last dinner of the Gomcrack Club, : in responding to the toast of his health, pro- : posed by the- Lord Mayor, the English ' trainer (Mr William I'Anson) stated that sfrora the year 1€99 he- had alway.3, when t Messrs Weatherby asked whether he ; was in favour of Iha gate or not, an.STOered,. "No." Ho wotild te 7 l them why. ' There* were, ho would -admit, a. great many ! thinga to b«r saidv in favour of it, and there ■ were also a. great many things to bs said ; against it. He should like to see a gol between,' and' something tried to bring about a. auoeessfut atast — something to- bring it to s perfection-. He would like to see somej thing- tried by tha Jockey Club— and he was \ suse they were opeinninded enough to do .it — -to improve* matters. They had seen [star-ta very recently ■which: could- not ha>ve> | taken place- with the flag; They had seen ! 150 yds between; the firsfe and- the last horse [before tlwy had goner a> furlong. He cast Jeo- reflection npon the: starter — Ire- admired^ i every starter that was- appointed — and, thereforo, ha Maaned the? gate. Ho should like the- Jockey Glub to send members to- the< starting-gate to see each slftrt, especially on a wefr and windy dky. If they did, th-ay would- ss«> what he saw sut Manchester. He saw. distinctly there that the horse next tp th* lever gpt a great advantage^— certainly a grei-fc- advantage. When thei gat© was ' pulled up the- jporMorc in the centre of ther !-cours9. waa r ev€d : ,. ana/ hy the tinse it reached fthe outside line the inside horses wore gone. ; "Whether t&at was a defect of the- gate or ,ths effieeft of th>& weather, he- was quite sure they wouldt aecßjst what h& wa» trying to . .explain im all- sincerity. He should like to fsee- something- hx the form of a line- drawn ' across- the- course from cne post to the other tcf. then starting-gate, and' he should put 'anothar Ehe six horse-lengths behind' that, t awH. he. would, make every horse go into that compass of the ground',, and would allow them, to bet' drawn, %• walking or otherwise, | according to- the starber'a orders. If a j, jockey, got across "that line be would caution once, and after that fine him., Jio , thought that by doing so; they would get , horses marshalled up into lin©. so that I wlisn. the flag; dropped: wey "would have no :horges: thrawmg- tneair he-ads- back or- swervUnit 'they would^efc strai^it away. That was only his opinion. ' A's a practical itrairrer hs never could 1 rely upon a trial at home under the gate, for the simple reason [ thai? thec horses winch behaved the best and the- best- mannered at the "gate" werei always the worst away. The animals that fretted and were high couraged were always '- those that brokec away. The more they got an animal accustomed to the "gate ' ', the less he was likely to get off, because he 1 got indolent, and unless the jockey kept ? him on his toes ho was bound to get bad.y : away.