AN UNACCEPTED CHALLENGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2668, 3 May 1905, Page 50

AN UNACCEPTED CHALLENGE.

There has recently been a good deal of discussion in sporting circles as to the merits- of Machine Gun and Achilles >ver a short course, and the writer has learned, on fairly good authority, that a challenge w& issued against Achilles Vy the Ya!dhuret party to match Machine Gvn against the Porirua crack, over a five-fur-long course, 9.0 up, for anything from £500 to £5000. Machine Gun is now at his very best, and after coming back from Manawatu come on in his work, and what was of considerably more importance, from what can be learned, his respiratory organs appeared to get into better working order than usual. Achilles, on the other hand, although in good order — as evidenced by his win in the Challenge Stakes — does not begin so smartly a& usual from the barrier since he went amiss in the spring; and it is understood that it was this reason which caused the Porirua party to decline the challenge. It will always be a debatable point as to which of the two is the better over a short course, and it is regrettable that Achilles did not figure amongst • the starters for the Great Easter, from which he was probably withdrawn owing to the penalty conditions attached to the ra^j. With his penalty, Achilles would have had to carry 10.9, and as Machine Gun also incurred a 101b penalty the pair would have met under the same conditions as in the original handicap, with the difference of having to carry a higher scale of weight, which would probably have been in the Yaldhxirst horse's favour, as there's no gainsaying he has proved himself a greatT weight-carrier. There is an idea to bo obtained from the Easter and Challenge form ac to bow the pair would have shaped had they met on Easter Monday. In the Easter, Machine Gun won, all out,, under 10.4-, in the official time of lmin 29 4-ssee; but there are excellent reasons for believing that the- correct time was under 29; whilst Achilles ran over the same course, with 9.6, in lmin 28 4-ssec, and accomplished his task comfortably and in such a manner that even with the extra poundage he would have had to carry the son of Medallion would have given Machine Gun something to do in beating him. In the Electric Handicap (four furlongs), run in November, Machine Gun downed Achilles; but the latter, although a bit off colour, was abl© to pace it with the Hotchkiss horse over three and a-half furlongs. Since then the. form displayed by them is quite recent, but there is no doubt that Machine Gun has improved all round ; still, whilst Achilles has lost a bit of his biilliancy off the -mark, no doubt that would come back to him ; and, fit and well, the writer is one that would give his \cte for Achilles under the conditions alluded to above, whilst it would be a shade of odds on him over six furlongs. -