THE RIBBONWOOD-EMULATOR MATCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2721, 9 May 1906, Page 50

THE RIBBONWOOD-EMULATOR MATCH.

Judging by latest reports from Australia 1 there is not much prospect of the proposed ' match between Emulator and Ribbonwood taking place, as the conditions stipulated , by the owner of the former did not meet with the sanction of the owner of the .New ', Zealand-bred crack. Mr J. B. Zander, tho owner of Emulator, wanted the match to take place in Victoria, and also makes it conditional that the owners of the horses must be in the sulkies. On the other hand Mr Playfair, owner of Ribbonwood, wants the match to take place ' in Sydney, and will not agree to the owners-up condition, as he does not go in for race driving, owing, probably, to the fact that he turns the beam at too high a figure. Mr Playfair is willing to let the winner take the loser's horse, and will give £1000 if Emulator can get within one second of Ribbomvood'6 record, in addition to going for a stake- of £1000 aside ; but as neither gentlemen is inclined to yield a point the proposed match will probably fall through. Emulator has a record of 2min 18 2-ssec, which he put up in his match with Lightfoot in 1902, and although he must be able to go well inside that mark, or he would not be matched against a horse with the 2.9 mark possessed by , Ribbonwood, still* the latter would be 6Ure to start favourite, and very probably justify j the confidence if the pair meet. Mr A. ! D. Playfair, the owner of Ribbonwood, ! however, has since settled the matter by the following letter: — "I 6ee that Mr Zander, the owner of Emulator, declines to race Ribbonwood at Sydney with expert drivers. If Mr Z. had been as desirous of making a match as he pretended to be, it seems strange that he should barricade him- ' self so strongly with 'conditions.' The owner of Emulator may not be aware that owing to an accident, met with many years ago, I am unable to sit properly in a trotting sulky ; therefore, it is a matter of impossibility for me to drive. But oven had such not been the case, in a match of rhis kind I think it utter nonsense to impose ; such a condition. Fancy some professional challenging Tartan, for instance, to race two miles over Randwick, 'owners up.' The idea is absurd :n the extreme. Then why should the race take place at Sandown Park? Ribbonwood is decidedly the fastest ' trotting stallion in Australia, and if called upon to defond his title the race must conic off in Sydney. I am not a betting man, and when I purchased Ribbonwood, it was not with «ny intention of entering the trotting 1 arena 'looking for scalps.' I bought him i for stud purposes only, and the present I controversy is nono of my seeking. The same sort of thing occurred last year, when all sorts of Tumours were afloat as to what was and was not going to be done. When I offered to make a match with any horse in Australasia for £500 a-side, the matter,

as in the present instance, died without a groan. As far as lam concerned, the affair is now ended. I have several mares booked to Ribbonwood for the ensuing Eeason, and to keep faith with my clients I purpose taking his shoes off at once and turning him into the paddock for a good rest. All challenges, therefore, either real or bogus, must now wait until after the next stud season."