TALE OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2744, 17 October 1906, Page 53

TALE OF THE DAY.

THE DiJ.O- SPRING- MEETING-. ' This year's spring meeting of the- Dun , e-din Jockey (Jlub commenced unde • circum stances caleuiated to make Wingatui ad vanco a bit higher in the estimation of it patrons. The weather was gloriously fin< and the course was- in sHendid order. A rich growth of grasi mede rh-e track, lawn and paddock look very pleasant to the- eye Tho infield has been clearej cf the stump: and tussocks which formerly punctuatec that part of the laud v a-po, and the grouni has been levelled off (Vwing the p-c-ee^.a o c-ull'vation to which it has been subjecfet sinco lasfc year. The !k\ -rtifully cloa-- dai and -jjencal sun ma^s the Taieri nlams 100 l at th'-'ir b< st, and whli ths Muung&tui Range in. the distance formed a splendk back ground to thu racing 1 scene which wa: being enacted at \Vinvatui. It was, indeed a, day that mede one "'feel glad that yon'n alive," a~. they ring in '"The Bslle of Nev York."' a.nd one could easily imagine- th( D.J.L'. racecourse was la;d out op a spot Wfceie smiling spring its earliest visit paid, Ar-cl parting summer's liEgering bloom de !»ycd. The weather was again fine fcr the sceoju day, Lut .somewhat dull, and the atrao s-pb to djsplnyed a tendency t-o chase itsel hiibcr-and thither, .and whilst hithering ant thitherlng raised ajjod'cjcal 91 dust, wkicl .-.prang into ..circulation. . from, the. 10q.5< ground in front of the totalizator hons<* It woul-cl be a decided improvement iFthii plaeo was <arrod, in order tc keep- it drj underfoot in wet weather and' alto ataiu it mere pleas mt to walk on than tin irritating trravel, which never fails- to aggra vate the city "c?u''o- - foo0." The sport, rrovklrd on both d?ys was o an interesting nature, and the i.rogrammi wa-i got off with a- minimum of what lend' to dsicr'c.ate the great ganr: of racing On. the first day Crichtou, who looked i already impio\ed horso to what ho wa;

when stripped- at the National- nccetlng; •made hacks of the opposition h© met in the Mosgiei Handicap, and ragls^ered a gocd performance by running ever a. mila in linin 45seo when travelling- under a stroifg pull throughout the journsy. Nothing in the race was capable of , seriously menaciirj the chance, of the Lochiel horse, and the unlucky one in th© field was Notus, who wa3 unishing. we : l after getting an interrupted' presage. Crichton was sent up 9H> for the second day's race, and met Notus on ljftb, Casque on 201b, Balsam on 131b, and- Abusive on . 161b worse terms than when he defeated these horses, on the opening day. TIII3 Icoks a fairly good round of penalties to pay for a win : but Crichton, although he was not out from his field- as on. the first day, nevertheless had something to spare besides th» neok by which ho finished in front lof Nolus. Heroism wa3 closa up. third, and ran a creditable race. Ke was- several ' lengths away from the head cf the field, when passing the half-mile post, and had to put in- a good run in order to gain & situation at the finish. Th» rest of thefield' were close up at the business end of the trip; in fact, tho horce3 ran in fairly close order throughout the race. Ccichtou slipped one of his boots, and' ii was flopping about in a dangerous manner as he. • raced over the last portion.- of the journey. The principal! sprint event oil the fixst.<fay i furnished a good race, although Replete .had. something, in hand besides- her winning- . margin. Vladimir's behaviour- at tfie. post , is not improving with age, and wljen tfe» banner waa released he swung^ round- and . took no-- farther part in the race. AjdoHo'dorw was-, the unlucky starter, and* w»» nutting- in * fine run. over the^ l«s& furlong; ; but it is &rabtfnl if he- could: have beaten ' Replete, no matter how the' rwe- was -.-00. 'On the second day Bed* Gauntlet ran a different horse and' won nic?ly after leadiitfc all the way. It is believed "he waw- Iddeed . when- at tlie post for Ids ftrst race, and 'consequently did not hit cut with: hia usual dash; but he made amcuda by the -newt 1 cf hi3i win. Vladimir was- putting ia- a good run when the race was practically over, but Apollodoris did not act witii< the freedom tie displayed on the first day. He i» not at home under weight, ami Replete** . increased burden made her stop ifeorfcly- , after passing the distance. A" notabhV ; feature of the meeting 1 wa* th» manner iv which the totalieato" inrestmects ■ were- handled, and this formed a subject of favourable* comment amongst tHose present \at the gathering. Th» various event* wer» got off promptly, and the general 'management of the- meeting was excellent ; jh facv, as- one visitor remarked. "If- the- winners' had not been, a bit hard' to find, the outing would have left a sportsman very little to 1 desire."