TALK OF THE DAY

Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 54

TALK OF THE DAY

THE DUNEDIN SUMMER MEETING. Pleasure seekers, of a sporting turn of mind will have a splendid opportunity of appeasing their appetites, as far as racing is concerned, by an attendance *t the Du tied in Jockey Chib's_summer meeting. The handicaps for the fast day of the gathering have been published by Mr J. E. Henrys, who has provided some splendid sport in the past, and students of the game have ample time before the bell rings for the first race to analyse and find the weak points (if any exist) in the weight-adjusting problems which our premier handicapper has set before them. In the principal event on the first day's card, which is topped in value by the Otago Handicap, of 200sovs, one mile and a-quarter, the Handsome Jack horse St. Joe is in tbe pride -of place witli 9.0 opposite his name. He won under a similar burden at the CJR.C. meeting, which commenced on Saturday last, but the handicauper has set him a different task to what he triumphed under on Saturday last. In the first place. Paragon, whom he beat by a head, now meets his victor on 31b better terms, whilst Fireiron, who led for the greater port of the journey, but finally finished out of place, goes down lib. Ivanoff, who finished third in the Dominion Handicap, is not engaged in the Otago Handicap, but Medallist, who finished outside . of a place, but close up, and 6cored over a. mile on the second day, goes up 41b on the burden which he carried when St. Joe registered his win. Medallist won over a mile w.itb 7.13, and on that goes up 61b. ITie horses which followed the Hon. J. D. Ormonde cast-off home in his victory were Petrovna 8.8, Stratagem 6.12 in the places, and the unplaced lot included St. Joe 9.1, Gwendalina. 8.8, Cross Battery 87, Paragon 8.8, and Fireiron 8.1. Compared with the adjustments for the Otago Handicap, it will be seen that Medallist goes up 61b. and St. Joe is allowed lib, Cross Battery lib, Paragon 3lb, Gwendalina 41b, and Fireiron 21b. This is fairly close handicapping, aid appears to be amply justified by the reports of the splendid sport which was pwv | vided at the Plumpton meeting. There is also a further consideration to be entertained by the fact that the Otago Handicap contains fresh blood in the shape of Idealist, Astrakhan, the one-time flyer Orloff, Notus, and a couple of others. On paper the handicap gives prospects of an excellent race, and a liberal acceptance may be confidently anticipated. Acceptances for ail events are due on Friday next, and owners Bhould bear in mind that nominations are due at the same time for the Trial and Farewell Handicaps. THE HEROD LINE. The principal racing and breeding Experts in England are regretting that the Frencji-bj£4 fcoree Xejtf, wJia wjpi success-

fully raced at Home, should have been , allowed to leave the country, as such an < excellent representative of the Herod family would be sure to do much to restore that line and lend valuable assistance towards counteracting the ruling tendency to inbreed to the line represented by St. Simon and other descendants of Gaiopin. Xeny, who was an exceptionally fast horse, has been purchased" by the Hon. Win. M'Culloch, of Victoria, and is said to be a magnificent specimen of the powerful and bloodlikc thoroughbred. It is expected that the Flying Dutchman blood in his veins will nick well with that of St. Simon and Galopin, which is now liberally represented in Australia. It ie claimed and allowed by all who have commented on the matter that the chief merit contrained in Xeny's breeding lies in the fact that ho is a direct male representative of The Flying Dutchman — Dollar lines. Dollar was one of the most successful stallions that France has ever possessed, and it is somewhat interesting to note that what they have raised such a lament about losing at Home, and landed Australia for receiving, we have had here (and neglected) for a number of yeara past. If one can believe all that some of the English critics say, it would appear that Australia has been a sort of dumping ground for horses that were considered comparatively valueless at Home. It is true that the majority of the imported sires in Australia were purchased at small -prices at Home, and although they have sired plenty of winners, it would indeed be strange if they failed to do so after getting some of the choicest mares in the Australian Stud .Book. The booming of damaged imported! stock has naturally caused some of the good old-fashioned blood .to partially perish through neglect, and the fact that there hare been so many winners anted by descendants of Galopin in Australia Is not in* itself entirely a result of merit, but because sires of that line have been getting most of the paares. St. was one of the greatest horses the world has known, but everything he has left is not another St. Simon. Xeny is an exceptional horse, and is sure to receive plenty of chances to prove his merit as a sire. ' because his owner has the wealth to acquire mares calculated to suit his new purchase. He already has the American bred Caiman at the Woodlands Stud, where Xeny is to 30, and between these two sires some blood has been brought to Australia which- may confer a monument of benefit to breeders. New Zealand has had- one solitary and neglected representative of the Dollar line, and the writer on several occasions has drawn attention to the fact. It is represented by Rupee, and although it is a female branch it has proved its worth on the racecourse. Rupee first produced Louis < d' Or to Traduoer, and an- occasional winner by him cropped up, but nothing of any Efreat note — perhaps on account of , the mares he received. Florin was next, ■ and she died after producing Lady Florin ! and Anna to Musket. Dime, a daughter | of King of Clubs, then appeared, ' and what might be termed the successful branch of the tribe came next in the shape of Spade Guinea, Apropos, Silvermark, Exchange, and Merrie England. Each of this quintette was, a good winner. Spade | Guinea won the New Zealand Cup and D uned in Cup, but unfortunately met with a fatal accident whilst running in the Melbourne Cup.- Apropq* and Silvermark were good winners, but the latter got no chance at the stud. Exchange was at the stud in the North Island, and only a j few of his get have been successful. Merrie England won the Great Autumn Handicap as a three year old, -with 9.1, and was , generally regarded as one of the best horses of his time. He, however, like other members of his family, has apparently got few opportunities to make a name for himself^ as a sire, and breeders -in the , North Island have been in neglectful j possession of what was a good racehorse, i and would, in all probability, be a stud ! success if he had a chance, Anropos produced Chain ArmcVir, iwt the son of Chain Shot got killed early in his career. Still he got Pallas (probably now his only representative), a crack racehourse, and the sire of All Guns, who won a double at the recent Hororata meeting. All Guns is the only representative that Pallas has had on the turf. To those familiar with some of the names of the horses mentioned above it is unnecessary to point out that a vast amount of merit has been represented by Rupee's descendants, and if Xeny is to prove such a monument of benefit to our bloodstock it may be worth while extending patronage to the branch of the same family we have in this country, Pallas, in particular, should not be overlooked. He was one of the fastest horses we have had in recent years, &nd j probably on account of his great speed | was neveT seriously tried over a journey. He ran the Randolph Handicap' (five furlongs) wit'i 8.9 in 58 4-Bseo, and easily won, over a mile and a-quarter at Wellington, in 2nnn 8 l-ssec. The St. Asban's Handicap (one mile) in lmin 42sec, with 8.11, was another of his performances, and there is no questioning the fact Pallas was one of the most brilliant horses we have had over every distance up, to a mile and a-quarter. Allied to his racing merit is a splendid individuality, but he will probably be dead before breeders wake up to bite importance of sending him a maro or two. It is the same with the Traducer blood, which ,has been neglected and forgotten in spite of its exceptional merit. SOLUTION AT THE STUD. The well-kno,wn writer ""Milroy " recsntlv expressed the opinion that the New Zealandbred mare Solution was not likely to be a stud success, because the hard life she had on the turf would probably militate against her as a matron, and that she should be allowed a couple of years at grass before being bred' to a horse. There is no doubt a judicious spell at the termination of a racing career would materially assist a mare to produce good stock and show her true worth as & brood mare, but Solution did not have a very strenuous time on the turf, as the 46 races in which she carried silk were spread over four seasons, and on to that has to be tacked the track woric she did prior to her final break-down. Solution started six times as a two-year-old ; 19 time at three years; 13 times at four years; and eight times at five years. Her record is 17 wins out of 46 starts. This does not read like a hard-worked racer, although tho amount of actual work on the track cannot be safely gauged by the number of* races in which a horse has participated. In Solution's case, however, the number of starts are comparatively few, and prior to going to Australia the majority of her races vreri over short cosrsef.. Cpneequentiy,

i what has, been doenied a hasty change from < post to paddock may not injuriously affect the stock which it is to be hoped Solution (who is stil la young mare) will present to tho equine world. TortulJa waa one of the hardest-worked mares we- have had on the New Zealand turf in recent: years. She started in 66 races, and generally had big weights up,, but her first foal is a winner, and her two-year-old son looks good enough to. win distinction when he carrys silk. Hilda was raced until she was six years old. Her "last race was in ihe Auckland Cup, won by Pinfire, but her 'first three foals were Antares, Fulmen, and Maude, the dam of Mahutonga. Lady Zetland was raced for 6even seasons (one years work being 29 starts), and her first foal was Lady Lillian. Rubin* won. two races out of three starts at two rxars ran 18 races at three y^ears, and 24- in the following -year." She was sent to Ingomar whilst in training, and threw Vandal. She then, missed to Johnny Faulkner, and being put int©^ commission again ran 10 times at six years old. The following year she produced a dead foal to Tasman. Here we have a> mare for three years acting ae< a brood made and racehorse. Rubina. in the year following the result of her mating with Tasman produced Florrie, who was a good winner. She subsequently produced, in addition to others, a fast horse in Laun.ceston, and climaxed her career by throwing Machine Gun to Hotcbkiss. Rub'ina was a good winner on the turf, and her very busy career did not prevent her from producing a horse like Machine Gun, who is a magnificent specimen of the thoroughbred and one of the most brilliant horses Australasia has known. His fame alone wi4l - keep alive' the memory of his dam. She was evidently an exceptional animal, and no doubt many good ma res,, have had their stud value impaired by being kept tco busy on the turf, but there is not a great deal of reason to regard Solution as a possiblefailure in the face of what happened with Rubina, who ran almost as many races in. two seasons as the daughter of Problem did in four.