TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2914, 19 January 1910, Page 58

TALK OF THE DAY.

By Sentinel.

A DEPARTURE. Whilst there is no disputing the fact that racing has generally made a good deal of progress in Otago during recent years, it cannot ho said that rhere has been any notable increase in our ranks of horseowners. On the contrary, the good sporting owner, as far as Dunedin is concerned, ia somewhat of a rar.a avis, a.nd the game is really being kept alive by sportsmen who are not famous for the length of their purses. It is a rare thing to find a Dunedin owner buying a yearling, _ and the number of trainers at our racing headquarters who aro doing weld can be- easily counted on the digits of one hand. It is a true ami regrettable fact that many well-to-do people who are apparently fond of racing take great care that the pastime •does not cost, them a great deal of money; and h enco they never figure in the ranks of owners. After struggling along during the years that have elapsed since the closing of the Forbury Park, the veteran owner-trainer Mr IT. Goodman ‘has apparently recognised this •fact, and last week left for the North Island, and will probably set up aa a public trainer at Trenthain, Mr Goodman has been prominently identified with the New Zealand turf for about half a cent ivy, and it is not a very cheering thought to find him setting out to m ako a new start in life at a time when most people seriously contemplate retiring from business. Still, Mr Goodman is re markably full of vitality for a man of three-score, and it is to be hoped he has still many years of good work left in front of him. In his day be was regarded as second to none aa a trainer of horses, and lie proved himself equally capable with two-year-olds, sprinters, or stayers. In the days when. lie had such horses as Sir Moclrcd. Chancellor, Daydream, Euroolydon. Billy, Silvermark. Apropos, Son;moil, Sotnnus, Casket, Blizzard, Cherrystone, Pitch and Toss, and many other good winners, his critics were silent, but change of luck has altered things somewhat, and yet the writer -ventures to say that no man’s advice as to horses has been more sought after titan Goodman’s. He has, no doubt, faults, but in the writer’s opinion the errors have frequently been made when lie was over-anxious to win. In tire bad days one is apt to endeavour to coerce Dame Fortune. The present-day generation say that Goodman iis too severe on his horses, and perhaps he is a strong believer in having his horses ready- to play their part to the end, and not give a gasp of distress when within a few strides of the post. No capable trainer will endea vour to win races by keeping houses in a glass case, and those who are inclined to do so generally play' second fiddle when it comas to a strenuous battle. Mr Goodman will carry with him many good wishes for future success, and the writer sincerely hopes to hear of him getting a good horse or two. His ability to get them well should do the rest.

A QUERIED PEDIGREE. Subsequent to Adjudges win in the principal event at the D.J.C. summer meeting the writer drew attention to the horse's breeding- as it appears in the New Zealand Stud Books. Mr J. Ellis, however, has since informed the writer that Invicta was by Stepniak. and not Gipsy Grand, and states that the information in the official records is erroneous. Mr Ellis should know best, but the compiler of the Stud Book can only work on the returns supplied by breeders of the produce of their stock. Perhaps Mr Ellis is suffering- from a slight lapse of memory. The writer has a distinct recollection that when Emmeline was retired to the stud Gipsy Grand had also just retired with all the honours of his turf reputation fresh upon him. The son of Grandmaster was a tremendously big horse, and the little mar© was bred to him probably with the hope that the size of the sire would balance the Jack of it in the dam, but the fallacy of the idea was shown, as the result was a pony subsequently known as Kitty Wilson. The following- year another ponified filly foal is also given in the Stud Book as being- sired by Gipsy Grand, which did not live. A slip occurred in the following year, and than after a “no return” cam© a colt by Obligado. and which now races under the name of Taieri. This represents all the information supplied to the Stud Book compilers, and apparently if there is a fault in the returns it is the fault of the breeder. Apart from the above it is, however, worthy of recalling to mind that some of the best authorities on breeding- have condemned the practice of mating small mares to bighorses in the hope that they will counterbalance each ether’s defects. The late Mu- Day. amongst others, stated in his book on the breeding- of the thoroughbred that a small mare is ’ cry apt to throw .a pony when bred- to a big- horse, and in Emmeline's case we have a. case in point. The sire and dam should, if possible, be balanced in size as well as in pedigree, except, of course, in a case where we have such big little horses as Martian and others, who are only small in height, but whose measurements and general quality is proportionately much better than some of the equine giant type of horses, whose chief merit 00&-

sista in towering towards the sky. There is no doubt that. Gipsy Grand was a great racehorse, and there is equally no doubt that he has bean a comparative failure ar, the stud. Sorro of his stock were goodlookers as yearlings, and some wer© bought by such e-u oxcclle-nt judge as tire lure Mr G. G. Stead, but they failed on the turf, and the onlv two of note that the writer can call to mind are Grand Rapids and Bagpipes. Possibly it was through lack of opportunity, without which no h-c-r-'o can achieve success, but whatever the reason may have been it is clear he failed to “make good.” It was the fact that Adjudge and another useful sort in Linda were cut of Gipsy Grand marcs that caused the writer to remark that too son of Grand, master may prove himself in the second generation even it lie failed in tne first In any case, the name of such a good performer and well-bred horse as Gipsy Grand may not be an absolute blot in a pedigree, although soma may regard it is as such.

A FURTHER REFUTATION. In pursuing the tenor of the note appearing Last week in reference to Ail Bed's campaign at the last New Zealand Oup and his subsequent win for the- second dime in the Auckland Cup, the writer wishes to say that it was written whilst on a visit to Wellington, and when there was no opportunity to refer to any notes or records on tiha Cup. Consequently one or two facts that could have teen added to strengthen the note were omitted. At the* outset, let it be -stated, that the New Zealand Cup is the principal event run in thd Dominion, and any unjustifiable attempt to belittle it or make owners hostile to the idea of having thsir horses engaged and trained for it should not be allowed to pass unchallenged. We arc constantly bewailing the _ fact that our racing programmes are inundated with sprint events, and that wo have a groat dearth of handicaps decided over a distance of ground, consequently there should be all the loss ■ reason Eo weaken the desire and (ambition or owners to run in such races as the N.Z. Cup, or in any other race calculated *p test the stamina, of our racehorses. That is to say, ct course, if racing is for the purpose of improving the breed of the thoroughbred and not wholly and solely for the purpose of gambling. A writer in a contemporary stated that Downfall. Frisco. Star Rest?. Noctuifonn. Grand Rapids, Canteen, and Halberdier, the seven Cup winners prtor to 1.-ady Lucy, wena afterwards practically worthless for racing purposes. It is easy to make such an assertion, but on analysis it is found that tho statement is based on actual facte. A win- in the N.Z. Cur? oasts a. glamour on the victor, whicn. naturally results in the ho roe receiving increased weight- in future handicaps, and consequently, until such a winner finds his level through subsequent defeats, he to prove himself a much better hoiso than when h© scored in the two mile race at Ricoantom. This contention is an obvious faot which will be readily admaitted, bur. which is frequently ignored or unnoted by critics more anxious to -condemn ra.tbs? til Kan to give fair comment. For instance. Downfall won tho N.Z. Oup with 7.8. and it is quite evident he did not deteriorate as a result of Ida mreparaiioin and win, because ho led until' well up tha straight In thi® season’s race, whilst running under the increased burden of 3.6. We have these figures to go upon apart from any opinion, as to the horse’s condition, vvhfrtu stripped -ait Riooflurfron. in IS’ov-Bmboir Frisco burst one of his feet when, training for his second New Zealand Cup, and lat a timi3 when he wi } one of the ruling favourites for_ tha race. That does not suggest deterioration, particularly e.s ha was to carry 171 b more on his back than when ho won. Flirt her than that, despite his mishap the horse was started and made fifth favourite on the totalizator. Star Hose and Halberdier (paddock trained) were never too sound, if the writer’s memory is not at fault, and under th© circumstances could not reasonably be expected to train o-n, although attempts were made bo kesp them " Hatched up.” Nocbuiform waa sent to England practically when almost in full training, and in the high condition which is said to be fatal to horses being sent on a long sea voyage. This is the opinion- of experts continually shipping horses. In Ncctuiform’s case, however, it would perhaps be more reasonable- to attribute his deterioration to the result of his sensational wins at Rand wick an d then being raced in. the Cup, Derby, and Canterbury Cup (winning all three) shortly after his voyage from Australia and on the necessarily forced finality to his preparation in the brief period which elapsed between his landing- in New Zealand after his Australian campaign. Grand Rapid© won the Cup, but still he ran some fairly good, races in Australia under much greater burdens than when ho scored in tho Gup. and be it remembered that th® Gipsy Grand gelding would be claimed by few to be a good horse. Some of the weights he carried in Aik - tralia when running in g-oed cornpar ■ subseouent to winning the Guo were 9.°. 9.7. 9.5. 9.0, and he was twice handicapped within 21b of Dividend, to whom ho, rr-i second on one occasion Ho carried 9.5 the Caulfield Cup, run about 12 months after his Cup win, .a.nd thus it is evident tho Australian critics did not b&lievc in the deterioration theory. This leaves us with Canteen, who had a kink i.r> his character, but. hie second to Nightfall and Isolt at Rand wick did' not suc««at deterioration after his Cup win. Nightfall beat him half a head, and bo it remembered it wag not deterioration in Canteen's form. hut (rather excewhionallv brilliant track term that induced Sir Rupert Clarke to pay a long figure for the handsome eon of Caster. Canteen, th® writer ventures to state, showed as good or better form, in Australia than h-e did in. winning tho Gup. and it must be born® in mind that th® horse was not absolutely reliable, and h*d a will of his own as to how he should r un hie mess. I.f Canteen could have been relied upon to run up to his private form h-e would not have hoen a dear horse to Sir Rupert Clark® even- at tho high figure of purchase. So much for recant winners. Canteen’s win calk to mind two great horses in Achilles and Wairiki, who filled the places in the_ Grey’s Cup,, but still thav went on winning, and it would h& idle to contend they deteriorated a-ftar running a severe race in the Cup and under big weights. Wairiki subsequently won the Auckland Oup. and was a year later rnakiatg a bold bid for victory in tho Melbourne? Cup when he broke hi© shoulder. A chill*© wont on winning, and later wop the Wellington Oikj under 9.f? in 2.35, jand now, to carry th® war £«*cthor Into the ari£rav*a country, let' it

be asked -what was wrong with the form ‘ of such horses as Vanguard, Tasman, Spado Guinea, Lochiel, Tirailleur, St. Hippo, Eu roc lyd on, Waiuku, Seahorse, Fulmen, Tortulla, and in fact all the other winners of the race from Tasman’s time light up to Halberdier. Back beyond them again wc have Welcome Jack and Mata proving themselves amongst the best horses of their time subsequent to their wins in the New Zealand Cup, or, rather as it was then called, the C.J.C. Handicap. Did Loch id’s win impair his powers? If the son of Prince Charlie deteriorated ho must have been a truly great horse before the decay set in, because after his win in the New Zealand Cup ho won the Australian Cup (giving Carbine 11b) and the Newmarket Handicap (twice —once at Flemington and once at Auckland). The bracketed remark is just a touch of humour that was frequently a catch, but " hen Lochiel’s name was a soro word with some people. Enough, however, has been said to show that if an owner has a Cup horse it is wiser to send him after the stake than keep him in the stable provided ho is capably trained. :

BETTING LAWS. The now rule laid down by the board os' management of the Associated Racing(Tubs for the government of double and treble event bets that are made “on the course’’ is likely to create considerable discussion., and meet with the opposition of some of those members of the ring who ■favour the style of betting referred to. .But is there anybody (says a Sydney writer) bold enough to deny that there was not, until a recent date, some call for such a law? It is only the uninitiated who do not know that some years ago it was common enough to put a much-fancied horse in a race or two in a programme, and pass it over to a double-eve-fit merchant to handle, the understanding being that the hors© was to be “ir the bag’’ and to be scratched when the proper time arrived. It is not to be inferred' that tin’s particular class of business is being carried on now, because the average ringman of to-day would just as much scorn to handle, and would have the same contempt for what .in the vernacular is known as a' “dead ’un” in a double event as he would in a single event, but those at the head of the Associated Club think that there might some day arise another layer or two unscrupulous enough to follow' an old-time custom, and they are therefore legislating- in advance. The new law, which says that for all double and treble bets made on the course the backer must get a start, may hamper the ringman a little by causing him to return moneys invested upon horses that were afterwards withdrawn, but it is likely to cause much more business to b? transacted when the taker of the bet is assured of at least a start, if not a “run,” for bis money. He may even find it necessary to take a. shorter price than he had been accustomed to, but it will be some satisfaction to him to know that if after getting on© or two legs in and the remaining “leg” is withdrawn, he will get the amount of hie investment returned. That he ought to receive in any case, and no ringman who did 1 not want matters entirely h s own way should refuse. The new law may at first seem harsh from the bookmaker’s point of view, but it is not supposed! that any of the number who do legitimate business will object to it, seeing that it ie likely to increase business and at a much shorter rate of odds than is usual. It will also keep off the course, those horses who are taken to it with no intention of running, but merely to he .handled by some enterprising do able-event bettor or other. But the rule will not, of course, apply to double bats made, say at Kensington, on Caulfield or Melbourne Cups double or similar races, but it would apply to a bet if taken at Kensington about a double-event that was being run the. same afternoon at Warwick Farm or at some other suburban course, years ago bookmakers who worked doubles on the course would readily agree, to' give l a Packer a start in the second race if he succeeded in getting a leg in for the first of the double. The altered law, of course, is only enforceable on those courses over which the jurisdiction of the Associated! Racing Clubs extends.