TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 55

TALK OF THE DAY.

By Sentinel. C.J.C, RACES. Heavy rain overnight put a different complexion on the affairs at Riccarton than was - generally anticipated, and the going became soft and somewhat greasy. The youngsters that mustered for the Champagne Stakes represented one of the best two-year-old fields seen at Riccarton for some time. Danube looked a better colt than he has appeared since the spring, and the others lacked nothing as far as condition was concerned. A good start was effected, but Danube was 6low in the first furlong, whilst Formless, although being held together, drew out to a couple of lengths' lead. As scon as the field got balanced in their stride the horses ran ; n fairly close order until turning for home, where Madam Madcap drew up to the leader. At the distance the Chokebore filly was evidently at ease, as her rider looked bock to see the strength of the opposition. Inside the distance Madam Madcap came away, and won nicely by well over two lengths from Formless, who beat Danube by a similar distance. Danube never appeared to get ; going, and was never really dangerous. The race was somewhat disappointing as the going debarred some of the field from displaying their real racing merit. Formby, who was sent out favourite, for instance, was climbing and sprawling a bit,, and there is not- much doubt that he would have-given a better • display if the face had been run on top of the ground instead of in deep going. A notable fact about -the-race was the utter lack of enthusiasm -displayed by the spectators as the field returned to the birdcage. Formby ~and Danube were both more strongly supported than the pair bearing the blue and chequers, whilst Formless ranked as fourth choice; hence, no doubt, the painful silence which greeted the win of a popular racing banner. A fairly open market was in evidence when the numbers were hoisted for the Great Easfer. Effort was slowest to begin in a good start, and Broadsword and Penates were not long in singling themselves out from the others. The pair named showed the way to the home turn, where Broadsword slipped and fell. Fortunately, although the horse was on the rails, the leaders were well clear of the others, who thus had a chance to avoid trouble. From that out Penates drew right away, and won handsomely. Prim, the absolute outsider of the field, stayed on, and, finishing wide on the track, ran into second place, and was followed home by Federal. Silkweb, and Gunboat. Penates really made a one-horse race of it, and althouffh Gipsy Belle, Killindini. Tumut, Sir Frisco, and Passion were fairly close as the field 6wung for home, nothing had a chance with the winner. It was, as a matter of fact, a disappointing race. Broadsword would, in all probability, have finished second, as he and the winner were so far out from the others 'that the colt would have had bad luck to .set. right out of the money. Prim was not expected to run so prominently over such a short course, as she had not been sprinted in order to make her smart off the mark. The day's racing was concluded 'by Iranui getting up in time to be.fft Bridge by a narrow margin in the Sockburn Handicap. Flitaway was badly left, and. after joining the leaders, faded out in the last half furlong. THE FUTURITY STAKES. An utter fiasco is the only term that

can be applied to 'the first heat of the Futurity Stakes, run on the first day of the N.Z.M.T.C. meeting, and it furnishes a, lesson that trotting clubs should take deeply to heart if they are at all anxious to study the welfare of the horse. If the heat for the pacers proves as bad as it is likely to be, then the club should set its face against any further two-year-old racing. Six coloured on the card for Saturday's race, and of these two were withdrawn. Lord Derby, an attractivelvbred colt by Rothschild from the imported American mare Novice, it is understood, was lame, and could not go on the track. Grattan Chimes was lame, and so also was Jolly Bells, a half-sister by Abbey Bells to Sal Tasker. All the runners were aa green as grass, and whatever they may be in the future, there is not much doubt that the preparation for their initial race will not help them to make a mark in the future. Without wishing to deprive the winner of any honour attached to her victory, it really appeared as if she was lucky to win. As lame and all as G rattan Chimes 1 was she mustered sufficient speed in the last half-mile to create the idea tha.'t she must have won under ordinary circumstances. In the preliminary jogging Grattan Chimes and Jolly Bells, both moved Jame, and at the start To-night was the only one to get well away. She established a commanding leax.l in the first furlong, but evidently her driver wiais anxious, .as he forced her with tile whip and broke up his horse when she was apparently doing her best. Thus it; appears that To-night could have improved verv little or her record. She is a filly by " Wccdend (Wild wood—Vickery), from. To-morrow, a miare who is by Rothschild from a half-draught. There is not much speed inheritance from a draught horse, taproot, but still it is speedy enough to win a Futurity Stakes. MORE ABOUT SAL TASKER. Sal Tasker is to be shipped to Sydney this week, en route to Melbourne, where she is to be put in shape by S. D. Price for a campaign which has been mapped out by her owner. The mare will, if possible, matched against Denver Huon, or perhaps take part in a triangular duel in which Dan Patch will be the other corner. Should the Denver Huon people decline to take up 'the gauntlet it is not likely that a match willl be made against Dan Patch, because the relations between the people behind Dan and Sal are too friendly to permit of rivalry. It is Denver Huon's scalp that Sal Tasker is after, and if the former will come into" the lists on fair terms (in which both may have to concede a trifle) it is a. sure thing that the owner of Sal Tasker will not be backward in coming forward, as we say in Ireland. The fact that Sal Tasker ' is being sent to Australia may be taker as proof that her owner is ready and willing to make a match against Denver Huon. If it comes off it, will probably be for 503sovs aside, or if the three horses come together each will put up a stake and apurse eqtual ■ to the amount of the individual bet will be put up by Mr John Wren if the takes place on one of his tracks. It is understood that the New Zealand M,T.C. will put up a purse of 500sovs'. if a match can be arranged between . Denver Huon and Sal Tastier, to take place in November in ChristchuTcii. If the Denver Huon people decline to conic into the arena Sal Tasker will in all probability be sent Tgainst the watch in an attempt to create a new Australasian record. It may be taken as evidence that the owner of s Sal Tasker is not merely after the money when it is stated that in the event of a, win the puotee is to go to D. J. Price, who on 'tis part, it is understood, will sacrfice his interests in Australia for the time being and come over to New Zealand if a match is made to take place in Canterbury. " Price has played an important part in developing Sal Tasker's speed, and naturally it is to him is given first call to uphold, and t if possible, enhance her prestige on the track. He made an Australasian champion of Ribbonwocd, and it is in the bounds of possibility that he may do the same with Sal Tasker. And, incidentally, as the Denver Huon people have been looming large, it is to be. hoped they will take up the gauntlet and let the best horse win. THE TROTTER. The true-gaited trotter is the true harness horse. He may be versatile ; .n his paces, and go at least comfortably at the canter or easy jog, but he is not generally the perfect hack. A good hack has every .pace, but is seldom endowed with great proficiency in either unless he is of the clevei- hunter class that, can gallop, cross obstaclefe, and yet be handy on the road irrespective of "the fact that he is under saddle, on the polo, or in the lead. The writer is egotistical enough to say that he was one of the prime movers, if not the first, to claim and advocate consideration for the pure-gaited trotter, and now we have clubs forced to cater for the perfect light harness horse that lost place - merely because he was riot such a good medium for betting as the pacer. In conning over the programme for the Forbury Park Trotting Club it 's noted that (discarding the pony events)' only two straight-out harness events are on each day's card, whilst there are four saddle races. There is an optional race each day, but they do not count. As a racing spectacle (apart from the question of utility) the trotter is considerably ahead of the pacer, who has his gait coerced and confined by straps. A Fritz or a Blackchild speeding at better than 2.2 o—horse-lovers say that something has been achieved when they can produce such animals, but it is not so with the v pacer. It may be gleaned from the above 'that the writer is advocating the claims of the true-gaited trotter, and this trend of thought is called forth by the fact that the races "for trotters only" on the Forbury Park programme are confined to " saddle horsey.'' The true trotter is ostentially a harness horse, and in future it is to ' be hoped that the true trotter will be found in his right place, and hitched to a sulky when he is out to demonstrate his action, his speed, and why we want him. THE SLOW HORSE. A Grievance against the compilers of 1 the Forbury Park Trotting Club's pro- ] gra.mmes consists of two things. In the j first place some of the light harness men 1 complain of the fact that the. class events ■ are not f ast enough, and others again would likej to. see a more liberal catering for slow horses. With this former the ' writer is in sympathy, because anyone or t everyone likes to see three or four horses

stepping a 2.20 gait, and gets, tired when 9 dozen or more are paddling round at about a 3rnin gait. More interest can be aroused by seeing half-a-dozen high-class horses, well handicapped, competing than by seeing a. paddock-full of duffers at work; but still ifc has to be remembered that all horses are not born fast. They have to be developed, and the way the average owner of light harness horses prefers to " develop " a horse is to have a 2.25 horse* in a 2.40 class. A win there does not hart, providing the horse is not exposed Irsfc pop. By extreme caution the 2.25 horsa is brought along from class to class, until he is up against ihose of his private record, and then comes finesse. Where itf the sportsman whe possesses, or has possessed, a 2.25 horse (private record) and elected to go against the cracks of equal class when ho first steps ,out his green performer. However, that is a delicate query, and an answer is not expected. We all know the man who buys a 2.20 horse, and whilst the latter still maintains, or 'a von improves, his speed, his owner endeavours to manipulate the .ncer into a handicap with about five or 10 points the best of the figures over his opponents. That is why the writer has no time for some of the | well-known (alleged) sportsmen of the trotting world.' In catering for slow horses, the Fcrbury Park Trotting Club have included in their programme a Trial Handicap of 50sovs, for horses that can do 4.9 or better —a 2.46 gait. Now it is not an i uncommon sight to see 3 2.30 green performer, starting from the limit, making a. one--horse race of such an event. In addition to the Trial Handicap, there is the First Amateur Handicap, of no class, but open to horses that can go either fast or 'slow. On the second day's oard there ' is ' the Advance Handicap, for a similar class J to that attached to the Trial Handicap, • and in having four events for horses worthy ! of training, surely the club cannot be coni demned' for giving green horses chance , to win. the initial cost of their development if, on breeding or anything else, they are worth their oats. THE D.J.C. WINTER MEETING. The Dunedin Jockey Club has with eachi succeeding season been improving its programmes, and although the progress haa been somewhat tortoiselike, it is better to be slow and sure than, hasty and occasionally retrogressive. The tortoise method has undoubtedly proved effective in the case of the D.J.C. (even though one would like to see it a trifle more 1 ambitious), and hence it is that, the programme for the coming 1 winter meeting to be held on : June 3 and 4 is easily the best ever given in connection with the final gathering of our Wingatui season. Star-ting from the basis ihat no st3lke on its programme is less than lOOsovs, the club basnet been neglecting the chief items, and at the forthcoming meeting the Birthday Handicap carries a stake of 300jovs increa?e of 50sovs en last year), tk£ ..„, Tradesmen's Handicap goes from 150sovs to 200sovs, and in place of the Trial Plate is the Otago Steeplechase of 150sovs. In deleting the Trial Plate the club has not cut the ground from any horse-owners' feet, as it has still the two back events to cater for the horses likely to run m the event which has. in a sense, been supplanted. Last year we had only one steeplechase, but on the present programme horses making a mistake on the first dav are to be given a chance to 1 retrieve" their errors by the inclusion of , the Wingatui Steeplechase of 150sovs, run i over half a mile", less than the crosscountry . race of the first day. v On the ' second dav the Provincial Handicap, of SOOsbvs, one nik, and the Wairongoa i Handicap, of 130sovs, are the chief events on the flat. There are two lGQsov hurdle events, and others on the flat carrying ! good stakes go to make xp an attractive I programme. Nominations are due on ' Friday, May 13, handicaps oh Maiv 24, and acceptances close on Firday, May 27. ! THE STRATH-TAIEKI MEETING. 1 Many little meetings have to depend almost' entirely on visitors to make their gatherings profitable, and in this category comes the Strath-Taieri Hack Racing Club, and it is, of course, essential for success that i the weather should be favourable. Nothing i was wanting in that respect ori the date of the Strath-Taieri annual' meeting, but still the attendance was not nearly sp good as that noticed at previous meetings held by the club. This was principally due to the proximity of Easter, and the practical . clustering of holidays. Still there was a goodly muster on the ground, and some interesting racing was provided by the various events. The track was very hard, and not only hard but rough, and although the writer did not inspect its .entire circumference still what was examined left . a very bad impression. The rough state of the going may have been principally responsible for the mishap which befel Khan.a, and that in itself should wake the club to their responsibility in providing fairly safe going for the horses. In their own interests a club should not leave it in tne power of anyone to go away with the eeling that it is dangerous to run a horse on their track., Merxibeck was quickly installed a hot chance in the Trial, and he won nicelv enough. "Vincenit, who has latterly cfeplaved a marked reluctance to leave the mark, was well handled by E. M'Kewen, and coaxed or kidded away when the time came for him to depart on his journey. The rest was fairly easy. Steviaside had been responsible for some fail* work, and this fact made her favourite, and a subsequent easy winner of the Middlemarch Cup, in which her most formidable opponent was Prettv Face, after Khani;! broke down badly during the early parr, of the race. Tangi Boy was made a warm chance in the Springs Handicap, but he failed badly, and the winner turned* up in the Mariner gelding Reefpoints, who at best is only moderate. Cashier had a soft thing in the Flying Handicap, and after Pearl M. landed the second trot Cashier came out agair, and wound up the meeting' by easily capturing the Farewell Handicap. i THE FORBURY PARK WINTER MEETING. The Forbury Park Trotting Club have issued the programme for their winter 1 meeting, dated to take place on May 4- and) 7. There is an eight-item card for each day, and the chief events are to be the President's Handicap (harness), of 150sovs, and the class is smin "or better, and the Winter Oats (harness), of 150sovs, and of T l \e same class a6' the former race. Next in monetary importance comes the Beaoh >. .'landicap (saddle, of lOOsovs, 5.10 or better.

.and the Otago Handicap (saddle), of lOOsovs, 5.10 or better. The poor-gaited trotter is catered for with the St. Ciair Handicap, of 90sovs, two miles and a-half, ,6.45 or better, and the Peninsula Handicap, of 90sovs, 6.45 or better. The balance of the programme is made up with the usual list of events for amateurs, mile events, Trial and Advance * Handicaps for the slow brigade, and the ponies have a small stake allotted them each day to act as a curtainraiser to the' more important events to "follow. Nominations are due on Wednesday, April 20. Handicaps for the first day will be declared on Tuesday, April 26, and acceptances fall due on Saturday, April 30.