TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2929, 4 May 1910, Page 54

TALK OF THE DAY.

By Sentinel.

EXCUSING THE YOUNGSTERS. The disappointing display given by Formby in the Hawke’s Bay Stakes' is no doubt partially attributable to the going being against him. It ie very obvious that in finishing out of a place Ijis form is too bad to be true. In the spring of the year, despite the fact that the son of Birkenhead and Gladisla was a. raking big colt, he showed a rare turn of speed, and at the back end of the year he clearly was outstaying Madam "Madcap in the C.J.C. Challenge Stakes. In the Champagne Stakes the going was soft and Formby was unable to act. In fact, he was sprawling rather than galloping, and from what thy writer has seen of the colt he would be very loth to accept a defeat in soft going as a true indication of the colt’s form. In the spring, although displaying winning form, he had to be treated for soreness, and thus, although holding his own, he may not have been quite at his best. Like the majority of the Birkenhead tribe, he is inclined to be top heavy, and nossibly Formby is feeling the effects of being kept fairly busy during his first season. The writer is inclined to the opinion that fhe two-year-olds of the present season may be found furnishing into better three-year-olds than their first year’s form suggests, because more than one has been noted to bei capable of displaying brilliancy, whilst not filling the eye as being particularlry fit and ready to race. No doubt a mild winter and an early spring materially help to bring along the two-year-olds, but, even so, when a season’s crop of youngsters are inclined to be too well grown in a sense, trainers are loth to hurry them along. Consequently, they race with a good deal of latent power, which is more likely to be demonstrated in their second season than in the first. The smart, nippy two-year-olds that are Rio swafiow-catobers of the spring are not infrequently the tortoises of the autumn, when their larger ■grown rivals' have had more time to mature, and thus it is that a hard and fast opinion as to what is the best two year-old of a. year is not infrequently built on a slightly false foundation.

THE ASHBURTON MEETING. The handicap for the Ashburton Cup has made its appearance, and Oiyoi figures at the head of affairs with 9 13 opposite his name. This is 7!b more than ha carried when running a dead hear, with likitere in the Timaru Cup, decided over the same distance as the pair « booked to cover again next week. Tikitere also goe= up 71b, and Outlander, who finished n«t to the dead-heaters, is sent up lib, whilst Silkweb who won the mile race on the second day at Timaru, has been sent up 141 b on the weight scored with, so that his success really means he is meeting Oiyoi and Tikitere on about 61b worse terms than when they finished in front of him over ten furlongs. Siikweb, for his victory on the second day over Tikitere, meets' the latter on 121 b worse terms, so that, despite his brilliant mile, ha has been allowed a fair chance to again show if he can stay over n middle distance. Neither Cronstadt nor Rose Noble was amongst the runners at Timaru,. but at Waimate the former won by thrse parts of a length when in receipt of. 4lb, and now. the pair are asked to. r&c& over an additional furlong at even weights. Thohj is One thing in Rose Noble's favour, and. that is that he appears to run well on the ■ Ashb'urton track. This remark, however, may also apply to Cronstadt, as he is not the soundest horse in the wofld, He is ported to have, ba&n eased up fin hk work, and may not run next week, although a brief holiday maj- merely tend to fresheh

' him up and not interfere with his staying powers. Lovelorn finished behind Cron stadt and Rose Noble at Waimate, when getting 141 b from the latter and 101 b from the Madder colt. In the Final Handicap at the C.J.C. autumn meeting she justbeat Cronstadt over a mile when in receipt of 181 b, and now Cronstadt is giving away 91b over an additional two furlongs, so that the pair are practically meeting again on the Waimate terms. White Cockade ran below form at Timaru, and he, like Cronstadt, was almost in line with Lovelorn i- '•"he Final Wnndicap, and now meets his victress on 121 b better terms. Paragon, if in form, may run a good horse, and the horses handicapped should yield a good field and an interesting- race. Acceptances are due on Friday next. THE ENGLISH The Two Thousand Guineas, which forms the first of the English turf classics, was won by Lord Rosebery's colt Neil Gow, who was one of the best two-year-olds seen out last season. He was followed home by Lemberg, who also was a good performer last, year, and whom some of the best judges in England expect will turn the tables on Lord Roseberv's colt when they meet in the Derby, although quite prepared to sec the latter triumph over the shortei course run in the Guineas. The American colt Whisk Broom gained the honour of a place, and he also displayed excellent form last year, although his pedigree, according to an English expert, ii one that should not be admitted to the English stud. Neil Gow is a halfbrother to the brilliant Traquair, who is now at the stud in Australia, and consequently Australian sports will follow the performance of Lord Rosebery's colt with a good deal of interest. Neil Gow is a chestnut colt got by Marco (3), a son of Barcaldine and the Hermit mare Novitiate. His dam, Chela.ndry, is a member of the No. 1 family, and was got by Goldfinch (son of Ormonde) from liluminata, generally known as one of the celebrated Paraffin family, which has already produced two Derby winners in Ladas and Cicero. We here are most likely to be interested in Neil Gow's dam, because she is a daughter of Rosicracian, who sired Pulchra, from whom we got a successful tribe represented by Multiform, Cruciform, Uniform. St. Clair, and other notable horses. Lemberg, who ran second, is owned by a gentleman who struck wealth in Australia, by luck in mining ventures. This colt is a son of Cyllene (grandson of Bend Or) and the Galopin mare Gallicia, second dam by Isonomy, the sire of Pilgrim's Progress. Whisk Broom was got by Broomstick (a crack three-year-old in America), and although bred on oldfashioned lines, possesses strains of Volti-. geur, Galopin,' Bend Or, and Hindoo, a male descendant of Glencoe, the sire of the famous Pocahontas. Winkipop, tho winner of the One Thousand Guineas, was got by the well-performed William the Third (son of St, Simon) from the Juggler mare Conjurer, so that tho filly under notice represents a linking of the St. Simon and Stockwell lines. Maid of Corinth, who ran second to Winkipop, was a good performer last year, and as a daughter of Cyllene and Sceptre ranks as possibly the most costly horse ever bred. A CRACK PACER. Dan Patch's successful assault on time last week is indeed an additional big leaf in the laurels already gained by the son of Rothschild, who has not only created a world's grass track record, but has recorded a mark which, owing to its being compiled on a slow course, compares favourably with the records held. by the crack American pacers. Dan Patch can skip half miles around a 2min gait, and if he were acting on an up-to-date American track of a mile in circumference there is not much doubt he would go close to a great mark. In connection with thie statement it must not be overlooked that the record for a half-mile track is the mark of 2mini lsec, made by the American Dan Patch, whose mile record is lmin 55sec, or 6sec faster than his half-mile record. This will give some idea as to what the New Zealand Dan Patch could go on a mile track, and it seems that the son of Rothschild would go about 2min 6sec at least on the newlyimproved track at Addington. It is interesting to recall that Dan Patch made his debut at a meeting of the Taieri Amateur Turf Club in 1905, when as a two-year-old, with A. Pringle holding the lines, he was sent out a strong favourite in a mile and l a-half race, won in 4min 3sec. On this occasion the best he could do was to get second, but later in the same day he was again elected favourite, and won in 2mjn 50sec. Reference to Dan Patch's pedigree was made in these columns some weeks ago by the writer, and under the circumstances is worthy of repetition. Many people • would be "tickled to death" to learn that Milan, the winner of the Wanganui Cup in 3min 1 l-ssec (track rcieprd), is a relation of the crack pacer Dan Patch, who holds a record of 2min lOsec and a world's grass track record of 2min lldec. Milan's third l dam, Cascade, was got by Sledmere, a son of the English Derby winner Daniel O'Rourke, and Prince Bismarok, the sire of Dan Patch's dam, is the son of a 'Sledmere mare. Sledmere sired Venus Transit and Omega (winners of the Great Northern Derby), Stormbi'rd (winner of the Canterbury Cup), Daniel O'Rourke (winner of C.J.C. Derby and Canterbury Cup), Fallacy (dam of First Lord and Pibroch, the dam of Menschikoff), and Erycina (dam of Mitrailleuse—one of the first of Musket's winners and also the dam of Lady Anfrim, who produced Lord Soult, one of the fastest sprinters in training. It is not astonishing that with such a str.ajh in his pedigree Dan Patch could command great speed, particularly when he is further enriched with the running blood through Dexter, .who was nearly a thoroughbred! horse. Dexter was got' by Talisman (son of Traducer) from. a. mare by Sportsman (a son of Maribyrnong and the Lord of the Hills mare Scraps, a grand-dauglfter of Fisherman). Gentle Annie, the dam of Dexter, although bred on running lines, was. noted as a producer of trotters, as in addition to Dexter she produced Spot (son of Caiedo.n), Duchess of York (daughter of Traducer)., and Southern Queen (a daughter of Albany). Southern Queen produced Califcfca, and Duchess of York was the dam of the wcll-kno wi trotting sire Camel. Gentle Annie must have'been re« gaixjed as a good sort when she was bred to such horses as Traducer, Albury, and ( a trio of imported' thoroughbreds >» It rather .upsets the strong opinions held 1 by Some writers that thorptfglibved

blood is a fatal infusion to put into, a trotting .family, but there is every reason to believe it is advisable if the thoroughbred used shows a tendency to go well at the trotting 01 pacing gait. This year's Wanganui Cup winner has some " queer relations," as it were, but they arc not lacking in merit in their particular line of life. The interesting fact of their relationship did not debar Milan from winning the Wanganui Cup or Dan Patch from paving to n record, stamping liiuj as one of the best light-harness horses at present in Australasia. THE NORTH OTAGO MEETING. It is pleasing to note that the popularity of the North Otago Jookey Club's meetings is not on the wane. A good indication of this is furnished by the nominations which have been received in connection with the Oainaru meeting, which is dated for May 24 and 25. In tho Oamaru Cup a field of 20 has been engaged, and the hors«s represent a good useful lot that are not too wide apart in the way of quality. The principal race on the second day has also attracted a good entry, and the short-distance events have been well patronised by owners. A pleasing feature of the entries is the excellent list engaged in the hurdle events, and the welters hav.e ako attracted good fields. The handicaps fpr the first day are due. on May 14, and entries for the Trial Plate and the Shorts have to be handed in on May 19, when acceptances also fall due. -SAL'S TASK. ' - It is some time since "Sal Tasker has figured on the race track, and the mare's condition is substantial proof of it. In speaking to D. J. Price, I asked whethe; (says "Sulky," in the Victorian Record), in his opinion, Mr Duncan was not a little premature in issuing the Denver Huon challenge, seeing that the Sydney horse is ready at any time to produce his best, while it remains to be proved whether the New Zealand mare still retains her pace and staying powers. "Well, yes, I think he was," replied Sal's eld trainer; "that is, regarding the twomile heats and the straight three miles, and"—pointing to the mare —"there shouldn't have been any violent hurry about the mile heats. Anyhow, the mare is here now, and while I may feel justified in advising Mr Duncan, in matching her against Denver Huon in mile heats, it would be some months before I could decide whether ho should put in his money to meet the Sydney horse over the longer distances. There has been quite too much newspaper talk over the proposed match, and while I would like to back Mr Duncan up as far as he has gone, I don't propose to do so at present. Meanwhile, suppose wo give it a rest. When the marc satisfies me that she is all right, I will let Mr Duncan know, and then if he feels as good as when he issued the challenge, and Mr Geddes is still of the same mind, Sal and Denver will decide the argument." THE. FORBURY PARK MEETING, The Forbury Park Trotting Club will commence their winter meeting to-day,, and as it is the last fixture of the season there will in all probability be a large attendance. The fields promise to be fairly large, and should provide some interesting sport. The first race is timed to start at 12.30, and on the homeward journey the quickest mode of transit is to catch the trams at St. Clair, as the management have arranged' matters to that effect.