IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3275, 20 December 1916, Page 47

IN A NUTSHELL.

R, Reed is to ride Depredation in the Auckland Cup. ' . Lady Penury is not without friends tor the Auckland Cup. Oxeuhope ran fifth in the last Great Autumn with 8.3. Nominations for the Wairio meeting avo duo on December 22. A double shift lias been at work watering' the tracks at Ellerslie. Acceptances for the Waikouaitl meeting are due on Decembej 2-2-Marc Antony will be piloted by L. Wilson in the Auckland Cup,. G-eneral eniries for the Cromwell meeting are due on December 23. A. Oliver has been engaged to ride Tarincrnmutu in the Manawatu Cup. Adelaide Direct is booked 1o make an attack on the mile Tecord nt Auckland. H. E. Wormald, the well-known Riccarton jockey, has been called to the colours. Mcltchikoff and Sea Princ» joined A. Robertson's stable on arrival in Auckland. O'Shca will ride Blackall in the Auckland Cup. Cease Fire is expected tc. riiow ; \n bw provement in form during the holiday raee\ lnga. Proprietary racing in Tasmania wul, tv

o>ording to reports, soon be a thing of tho past. Loading Lady as a hurdler may not prove such a misleading lady as she has on the flat. En!lies fall due on December 30 101 some of the events on the Vincent programme. ~ „ Sir George Clifford is sending San Sebastian, Good Hope, and Claverhouse to Auckland. . Desert Gold has been shaping well __ m her work since her return from the New Zealand Cup meeting. _ The Ashburton trainer and remsman R M'Donald hus been drawn in the second ballot for military service. The Toff, Wishful, Koesian, Bon d Or, Ample, Red Bock, and Plymouth will represent Mr G. L. Stead at Auckland. Macwood, Prince Akwood, and Irvinewood are amongst the horses booked to,race at the Auckland trotting meeting. The well-known rider A. Oliver has passed the Medical Board, but W. Bell was considered only fit for home service. The Owners and Breeders' Association intends making an effort to bring about an improvement in the lighting of horse boxes. missioner," that Orme as the sire of Flying Fox and Orby went right out of favour as a stallion. Acceptances for the first day of the Dunedin Jockey Club'3 meeting are due tonight (Wednesday). Entries also close for the Trial Plate. —J. W. Lowe's team for Auckland will consist of Chakwana, Seadown, Menelau3, and Ayah. The first-named two are still engaged in the Railway Handicap. Balboa has "run off" weight by not racing, and on paper is well treated in the Otago Handicap, in which the best of the others are close to him in tho figures. Bon Rcve is reported to be looking in good shape at present, and if that is so his feather-weight burden should make the classic winner hard to beat at Manawatu. —At the Bay of Plenty meeting three horses won six races, and two other Winners acted as runners-up in other events. The results supply strong evidence as to the value of winning form. —W. M'Donald has had the bad luck to lose his vcarling colt by San FranciscoMatchbox." The colt broke a leg in a gate and had to be destroyed. The Stockwell line is at the ton of the tree on both sides of the world. Polymelia heads the list of stallions in England and Martian in Australasia. —R. J. Mason's team for Auckland will consist of Bimeter, Biplane, Greenstrcet, and Thames. Nones may be raced at Manawatu, and then taken to Auckland. —A. Oliver, who has been called up and passed for active service, is said to _be making arrangements to go Home to join the Boyal Flying Service Corps. The prominent English trainer J. Huggins, who has had a long experience both in England and in America, declares that Persimmon is the greatest horse he ever eaw.

The Peri Huon horse Beckon, who will probably race in New Zealand in the near future, won recently in Sydney at Victoria Park, and stepped a mile and a-half in 3.27. —Mr E. E. D. Clarke has presented the Commonwealth Government with the three-year-old coll Ponoples, by The Welkin— Cleis, by Wallace, as a stallion to be used in producing remounts. Snub, Wardancer, and Matty _ will probably be taken on to Invercargill by G-. Murray-Anysley at the conclusion of the D.J.C. meeting. Not one of the three is engaged at the Oamaru meeting. Smib was asked to give Oxenhopo lib in the Fendalton Handicap, and in the Otago Handicap the latter has to give away 6lb to the former. The figures suggest that Oxenhope is a better stayer than Snub. The monthly meeting of the New Zealand Trotting Association lapsed for want of a quorum. The principal business to be considered was the Emilius case, which had to be held over until the next meeting. The Auckland Cup candidate Mullingar has been showing a return of blood-vessel breaking. The trouble is not, however, deemed a serious matter; but it nevertheless doe 3 not make his chance look too rosy. —On March 1, 1914, no less than 4014 horses were in training in England. On March 1, 193 6, the number had fallen to 2124, and during the year ending August, 1916, only 1367 horses were raced in England.

Kilboy's absence from the field during the Auckland Cup meeting is said to be due to the development of a splint, and not to the trouble which came his way in Australia. He has latterly been treated to swimming exercise.

Chortle has been supported for the Auckland Cup. 'Although he is generally regarded as a sprinter or middle-distance horse, there is no doubt about him finishing up at times as if he could go on with the business.

Reports of the running of the Cambridgeshire show that the three-year-old filly Eos easily defeated 17 others. She was got by Orby from Renaissance, by St. Serf from Rinovata, by Wenlock—Traviata, by Cremorne. The Wmgatui trainer T. Stevems and the jockey W. Easton (who is attached to Giesler's stable) are amongst those called to the colours. W. Buddicomb, who has been crippled by rheumatism for years, also figures in the list.

Kilrea, who figures as top weight of tho trio in the two-year-old race at Wingatui, Las been allotted 41b more than the burden under which she just missed tho Pioneer Handicap run on the last day of the New Zealand Cup meeting. The favourably-handicapped mare Lady Haldane will be taken to Auckland this week to fulfil her engagement in the Auckland Trottin? Cup. in which she will be driven by A. Pringle. Bellflower will also go north for tho same meeting. Two imported fillies in Love Token and Winter Cherry will probably face the barrier during the holiday meetings. They are trained by R. Longley for Mr Fulton, the owner of Art and Banian. The Boniform—Grand Rain two-year-old filly, a half-sister to the Martian colt which made 625 gs a* the November sales, is doing useful work at Riccarton. She as a yearling, and is trained by M'Aulay for Mr A. W. Rutherford, inn. The Addington Trotting Club has decided to return to tho handicapping and starting by seconds for all raooa at its February meeting. It is to be hoped that some finality will be '■cached 'n {his matter before the present season terminates. Despite the flourishing condition of light harness rating and breeding in Canterbury, the Owners and Breeders' Association lias a membership of only 70. It. was suggested at tho annual meeting that an effort should be made, to increase the membership. Excellent nominations have been received for the North Otago Jockey Club's meeting. The two-year-old events have filled a great deal better than those at Wingatui. Handicaps are due on December 2S, and acceptances on the following day, December 20. A resolution lias been carried by the Owners and Breeders' Association exf-"'s;;ing

disapproval with the condition on the Canterbury Park programme providing for the rehandicapping of placed horses at any other meeting after the declaration of the handicaps. A colt and a. filly purchased on behalf of M'r H. do Latour wore landed from the Ruahine at Auckland. The colt is named Critic, and is by II nry the First from Cynane, by Cyllene, and the filly is Slipstitch, by Henry the First—'Quickstitcb, by Ludas.

Balboa gave Rorke's Drift 121 b and Oxcnhope 14lb in the last Great Autumn, and beat them both, as well as Ogier 0.7. Snub 7.10 and Adjutant 7.7 coloured on the card, but did not go to the post. A repetition of that form would make Balboa very hard to beat at Wingatui.

The Southland Racing Club's summer programme has met with liberal patronage from owners. The Invercargill Cup field includes northerners in the shape of Ringform, Snub, Wardancer, and Daytime. Handicaps are duo on December 28 and acceptances on December 29. A handicapper, rushing to catch a train, was labouring under the burden of two bags. A spectator suggested that someone should assist the handicapper with his bags. "No," said a sport, "let him them himself. It will teach him what it is to finish under a bit of overweight." The South Canterbury Jockey Club pays laxation amounting to £OOI in connection with its spring meeting, and a balance of nearly three figures will bo available for the Patriotic FundSu Tho club has paid its taxation under protest, pending the result of a test case in the courts against the Commissioner of Taxes. Aides, the winner of the V.R.C. Handicap, run on the last day of the Melbourne Cup meeting, was bred in Austria, and was sold in England after the outbreak of war. The Melbourne Cup meeting, despito bad weather and postponements, is expected to turn in a profit of about £7OOO. Last year the profit ran to £14,92a Findhorn, who figures as top weight in the Federal, missed the chance of his life in connection with the Stewards' Handicap. On the Templeton Handicap running, he should have finished well ahead of Bimeter; but unfortunately his damaged respiratory OTgans, where he went amiss during the winter, spoilt a great chance on paper. The Toff has come into the market for the Auckland Cup, and has been solidly supported for the race. The field is not likely to bo very large or particularly strong, and hence his owner may be tempted to start the Boniform gelding in the race. The Toff is reported to have been responsible for a particularly good gallop last week. The principal events on the Forbiiry Park summer programme will be the Dunedin Cup Handicap of GjOsovs, 4.42 or better, and the Forbury Handicap, of 500sovs, 4.42 or better. A feature of the meeting will be the New Zealand Trotting Stakes, of 250sovs, for three-year-olds. Several events carry stakes of around or better than 20Oscvs, and nominations are on Friday, January 5.

Oinako, the winner of the Mace Memorial at New Brighton, is an attractively-bred horse, got by Harold Dillon from Grattenetto. Both sire and dam were imported from America by Mr E. E. Lalievre. Grattenette was got by Gratton (2.13) from Mrs Fox, by Bed Wilkes. She was unlucky at the stud, r.s only two out of the six foals she produced are alivet Her first foal was Huia Dillon, who is also a smart pacer. The Forbuiy Park Trotting Club will give £3500 in stakes at its summer meeting. The New Zealand Trotting Stakes, of 250sovs, takes the place of the Summer Handicap, and the Royal Handicap, of 440sovs, which was a 3sec limit race, is altered to a 2.52 class and reduced to 220sovs. The Forbury Park Handicap has been increased by oOsovs, and the Crescent Handicap by 20sov=. The programme carries five races for trotters only. The Forbury Park Trotting Club has informed the Canterbury Owners and Breeders' Association that a sulky will be provided at future meetings to be used in case of accident. In the old days at Tahuna Park the club had several sulkies, and finally gave them awry as trophies; and a very useful trophy they made*. The usual trophy is merely an ornament with generally a good margin between nominal and actual value, apart, of course, from the sentimental value. The Premier of New South Wales recently stated that he had a long-standing objection to the introduction of the totalisator; but in all circumstances he was now prepared to supplement the revenue of the State by seeing its establishment. He expected to get £200,000 from the totalisator during the remainder of tho financial year, aqd in future years he proposed to earmark the return for patriotic and charitable purposes; but that could not be done at present.

Apropos of the attempt to introduce the totalisator into England. London Truth said: '"The ridiculous petition for the parimutuel has been dismissed with fitting speed by the stewards of the Jockey Club. It was a combination of dunderhead folly and self-advertising, all founded in dense ignorance The stewards' could not start the pari-mutuel without legislation, and the moon will fall before any Parliament sanctions this crack-brained proposal." —• Judging by the latest information from England, his owner (Sir Joel) is not anxious that Pommern should experience a defeat before retiring to the stud. The son of Polymelia was brought to the course just before tho mail left, but it is said that, on ascertaining the strength of tho opposition, wa-s sent back to his stable. Mr J. Buchanan offered to match Hurry On against Pommorn for i£SOOD aside, and, if tho former won, the proceeds were to go to the Red Cross Fund. Mr Joel, hou'ever, had left for South Africa before the challenge was issued, and so nothing was likely to come cf the matter. At the annual meeting of the Canterbury Owners and Breeders' Association the- chairman (Sir V> r . J. Moir) stated that owing to the various methods adopted by clubs, the new system of starting by yards had not so far proved a success. In seme cases it was owing to the starting machines, but the principal trouble lay in the fact that the horses had been trained to a mnvc-iip start, and did not seem able to got into their stride from a standing start. It was, however, a little early yet to condemn the system, as there was plenty of lime for an up-to-date machine to be patented which should prove a success.