TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3278, 10 January 1917, Page 39

TALK OF THE DAY.

By Sentinel

A BAD NAME. Giving a man a bad namo is said to bo tantamount to hanging him, but with a horse a totally different result is sometimes obtained. A horse that is generally considered a rogue seems to get far more consideration than a good, honest runner. A win by a rogue is generally deemed a fluke, even though it is obviously a display and repetition of good form that is perhaps sandwiched with several runs wherein a disinclination to gallop has been shown. A rogue is invariably well treated by handioappers, and notwithstanding the leniency, are generally allowed to pay good dividends. Take, for instance, the case of Baltic Eve. He won the Welcome Stakes, and beat Desert Gold twice, in his first season. Probably ho has never forgiven himself for putting 6Uch an affront on a perfect lady, and when remembering the fact, shrinks into his shell as it. were and hides from the public gaze in the ruck of a field. A*- times ho puts his mind on racing, and steps out in the stylo which won him honours in the Welcome Stakes. Ho ran 23 races as a three-year-old, and of these he won three, and was placed in pix others. Some of his placed performances were achieved in classic company. Ho was second to Nones in the Wan era mi i Guineas, and third to Desert Gold and Nones in the Champion Plate. He also ran second in the Wellington Handicap to Montana, and had 15 others behind him, when bent by n length in 2" 3.5. Ho won the Suburban Handicap nt Trcntham. and in h : s final win, scored in the Courtney Welter undi r 9.8, when ho gave 161 b and a three-length beating over a milo in 1.42 3-5 to Ringform at Riccar-

ton. Tliie was ut the last Groat Autumn meeting. During tin pr< si-ut s/uason liairi. Evo I'uiktl to win until in; bcoivd at Oumui'U. iic was placid twee in tlie spring, and again .it the New Zealand Cup meeting, whero lie ran second to Bellshirc in the Apprentices' Plate, when giving away 141 b. He finished second in the Federal Handicap to Golden King when in receipt of 31b, and beat Golden Prince (giving lOib), Aerial (giving 91b , Kilboyno (giving 81b), and Pyjama, who wan in receipt of 101 b. On the first day at Onmuru Battle Evo (inished fourth (beat by a

length and two necks) by Kilboyno (even terms), Hon (in receipt of 41b), and Oxenhope (giving 361 b). Pyjama, who was in the race at a difference of 1411). but did not start, had won ut Waikouaiti, where ho beat Moneymaker and Quirinus, a pair of moderates. Jn the VVaitaki Handicap Battle Evo met Golden Prince on the same terms as he heat, him at Wingatui in the Federal Handicap. Aerial came in on lib worse terms as regards the first day. and 51b worse on the Grand Stand Handicap form. Pyjama came in Ti la worse terms, and Bon on 51b worse terms than when he finished behind Battle Fvo in the Grand Stand Handicap. Kilboyne arid Bon beat Battle Eve on the first day at Oamaru, and lie met the first-named on 161 b, and Bon on 61b better terms over a furlong Ices ground m the Waitaki Handicap. Tins glance at form shows that Battle Eve was close up in both his races at Wingatui, where he scored a fast-finishing second and a fourth. Ho was also ('lose up on the first: day at Oamaru, and yet in the Waitaki Handicap he met horses on better terms than when they had just, previously finished behind him. Battle Eve's good form is thus accepted either as a fluke, or not at its proper value. Despite, however, the fact of lik being apparently well handicapped, he was one of the outsiders in the Waitaki Handicap field, which he led home in going away style Hence a horse that is generally considered a rogue is not altogether such bad property as such a derogatory ap'pelation suggests at first blush. TAPANUI HANDICAPS. The recent holiday meetings have brought about some very remarkable alterations in handicapping figures. For instance, in the St. Andrew's Handicap Rorke's Drift was asked to give 271 b to Sedd-el-Bahr, and over a mile in connection with the Tapanui meeting there ;'s only 21b between them. Ogier was in receipt of no less than 461 b in the St. Andrew's Handicap, but at Tapanui is raised 191 b, whilst Rorke's Drift goes up lib. To show that Rorke's Drift was not considered harshly treated on that occasion, it may be mentioned that the Calibre gelding carried £664 on the totalizator, whilst Ogier was supported only to the extent of £B4. Under the circumstances the owner of Ogier has not received a very hearty invitation to patronise the Tapanui meeting—in fact, on paper he is invited to stay away. Sedd-el-Bahr was in receipt of 171 b when hedefeated Rorke's Drift at Invercargill, and in making him come in on 151 b worse terms over the same distance it seems that a rather flattering opinion has been passed as to his merit, whilst the somewhat indifferent form exhibited by Rorke's Drift has been accepted as correct, and brought about a marked change in handicapping. Rorke's Drift was apparently not at his best whilst at Invercargili, and the idea of him being temporarily off colour is gathered by the report that at one stage of the Southland Handicap he was no fewer than 30 lengths away from the leaders. The others engaged in the Tapanui Cup are hacks, and their chance docs not read attractive on paper, although they may prove equal to the flattering opinion which has been accorded them. Their chance, however, seems a bit remote, unless some of the best goods engaged are temporarily "off colour," or not screwed up to concert pitch for the meeting. The figures have also jumped a good deal in connection with the sprint event. In the Grand Stand Handicap at Wingatui Sir Malt just scratched homo from Palisade and Golden King, giving the winner 241 b. was coming on when he finished two lengths away. Golden King then picks up the big prize of the Southland turf in the shape of the Invercargili Cup, and on the second day of the same meeting Sir Malt beats Golden King a neck when in receipt of 101 b. At Tapanui Sir Malt is asked to meet Golden King at 51b. That may bo a correct estimate, but in some cases the Tapanui handicapper seems to accept a horse's worst form ps its best, and handicaps them accordingly. The gravest error a handicapper can make is to accept bad or indifferent form as corect, and in the case of Rorke's Drift and also that of Golden King the error is accentuated by the fact that within the past few days both horses have displayed winning form equal or bettor to the best shown during their racing career.

THE DANTE CASE. A correspondent, whose letter appears in another column, writes commenting on a note which appeared in reference to the Dante case recently attracting a good deal of notice in Victoria. Our correspondent is critical, and strongly inclined to agree with the legal men who finally decided the matter in the Full Court of Appeal; hut also writes in a. strain suggesting a cure rather relative to the complaint itself. Ho holds that as three of the principal occupants of the judicial bench ovorrodo the decision of the Victoria Racing Club the legal men must be right. TheHegal king, as it wore, can do no wrong. The legal interpretation of racing law is in this case claimed to bo right, and, on the other hand, the racing authorities interpretation of racing law held to be wrong. "One can rest assured beyond doubt," says our correspondent, "that their decision is correct according to the rules." That being so, "Sentinel's" opinion is wrong. Lot lis glance at the situation. One does not lightly criticise the rulings of three such loading lights of the legal' world as Chief Justice Sir .John Madden, Mr Justice A'Bockctt, and Mr .Justice Hood. With all respect to the opinions of the judges named, and also our corn spondent, the writer is far more inclined to agree with the ruling of the Victoria Racing Club's committee than with that of the | occupants of the judicial bench. Our i correspondent claims that the legal men have given a decision which is right according to the rides, but admits that ho is not conversant with the Victorian Rules of Racing. Anyone should. however, recognise the justice of a contention and admit that a horse which is ineligible to start in a race should not, under any circumstances, receive the stakes in the event of a win, and, tl at. I) ng so, a horse which fraudulently participates in a race, oven though it docs so by the innocent assistance of a time-being owner, is_ fur more undeserving of the fruits of a win. Would tho legal racn who sat on tho case give a

verdict in favour of an illegitimate claimant of a .-.mi of money where a legitimate was also in the ii Id. and not only m the field, but held the best legal claims as Well as being a legitimate in law': A ring-in horse i.- an illegitimate in racing law, and, even in common law, tie v.i.i-.-r believes lie is. right in saying that an illegitimate who lajs claim to an estate under the impression that he i> legitimate cannot substantiate, and make good his claim if it i pioved that he is illegitimate and that there is a legitimate claimant to the same estate. In the Dante case there was a legitimate claimant to a stake, but the three judges awarded it to the illegitimate (innocently so) claimant. even though they recognised that the horse was wrongly entered, and hence not entitled to run at all, ii' a horse is not entitled to start in a race, how, by any Stretch of imagination, can it be entitled to the stakes in the event of a win? Our correspondent thinks that tiie judges are right in their interpretation of racing law. One of the first rules of Australian racing law is that a horse's nomination must be correct. According to Rule 34 of the Australian Rules of Racing. "No horse wrongly or insufficiently described shall be allowed to start." Rule 27 states that every horse must be clearly identified. Rule 33 reads: "Any entry made contrary to these rules shall be invalid unless the committee of the club is satisfied that the horse intended to be entered is sufficiently identified, and that there is no reason to suspect fraud." Rule 141 states: "If a horse has been diaqualifiod for any particular race, or for anything occurring in such race \ov refercntially in connection with any such race) the prize or money won shall be awarded as though such horse had not started in the race. Any such horse cannot receive a stake, and for the purposes of racing law is non-existent." In other words, a horse ineligible for a race in automatically disqualified : yet on the face of plain and positive decree in the Australian Rides of Racing we have three judges ruling that a horse is non-existent several times over 'in racing law is legally very much alive; and hence-, as the writer pointed out in the first instance, some of us are at times inclined to agree with Mr Bumble concerning his opinion of the law. In the Dante case the judges may have administered law, but not justice: that ie, of course, justice from a racing point, of view. In the Australian rules we have it, that in the first, place a horse must be correctly entered (Dante, being actually Kingarvv, was incorrectly entered, and proved to be so?. In the second place we have it that a horse wrongly described, shall not be allowed to start. In the third place any entry made contrary to the rules is rendered invalid; and finally, commonsense demands that a ring-in horse should be automatically disqualified if it is proved that any such horse has displayed good form under another name, and when a nomination suggests that it is either n maiden performer or one of moderate form only. It would be ridiculous and logically absurd if it were otherwise. No one ever hears of a bad performer being "rung in." It is invariably thus that the presumably ordinary horse running in masquerade is something -which investigation proves to have about three stone the best of the weights if it were handicapped on its right name and performances'.

THE INVERCARGILL MEETING. The Southland Racing Club's summer meeting did not attract particularly large fields; but there seemed to be plentv of money about, as the investments showed a big increase over last year. The chief event on the programme provided a great finish between the placed lot, and some of the spectators in the outside enclosure received the judge's verdict with noisy disapproval. In a close finish, which is a matter of short heads between tho placed lot, it would be impossible to say what had won when viewing the finish from such an angle as that which must be taken by anyone in the outside enclosure. Anyone knowing the Invercargili course would readily pardon one for stating that the malcontents were shouting through their pockets. Daytime, however, made no mistake about winning on the second day. when favoured by a shorter distance. He beat Rorko's Drift over a length. Rorke's Drift apparently put up a remarkable performance, as it is reported that at one stage of the race he was lying _ 20 lengths away, and must have been galloping well at the finish to get close up at the end. Samiesen got away with both the sprint events, and this was not surprising. in view of the brilliant form she displayed at the New Zealand Cup meeting, o where she won the Cressy Welter under 8.3 in 1.12. The" increased returns on the totalisator will no doubt encourage the club to come out with a strong programme at future meetings, and by doing so command a goodly share of the patronage that has to be shared with other clubs at that time of the year. THE NORTH OTAGO MEETING. Although fields were on the small side at tho North Otago meeting, the racing was. on the whole, very interesting, and some good finishes were'fought our. The small fields, however, were principally responsible for a pronounced falling off in the investments, as it was noticeable that when fields were of fair size the betting run up to fair totals. The hard going in evidence of late had knocked out several horses that might .have appeared at the meeting, and this, iii conjunction with the large number of holiday meetings taking place on the same dates or near them, ma.de small fields the rule rather than the exception. On the first day Margerine just stalled off Adjutant in the "North Otago Cup. _ The latter could not get going in the early part, but was staying on under strong pressure over the last two or three furlongs. Ringform did not threaten any gr< at danger, and Golden Prince and Aerial dropped out after going about five furlongs. In the chief event on the. second day Adjutant and Ringform fought out a great finish in the Buckley Memorial, in which Margerine was in trouble a furlong from homo. The weights, however, read in favour of Adjutant, as he was a good third in the Fendalton Handicap. run over the same distance, when giving 121 b to Ringform, whom ho now met on 161 b better terms. Adjutant was sore, and otherwise would have scored comfortably instead of his win being really due to vigorous horsemanship. Kilboyno scored a comfortable win in the chief _ sprint, but caught Eat tie Eve in a galloping humour on tho second day, when the latter, in receipt of 161 b and a year, won going away at tho finish. During tho meeting the smallness of tho f; 'lds * was a much-discussed topic. It was suggested that the meeting should take place in the same week as the Duncdin meeting, and also that the dates should bo abandoned in favour of the Southland

' Racing Chili. Tho drop in tho investments is hound to make i l ;.' ciub consider rho question o! dates lir-fori." next vcir. bul much ] may happen during the next 12 months.