TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3337, 27 February 1918, Page 41

TALK OF THE DAY.

By Sentinel THE GORE MEETING. Balboa has been so long off the scene that it is very doubtful if he will be able to reproduce the form which has kept him up to the top-weight in the Gore Cup. When he ran at Wingatui last season he was placed on even terms with Rorke's Drift; and some handicappers would have let him away a little from the Calibre gelding. Gunrest last met Rorke's Drift in the Riverton Handicap, when the latter won when in receipt of lib; and now has the best of it at a difference of 41b. Kilboyne has been racing over short courses, but generally finishes on well, and is bred to stay, so that 8.5 should not prove a harsh burden for him over 10 furlongs. The stable is also represented by Marsa, who would be very dangerous if she could be relied upon to reproduce her track form. Thaddeus ran a good, but unlucky race in the D.J.C. Handicap, when he was defeated by the narrowest of margins in a gallop equalling a track record for the distance. He reads very avoll treated in meeting Marsa on only 41b worse terms, and Kuawheio on 81b worse terms, as they were both unplaced behind him at Wingatui. His latest form and his win at Tlmaru last season over the same distance suggests that he is the pick of the handicap. THE INFLUENCE OF A TAPROOT. Martian naturally came in for a good deal of prtiise for adding Margerine to his list of Cup winners, as well as being responsible for Wardancer, who acted as runner-up in the chief event at Wingatui. It, however, seems lo have escaped notice that two othe rsiros in Boniform and Glenapp belongto the same f'amjly as Martian. Boniform got Heathcrcotc, the winner of the Champagne Stakes, and a promising sort of a colt. He ako got Almoner, who has strong claims to be considered the best two-year-old seen out this season, and many other good performers. Glenapp is best known as the sivo of Fiery Cross, and would in all probability have done much better at the stud with fair opportunities. When we find three sires belong to the same family doing good v/ork at the stud it ifi only fair and just to grant some of the kudos they gather to the taproot as well as to the tail male line. In fact, it might be claimed with a good show of reason that in the case of Martian, Boniform, and Glenapp, the female side of the pedigrees is entitled to the most credit, as it has produced three good sires to three different lines of blood in tail male. Glenapp's third dam, Sunray, is also the third dam of Martian and Boniform. Then again, both Otterden (dam of Boniform and Martian) and Finnart (dam of Glenapp) are grand-daughters of Hampton; whilst, there is another, but somewhat remote relationship on the other side of the tree, as Glenapp is a representative of the OxfordSterling branch of the Birdcatchor line; whilst Martian is -a descendant of Birdcatcher through Stockwell. Boniform, however, represents a different but very meritorious Musket line, which keeps op. asserting its merit, but which, nevertheless, is in danger of being neglected for the socalled fashionable strains. Bruce Lowe's theory was the first work of note to stress tho value of the; female side of a pedigree. ard in the above brief reference to three of the most successful sire." represented at tho T}unedir. Cup meeting it is found they all belonsr to the same taproot. Bruce Lowe, however, did not regard the No. 1 family

to which Martian, Boniform, and Glenapp belong as a groat sire lino, although it was and remains the most successful running lino. "Very few great sires," said Bruce Lowe, "have sprung from this line in proportion to its winners"; but it has improved in that respect, since his day. At the time Bruce Lowe wrote his book, Melbourne, Glencoe, Whalebone, and Whisker were the best known sires of the No. 1 family, but since then Bend Or, Cicero, Spearmint, Neil Gow. Prince Palantine, Swynford, \Ladas, Roi Herodc, and others have helped to lift it into further prominence as a sire lino. "WON EASILY." One of the most misleading and misapplied terms used in connection with racing is the "won easily" so frequently tacked to a winner who scores by two or three lengths. A victory by such a marfin is commonly considered an easy win; ut in many cases a so-called easy winner by, say, three lengths could not in all probability increase his winning distance by a yard. A very noticeable case occurs in connection with the Wanganui meeting, where we are informed that Biplane "won under a pull by two and a-half lengths" in 1.13 1-5. The Wanganui track is not a particularly fast course, and hence one is inclined to doubt whether even the flying son of Comedy King could fracture a record when finishing "under a pull,'* particularly when there are strong opinions abroad that the colt was not strung up to concert pitch for his recent engagements. Estland is reported to have captured the Wanganui Guineas with the usual "won easily" by two and a-half lengths in 1.41 2-5; and hero again wo have an easy winner scoring in almost record time for the track. No doubt thej: won easily in the last two or throe strides after doing their best until almost at the post, and if that is not so one wonders what such easy winners could do if ridden right out. Koe- N sian ia said to have won comfortably by three lengths from Waimotoa, who was a head in front of Crowhurst in the Flying Handicap. The handicapper, however, made the margin at 7lb between first and second, and allowed the third lib when compiling the weights for the second day. On paper Koosian appeared rather leniently treated, and so he was as far as Waimotoa is concerned, as he again boat him, although having in turn to play second fiddle to Crcosus. whom ho met on 121 b worse ..terms than on the first day. Of course, the luck of the race may make a mile of difference to the result ;• but the narrow margins at the finish of the Farewell Handicap give further proof that.one should take «omc of the "win easily" verdicts with a bit more than the proverbial grain of salt. THE SPEED' CRAZE. There is a strong tendency at the present time to accept a brief burst of speed as tho hall-mark of a great racehorse, and this has become rather noticeable since Desert Gold landed in Australia. The cable has been carrying us news of her great burst of speed over sprint journeys; but she had -proved her brilliancy time after time in this country, and hence her smart gallops on the Australian training tracks did not create any surprise over here. . It is ipe. great' stayers that live in racing history, such as that enriched, by Carbine's deeds, and before she sets seal to . her fame on the turf Desert Gold will have to tackle and defeat the best in the Commonwealth that can be pitted against her from a mile up to two miles. Her trainer (F. Davis) has stated to a Sydney pressman that Desert Gold can stay any distance if trained to go a journey. If that is so, we must attribute her defeats over a distance in this country to the fact that she was not given a suitable preparation to carry her beyond a middle distance. It does not apnear, however, to be a sign of the best judgment in- the world to race her in such events as the Trentham Gold Cup without a suitable preparation, as such a thing is not only courting defeat, but may, and very likely would, help to dull a horse's zest for racing. Many and many a horse has been dubbed a quitter when, if the facts were known, defeats that contributed to tho bestowal of such a character should really be attributed to lack of capable training. Desert Gold's greatbursts of speed on the track have not apparently scared opposition in Australia, and hence she will be able to show the top of her form through running against more stalwart opponents than she found in the majority of her races in her native land. It was hoped that she would show to advantage over a distance in Victoria, but, judging by the accounts of her track work, she may not bo asked to run in the King's Plato at weight for age over : two miles. She, however, may be ready to saddle up for such a race by March 9, when the final card of tho Flemington meeting comes up for decision. Th/re are two ways of regarding Desert Gold's Australian campaign. One is that she will win all* before her, and the other is that the tour will supply a real sporting test of her galloping abilitj'. THE WAIMATE MEETING. The Waimate mooting has long been fully recognised as one of the most popular oneday fixtures on tho racing calendar, and the nominations for next month's race meeting should allow it to maintain its popularity. A nomination of 13 in the Cup should result in a satisfactory field bein<r found at the post, particularly as there is a substantial trophy to make the race carry a strong appeal to a good sporting owner. The Waimate Cup trophy, it is worthy of remark, is one of the very few- offered by the racing clubs of the Dominion. Killard seems to have paid rather well for his success in the D.J.C. Handicap, as he moets Marsa on 151 b worse terms than when they met at Wingatui, and Comely on 261 b worse terms than they ran in the Buckley Memorial. Still, the Kilbroney gelding won with all the luck of the race against him, and must again be very dangerous in a sound-run race. There are. however, race meetings taking place at Akaroa and Gore prior to the Waimate meeting, and the figures for tho latter fixture can stand aside until after the declaration of acceptances on Monday, March 4. THE RIVERTON MEETING. The Riyerton Racing Club's programme retains its substantially-endowed prize money, and the chief features will again be the Riverton Cu-p. of SCOsovs; the Great Western" Steeples." of 300sovs; the Easf.cr Handicap, of 200sovs; and the Riverton Steeples, of 200sovs. The Riverton Cup will bo run over a milo and a distance, and this popular journey should help to build up .the" numerical strength of tho field. The Easter Handicap has been altered to one mile and a distance, and tho other stakes range in value from lOOSovs to

130sovs. Nominations are due on Wed- | nesday, March 13. I