TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3347, 8 May 1918, Page 41

TALK OF THE DAY.

By Sentinel, THE FORBURY PARK MEETING. The curtain will be rung down on our local light-harness racing season on Saturday next, when the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s autumn programme is booked for decision. The acceptances are numerically of a pleasing strength, and will enable the club to issue an attractive card for the day. An excellent field of 17 has been paid up for in the Winter Oats, of 400sovs, which forms the star attraction, and the same number is found standing in the Jeffs Memorial. Excellent fields also continue in the St. Clair Handicap, for trotters “hitched to sulky,” and the Flying Handicap, which supplies the chief short distance event of the day. As usual, the Amateur Handicap is rich in quantity, if not in quality, with a field 0£._26, and the Innovation Handicap follows it closely in numbers with a field of 24. The balance of the card also pro- 1 raises to provide some interesting sport, and the club requires only the assistance of good weather to be quite satisfied wtih the result of their autumn programme and final fixture of the ; .year. THE DUNEDIN WINTER MEETING. The Wingatui racing season will conclude with the D.J.C. winter programme, and the fixture promises to maintain its popularity if a lengthy list of nominations can bo accepted as a safe indication of such a pleasing state of affairs. The chief attraction of the gathering will bo the Otago Steeplechase, of 500sovs, which has filled with a nomination of 15, and the Wingauti Steeples gathered an additional number of entries. The two minor ’chases filled with about a dozen entries each, and no doubt the fact that some of our hunt clubs will not hold any meets this season has not helped to* bring out fresh cross-country horses, otherwise these events would have received much better _ patronage. The hurdle races received satisfactory jiMronage, and, all going well, the three jumping events on each day’s card should provide good sport. The Birthday Handicap and Provincial Handicap filled with a good class of handicappers, and the balance of the flat-racing events also attracted satisfactory patronage. Altogether there is ample material listed to provide a successful termination to the season. Handicaps for the first day arc duo on May 24. A NOTABLE CHANGE. When a prominent horseman deserts the saddle for the less exciting, but by no means less arduous, calling of training, it savours of throwing the last sod on the grave of this horseman to dig out records of his bygone achievements in the pigskin; but such a stop in the case of F. E. Jones deserves more than a brief notification of the fact as appeared last week. F. E. Jones has been almost entirely identified with the Chokcboro Lodge horses carrying the bluc-and-gold chequers of Sir George Clifford, but he has also achieved some very notable wins on “foreign’’ horses if one may call them so, because they were connected with outside stables. “ Chokebore ” Jones must not be confused with “ Yaldhurst ” Jones, who has already been conspicuously successful as a trainer, and it will bo remembered that ho was a vorv capable rider in his day. F. E. Jones has been deservedly recognised as a really good horseman, and the records of important events finds him identified with many good winners. He was conspicuously successful in the D.J.C. Champagne Stakes, in which ho steered no fewer than eight winners during the past 10 years. His success in the C.J.C. Champagne Stakes has also been very good indeed, as in this raco Jones handled six winners in the past eight years. Ability in handling youngsters can generally bo aceptcd as proof of good horsemanship ; but Jones did not confine his success to steering juveniles. Ho won the Auckland Cup on Sir Solo, Canterbury Cup on Warstop, and he also won the Great Autumn and Dunedin Cup on the same mare. F. E. Jones won the New Zealand Derby on Husbandman and Masterpiece, and the Metropolitan on Tannhanser and Indigo; but space will not the writer to go through what ho has achieved in the .rank and filo handicaps. Lot ■ it suffice to say that ho has proved himself in flip saddle, and if ho exercises a similar good judgment in getting horses fit and well, he is" bound to make good as ■ a trainer. AN OPEN QUESTION. Finmark, as far as stake-earning ability is concerned, stands out as the most bug-

cessful two-year-old in Now Zealand during the fast-waning season; but it has 'to be said that 0113 can hardly accept Almoner's latest form as being correct. The lion if own —Cassock colt put im somo good performances in Australia, and there is no shadow of doubt that ho is much better than his latest form suggests. It is true that he looked bright and well when stripped at the 0.J.0. autumn meeting, but bis form was too bad to bo true, and he may have temporarily lost zest for racing owing to being set for an oarly campaign in Australia. In much the same way Heathcotc's latest form :'s not acceptable, an done is strongly inclined to leave it an open question as to what is the best of cur youngsters as far as 1 acing merit is concerned. There is no doubt that the speediest two year-old seen out is Torfrcda, and the «olid manner in which Finmark chas-xl and wore her down at the Man'awatu meeting also leaves no doubt as to the stamina possessed by the son of F inland and War Scare. Bopecp was a smart, nippy fn.'y in the spring, and Informal dso showed good form early.in the season; but the general impression left in the writer's mind is that our present two-year-olds will in many cases see a much bettor day in their second season. Hence the juvenile honours of the present season bay represent only a fleeting superiority, which will be completely overshadowed by the form based on the more mature running of our next racing year. Still, there is no denying that Fimnark has steadily improved and trained on, and ho threatens to develop into a high-class three-year-old, likely to keep the best of his ago well into the collar to lower his colours.

A NOTEWORTHY IMPORTATION. Amongst tho things worthy of being placed on record is tno fact that Liberty Loan, ono of tho best three-year-olds in the United States, is a tail male descendant of King Tom, whoso line is best known to us through his female descendants. Liberty Loan won the Twenty-fifth Latonia Derby, and ran the mile and a-half in 2.30 4-5. He is a brown colt by Dick Fennell, from Martha Palmer by Sewpromius (son of Wisdom) is from Alccst, by Hmdco-Mary M‘Gowan, by Longfellow. Dick Fennell was got by King Eric (grandson of King Tom) from Tea’s Over by Hanover—-Tea Rose by King Alfonso. We, however, are principally concerned in the fact that Liberty Loan is a tail male descendant of King Tom, who achieved undying fame as tho sire of St. Simon’s dam, and so closely participated in the parentage of one of the most successful racehorses and sires the world has even known. _ King Tom failed to establish a dominant lino in tailmale,_ but in siring the dam of the mighty St. Simon he made a. big place for himself in racing history. We also have much reason to appreciate him, as ho sired Mermaid, who has long established herself as ono of the best taproots in tho New Zealand Stud Book. There was also a good chanco of his line achieving prominence through King Cole, who sired that unquestionably great horse, Nelson; but pursuit of fashion and consequent neglect of the good old-fashioned lives representing solid worth lost place more through lack of opportunity than lack of merit. King Colo was worthy of every chance, as his dam was an own sister to Vedette, th; sire of Galopin, and most of our owners conversant with his form woiud like to have tho equal of Nelson in their stables tc-day. Strange to say, we have a tail male descendant of King Tom in this country in the shape of a recent importation in Clarcnccux, and it will bo interesting to note how breeders appreciate his inclusion in our Stud Book. THE ASHBURTON MEETING. Tho Ashburton Racing Club will not reap a very satisfactory reward for pluckily hanging up a 400sovs purse for the principal event to be decided at their autumn meeting, as probably a field of only five will face the starter. Since the nominations closed several horses have been thrown out of training for some reason or other, and now Battle Eve is reported to be unlikely to see the post, owing to the development of soreness. Under the circumstances Adjutant will no doubt start favourite, and he seems to have a fair chance of retrieving some of his lost laurels. He ran a fair fourth in the Great Autumn, and with a sound-run race should shape well at Ashburton with 51b more on his back. Battle Eve's form at Rip car ton and Timaru would have made him dangerous if saddled up, but ho has been on tho easy list for some days. Marsa meets Battle Eve on 121 b bettor terms than at Timaru, and, considering that she did not get a chanco owing to stopping at tho post, has nothing to complain about on the score of weight, as it practically moans coming in on about a stone bettor terms for not running. If she wore more reliable one would not like to name anything to beat her; but, despite her galloping abiltiy, she is rather too hazardous a proposition. Kilboyne has a nice handy weight, and if ho does not fight too much with his rider should bo close up at tho finish. Still, both ho and Marsa will bo under the disadvantage of tho journey from Wingatui, which moans tho best part of two days on tho train on tho ovo of the i-aco. Spangle and Majestikoff have both been shaping well sinco racing at tho Timaru mooting, and tho field, though small, should provide an interesting race. Tho Grove Farm Handicap may find Killjoy and Mortham disputing favouritism. and Tremena will also bo in tho market if she docs not take battle against Gay Lad and others earlier in the day. In this race anti others on the card several horses claim more than ono engagement, and tho real strength of a field may look rather different when at tho post from what it does on paper at the present time.