IN A NUTSHELL

Otago Witness, Issue 3384, 22 January 1919, Page 47

IN A NUTSHELL

it is easier to buy a racehorso than it is to sell one. • The Dunedin Cup, of 1500sovs, attracted a nomination of 28. ."--«), was refused for Punka. ~ Sarto had two winners at Timam to recall his name and existence. Handicaps for the C.J.C. Midsummer meeting are due on January 24. The dispersal sale of the Elderslie atud. takes place on Friday, February 7. Drowsy, the dam of Punka, has tnur season a Charlemagne II colt at foot. _ Mr B. 0. Gillies has been appointed president of the North Otago Jockey Club. The North Otago Jockey Club programme contains two handicaps for two-year-The nominations for the C.J.C. Midsummer meeting are rather better than usual. , , Several horses have been engaged in both the Dunedin Cup and Publicans' Handicap. Handicaps for the Dunedin Cup meeting are due on January 27, and acceptances on February 7. ' - Acceptance for the first day of the Forbury Park Trotting Club's meeting are due to-dav at 5 p.m. Some rather poor riding was ui evidence at Timaru, and more than one rode with mere heels Ilian head. ' . Barley Rigs seems to be on the improve, as he stayed on much better than formerly, when he won last week. The well-performed mare Carlita. has a Linacre filly foal at foot, which fills the eye as a promising sort. Martifors, a winner at Wairio, is a sister io liighwater, the winner of the D.J.C. Birthday Handicap of 1917. Af<or his wins at Invercargill many went for Bellshire- at Timam. but the company was a bit too good for him. Melee does not look harshly treated at ihe minimum in the Anniversary "Welter if he is as good as some think. Spyglass was strongly supported for tha Flying at Timaru, but she and Tyne did not scorn class enough for the others. Four North Island hor?es in Menelaus, Mascot, Hose Pink, and Red Ribbon have been engaged in. the Dunedin Cup. G. Pickens, an apprentice attached to R. J. Mason's stable, scored his first win when he won on Barley Rigs at Timaru. Judging by the way many horses shape in their races, they are trained for events that do not exist—three furlongs or so. Royal Star, Take Down, Margery, Caverock, and Linden aire- included in the nominations -or the- C.J.C. Midsummer meeting.

Moorabbe was expected to make good last week, but after being a bit slow off the mark, the best she could do was a moderate second. Mr C. Piper, at one time a well-known reinsman and trainer of light-harness performers, acted as stipendiary steward at Timaru. ' „, , , The Winton Trotting Club's programme attracted good entries. Twenty-four nominations were received for the Winton 1 rotting Cup. , , Mar°-«rine looked to have a chance on paper at Timaru, but she has not been doing too well, and was beat over two furlongs from home. , • , Mr Bruoe Christie, of North Otago,-has decided to sell off his stud on February 8, the day following the dispersal sale ot tlie Elderslie stud. • . . . ■ ~ The declaration of forfeits for the D.J.C. Champagne Stakes finds the crack two-year-old Surveyor included m the list of likely starters. ..**». m i„ Torfreda has dropped out ot trie J -«J«graph Handicap, and may be sent for the Wellesley Stakes, in whioh she is favoured by being minus a penalty. The Quicksilver gelding Silverspire scored an easy win in the Aparima Steeples, and, as he is a half-brother to Magdala, may win in better company. has been doing one will be entitled to upbraid her for the misleading form she displayed in the Dunedin. Guineas. Marsa had a bad ran at Timaru. She lost ground at the start, then did not have her chance assisted by going round the others on the turn into the straight. The- Catmint—Symbolism filly engaged in minor events at the Dunedin Cup was got in England and foaled in New Zealand. Her dam was imported by Mr J. B. Reid. The postponed race meeting of '.he Cromwell Jockey Club takes place.on Saturday, January 24, and promises to be the best meeting held in the district for many years Radical was travelling well for about five furlongs in the Gerrytown Welter, but then petered out. It is to be hoped that he is not a speedy flash-in-the-pan ■runner. ~ •„ . II C 4. Next week Dunedin will have its first trotting meeting of the season and first to take place since May of last season. After such a long spell a good attendance should be assured. Handicaps for the North Otago meeting will be declared on the Monday following the Dunedin Cup meeting, and acceptances fall due on the following day; Tuesday, February 18, at 7 p.m. The Tuapeka County Jockey Club hold a credit balance of £37, and after marking time since the curtailment of racing permits caused by the_ war, hope to provide a programme at Easter. The Wellington Cup meeting takes place on ..Wednesday and Saturday of this week. The doubtful nature of the ferry boat service may prevent many South Islanders from crossing the straits. Osterman, who beat a moderate lot in the Wairaki Handicap at the Wairio meeting, is a three-year-old half-brother to Golden Kin°\ Osterman was got by Cronstadt, a brother to AH Red. The Washdyke track looked in good order last week, and carried more grass than usual. It provided better galloping ground than when some very fast marks have been made on the course. John Barleycorn scored a comfortable win last week, and was staying on at the business end. He seems quite sound again, and should pick up another race or two during the. season. Winter Cherry has been trackmates with Punka in most of the latter's fast work, and the former's running in the Anniversary Welter should throw- some light on the Cooltrim filly's Cup chance. Mortbain was well backed last week, but after showing the way up to about five furlongs he stopped in the run homo. Ho did. not seem to s be so brilliant ea in the early part, of the season. The Hazlett Memorial Plate attracted 11 entries, including last year's winner, Fiery Cross, who has been off the scene for some time. Another previous winner of the race in Koesian is also engaged. A Press Association cable message from Sydney states t>hat_ hopes of Desert Gold figuring at the Rahdwick autunm meeting vanished when thait mare and Killowen were shipped for New Zealand. At the sale of Mr G. F. Moore's yearlings the Bonny Helen yearling made 250 gs, the Oka colt sold at 195 gs, the Seaspray oolt made 125 gs, the Rosie Desmond colt 160 gs, and the Formless colt 80gs. Daytime was a shade unlucky at Timaru, as Mortham carried him wide, and tbis left an opening on the rails for Pyjania, with the result that the last-named had all the luck of the race, and won by a head. Despite his musical troubles Pyjania eeems to be staying out a good six furlongs. He has now won at Wingatui, Invercargill, and Timaru this season, and wins the goods when apology has to be made for others. Molyneux, by Danube—Potl* d'Or, purchased some time ago by J. M. Cameron, finished second at Men tone -recently, bu* failed to draw weight. Cameron was fined £2 for failure to have his horse correctly saddled. not survive appeal to the Racing Conference, it will be a most unique, affair in racing matters to find an owner going under the ban in connection with a race which his horse won. Tho four days' racing at Ellerslie during the recent holidays yielded £15,268 10s 7d in taxation for the Government Treasury. This is one very wise and substantial reason Why the Government are willing io restore racing permits. ---Bondage did not get too well away when *he won at Timaru, • and her task was not made any easier by being brought round her field. At the finish she stayed on and beat Hytem, and in doing so ran h remost pleasing race this season. . In the Pahiatua Cup, one mile ' and a-quarter, Snub has 9.9 and Battle Song 8.5. Io the Wellington Cup Snub has 8.1 and Battle Song 6.13, and the wide margin made in the two races suggests that Snub should not be last at Trentham. Mr R. E. Harley did excellent work at the barrier at Timaru last week. He had his fields in excellent line each time he lifted the barrier. That some horses got badly awny did not niter the fact that the starter gave them ever)' possible chance. The North Otago Cup, of 500sovs, is to 255050 vs in stakes at the meeting to be held on February 20 and 21. The principal events will be the North Otago Cup, of BOOsovs, seven furlongs; and the Buckley Memorial Handicap, of 250sovs, one mile. moon and Heathercoto fare with each other in the Wellington Cup. Heathercote is entitled to the chance allowed by the handicapper, but if he ran to his best form should beat the Yaldhurst three-year-old. ' — The Danube gelding Tyne stuck well to business when he just beat Bandy in the President's Welter, but no great merit was

attached to the win, as the class was rather moderate, as Bellshire, who beat Bandy at Invercargill, had no chance in the chief event. —Mr R. H. Aldworth had several close finishes to decide at Timaru last week. In some cases no one outside the box could say for certain what had won, and it stands as a tribute to the confidence Mr Aldworth holds that none of the verdicts were questioned. The Kilbroney filly Irish Elegance won easily at Timaru, and finished so full of running that she may do better work amongst a stronger class than she defeated last week. Madama, the dam of Irish Elegance, is an imported mare by Minstead —Knight's Dame, by Six Hugo. The majority of the best horses handicapped for the Wellington Cup still remain in the race. The most notable withdrawals are Teka, Bonny Maid (who was injured in the Auokland Cup race), Karo, and Kilrush. Battle Song is the only horse handicapped under 7st to make the acceptance. Owners should note that nominations for the North Otago meeting at 7 p.m. on due date, and not at 5 p.m.," the hornadopted by other clubs. No doubt the old state of affairs which permitted nominations to close much later will soon be in vogue again. • Red Tape, a double winner at the Wairio meeting, has been some time in the making." He could probably do better over country, as he is a big raking sort that should be up to weight. He was got by All Red from Portia, by Bill o' Portland from Happy Land, by Musket. One did not require a very long-distance memory to give John Barleycorn a chance at Timaru. He ran a very fair race at Invercargill, suggesting that he was in something like form, and read well on paper, as, far Instance, he was meeting Subterfuge on 291 b better terms than at the Kurow meeting. _ . , The English-bred fillies- Bonny Briar and Favorita were both sold on tho same day at Christchurch, and meet again for the first time at Trentham in the Ruapehu Handicap, in which Bonny Briar has to give away 13lb. Favorita has still to show some sort of form, and is making her debut this week. After Bombproof won at Timaru some people were wondering why he made such a poor show in his first raoe, in which he was only a fair third. In the Spring Stakes Bombproof had his chance spoilt by getting ridden to the front after getting slow away. When more patiently handled Bombproof ga.ve a much better display. Braid has given ample proof that she does not stay, and as that is so, she was very injudiciously handled at Timaru by b?ing rushed to the front round the outside of the field after getting badly away. She went out to run seven furlongs, but failed to get six, and stopped badly. Rushing to the front may be right in some cases, but in others it means rushing to defeat. Some of the riders at Timaru did not seem to realise that the course provides a run in of over two furlongs, and hence it was very poor horsemanship indeed to take a. horse round the outside of the field when racing over the top turn in order to retrieve ground lost in the early part of a race. Such tactios makes a horse's task doubly severe, and where a long straight exists it is much better t'o wait until a -run can be made without covering extra ground. If a horse has speed enough to run round his field and hit the front after getting left, it could be used to much better advantage if kept for the quarter-mile straight. His many friends will be pleased to hear that Mr J. J. Cotter, who was badly injured in a motor car accident some months ago, is once more about. He, however, still bears the scare of a vers' lucky fall, as it must be considered since he is alive to tell the tale --The North Otago Cup, of SOOsovs, is to be run over seven furlongs, a distance which, on the Oamaru course, gives a straight run of well over two furlongs from the rise of the barrier to the first turn. Glenwood, the winner of the Wairio Cup (and who also landed a double at the VinceirLmeeting), is not in the Stud Book, and the writer is indebted to "Sir Modred" for tho information that Glenwood was got by Glenculloch .from Miss Collingwood, by Leinster (Albany—-Zelica) from Miss Moore, by Le Loup—Marjory Moore, by May King, a horse probably identical with one of the name bred in New South Wales, and got by King Alfred (imp.) from Mayfly, by Old English Gentleman. May King was imported to Wanganui in 1879. _ A Press Association message from Wellington states: The District Committee dismissed the appeal of Mr E. Short, a prominent owner, against his disqualification by the Wellington Club stewards for two years in connection with the running of Demos in the •Shorts Handicap at the October meeting. Immediately the decision of the District Committee was given in the Demos appeal case Mr Short lodged security for an appeal to the Racing Conference.