TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3419, 26 September 1919, Page 47

TALK OF THE DAY.

By Sentinel. THE OTAGO CARNIVAL WEEK, The establishment of a carnival week in connection with the Dunedin Cup meeting by amalgamation of forces by the Dunedin Jockey Club, Forbury Park Trotting Club, and the Agricultural Society has met with widespread approval —particularly by those who havo noticed what a great success is annually achieved in connection with the Carnival Week in Christchurch. The New Zealand Cup meeting*, with the combined

attractions of the New Zealand Trotting Cup meeting and the Agricultural Show, has never milcd to attract, thousands of visitors to Christchurch during uio week, and a similar magnetic attraction would prove, when once established, a great success in Dunedin. The fact that tne principal commercial firms have agreed to grant three half-holidays during' the week will be a- big factor towards building up the success of the gathering, and by way of compensation there will be a suspension of racing by making Friday of the week an off day. A closer dove-tailing of racing' and trotting would be more- suitable to visitors attracted only by the fixtures at Wingatui and Forbury Park, but the mutual benefit of those providing the combined attractions had to be studied, and the plan mapped out should prove satisfactory. The gathering will open with thp Forbury Park meeting, which commences on the Saturday and be continued on the following Monday. Tuesday will be open for the Gun dub's pigeon-shooting match. The Dunedin Cup will be run on the Wednesday, which will also be judging! day at the show. Thursday will be "Peoples Day" at Tahuna Park, Friday, as stated above, will be an off day, and the Dunedin Cup meeting comes to a conclusion on the Saturday. No doubt excursion trains will run in connection with the Oiago Carnival Week, which will prove one of the most progressive movements ever made in Dunedin. a . THE KUROW MEETING. The Kurow Jockey Club's programme,, which comes up for decision on Uctober 2 on the Cumaru Racecourse, has attracted a rather better claes of horce than usual, and the excellent acceptances received shou : d make it the most successful fixture ever held by the club. -i gr.at ...... ~;u<; factor towards the splendid prospects held •by the club is, no cioubt, duo to tho fact that the meeting will take place on tho convenient and centrally-situated course at Oaira.ru, and it is pleasing to note how racing clubs assist each other in a difficulty. A field of 13 has paid up for the Kurow Handicap, which is the ch:ef item on the card, and the aceptanccs received in connection with the balance of events also show a pleasing numerical strength as well as quality. Kilmoon, who is at the head of -the list with 9.0 in the Kurow Handicap, in addition to winning in Sydney last spring, ran nine races in the Dominion. He opened his winning account here in the Wellington Handicap, which he won in a fairly good field with 7.9 up. in 2.10 2-5 on a slowish track. Ho had Heathercote, Afterglow, and Scornful behind him when he ran second to Gloaming in the New Zealand Derby—three lengths away in 2 37 2-s,—and he put up a good performance when heads divided Snub and himself in the Canterbury Cup, with. Sasanoi another head away. Kilmoon also ran an excellent race under ,7.13£, when he finished second to Devotion in the Metropolitan, won in 2.32 3-5. On that occasion ho and Kilrush were fehting. matters cut at the head of a good field when Devotion flashed on the scene and gained the verdict. Kilmoon was unplaced in the Auckland Cup, and he ran Gloaming to a length and a-half when the latter won the G.N. Derby in 2 31 2-5.-His next placed performance consisted in carrying 9.0 in the Midsummer, in which he gave Adjutant 71b, and ran him to three parts of a length in. however, a somewhat weakish field. With such form to his credit Kilmoon is not harshly treated with 9.0. Ho is asked to allow Bon Spec 111 b, who is a rather speedy customer; 1 ; and would set the opposition a task if .forward enough in condition. The uphill finish at O.imaru always accentuates the distance of a race on the track, and Kilmoon should be going on when most of the others are commencing' to tire. Ron Spec, is nicely treated through Mortham on their running at the Ashbur'ton autumn meeting, where he beat the latter into third place over six furlongs when in receipt of lib. Bon Spec should beat Bortham again at 21b wor&3 terms over an extra furlong—a distance, however, which may net suit cither of the pair. Bellshire. ran Borodino to a neck when attempting, to give the latter 2:b at the Beaumont meeting, and reads to have none the best of it at 131 b over the same course. In fact, Bellshire reads badly treated, because Borodino ran well in good company at the Grand National meeting. Linden has been off the scene for.-some time. but. as he won the Southland Handicap with 7.4. the last Kurow Handicap with 7.1,' and also other good races, he is well treated through peroral of the field. Indus and Braid are both in at Geraldine, and -the' running there should ffive the best line to their chance at the Kurow meeting. Of the two, Indus is preferred at the nrcsent time. Indus should beat Kilkec. a.- he gave h ; m 201 b and a beating-over six furlonro at Timaru. Of the three last-named Braid appears to have the worst of it. aa she does not stay too well. fodd-01-Bahr is well treated on his best form, and Marianne is out to help to make matters interesting at 7.2; but at the nrrsent .stage Bon Spec, Ki'moon, and Borodino read as well as anything engaged.

THE. DUNEDIN SPRING MEETING. The list of entries received in connection with (lie Dunedin Jockey Club's spring meptitiir, together with the result of tho first payments for the M'Lcan Stakes and Dunedin Guineas, form ample material to make a particularly successful opening of the racing season at Wingatui. The liberal increase of prize-money naff mot with an apnrcciativo response from owners, and it only requires favourable weather to make the' meeting a big success, now that the railway service is to be restored to its pro-war time-table. Six New Zealand Cup candidate* are included in the entry for the Mosgiel Handicap, and several likely to be engaged in the Stewards' Handicap—the Newmarket of the Dominion —have been entered for the principal sprint events. Tho entries for the hack events ran to a fine numerical strength, no fewer than 40 bcine: engaged i;i the Clarendon Handicap; and the welters have also been well patronised. The response to the hurdle'events is a bit disappointing, but, taken all round, the list is very pleasing. Several attractively-bred youngsters w'll. all going well, make their debut under silk in the M'Lean Stakes. Sir George Clifford has allowed two of his team to continue their engagements. One is a brown colt named Winter Wind and got by Antagonist from Windwhistle, bv Clanranald, and the other is a brown colt named Cbuntcrstrokc and got by Antagonist from Countermilo, by Quarry man —Safeguard, by Maxim. Countermine won the M'Lean Stakes (then known as the Dunedin Stakes) of ISO 9. Southland is represented by Mr W. Stone's MartM D»-c-, ;• Martian from Two Step, tho dam of Martian Princess and War March, and by

Mr Cecil Hazlett'a Windermere, a gelding by Sunny Lake from Angele, the*clam of Kilhopo and Angelina (dam of Kilgour), and Adelicia (the dam of Warplane) j and. also by Mr K. Russell's Sollerino —Eager Eyes geid;r.g. A local owner in Mr "Redcastlo" has a filly named Euena, by Solferino from Ruenalf's Daughter (dam of Marianne), to carry his. colours; and it is pleasing to note that a new racing banner will be unfurled if Mr H. 11. Fisher's filly Bebehead, by Birkenhead from Rebe, by Bezonian from Blue Water, by St. Leger from Sapphire, goes to the post. Mr.C. G. Dalgety has found Wingatui a fairly happy hunting ground, and he will be represented by Jazz, a gelding by Solferino from Stardancer, a sister to Warstep, who was a rather smart galloper in her day. Mr R. G. D. Aclancl, who returned from the front in time to see the Grand National meeting, is represented by Orange Mart, a Nassau filly from Martine. Mr El. Whitney has Hallucination, by Boniform —Bonny Dream, and Sagacity, by Treadmill —Saga, to do battle for a stable that is always in the tiring line. F. D. Jones has Mantua, by Solferino —Rose Salterne, by Rokeby, engaged, and the list is completed by Mr W. Crossan's Raconteur, the colt by Kilbroney from Parable, a Dunedin Cup winner, and Mr Gerald L. Stead'* filly Glen!a.ke, by Sunny Lake from Rosytlfe Amongst those remaining in the Dunedfn. Guineas is Sir George Ciirford's Miss Mimio (winner of the C.O.C. Champagne Stakes) and Royal Stag (winner of the M'Lean Stakes and Autumn Nursery Handicap), Mr J. B. Reid's Sunart (a winner at Oamaru and a plaoe-getter in the Challenge Stakes), Mr D. J. .Stockwell's Link Up (winner -at the last Wingatui spring meeting), Mr G. L. Stead's New Zealand Cup candidates Starland and Orango Bitters, by Nassau— Ormalu. Several other owners are represented by well-bred sorts, and there is every prospect of good fields being seen out in both the classic events. Handicaps are due on Sentember 29 and acceptances on October 3.

A CHANGE REQUIRED. It would be interesting to know why some racing clubs adhere to most awkwardc fe and inconvenient hours for taking nominations and acceptances. The greatest blunder in that direction seems to be the closing of acceptances on a Saturday night at a late hour. It might be unavoidable in some cases where the declaration of weights may occur rather too close to the end of the week for the accotances to close earlier than Saturday, but in. the majority of cases where that day is still adhered to it is due to nothing more or less than a Jack of thought on the part of those concerned. In the first place it means hanging up til© publication of aceptances for the best part of two days, and this state of affairs. 13 most inconvenient to owners and trainers. Take, for instance, the case of the Geraldine meeting, which occurs this week Ine acceptances wero not dm until Saturday last at 8 p.m., and would not be known to those most concerned until the Monday morning papers reach the. various training Quarters, which are some distance from town. With the meeting taking place on the following Thursday and .Friday, and the prospect of a two or three days road journey in sight for some of the-horses, trainers would be naturally anxious to obtain the acceptances before leaving home. The fact that the goods train scr,v:ce is restored this week saves the situation to some extent, but clubs should ..avoid making Saturday the closing day for either nomin- ,* tions, acceptances, or declaration of handicaps. In fact, it is a matter which the Raoina Conference should take up, and make a uniform day and hour for such declarations. The hour should certainly to 4- p.m. or 5 p.m., as it would suit the convenience of secretaries, telegtaph offices, and the press-better than the out-of-dau3 hours still" some clubs. THE GORE MEETING. The principal features of the Gore spring meeting will be the Waikaka Handicap, of 160sovs, one mile and a distance; and the Spring Handicap, of 2Gosovs,. one mile and a quarter. The principal sprint events will be the -Stewards* Handicap, of 115sovs, six furlongs, and the Flying Handicap, of 130sovs, six- furlongs. Next in -value comes the Charlton Handicap, of j:HW, seven furlongs; and the Murihiku Handicap, of ■ 130sovs, one mile. Other events range m value from 80sovs to lCOsoys. The programme includes four light-harness events, each with lOOsb'w. Nominations close on Monday, October 6, at 5 p.m.