IN A NUTSHELL

Otago Witness, Issue 3430, 9 December 1919, Page 54

IN A NUTSHELL

Fichu is now 21 years old!. Acre cost 300 gs as a yearling in Sydney. Don Pacifico bears a much-improved appearance at present. Hymestra is said to have developed fractiousness at the barrier. Cello Sydney Wilkes has won close- on 2000&OV3 in stakes this Eeoson. Nominatwris for the "Wellington Cup nieoting are clue on December 19. Miss Mimic i 9 reported to ba showing improvement in her work at Riccarton. Nominations for the Waikouaiti meeting are due on Wednesday of this week. Nominations for the Lake County meeting are due on Wednesday of this week: A chestnut sister to Tip Up is the latest addition to D. P. Wilson's stable. Mr G. L. Stead! has paid up for both Kilmoon and Melee in the Auckland Cup. Handicaps for the Southland Racing Club's summer meeting are due on December 19. The New Zealand Trotting Derby, of 500sovs, to be run in 1922, closed with 111 entries. F. Holmes handled the winners of both the trotting events decided at the Methven meeting. K.aro and Battle Song are regarded in some quarters as equal favourites for the Auckland Cup. Cup in his best form he would be entitled to strong support. The first payment for the Auckland Cup and Railway Handicap created an exodus from both fields. The New Zealand Cup winner Seahorse was recently represented by a winner in the United States Twenty-three remain in the New Zealand Trotting Derby of 1929 after the second payment for the race Machree, a three-year-old filly by Bezonian —Lady Helen, sold at 300 gs during the Feilding meeting. C. Emmerson, who leaves shortly on a visit to England, was back in the saddle at the Methven meeting:. R. J. Mason's team is represented .by Karo in the Auckland Cup end Rossini in the Railway Handicap. The cross-counlry rider L. G-. Hegarty has been granted a trainer's license by tho Canterbury Jockey Club. Moutoa Ivanova, one of the principal winners at the Feilding meeting, is a four* yeax-old sister to Sasanof Handicaps for the Dunedin summer meeting are due on December 12, and acceptances on December 19 E. Griffen, formerly of Asliburton, has taken up a position as private trainer to Mr D. Morton, of Invercargill. Killowen met with an accident a few

days ago, which will prevent him from racing for some little time. o:x> of the entries in the New Ze-aland Trotting Derby of 1922 is a filly by Logan Pointer from a Martian mare.

The writer has to thank the Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association for an invitation to the Summer Show. Carbine's skeleton is now en rou'o to the Southern Hemisphere, where he won a world-wide reputation en the turf. Belgian King, who won a double at Methven, was got by Cronstadt (brother to All-Red) from Pensive, by Obligado —Mr W. 11. Kemball's team for Auckand will include- Hymestra, Trespass, Explorer, Snub, Scornful!, and Welldone The pacer Fiction, who recently won in Tasmania, put up a milo and a-half record at Timarti, when he went 3.37 in 1901. The smart filly Moor fowl has been training satisfactorily since scoring her dual win at the New Zealand Cup meeting Reports from Auckland state that Mr W. 11. Kemball's Trespass is likely to come into favour for the Railway Handicap. Sir Samuel Hordern distributed £SOO amongst the Melbourne hospitals after Artilleryman's win in the Melbourne Cup. The Bezonian— Satisfaire two-year-old Weary Willie was on offer at 1500 gs prior to winning at the Auckland spring meeting There is not the slightest shadow of a doubt that the control of racing at present is so lax as to become a- danger to sport. Thestius put up good form at Methven, but hs was well beaten by La Pa:x over four furlongs before going to the meeting. The Solferino filly Ruena has contracted a bad cold, and in consequence was not nominated for the* Duuedin summer meeting t Mr-A. M : DoiT3ld is sending a .earn ol four to Auckland. The quartet will consist of Affectation, Torfreda, Murilnku, and Rose Wreath. ' , , Belgian King landed a double at. Methven, and by way of supplying coincidence started fourth favourite on each occasion.

Two " tapped in the- wind" racers in Thestius and Pyjama finished first and second in the Electric Handicap run at Mtthven. —Mr G. L. Stead's team for Auckland will be Kilmoon, Bonetter, Moke, Sttirland, Golden Crozier, Eight and left, and Wnnigau. . |—The data for receipt of entries in connection with the Otago Central Trotting Club's meeting has been extended to tha 20th inst. -«- F. H. Gray -whose license had been previously withdrawn by the Canterbury Jockey Club, has. now been disqualified for six months. - —lt is understood that the Melbourne Cup winner, Nightwa'ch, has been sold to' an Indian buyer. The purohase price- is something like £2OOO. —lt is eaid that the S.P. merchants in the north received a severe castigation. in connection with the second day of the Foxbury Park meeting. —'Acacia, the two-year-old sister to Desert Gold, who met -with an accident, has made a good recovery, and will be sent to the stud next season. War .Saby, the winner of the Trial Plate at Feilding, is a half-sister by Martian to the two-year-old Bebehead, and a member -of C. Giesler's stable. The St. L-eger winner Keysoo was defeated in the King&clere Stakes, run at Newbury, by the Spearmint filly Flying Spear, carrying the same weight. Sun art has apparently recovered from the mishap he met with early in the spring, as he figures amongst the nominations, for the Dunedin summer meeting. Rewi Poto, who broke down in Australia, was brought back to the Dominion last week. He is still lame, and has probably ended his racing career. The smart sprinter Statuette, who seems able to deliver the goods at each time of asking, is one of tb& missing in the A.RTC. Railway Handicap. The Auckland Cup field dees not look a particularly formidable on*, and if Affecation saddles up .fit and well be should not lack plenty of support on the day. The Grand National Steeplechase- winner Lochella has been shod', and will go into easy work as a preliminary part of his preparation, for coming cross-country events. The 11.500-guinea yearling which set a new record in price paid for a baby thoroughbred, was got by Swvnford from Blue- Fit, by Wildfowlor from Petit Bleu, by Eager. Affectation was reported to be Eore after racing at the Feilding .meeting, but apparently the trouble is not deep-seated, as the colt still figures in the Auckland Cup. The Petrovna gelding Master Dennis, who-was seen out at the South Canterbury spring meeting, showed improving form by scoring a second at the Methven meeting. Northern reports state that Simonides is back to something like the excellent form he displayed as a two-yea T-old, and in consequence is in favour for his Railway Handicap engagement. First Salute, who won at Riccarton, followed up her success by sscoring again at the Feilding meeting. First Salute was got by Marble Arch from Salute, by Soult from Lady Musket. —Mr F. Armstrong, the owner of Sleight of Hand and other horses, intends leaving next year on a trip to England. He will, however, keep some horses in training in R. Gooseman's stable. Excellent entries have been received for the ■ minor events on the Dunedin summer programme, but the more richly endowed races filled in a somewhat disappointing manner. _ _ Burrangong ran" another of his unlucky races by getting second to Macduff in the Methven Cup. He, however, could do no less, as, apart from the winner, the race was contested by a weak field. Melbourne Cup meeting will be in the neighbcurhocd of £30,000. The largest profit ever made in connection with the meeting amounted to £25,356, gathered in 1888. —lt is not generally known, says "'Whalebone," that the large fields prevailing of la'e nearly caused the riders to take action recently, the claim being that there was not room for half the horses at the barrier.

Erin's Logan, who ran second in 1 lie Farmers' Trot -at Hethven, had to run the gauntlet of a protest on Vlie grounds of interference with Edie Mac before finally receiving the stake attached to the position. The new stand to be erected by the Auckland Trotting Ciub will accommcdate 11,000 people. The stand will seat 4000, and the balance will obtain an excellent view from the terraced steps fronting the building. Six of the 14 engaged in the Ot-ago Handicap also claim other engagements on the first day of the Dunedin summer meeting, and the fact points to the possibility of a small field being seen out in the principal event.

—.Horse-owners will have ample opportunity to patronise the Dunedin Cup meeting tliis season, and still have plenty of time to ship their horses to the Wanganui Cup meeting, which is booked to commenca 12 days later. The death is reported of Pallas, one of the speediest horses of his time. He won fcho

Randolph Handicap with 8.9 in 58 3-5 in 1902, ,and recorded the best gallop over the distance until Machine Gun reduced it to 58 in 1901. Right and Left looked open to more improvement when raced at Riccarton then any of tho youngsters who finished in front of him at tho same meeting. He is a big lustylooking youngster that should improve with racing experience. Snub meets Mascot on 301 b better terms than when they met in the last Auckland Cup. Snub moots Blue Cross at Sib, Kilmcon ■■at 111 b, Bod Eibbojr at IGlb, and Heathercote at 151 b better terms than when they met in the last Auckland Cup. Judged by tho comparison of entries in- the Otago Handicap and St. Andrew's Handicap, the Dunedin Jockey Club would have received a- very poor entry for the former race °if the distance had remained at one mile and a-half. Sir George Clifford's colours will not be represented at the Dunedin summer meeting. Part of his team will race at Auckland, and tho stable will also be represented at the Manawatu meeting, which again extends over three days. Two archers in embryo in J. Sunbeam and A. Ellis opened! thoir winning accounts in connection with the Mfrthven meeting. The former won on Belgian King, and the latter rede Thestius when ho split winning honours in the Mount Hutt Handicap. There are a poor lot of hurdlers and ’chasers about at present, and it is hoped that owners of horses likely to make good between the flags are not overlooking tho fact that the Dunedin Jockey Club is offering good money at its Juno meeting. The Martian horse Triumph a tor, who was bred to a. few maxes last season, is leaving some rather promising-looking sorts, which suggests that he will take higher honours at the stud than he did on tho racecourse, were it must be said ho never received a proper chance to- distinguish himself. The two-year-old filly Teosaxea, by Demosthenes—Gold Thread, was a wellbacked chance at Peilding that failed to justify tho confidence placed upon her chance. The fact’ that she wont out favourite for the Feilding Stakes suggests that she has been showing some smart track work. There was a trophy attached to the Methven "Cup, end when acknowledging its receipt Sir George Clifford said he had never won a New Zealand Cup, Auckland Cup, Wellington Cup, or a Dunedin Cup, though he had many tries; but his fortune had turned in this respect—ho had now won the Methven Cup. cote, first, second, and third in the New Zealand Gup, figure as acceptors in the Auckland Cup. The field also includes Mascot, last year’s winner and a Canterbury Cup winner, a distinction which Snub also claims. Dusky Eve, the Wanganui Cup winner, is also included in. the field. The fact that the expected influx of visitors during the Carnival Week will find difficulty in procuring accommodation augurs well for the success cf the gathering. It would, however, be a great pity if the carnival suffered through lack of patronage owing to a fear that visitors could not secure suitable accommodation in or close to town. The Martian—Lady Lillian gelding Thostius has always displayed speed, but, owing to being amiss in the respiratory organs, could not stay very far. He, however, seems to have improved a good deal of late, as, after winning over five furlongs at Methven, he came out again during the same afternoon and dead heated with Mythology over six furlongs. Logan Pointer is so well represented in the nominations for classic events that there is not much doubt that he has received better opportunities to make good at the stud til an any other stallion ever imported from America to this country. He is, it is pleasing to note justifying the patronage received, as winning representatives cropped up as soon as his stock appeared. The Australian Jockey Club has purchased the Moorefield and Warwick Farm tracks, and they will be closed for racing purposes, with the object of condensing the amount of racing in the Sydney metropolitan area. A redistribution of permits has been made, and mutually agreed up by the clubs concerned', and the sport will be placed upon a better footing than previously. It is expected that about £50,003 more prize-money will be given under the readjustment of meetings. The clayey nature of the ‘ ground at Wingatui makes it difficult to work tho plough gallop in good going order after it has been laid up during the winter months, and a small quantity of coal dust has been thrown on the track as an experiment upon its assistance towards making the earth mere friable. Some years ago the writer was authorised to offer the club a small mountain of coal dust lying at tke Chain Hill coal mines for topdressing the Wingatui tracks, and no doubt the offer would be renewed if the present experiment suggested that it could be used to advantage. Good progress is being made with tho topdressing of sand to the grass tracks at Wingatui. About 1000 loads will be spread on the grass training tracks, and a similar number oxi'the coarse proper. A largo quantity of spoil is also * being stacked .up, and will in due course be used as topdressing material. When tile topdressing has been completed the Wingatui tracks will provide very much better going than what has been tho case since the formation of the course. The improved state of the ground will naturally be a great assistance and help to trainers in the preparation of their horses, and give Wingatui a much-needed boost as a training centre. The law of tho land generally provides a, sliding scale of penalties in order to supply opportunity to make the punishment fit the crime, but in the recent betting cates which were heard in Christchurch too much law end scanty justice seems to have been administered in the case of a first offender. In very many breaches of the law a first offender when found guilty not infrequently escapes any punishment beyond the publicity which hia misdemeanour has attracted, but when the extreme penalty is inflicted on a first offender in a betting case it appears as if there is one law for these who transgress through racing end another for those who commit far more serious crimes which are not free from connivance by the general public. It is, of course, not suggested that any law should bo broken with impunity, but the spirit of fair play should be found in its -administration. Times tire report ii republished of the famous 10-mile race which took place at Wagga about half a century ago. The rider of tho winner, Mr W. Yeomans, who is now Iko ripe age of 75, is still in the land of the living, and owns a station on the New South Wales' side of the Murray. The 10-mile raco was for a 300sovs stake, with a oaovs sweepstake, welter weights. Yeomans won on a horse called Australian, and covered tho distance in 23 in in 35sec. Some cf the old pioneer sportsmen wore all wire andi whipcord, and led a far more strenuous life than the modern followers of the game; still.

without wishing to pluck a leaf from the laurels which some of the old-timers won, there is plenty of proof that the present generation is also made of tough material. This may not bo demonstrated in the racing world, but it was when Mars kept the world in a turmoil during the great war. In commenting on the 10-milo race, a writer in the Weekly Times makes unfavourable comparisons between the present-day generation of owners, trainers, and riders, and those of bygone years. The comparison is, however, somewhat unjust. There are hundreds of owners, trainers, and riders to-d'ay where only dozens could be counted 30 or 40 years ago, and naturally the larger figures show a much bigger percentage of weaklings. Still, there are plenty of riders capable of riding two ox three races over the Flemington or Bicoarton country in one afternoon's racing, and that may be taken as a far higher test of horsemanship, courage, and stamina than riding what really amounted to about three-quarter pace work over 10 miles on the flat. It would be idiotic to return to the ideas and methods of sport which existed half a cen-

tury ago. One might as well expect an intelligent person to make a trip round the world a wheelbarrow when up-to-date motor cars are available. Half a century or so ago race _ tracks did not have their present-day ■ bowling-green evenness to assist time-making, but it is nevertheless interesting to draw a comparison between the record attached to the 10-mile race and some gallops recorded m recent years. The winner of the 10-mile race put up 23rnin 35sec, or approximately 2min. 21sec to the mile, which works out at a far slower rate than that at which horses travel when racing over big country. A 2.20 in fact, a pace well within the ability of the present-day pacer, and the horse need not be a particularly high performer in that branch.of sport. It is ridiculous to claim that, a big percentage of the present-day thoroughbreds could not, when in fair condition, travel 10 miles at threequarter speed. Praise the great deeds of the past by all means, but not at the expense of the present generation, when there is abundant proof that it can even excel the traditions of the past when occasion demands.