TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 1 March 1921, Page 39

TALK OF THE DAY.

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SENTINAL.

THE GORE MEETING. The Gore Racing Club will hold their autumn meeting on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, and, although fields threaten t-o be small, they should supply some interesting racing. Rorke’s Drift has been completely out of form since he jarred a fetlock at Wingatui, but he figures at the head of the list in the G.1i.0. Handicap with 8.4 against his name, and with such a comparatively light weight up he would not require to be at his best to score a win. Still, something with more recent form to recommend him is preferable. Tin Soldier now meets Linden at 12ib easier terms than they ran first and second in the D.J.C. Handicap. Linden has since run well at Oamaru, where Melee appeared a shade lucky to beat him at 91b, and there is now 51b between them over the same distance. Palamon has been showing improved form, but pulls a bit too much and may not last the distance. Still, he must command a lot of respect with 7.10 after his wins over a mile at Wingatui and Oamaru. Both Palamon and Linden look as if they should beat Melee on Oamaru form. Bengeroop has been oil the scene for some little time, and the state of the going may affect his chance more than his handicap. ITe looks well in on his best form, as it will be remembered he won the Kurow Cup with 7.4, and followed on by running a good second to Kilrush at the D.J.C. spring meeting'. Then came his second to Amythas over a mile at the same meeting, and liis third in the New Zealand Cup. At the South Canterbury meeting, he had 8.15 when he ran Radial to a length over a mile, and if he should strip well at Gore must be a hard nut to crack. Possibly Linden and Bengeroop may bo found disputing favouritism in the betting. A repetition of Killowen's form at Oamaru would entitle him to be favourite for the Summer Handicap, but Satisfaction mav prove the more reliable of the two. Thaddeus, if reserved, would probably start favourite in the Croydon Handicap, and the same honour may be paid to his stablemate. Night. Alarm, in the Otaraia Welter Sembrie and Red Pal will be well backed in the Longford Handicap, and Duiimme and Grafton Tot hold the best credentials amongst the chasers in the Welcome Steeples. A DANGEROUS SEAT. In his _ speech as guest of the evening at the Gimcrack dinner Lord Londonderry strongly condemned the crouch style of riding. Applause greeted his statement that the old style of riding was by far the best, and he did not believe the “new style was in the best interests of racing. He urged the stewards to take more notice of the. danger which crouch riding created in racing, and advocated the compulsory increase in the number of apprentice races with the object of giving the new generation of jockeys a better chance to become good horsemen. The majority of those in close touch with racing will cordially agree with Lord Londonderry’s of the crouch seat, The fact, however, remains that the extreme crouch has been strongly condemned ever since it became the fashion over 20 years ago. and yet it finds followers at the present day. The old tongs style of riding is as dead ns an Egyptian mummy, and all the best horsemen of recent years have made a success of a modified crouch, which allows a rider to sit up and prove of some assistance to a- horse in a. finish. ’Hie idiotic extreme crouch which allows the knees to meet over a horse’s withers is seldom seen nowadays, and never adopted by anyone who has won a claim to be considered a good horseman. The crowding, bumping, . and jostling which is far too frequent in our racing is principally duo to the crouch seat, which prevents riders from seeing where they are going in a race. The interference which takes place cannot be said to be deliberate in very many cases, but is due to bad, dangerous, and most ungainly style of riding. At the last Racing Conference an effort was made io place a check on the use of the extreme crouch seat, but so far this season there seems to have been no further action taken in the matter. If the authorities do not insist

on the adoption of a sane seat the crowding, jostling, and bumping which not infrequently is set down as unintentional interference will always remain an undesirable feature of our racing. A GREAT SIRE. The victory of Lovematch in the Wanganui Cup draws additional attention to the great hue of stayers which have been sired by Martian, and it is to be hoped that every effort will (be made to give his line a chance to carry on. We have lost the great Traducer’s line in tail male, and also allowed some of the best of Musket’s get to leave the country. -Fortunately, Musket is again getting a chance to regain prominence. Martian has achieved a great record in siring both great speed and stamina. He sired winners of the New Zealand Cup in Ardenvhor, Menelaus, Sasanof, and Vagabond, as well as a dead-heater in War--step. This remarkable record has been compiled since 1914. Sasanof stands to his credit as a Melbourne Cup winner, Warstep and Mascot are a brace of Auckland Cup winners got by the son of Otterden. He sired the winners of the Canterbury Cup in Oherubim (who also won the Australian Cup), Reputation, Warstep, Snub, and Mascot, Dunedin Cup winners in Bee. Tannhauser, Warstep, and Margarine, and Trentham Gold Cup winners in Warstep and Sasanof. In addition, Martian has got a host of other good winners such as Danube. Adjutant, Nanna, Rossini, Warlove, Royal Star, Warlike, Melee, and others, whose collective winnings in New Zealand and Australia total over 180,0Q0sovs. THE BEAUMONT MEETING. The Beaumont Racing Club has drawn up an attractive programme for their annual meeting, and it is featured by the Beaumont Handicap of 150sovs, the Dunkeld Ti ot of 150sovs, Molyneux Handicap of 140sovs, and four other events with from lOOsovs to 130sovs. Nominations are due on Saturday, March 5. THE RIVERTON MEETING. The principal events on the Riverton programme are as followsßiverton Cup of 500sovs Great Western Steeples of 500sovs Easter Handicap of 400sovs, and Riverton Steeples of TOsovs. Nominations are due on Friday, March 4, at 5 p.rn.