IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3525, 4 October 1921, Page 44

IN A NUTSHELL.

Rose Pink has been retired to the stud, and visits Royal Stag. General Advance paid over a score when he won at the Avondale meeting. Kilfane is not shaping anything like the promise he made as a two-year-old. Nominations for the -South Canterbury spring meeting are due on November 8. , Donny Mac was fancied and backed at (reialdine, but ho failed to deliver the goods. Handicaps for the Gore meeting are due on October 10, and acceptances on October Hallucination is one of the fee blest-look-ing racehorses that the writer has ever seen. Lady Lois, the winner of the Avondale Stakes, is said to have been brought privately for £32. J All Absurd s stock are not sure winners. Carnbrae seems to be one of poor relations of the tribe. Indus runs like an ordinary squib. He can jump and has sped, but puts no heart into hie work. Bell rock ran well and jumped good at Geraldine, but lacked condition to continue on successfully. There was one winner at Geraldine, although the rider apparently did his best to be otherwise That once good hurdler Don Francisco appeared at Geraldine, but shaped as a thing of the past. Samarang pulled cut a fair turn of speed at Geraldine, although not quite enough to pull in a dividend. Orange Mart is generally bad at the barrier, but last week went even one more by being bad in a lace. Nominations for several important events to be decided at the New Zealand Cup meeting are due on October 7. The total is a tor investments at the Geraldine meeting- ran to ±'29,669 10s, or £1353 in excess of last year. It is reported that Hector Gray leaves England for the return voyage to the Dominion some time this month. Os ter man ia a half-brother to Golden King, and continues in the same proportion by being almost half as good. Songbird won on both days at Geraldine, and as be seemed to have something in reserve should continue to pay his way. Mr P. O'Leary has abandoned the life of leisure of an ordinary sportsman, and is now mine ho3t —one of them—at Timaru. General Retain shaped well enough on the flat, at Geraldine to suggest that when back at hurdling lie will produce a dividend. A prominent owner in Auckland was anxious to buy Mermen, but Mr W. G. Stead refused to put a price on his colt. i Linden exhibited soreness when racing at Geraldine, and on the hard going did not stride out so well as his supporters expected. Madam Chiron has been running consistently, and although distinctly sore at Geraldine struggled on gamely into a winning effort. Pyjama sports a rather sound middlepfece as a result of his enforced spell, but his recent racing should help to bring him along in condit.ic.ii. Caverock ran both days at Geraldine, but seems to be one of the plodders c.f the Madder family. At hi 3 best be threatens to win a race. Judging by previous and subsequent form Red Blaze’s nearly half a century dividend at the Grand National, meeting seeing to have been an accident. Large fields were seen out in the trotters, ancl pacers races at Geraldine, but the battles were not particularly interesting as racing spectacles. Cupidon put up a smart gallop when ho won the A.J.C. Derby in 2.33|. The record for the race is held by Noctuiform, who won in 2.321. Kilboyne, the Australasian leeord holder for six furlongs, looks well in on paper at 211) above the minimum in the D.J.C. Electric Handicap. Acceptances for the Dunedin spring meeting are due on October 7. Payments are due on the same date for the M'Leari Stakes and Dunedin Guineas. Some ot the horsemen in action at Geraldine said that the course was rather rough, and not. the sort of going likely to help a horse to victory. Mr F. C. Thomas was the weight adjuster at Geraldine, but Mr Harry Brinkman manipulated the figures following- the mimes of the trotters arid pacers. Almoner had a pull in the weights in the Geraldine (To owing to his rider being able to claim a ,'lb allowance, but even so lie finished outside- the money. On her run in the Otaki Handicap some gave Seaside, the four-year-old filly by Autummis, a chance in the Farewell Handicap, but forgot to back her. Sleepy Head again found the opposition too good for her at Geraldine, but if she strikes a track where the going is in her favour may help to pay expenses.

Malaga may l>o a difficult horse to handicap, and hence handicapped on the safe side, but lie looks rather nattered amongst the top weights in the Electric Handicap. Battle Scene, the rather good-looking dauliter of Martian and Edna May, ran disappointingly at Geraldine, but may yet be found racing in keeping with her breeding. Mandrake hae been finishing on well at the end of his raoes, and shapes as if ho could win oyer a longer course than he has beeu travelling at Ashburton or Geraldine. Jack Arrah put a foot wrong on Saturday tipped out his owner and driver, Mr Jack Richardson. Fortunately neither horse or horseman were damaged by the fall. Pitprop has won twice on end, but is still an unknown quantity, as he wins so well that it will not be surprising to find him scoring in better company than ho has met up to date. Foo Chow is one of the ruling favourites for the N.Z. Cup, but he did not assist in building up hopes for the big race at Riccarton by pulling up lame after running in the Geraldine Cup. The New Zealand Trotting Cup fancy Albert Cling fell a few days ago when doing a work-out, but fortunately no greater damage than a slight leas of skin and liair followed the tumble. The Glenculioch gelding Jock had the advantage of a 7lb allowance at Geraldine, but the concession did not bring success. He may be found shaping better on a bigger track such as Wingatui. Eleus was a runner at Geraldine last week, but is still too big to reproduce his best form. He, however, is coming on. and should be dangerous in a race before being saddled for the N.Z. Cup. Kiltartan attracted one’s attention last week as a daughter of Kilbroney and Flora Macdonald (who ran as th.e Dunedin Cup winner of 1914), but she requires more time to get on the winning list. Bon Spec was looking big and healthy when he made a reappearance at Geraldine, but, although he displayed his old pace, failed to carry on. If he stands up the Signal gelding should catch a race. Mr W. G. Stead had a good day on the second card of the Avondale meeting, where he wen with Sir Otway (the two-year-old brother to Surveyor), AbsurcVum, and Radiant Light, a sister to Delight. Mr J. E. Hen rye was amongst the real observers at. Geraldine. It has to be said that some officials go to the races, but do not see much, but cur principal weight adjuster is certainly not one of them. Macduff, the winner of the Geraldine Cup, was got by Antagonist from Scottish Star, by Clanranald Safeguard, by Maxim. Clavorhouse is a full brother to Macduff, but is not in the same class as the latter. Mr Alf. Dickson filled the role of assistant judge at the Geraldine meeting, and the fact was further evidence of the glowing’ demand for his services as the “man in the box." Radial has yet to win over a mile and aquarter. He has won over a mile and a distance, and mode a good show when running second under 10.5 in last year’s Kurow Handicap. Satisfaction was handicapped to give Listening Post 17lb at the Otago Hunt meeting. The latter comes in on 12lb worse terms over a furlong less ground in the Electric Handicap. St. Easel won under remarkable conditions at Geraldine, and is a better horse than even the writer imagined, although there lias been an occasional good word said in his favour in these columns. The Digger did not have much in liis favour when he won at Geraldine, as he had to be punched right out at the end of his task. Still, we are short of useful hurdlers, and he may be found winning again. Admiral Talbot was travelling well up to the stage when he tipped out at the second last hurdle on the first day at Geraldine. The fall seemed to knock some of his dash away, as he did not shape so well on the second day. Trentham Rose seems to bloom forth, or rather first, on very rare occasions. She ! has a good turn of speed, but it does not last long enough. Of course, there is a great number of horses troubled with the same complaint. Grotesque’s defeat of Rational and Mermin in the Avondale Guineas was rather surprising, tts they were both much liis superior as two-year-olds. Grotesque was got by Absurd from Bronze, by Field Battery—Our Lady, by Simmer. During the Geraldine meeting n neat and rather nippy-looking two-year-old in the shape of Mr R. C. Gillies’ filly by Solferino from Canterbury Belle was given a run down the straight, and strode out as if sooner or later she should pick up a race. The Sarto —Margo gelding Little Doctor upset, general opinion by landing the hurdle event, which opened proceedings at the Geraldine meeting. He also made a good ; show on the second day, but The Digger beat him at the business end of the battle. Royal Mac was hopelessly left in his race on the first day at Geraldine, and the fact that he was set a severe task in being hunted after the rest of the fi»ld did net assist his chance on the second day, when some of the stool seemed to have been knocked out his stride. Mr «T. Vigor Brown, member of Parliament for Napier, has presented the House of Representatives with a petition bearing about 7500 signatures prayinsr that the Houses would refuse to agree with the Racing Commission's report as related to the Napier Pa r k 1 1 nc.i n g Club. Necessity was built up into nearly as good ■a favourite as Headlong at Geraldine, but she left her supporters a little shorter after the race than they were before it. Necessity is said to be the mother ef invention, and tho greatest invention of the day would be a sure winner or two or three. There seems to be a general opinion abroad that the Dunedin Jockev Club’s spring meeting will easily be the best ever held at Wingatui. There is a great interest being taken in the M‘Lean Stakes and Dunedin Guineas, and the fields in the handicap events promise to provide good fields for each day’s card. Cupidon’s success in the A.J.C. Derby marked the fourth occasion on which R- JMason has saddled the winner of the richest classic run in Australasia. Cupidon was got by Martian from Belie, by Bezonian —Blue Water, by St. T.eger from Sapphire. The Wingatui-trained filly Bebehead is a half-sirter by Birkenhead to Cupidon. ,T. M'Chesnev is always a good man to have on top when they are running between the flags, but at Geraldine he struck success in winning in an unusual role by getting there on the flat. He was smart away from flie mark, and riding jumpers hae apparently not robbed him of the wisdom of getting a hurry on when riding over a short course. Silver Peak was a quiet fancy for her race at Geraldine, but under 10.0 she failed to pace it over the first couple of furlongs, and lost so much ground that she was too far out to have a winning chance in the run home. She has apparently improved a good (leal since running at Ashburton, but is still far away from the Silver Peak we know at tlie top of here form. ; Lyroe ran two bad races at Geraldine, and his showing was far below the dash lie ; exhibited on the fist day at Geraldine. Both Lyroe and Little Doctor are greys, and some people made a mistake concerning their

identity when racing at Ashburton. On the tho first day Lyroe ran a good race until ho iost his rider, but it was Little Doctor w 1?. the bold show on the second day. Iho Birkenhead gelding Headlong, carrying Mr Gordon I ulton's colours at Geraldine brought a little gust ts> the mill, and when more seasoned threatens to do better \n even more useful horse is Macduff, who got away with both the chief events on the programme. On both occasions Macduff stayed on well in addition to showing speed, and there is no doubt he is a horse that should not be forgotten. Ihe fact that one c,f our stipendiary stewards has inherited a fortune may be .alien a 3 a guarantee that there will be a vacancy to fill amongst our racing officials. It is to be sincerely hoped that th© vacancy will bo filled with someone with horse sens© and knowledge of racing, and not by someone iyho.se ignorance of the business tempts a certain class of owner to use his own rules. 4. he blind cannot, see the dead. Gne of the dividend payers at the Geraldine meeting was in an absent-minded mood and paid the well-kno-wn owner and trainer, J. M'Combo, about half a hundred too much over some tickets by mistaking one dividend for another. When lie realised the situation J. M'C. promptly returned th© money. Search your souls and ask how many people would return an easy half hundred gathered by accident. When a horse is allotted top weight of 9.6 in a handicap h© is in a place where lib more or less makes ail the difference in the world. Foo Chow was handicapped tit 9.6 in the Geraldine Cup, and with an apprentice up carried 8.13, and incidentally showed how 7lb can be dodged at the most important part of a handicap. Foo Chow, however, pulled up lame, and his run at Geraldine neither built up his winning list or chance in the New Zealand Cup. It. is said that too many cooks spoil the broth, but. it seems that the more handicappers the better for owners. In th© Geraldine Cup Satisfaction was within lib of Eleus, and over th© same distance in the Mcsg-ie! Handicap there is 10lb between them. They have not met in the meantime nor has Killowen and Corn Rigs, although the latter comes in on about -a stone better terms than he was invited to run at over seven furlongs at the Otago Hunt meeting. Mr Dave Young, who has been appointed chairman of th© Works Ccminittee of th© Forbury Park Trotting Club, was amongst the visitors to th© Geraldine meeting. Sotu.© trotting men and others who mix it with the gallopers had Mr Young nailed to the ground, and out of ordinary politeness he had, in 10 minutes, to listen to more advice concerning Forbury Park than he could have gathered in Dunedin in 50 years. Air You ii y listened, and, from the teach-me-something-if-you-can air he wore the bombardment of advice, threatens to be a live man as a Forbury Park official. He has all his work in front of him. When passing through Waimate coming from the Geraldine meeting the writer was one of a small party invited to inspect the silver cup trophy attached, to the principal event to be decided at th© Waimate nontotalisator meeting. It, is a nioe cup, and well worth winning. Incidentally it may he mentioned that the president has donated SOsovs and the two vice-presidents 25sovs each towards making it a good day's sport. With the assistance of the totahsator, of course, everything pays for itself, but _in the meantime it shows a good sporting spirit for the principal officials to dip their hands into their own pockets instead cf the mere public man calling the music and paying for the tune. The majority cf our racing and trotting clubs do themselves well at a moderate or next to nothing expenses in comparison to the cost of racing to the ordinary rank and file racing public. In fact, all cur sporting world on the point of economy become members of the various clubs whose meetings they patronise. For instance, it is noted that a North Island club holding four days' racing each season has decided to restrict its membership. The annual cost to members is ±1 per year, so that for a dollar a day they can enjoy all the privileges that go with membership of a club. If a member has sufficient intelligence or ambition to become a steward or committeeman his official status will frank him into all the foreign meetings he desires to attend. So why not become a member, or better still, an official of a club. It gives one a sort of social standing in the racing world, and incidentally brings down the cost of living (as a sportsman), and furthermore, one may get a useful tip or two that is denied th© ordinary plebian racegoer.