IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3556, 9 May 1922, Page 44

IN A NUTSHELL.

Affectation h<w hem fired, and will be treated to a lengthy spell. The Hawk is again in easy work, but will not be raced again until next season. The Southland Racing Club incurred a loss of £203 over their autumn meeting. It is understood that a substantial offer of lOOOgs was refused for Looanda Dillon Lost week. Mountain Lion and Warpath were offered for sale at Hastings, but neither reached the reserve price. Sunny Loch will probably start favourite in the Autumn Handicap, to be run at the Ashburton meeting. Silver Shoe was showing a great burst of speed when he struck trouble in the early part of the Flying Handicap The South Canterbury Hunt and the Christchurch Hunt conteinnlate holding a combined race meeting at Timaru. Coraglen was lame after his fall at Avondale, and may not be ready for his engagements at the Auckland Winter meeting. It is imdeirstood that the stable did not support Tiger Mac when he won last week, as lie had been shaping disappointingly in his track work. The New Zealand Cup winner Vagabond has been engaged in the Great Northern Hurdles and Great Northern Steeplechase. The pool on the Farewell Handicap, run at Forbury Parle, amounted to £7021, whilst on the principal event the total ran to £6387. Tatau Tatau nan two solid races at Timaru, and a repetition of her form should make her worthy of respect at the Asjgburton meeting. Killowen is being schooled over hurdles, and a horse with bis turn of speed may prove more profitable as a hurdler than he has latterly shown himself on the flat. Greystone hopped away in the Farewell Handicap as if he was going to win from end to end, but tie commenced to stop after going half a mile Emperor was staying on well at the end of the Victory Handicap, and Paul Dufanlt just, lasted long enough to head him out of second money. The imported stallion Feramorz was sold a few days mo at 50gs at auction. His purchaser subsequently refused two substantial increases on his bargain. Ngat-a has been taken in hand again, and will be prepared for the winter meetings He has been engaged in the Great Northern Hurdles and Great Northern Steeplechase. When .winning the Railway Handicap Don Wild paid a- curprieingly good dividend for a horse whom Dame Rumour credits with being one of the smartest pacers in commission. Wild Briar was only produced once at Forbury Park, and went out a strong fancy for the Prince of Wales Handicap, in which both Paul Dufa.uk and Indra proved too good for him. The times recorded at Forbury Park last week read slow, but the horses were running wide to avoid the greasy going near the rails, and the track conditions were against the watch. Nominations are due on Friday next for the Dunedin Jockey Club's Winter meeting. The club is offering some rich stakes, which should command a liberal patronage from owners. A satisfactory list of entries has been received for the North Otago Jockey Chib's Winter meeting. Handicaps axe due on May 15, and acceptances on the following day. May 16. Nominations for the Ashburton Ti exiting Club’s Winter meeting are due on May 24 at 5 p.m. The principal event will be the

Ashburton County Handicap, of 600sovs, for a 4.40 or better class. The Australian thoroughbred horse Crichton was represented amongst the trotters last week by a gelding named Dunvegan, who, however, did not bring any particular distinction to his sire. Lady Swithin went a very genuine race when she captured the Flying Handicap,, and finished so strongly as to suggest that she will be found carrying her speed over two miles next season. Paul Dufault, the winner of the principal event at Forbury Park, once changed owners for a consideration of £9. Since then it is understood that an offer approaching £IOOO has been refused for him. Indra, Thixendale, and Tatsy Dillon were all very strongly supported for the Victory Handicap, but not one of them got amongst the money. In other words, punters failed to pick it in three attempts. Solfanello was put under the hammer in Sydney, but apparently failed to find a new owner. From'all accounts the Solferino gelding has been very much boomed; one scribe stated that he was little inferior to Gloaming. Seaward Spot shared with Locanda Dillon the distinction of being one of the two bestbacked horses started at Forbury Park last week. The southerner is not, however, nippy enough at the start of a race to score over a short course. Coldwater, Nellie -Scott, Ben Mac, Kilmarnock, Royal Oak, Thixendale, Tatsy Dillon, and Indra were amongst the particularly well-backed horses at Forbury Park who failed to give their supporters a good run for their money. The Great Audubon gelding Change cost his supporters a good deal of money last week, xie was one of the best-backed horses at the meeting, but never threatened any particular danger. The going may, however, have been against his chance. A lucky and plucky punter lifted well over £2OO for the investment of a “fiver” on Kentucky Wood in the Farewell Handicap. He got his inspiration from the 'act that the mare was one of th< early picks for the mile race run on the first day of the meeting. The death occurred recently of Mr Mat Sherwin. a well-known owner in bygone years One of the best horses he owned was Barmby, who won the Otago Cup of 1895. Quibble, the winner of the Great Autumn Handicap of 1887, was another that carried Mr Slherwin’s colours. Kentucky Wood lost ground at the start of the Farewell Handicap, and his win in 2.22 2-5 was a more meritorious performance than it reads on the surface. Tommy Direct looked all over a winner as they turned for home, but Kentucky Wood gave him a start and a beating at tie finish. The three-year-old filly Latona went a good race in the Railway Handicap* and beat them all bar the more seasoned horse Don Wild. Latona. should develop, into a more than useful sort, as she is a well-bred and shapely filly, filling the eye os one sure to train on into a good winner. Locanda Dillon carried more money than any other horse started at Forbury Park last week, but he failed to gather sufficient speed to carry him- into the money. In fact, he had no chance with Don Wild, who started off the same mark as the well-backed son of Brent Locanda and Joy Dillon. The plucky venture which saw Adair purchased at 700 gs has not so far met with any reward. On the contrary. he is proving a rather costly buy, and, worse still, has run on to a bad mark without the compensation of a win. He is, however, only a youngster at the business, and has all his career in front ef him Economist won so well at Timaru that he is sure of strong support if s-addled up at Aehburlon. He is one of the most likely sorts seen out this season, but, like most of Absurd’s stock, may not stay. He, however, finished full of running when he won last week, but the company against him was not very strong. There is nothing more calculated to assist a horse in sticky and greasy going than a libeibi application of oil to" his hoofs. It prevents the mud from balling and clogging the feet, and so supplies a better chance of acting well under bad track conditions Oiled feet were conspicuous by their absence at Forbury Park last week. Owners should not overlook the fact that the present season contains very few further opportunities to gather the “winter oats” for their stables. The Dunedin Jockey Club's Winter meeting winds up the South Island season as far as important fixtures are concerned, and it should be noted that nominations are due on Friday, May 12. The Rothschild horse Emilius was represented by a useful winner in Mother Machree at Forbury Park, and the fact should help him to get better chances of malting a name for himself at the stud. There is no disputing the great merit of the Rothschild strain, and breeders will be neglecting their own interests if they allow it to die out. The presence of the North Island horses Auckland, Callaghan, Tribonlet, Blackhead, Weary Willie, and Stream lends an unusual, interest to the Ashburton meeting, and no doubt some "foreign capital” will follow them on their southern journey. The northerners are liberally engaged at the meeting, as both Callaghan and Auckland each claim two engagements on the first day’s card. One of the most pleasing wins recorded at Forbury Park was that which went down to the unhoppled pacer Don Wild, who, without the assistance of straps, woii like a racehorse, and demonstrated that a high rate of speed is not entirely dependent on gear to hold a horse together when in action. Don Wild finished strongly, and has evidently trained on, and is staying better than when he first appeared on a track in this country. The short price paid by Clonmel when he won the Innovation Handicap was principally due to his part owner, Y r W. Quirk, advising his friends to support, the Marvin Wilkes gelding. Clonmel won well, and went a good solid race, but on the second day was unable to give a start to Peter McKinney, who seems to be speedier than his younger opponent. Clonmel is, however, only a four-year-old, and should improve with age Merry Bingen scored with apparently a good deal in hand when he won the St. Clair Handicap, but could not gather up Peter M’Kinney and Clonmel, to whom he was conceding a good start on the second day. Peter M’Kinney went 4.55 on a slow track, and set those who were chasing him too severe a task The result was freely anticipated, as, despite Clonmel’s good showing on the first day, backers sent out Peter M'Kinney a much stronger fancy than the Southland representative. Mr li. A. Jardin in a very sportsmanlike manner advised all his friends and brother scribes that he considered his horse Thixendale held a good chance in his engagements at Forbrny Park. The horse, however, failed to act np to his private reputation, and the good intention of hie owner missed fire. On the first day Thixendale dwelt on the mark and spoilt his chance, and on the Second day he did not appear to be at home in the somewhat greasy going. Future form may, however, show that- Thixendale's owner had good reason for advising his friends to be a bit with him. Paul Dufault made a bold bid to capture both tlie principal events on the Forbury Park programme, and came within an ace

of landing- the double. His success on the first day was materially assisted by beginning smartly whilst others more favourably* placed in the handicap were slow to strike their gait. He was also well 'placed early in his second race, but at the business end of the trip Alto Chimes carried too many guns for him. Paul Dufault went two good solid races, but*, judging by the way Alio Chimes measured him off he has no chance of giving away 48 yards to the Australianbred gelding, who looks sure to reach a better mark than his present handicap. A very fine point of racing law was brought into prominence at a recent meeting at Ladysmith, in South Africa. The owner of a second horse lodged a protest against the winner on the grounds that the jockey riding the winner weighed in with spurs when he was not weighed out wearing them. The South African rales state: “If a horse runs in a hood, martingale, breastplate, or clothing, it must be put into the soale and included in the jockey’s weight, no whip, bridle, plates, or anything worn on the horse’s legs to be allowed in the scales when either weighing in or weighing out. Everything else carried by the horse ©hall be put into the scales, both weighing in and weighing out." On. this last phrase, together with the rule, “any infringement of the rales of. weighing shall entail disqwa lan cation,” rests the grounds for objection. Strange to say, although the protest was upheld, no appeal was lodged. The case is still far from concluded, for the °'^ rn^ r the second horse obviously knew of the breach and used it for the purpose 9* gaming the race, and so becomes himself liable under a rule wliich reads: ‘‘lf any person, being aware of any disqualification of any horse before a race, shall fail to notify the sanue to the secretary before the race, every person so offending shall be warned off all places where these rules arc in force, and his name published in the ‘Racing Calendar/ ”