TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3596, 13 February 1923, Page 43

TALK OF THE DAY.

By

SENTINEL.

TOE TIMARU TROTTING MEETING. The Timaru Trotting Club will feature their programmme for Saturday, March 17, with the Timaru Handicap of 500sovs 4.38 or better. The principal event will be supported by two stakes of 250sovs and two of 200sovs and 225sovs. The Temuika Handicap of 250sovs is for unhoppled trotters that can do 4.55 or hotter and the

Washdyke Handicap of 250sovs, li miles, is for 2.55 or better class. Special attention is directed to the Amateur Handicap of lOGsovs which is open to horses trained and owned by amateurs for at least one month prior to date of nomination, and riders must be amateurs who have not ridden or driven any horse other than their own in any race (amateur excepted) since January 4, 1922. Southern horses engaged at. the meeting will be able to leave Timaru at the conclusion of the racing and land in. Dunedin on Sunday morning. Nominations are due Friday, March 2, at 9 p.m. THE DUNEDIN CUP MEETING. , The Dunedin Jockey Club struck an unlucky patch of weather for their Dunedin Cup meeting, with the result that, the results achieved were nothing like what they promised to be on the eve of the gathering. The weather for the opening card did not look particularly promising in the morning, but the afternoon became beautifully fine, and Wingatui looked at its very best. The track was in splendid order, and the enclosure, with flowers making neh splashes of colour, very pleasing to the eye. There is no doubt Wingatui is a pleasant spot when the weather is at all favourable, and everyone seemed pleased to be there on Dunedin Cup day. The card provided some interesting- racing, although it contained what must have been to hackers a few unpleasant surprises. File first came along when a fifth favourite m Vespucci beat the favourite in the Pudicans Handicap. It was difficult to give Vespucci a chance on paper, but he won friends because there was a strong move in his favour on the eve of the meeting. Limelight was coming with a good run at the finish, but Vespucci managed to keep her at bay and get there with a small margin in his favour. When the field paraded for the Dunedin Cup, nothing took the eye more than Cup'» don, who looked in good order, but perhaps a shade too fresh and. pretty. Silver Peak looked fit and well and ready to run a good race, although she afterwards proved too reluctant to get to business. Insurrection’s appearance suggested that he had trained off, as he did not look so strong and muscular as last year. He also appeared to walk a trifle short behind. I respass seemed to be well enough, and Gold Light presented a well-trained appearance. Royal Star looked in good shape, and Roseday stripped harder and more muscularlooking than he has previously shown himself. There appeared to be nothing wrong with the appearance of the rest of the field, but when it came to business there were only two in it. The punters shot wide of the mark, as the winner started sixth favourite, and the popular picks—Cupidon (who was galloped, on in the race) and Gold Light—wire well outside the money. Another shock was in store in connection with the Champagne Stakes, which was regarded by backers as a certainty for Razzle Dazzle, but she failed to concede the full penalty to Wild Hind. Heavy rain completelyspoilt the second day's card, which was viewed by only a handful of people courageous enough to face the bad weather. This was doubly unfortunate, as the club had included the extra day with the object of benefitting the local orphanages. Most of the events were got off in a heavy fall of rain, and in such sloppy going that form was easily upset. Many Kittle won the principal event, rather comfortably, and he retrieved some of the lost laurels he shed when last seen at Wingatui. A far more pleasing state of affairs was in evidence on the last day, when the enclosure again presented a fairly well-filled appearance. Taken all round, the meeting was an enjoyable one, despite the wreck the weather made of things on the middle day. It is to be hoped that a more favourable selection of dates will be made in connection with next year’s meeting. The racing calendar is somewhat crowded, and it is not an easy matter to get clear dates for a meeting; but, as the Dunedin Cup meeting is the biggest sporting affair of Otago, other clubs might be persuaded to yield a little in its favour if approached in the matter. THE WARHAVEN CASE. Tlie Dunedin Cup meeting went off smoothly enough except for the incident which deprivod Warhaven of the fruits of his win in the Waverley Handicap. His owner, Mr D. Kilkoely, was naturally anything but pleased at the decision, and became more wroth by the fact that he was not "present at the inquiry into the matter. An owner cannot demand that he should be present at an inquiry, but when a good deal is at stake an owner should be privileged to watch the case in his own interests. In fact, the Rules of Racing should provide owners or their representative with a right to be present at all inquiries in which they are directly interested. An owner naturally desires to hear the evidence which may deprive his horse of a stake, particularly if it is a case that may be carried to an appeal. In this case, it was a question of fact, and no appeal could be made, but even so that does not alter the fact that the owner did not have a chance to hear the evidence which cost him a race. It was quite obvious that Warhaven bored in, hut it is very doubtful if it made any difference to the result. He was racing past Contempt when they came together, and hence his owner was very unlucky, to lose the stake. In fact, it was a fairly general opinion that, as fhe interference made no difference to the result, it was a bad decision to reverse the judge’s verdict. It is said that the orginating cause of the trouble occurred when Avispado was struck over the head. This caused him to swerve out and cannon with Warhaven, who was coming with a good run on the outside.. The mishap unsettled Warhaven, and made him inclined to run about, but he still was going on in response to Emmerson’s call on him, and was increasing his winning margin as they raced past the post. Avispado dropped out, but it is very doubtful if he had a chance with Warhaven, on whom Emmerson had a nice hold whilst laying in behind Avispado and Pickaninny as they turned for home in the lead. At that stage Avispado appeared to be doing his best to head off Pickaninny, and apparently his rider was anxious to win as soon as possible. Warhaven stood up Avispado about three lengths from the turn and appeared to be passing him when the mishap occurred. At this stage Contempt was making her run near the rails, but Warhaven appeared to have her measure after they took charge of the field. Kukume and Carette, who arrived with a late run, were not then in the picture, although they were close up to Contempt as they finished the race. Warhaven was struck out of his three engagements on the final day of the meeting as a protest against the decision arrived at by the stewards.

THE CUP WINNER. Roseday does not altogether fill the eye as a Cup horse. He is inclined to stiltiness in front and rather pony footed. Pie is tall and carries himself high in front, and has a suspicion of giraffeness about his comportment. Roseday is, however, a nice mover, with light and easy action. It is seldom cue gathers the impression that a horse would be a fairly good stayer by seeing him cantering. This, however, occurred in connection with Roseday In the spring of the year Roseday was noticed cantering along the grass at Wingatui, and he was as light on his feet as a ballet master. His effortless action suggested that it would carry him a distance as well as at a high rate of speed, and such has proved to be the case. He was injudiciously started in the New- Zealand Cup on a short preparation, and was terribly distressed after the race. He also had a very trying race in the Metropolitan, but has survived an ordeal which would have completely ruined many horses. He has trained on well since he ran at the Invercargill New Year meeting, and stripped looking fit. and well when he went out for the liunedin Cup, which he won in good style from Scrimmage. They met again on the final day of the meeting, but despite the glamour of his Cup success, Roseday was allowed to start fifth favourite, whilst Scrimmage was elected a good favourite, although there was no great difference in the weights. Scrimmage ran another good solid race, but although Roseday was travelling well for about a mile, he did not make any great impression on the mare, and perhaps his gallop on. the first day was enough for him. Roseday was bred at the Burnside Stud by Mr J. F. Reid, and got by Solferino from Rosalia, by Stepniak from Rosella, by Seaton Deiaval from Roie. Solferino, the sire of Roseday, was got by Soliman (q, son of St, Simon) from Little Red Spinner, by Bonnet Rouge, a son of Isonomy. Roseday traces back to Nightlight, a mare bred in England in 1856 and imported to Victoria, tv here she threw- Lantern, the winner of the Victoria Derby in 1864, and My Dream, the winner of the same classic in 1869 and also the Oaks Stakes. Lantern also won the Melbourne Oup of 1864, so that Roseday traces back to a source which has produced plenty of stamina. St. Hippo, who won the N.Z. Cup and Auckland Cup as a three-year-old, as well as the Great Northern Derby, is the best known performer of the family iii Nevy Zealand, but Bunting (who won the Wellington Cup and Brisbane Cup), Rosella, Red Pennant, Columbus, and Solfanello all proved the tribe tracing to Nightligbt to have far more than the average racing merit.