TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3613, 12 June 1923, Page 50

TALK OF THE DAY.

By

Sentinel.

THE WINGATUI SEASON. Time swings' along, and the Winter meeting just concluded at Wingatui marks the conclusion of the twenty-fourth racing season held on the course. It does not E'Ufin SO very long ago since Djin Djin won tn Crst Dunedm Cup run at Wingatui, b A the records show that the race was ran in 1899. Starshot won the last Dunedin O-p run _ at Fcrbury Park and the first Birthday Handicap run at Wingatui. There •tre still many old-time patrons of sDort -vKo regret that the Dunedin Jockey Club deserted Forbury Park in favour of Winga tui, but the progress that has been made at the latter course could hardly have been possible of achievement at Forbury Park, h ioh would now be far and away too »maT for present-day requirements. The one great asset held by Forbury Park was its proximity to town; but with a smart t;am service Wingatui is just as easily reached as Fcrbury Park. Under existing circumstances, it is much easier to get back to town from Wingatui than it is from Forbury Park, and an improvement in that will not take place until the City Council realise that it would be a good paving proposition to extend the tram service. Forbury Park was unrivalled as a training ground. It had a natural turf, toil of buoyancy, in marked contrast to the dead going which exists for the greater part of a circuit at Wingatui. A great improvement was, however, made at Wingaiui when the club went in for top-dressing its tracks, and so greatly improved the nature of the going. Who re Wingatui has *» decided advantage over Forbury Park is ip the size of the track. There is no cipukt that a mile track is much too small to give every horse a fair chance when tne fields are fairly strong in numbers, and then, again, a mile track is so ryuen on the turn as to be a bit dangerous in addition to being short in the straights. Unfortunately the bad luck experienced at the Dunedin Cup meeting has held up the carrying out. of the contemplated improvements at Wingatui, where a new stand is tq ho provided for the patrons of the outside enclosure, which is to be transferred to ihr northern end of the course, in order to jicovide Letter facilities for viewing the hones when ttwy are in the birdcage prior to_ a taco, it will probably be some t'-ns tiefiae the ecu ten-plated improvements are ratried out at Wingatui; but if the Grrcerument reduce Uie tax on racing to S'-to*;ilitr.g like a reasonable extent it would no iloubt spur the chib into quicker action ihin what is likely to be the case under existing clrwmstances. THE RACING CONFERENCE. Thera is nothing of a very startling nature pot down for consideration bv the next Racing Conference. During the season a number of horses have been deprived of nitilts. s through their riders weighing in a tiriflo abort in weight, and so many clubs tie down with proposals to restore an allowance for short weight liiat a rule on the point seen s bound to be, restored. The Hawke's Buy Jockey Club consider that comjaxlsory punishment should be meted out to any rider whom the Judicial Committee found guilty of intentional interference. In Kuvh a case it is proposed that “the jockey of any such horse shall be punished by a term of suspension.” The Marion Jockey Club is down with a proposal that an apprentice allowance shall not bo allowed for ally horse handicapped at 7.7 or over. In other words, the club is desirous of granting an allowance at the bottom of a handicap where a few pounds may not materially affect a horse’s chance, but not at the other end, where every pound is a matter of importance. The Southland Racing Club wishes to amend the rules so that an apprentice rider can carry a whip but not spurs. It would be much better for the boy to be taught to carry a whip than to use the end of the reins as a flagellator. The Auckland Racing Club is desirous of breaking away from the existing system of licensing trainers and riders, and setting up A Licensing Committee for each island. The present system has only boon in vogue twelve months and has done a lot of good. It is certainly worthy of a longer trial than it has received. It Iras the merit of re-

moving local bias in any direction, and any applicant for a license has a better chance of receiving justice from a central committee than from a next door neighbour, as it were, who may hold some petty grievance against an applicant. THE DERBY WINNERS. Judging by the report of the race for this year’s Derby, it was a battle royal for supremacy between Papyrus and Pharos. Papyrus, who outstayed the other colt, is bred on lines of much interest to New Zealanders, as his sire Tracery is a half-brother in blood to Kilbroney, the sire of several good winners. The success is also interesting because Archery a son of Tracery, who cost 9600 guineas as a yearling, is now installed at the Ellerslie stud. Papyrus is a brown colt, bred by Sir John Robinson at the Worksop Manor Stud, and got by Tracery from Miss Matty by Marcovil (son of Marco) from S-imonath by St. Simon— Philomath, bjr Philamonon, by Solon from Chrysalis by Lecturer. Tracery was got by Rock Sand from Topiary (a sister to The Wag, the sire of Kilbroney), by Orme from Plaisanterie, by Wellingtonia (half-brother to Apremonl) from Poetess by Trocadc.ro. Papyrus is in-bred to St. Simon, and has a further return of the same strain through Angelica, a sister to St.. Simon, who ranks as the dam of Orme. Papyrus is strongly inbred to the No. 3 family, and is also well supplied with the No. 11 line through St. Simon and Orme. Miss Matty, the dam of Papyrus, is inbred to Solon, the sire of the unbeaten Barealdine, and the lesson to be learnt is for owners of Markhope mares with St. Simon blood in their pedi-. gree to secure a service to Archery, and the resulting foal would he bred on much the same lines as this year’s Derby winner. Pharos, who made such a bold effort to beat Papyrus, is a brown colt got by Phalaris from Scapa Flow, by Chaucer (son of St. Simon) from Anchors,, by Love Wisely •—Tryholme, by Hazelhatch (son of Hermit) from Ayrenioss by Ayrshire. Phalaris was get by Polymelus from Bromus. by Sainfoin from Cheery, by St. Simon from Sunrise, by Springfield—Sunray. Phalaris thus belongs to the same taproot as Martian, Boniform and Posita.no. three of the greatest sires of stayers identified with racing in Australia and New Zealand.

BIG STRONG STAYERS. There have been many big, strong horses who stayed well, though under the old methods of race-riding it is difficult to be quite sure of this. Stockwell may be mentioned (says the Special Commissioner), also Gladiateur; but at a later date came Vermeuil, a horse of great size and substance, who achieved a record by winning the Vase, Cup, and Alexandra Plate at Ascot, making running from start to finish in each of these races. People who write on such sul> jects ought not to dogmatise, particularly when their own knowledge is practically a vacuum. For example, I note that Mr Becker has been stating in the “Thoroughbred Record, Ky.,” that Prince Charlie could not slay because he stood 17 hands, and was too heavy to compass a long course. Now, Mr Becker can never have seen Prince Clharlie, whereas I had intimate knowledge of that extraordinary horse, who did not stand 17 hands, though he may have touched 16.3 h.h. He was not one of the heavy, bulky sort, though he had ample bone, and there never was one with more effortless action. I have not the slightest doubt that he would have stayed any distance in reason had he not been a roarer. His race for the St. Leger proved that, and he would have won it, too, had John Osborne been on his back. As it was, French rushed him to the front between the Red House and the bend, and then he chocked in the final run home, though ho still finished second. I do not suggest that, as lie then was, Prince Charlie could really stay the St. Leger course, but, as races were ridden in those days, John Osborne would have nursed him for one final run, and then smothered Wenlock for speed. That he could heat di-comers over the Rowley Aide to the end of his career is ample proof of his natural stamina. fo r it must lie remembered there was no tubing in those days. I suppose there have not been much heavier horses who gained greater distinction than Ormonde and Alin ting, and that one was better than the other is nothing to the discredit of that other, for Alinting won the Grand Prix by five lengths, pulling up on the post; nor do I think even Ormonde would have beaten him on his Jubilee Handicap day. In Taunton’s hook it is stated of Mintino- that, “if he were put on the scales lie woii-Id probably weigh half as much again as any ordinary thoroughbred.” I think little of such statements, having very full recollection of Abating, who may have been a little heavier than Ormonde, but certainly not much Anyhow, Minting carried his weight over tl,e Grand Prix distance, and won easily, while Ormonde was equally good over the St; Leger course, though he was probably thick-winded at that time, as are most of the Agnes family. Other big horses within my own recollection who stayed well and ,i? n Ascot Cup were Mortomer, Timothy, Isinglass, Persimmon, and Zinfandel. Hurry Or, should be mentioned in the same connection, as he is very big and weighty, and he won not only'the substitute St. Leger, but also the Jockey Club Cup. In short, the argument that big horses cannot stay is quite untenable. It is true enough that big horses are more likely to go wrong than are medium,-sized ones, especially if they are hurried in their early training, hut that, is altogether another question. The old adage that, a good big one is better than a good little one will always prove tree, he the course long or short. THE SOUTH CANTERBURY HUNT MEETING. A lull in the South Isl and sporting world will be partially bridged by the South Canterbury Hunt Club’s meeting, which takes place on Saturday, July 21. The principal event will he the South Canterbury Steeplechase. of 200sovs. Other events on the card will be the_ Teschemaker Alemorial Steeplechase of ISOsovs, the Hunters’ Hurdles of llOsovs. Hunters’ Plate of lOOsovs, Levels Hack Handicap of 90sovs, Claremont Welter of lOOsovs, and Washdyke Trot of 90sovs. Nominations are due on July 3 with Mr 11. IT. Fraser. THE GREAT NORTHERNS. The contests for the Great Northern Hurdles and Steeplechase were both interesting, and in each ©yent the race could be termed as something in the nature of a surprise, the favourites in the Steeplechase being badly beaten, hut in the Hurdle Race the actual favourite, Tinokaha, managed'

to dead heat for second. Kohu really gave nothing else a chance when it came to racing, and his performance was a really attractive one, for he did not get any the best of the running", and appeared to be blinded at several of the fences. On his recent form Kohu looked as if his chance in the Steeplechase would be better than in the Hurdle Race, for, taking his Wanganui running as a guide, it was hard to see (says “Whalebone”) how he was going to beat Tinokaha and Bn Route; but evidently the race he had there and his subsequent work on the tracks worked a big improvement in him. His victory was well anticipated by a number of Napier sportsmen who were present at the fix tore, and they benefited considerably by the good price he returned. Tinokaha ran well, and had he fenced better might have given Ivohu a better race. Royal Abbey also put up a good fight, but the surprise of the race was the forward running of Mary Bruce and Dick, both of which finished exceptionally well, and the showing of the former made her a lot of friends for the Steeplechase, while the prospects of Dick were also made brighter. In the Steeplechase Kohu was looked upon as a real good thing after his Hurdle victory, and he seemed to be going strongly when he fell on top of the hill the second time round. Tigerland was going well in the early part, but was beaten a long way form home, and sadly disappointed his supporters. When the final struggle commenced the issue had narrowed itself to a battle between Mary Bruce, Dick, Vociferate, and Pitlsworth, for, although the latter was well back, he was still going strongly. At the first fence on the hill Alary Bruce made her first mistake, and almost stopped, simply bucking over, and Dick then got a break on her; but it is now history how she wore him down and won by a neck. It was . regrettable that Vociferate should have third position taken away from him; but there was undoubtedly a lot of bumping between him and Pitlsworth over the last half-furlong, and the. stewards considered it affected the last-named.