TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3769, 8 June 1926, Page 60

TALK OF THE DAY.

Sentinel.

By

THE WINGATUI WINTER MEETING. The weather which preceded tli3 Dunedin Winter meeting was anything but an assistance towards building the interest in the gathering, and continued rains converted the training tracks at Wingatui into a perfect quagmire, and when the outside of the course proper was opened it also became badly chopped up. In fact, the Wingatui tracks have been more cut up during the past two or three weeks than they have since the formation of the course. The bad weather killed most of the interest in the training work, as the state of the going debarred trainers from giving their horses the usual winding up gallops, unless they were restricted considerably as to distance. Despite the antagonistic weather which ushered in the meeting it proved to be fairly successful. It opened quietly on an off day, which was unfortunate for the club, as big stakes did not attract the same amount of business in betting as they would if run on a holiday. The attendance on the opening day was rather moderate, but the enclosures presented a well-filled appearance on the second and tliTrtk. days, when the club had the benefit of a whole holiday and the usual half-day at the week-end. The weather on the opening day left little to be desired, and that on the second was beautifully fine and summer-like. There was a sharp change for the final card, which was got off in a decidedly wintry atmosphere. The racing was always interesting right through the piece, blit the heavy going seemed to completely anchor some of the horses, who in consequence did not run up to anything like the expectations of their supporters. Full Swing and Goosestep had the finish of the Birthday Handicap to themselves, and the former won well at the right end, where she was staying on as if able to go much further if still acting under a light weight. Goosestep looks an improved horse, although he had only a small amount of success at the meeting. Deucalion and Mountain Lion failed to get dangerous over the final quarter of a mile, and in common with other top weights would have found a mile and a-quarter quite far enough for them in heavy going. Ravenna captured the Provincial Handicap, but was perhaps a trifle lucky that Geranial, who she beat half a length, had covered a good deal of ground when making the home turn. Full Swing was prominent in the early stages, but a rise of lGlb on what she carried in the Birthday Handicap pulled her up at the finish.

Coosoßtep had a rise of 101 b, and he also found it far too much for his powers. The King George Handicap attracted 12 runners, and The Harp, acting well under his light weight, got up and beat another at the same end of the handicap in Rapier. Overdrawn, who was racing under the disadvantage of a novice man in the saddle, might have beaten the pair of them if handled by a more experienced man. The fact that lie was ridden by an inexperienced apprentice lost him a lot ot support that would otherwise have been accoided. Ravenna again ran a good race, and finished close up fourth, but Baldowa who went out favourite, made a poor show. The sprinters seen out ;.t the meeting were rather a moderate lot, and some of them, such as Sun Up, could not act under their handicap in deep ground. The cross-country horses were also rather a moderate lot if Pamplona, who is only half fit, was left out of the list. Charlatan won twice, and may do better, but he could not make a show against the North Islanders, against whom he recently measured strides. The hurdlers were overshadowed by Frisco Mail, who won both his hurdle races rather comfortably. The San Francisco gelding always acts well in deep ground, and nothing had a chance with him on the last day of the meeting. The starting during the meeting reached a standard not seen at Wingatui since the days whon the late Mr H. Piper officiated at the barrier. The general management of the meeting was up to the usual standard, and the handling of the investments by Mr W. F. James and hia efficient staff left nothing to be desired in that respect. THE CARDINAL POINTS. The New Zealand Rules of Racing seem to be continually in the melting-pot, and once again there is a fairly lengthy list ot notices of motion for further alterations at the Racing Conference of 1926. This annual alteration of rules has been going on for many years, and seems likely to continue, because apparently it is a hobbj’ with some clubs. In due time the rules should become perfect, but perhaps not for a few years yet, as Rome was not built in a day, and one cannot expect a perfect fence to he erected around the turf world in the space of a few short years. Those in authority who are anxious to improve the. rules still err, and err very seriously, in the manner in which they are allowed to be administered. Racing has developed into a gigantic business, even though the fact does not debar anyone from still enjoying it as a sport; and when it comes to administering the law and seeing that it is obeyed those in authority must have knowledge of far more than acquaintance with the mere wording of the rules. One is continually seeing things at race meetings which cannot be dealt by those who are merely letter-perfect in the Rules of Racing, and can immediately place their index finger on any “ point of law ” that may arise. Those in control must know' more about what might be termed the cardinal points of the game; and from what the writer has seen at some of the principal meetings held this season there is room for doubt, and very grave doubt, if they are as wise as could be desired in the direction indicated. When competent riders can be seen at metropolitan meetings making it as difficult as possible for a horse to win a race, and escape without a challenge, some of those in authority surely seem to be lacking in knowledge of the “ cardinal points ” of racing. These points cannot be learnt by poring over the Rules of Racing. They may be read and interpreted correctly by any man of ordinary intelligence, but there is a different intelligence required from those who can “ read a race ” and know what i» taking place. Many people can accurately describe the positions and various changes of position which may take place in a race, but they could no more tell whether a horse was a trier or not than the mythical “ man in the moon.” To be able to do so, or hold a shrewd idea in that direction, is to have knowledge of one of the great cardinal points of the game. It is a gift that is denied to most, if not all, who have never sat in a saddle, and even good horsemen require good eyesight to follow with any degree of_ knowledge what is going on in a race. One may read the rules with spectacles, or a race with a first-class pair of field glasses, but if some people had the largest telescope in the world At their service on a racecourse they could not see “ what’s doing ” in a race. Their failure to be able to do so is because they do not know the cardinal points of the game, even though they do know the cardinal points (and pinpricks) of racing law. CHANGING THE RULES. It is always interesting to glance through the proposed alterations and amendments to Rules of Racing, which will come up for discussion at the Racing Conference. One of the first that halts the attention is that proposed by the Canterbury Jockey Club, and which will debar metropolitan meetings which include classic races from clashing, except on a national holiday. At different times during the past the writer has drawn attention to the fact of the Auckland Spring meeting clashing with the New Zealand Cup meeting, and so preventing horses from contesting some of the richest stakes in the country, simply because they cannot be in two places at one and the same time. When the late King Edward’s birthday was celebrated on November 9, the date became a national holiday, but since his death the reason why important race meetings should clash at Auckland and Christchurch has vanished. Hence there is no sound reason why classic events should be run at Auckland and Christchurch during the same week. It is to be lipped that delegates to the conference will strongly support the C.J.C. proposal, because it will enable owners to run a horse in rich stakes which he would otherwise have to mips. The Hawke’s Bay Club is bringing up a motion that at every totali-

sator meeting an assistant judge must lie appointed. Tftis will find considerable support, because so much doubt has been thrown at decisions where the judge lias been acting single-handed. At the last Racing Conference a rule was created to debar a rider from carrying any deadweight on his body. This year two or three clubs are bringing up motions that will allow a rider to carry up to 71b. The Taranaki District Club is anxious to bracket all horses in which the same owner or trainer has any interest. The Auckland Racing Club is anxious to have a rule to inflict a fine, not exceeding 580 vs, on any jockey using spurs which in the opinion of the stewards are too sharp. The Dunedin Jockey Club wishes to restore the “rogues’ pen” at the starting post. Its use has some strong advocates; but the simplest remedy is to refuse nomination of fractious horses, because it is most unfair that a field of well-mannered horses should be upset or kept waiting because the starter is endeavouring to get some unruly brute away at the rise of the barrier. A WINTER MEETING. After “ weathering the gale ” at Wingatui for a number of years at the Dunedin Winter meeting, and also putting in appearance at the track prior to the racing, the writer has formed the opinion that the club takes a big risk in holding a three days’ programme at this time of the year. The weather which preceded last week’s meeting was enough to wreck all interest in the gathering, and it created such bad going that it completely upset form, and many horses won simply because they could act well under a light weight. Few of the top weights got a look in at all, and some of them, such as Deucalion and Sun Up, made such a poor show that they were allowed to drop out of their engagements on the final day. The general impression was that the top weights had not much of a chance right through the piece. The state of the going which existed at Wingatui last week is by no means unique, and it is a very bad advertisement for a meeting when horses are allowed to drop out of their engagements simply because they are anchored by the state of the going. This is not the first time such a state of affairs has existed at the Wingatui Winter meeting. Soft going is very suitable for cross-coun-try racing and hurdling, but even in their case a good horse may be beaten by the going rather than the merit of his opponents. Then, again, it is the usual custom at this time of the year for trainers to ease up the horses they have been racing earlier and, perhaps, throughout the season. All this goes towards a suggestion that the club could do more good for racing at Wingatui if it confined its Winter meeting to a two-day programme, and reverted to a three-day fixture at the Dunedin Cup meeting, when there are more horses in training and, generally speaking, of a better class than what was seen out last week. If the meeting attracted a better class of horses in the way of ’chasers and hurdlers it would, of course, easily justify the present lengthy programme, but it seems cleat* that the meeting cannot compete with the opposition which exists in the North Island. The most serious point to be considered is the risky policy of holding a prolonged race meeting at a time when training and racing form may be completely upset by bad weather.