OTAGO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VIII, Issue 384, 2 December 1897, Page 10

OTAGO.

The Bookmakers’ troubles-The Spring Meeting —Gossip about the horses at the meeting. Dunedin, November 30. The three Dunedin bookmakers sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment surrendered themselves when hopes from Wellington of interference with the sentences failed. Our Spring Meeting, held last week, was the worst in point of general attendance and interest that I remember at the Forbury, and it is now a certainty that the date in future will be altered. In the big-monied events the fields were all small, and the totalisator investments were less by £2,238 than last year, which was also less by £1725 than in 1895. This shrinkage has repeatedly occurred at all the meetings, so Dunedin, is losing its prestige as a racing centre. There was not a bookmaker to be seen on the course, and to their preeence of late the decreases have been attributed, but it is now patent that such is not the cause. Uniform is a real good horse. His winning the two principal handicaps proved a soft thing for him. Skirmisher has gone all to pieces, and I do not think he could have won a hack race at the meeting. Of the two-year-olds Conqueror and Nihilist were decidedly the best, and a good round sum was offered for the latter —report saya £7so—but it was refused. Blazer repeated his Riccarton performance by beating Gold Medallist, but on the third day he was hopelessly put down by both Medallist and Conqueror in the Glasgow Plate, never having a chance in the race. Sequin is a good filly, and will, I predict, figure conspicuously in racing in the Middle Island this season. Euroclydon ran in hie best style in the President’s Handicap on the third day, winning with ridiculous ease from Starshot and Skirmisher. It is currently reported here that the big fellow will compete at Ellerslie in the Auckland Cup, but I would not advise your readers to accord him support before he puts in an appearance there. Red Lancer and Arline distinguished themselves. They are fast, and it is hard to say which is the better. The Oamaru flat racers unfortunately missed their acceptances for the second day. Ilex galloped and jumped up to his best form, and accounted for both hurdle races. Remorse 11.. over-reached himself on Saturday morning, and had to be withdrawn. Lobo broke a blood-vessel in the Hurdles on the first day. Uniform’s time (2min llsec) in the St. Andrew’s Handicap is a record for the Forbury. The Dunedin bookmakers lost money over the gathering. Mr A. Moss was struck for a couple of centuries on the double, the Otago Cup and Federal Handicap, over which there was but meagre business.