OTAGO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 447, 16 February 1899, Page 13

OTAGO.

Sporting dull — Abandonment of Forbury—Departure of horses for Christchurch —Nat — Red Lancer’s failure —Rancour in work —Blazer’s condition. Dunedin, February 14. Sporting is desperately dull here, and is not likely to improve, as the Dunedin Jockey Club givts up possession of the Forbury course next Saturday; so what trainers can afford it will betake themselves to Wingatui. H. Goodman leaves to morrow (Wednesday) for Riccarton with Black and Red, Pitch and Toss, and Cherrystone, for the C.J.C. Summer Meeting. The steeplechaser Nat'is being trained to make himself useful in the shafts of a buggy. He was a good jumper, and ran into a place in the Grand National Steeplechase, but got too slow. The general opinion here is that it is about time Red Lancer was brought back again and rested a bit. Backers fell over his running st Egmont last week. J. Loughlin has taken up Rancour with a view to another preparation. He is a good horse if he can be got'well. Messrs Stephenson and Hazlett have only Benson and Visionary now, which means that this for a long time the largest stable in Dunedin intends giving it up altogether with the abandonment of the r orbury course. Blazer is in tip-top condition for our meeting next month. There is no interest being taken in it, however, and no double bett ng.