COURSING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 683, 9 April 1903, Page 18

COURSING.

(By

“The Judge.

Mr Frank Baker writes me that he is leaving for Oamaru, taking with him his new importation Yes-No and Flying Buck. I wish the Auckland sportsman the best of good luck with Lis dogs in the big Southern Challenge Stakes.

It is very evident that coursing upon the new plump ton, at Kensington (Sydney) will be carried out in a manner never before witnessed in this country (says the “ Town and Country Journal ”). Tha ground will be the best that the dogs have ever been asked to race over. After a meeting at. Kensington, it is pretty safe t 0 say that there will be as few dogs suffering from injury as there. are at the end of a racing season there. Last season, we think it was, that only one fall occurred throughout the year. The officials are all known and tried men. Then, again, under Mr O'Mara's management there will be no favouritism. One man, because he is a noted trainer, with a big kennel, will not be allowed privileges that a man of less standing and one or two dogs' would be afraid to ask for.

I understand from a private letter received from Sydney that Mr Goggin, of Bredbo, failed to catch sufficient hares to send across. He had men out for twenty miles after them, but they were not to be obtained. Failing this source of supply, Mr has telegraphed to Canterbury for a consignment. If when these come to hand they are anything like the lot which used to run at Avondale they should be perfect warriors. Which reminds me of old “ Carbine ” on the Avondale enclosure. I wonder what became of him. He was coursed often enough, but never caught, and very rarely even turned. A few hares of his sort are badly wanted. «: * * * There were eleven nominations for the Eight Dog Stakes at £5 each, which is to be run at Chevalier Park on Saturday, April 18. A ballot had accordingly to be taken, and those left in are as follows — W. F. Jamieson, one ; G. Stevens, one; Nixon and Donaldson, one; J. W. Edgar, one ; Tapper Bros., one ; T. W. Macready, one ; C. Chilcott, one ; Percy Brierly, one. The acceptance of £3 is due on Thursday, the 16th inst. This stake though small should give rise to some excellent coursing, for those holding nominations are some of our best known leashmen. «■ c e © Prior to the running of the Waterloo Cup, Father Flint had won ten courses in succession. After such brilliant work it is somewhat curious to find that the Messrs Fawcett allowed him to run in the nomination of Mr J. Hartley Bibby, relying on Farndon Ferry to fill their own nomination. The result was that they met in the fourth round, when Father Flint led, and beat Farndon Ferry and won the Cup. It is the third occasion on which Mr Bibbey has won the coveted honour, and on each occasion with the Messrs Fawcett’s second string. ■a 0 © ® The Sydney authorities are at last beginning to recognise the idiocy jof their quarantine regulations as regards the importation of dogs. “ I understand,” writes “ Amesbury,” “ that a concession has been made in the Quarantine Act by which dogs have to undergo a period of six months in durance vile before being permitted to land. This period used to commcnc® from the day of arrival in Sydney, but now it will date from th® day of d«jpariwn? from BzgfcxiV’

It is said that all sorts of duffers are passing themselves off in South Africa as Australian jockeys, and, as a oonsquence, are getting Australian horsemen a bad name in that part of th® world. @ ® ffi ffl Some writer, in referring to the danger attending the process of getting into racing condition a horse that has been given a winter’s letup from training, has said that owners, by their eagerness, ruin more horses than trainer’s do, and there is a lot of truth in the saying. I have known many instances in which a trainer has been forced to show a fast mile with a horse because the owner demanded it, and when he did so, after making a vigorous protest, was later on blamed for the reversal of form shown by the horse, says the Horse World. It is not uncommon fox a trainer to hear an owner remark, when he protests against driving a horse a fast mile when he knows his condition does not warrant it, “He is r y horse and I am paying the bills.” Yet that same owner will kick vigorously when his bill is presented, if on account of his unreasonable demand to see a fast mile if hie horse’s chances for racing were spoiled for the season. There are some owners who know more apout training than some trainers do, but as a 'ule, such men also know enongh to place their horses in the hands of some trainer who, they feel confident knows how to train and drive them without any assistance from them, It is the owner who really knows nothing of the practicalwork entailed in training and fitting a horse for racing who causes trouble for his trainer. If such men would put their horses in the hands of competent trainers, and let them have their own way, there would be fewer dissatisfied owners.