OTAGO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 815, 19 October 1905, Page 9

OTAGO.

Dunedin, October 18. The Dunedin Jockey Club’s spring meeting proved a fairly successful gathering, despite the bad weather which immediately preceded it. The rain, however, had the effect of making the going very loose, and this prevented some of the -horses from being amongst the starters. 'The totalisator handled £7600 10s during the two days, or £1277 10s more than what was registered at the last year’s spring meeting. Air. J. Ellis’ stable was in rare form, and his horses won four races on the first day and two on the second. The Hon. Geo. McLean’s stable won three races, and G. Murray-Aynsley brought Narcissus and old Huku from Christchurch and captured both the hurdle events on the card.

The Casket gelding Koputai scored in the principal race on the first day, and Brighton, who won the principal welter on the first day, also scored easily in the chief event on the second day’s card. The New Zealand Cup candidate Apollodoris won a five-furlong race, and another Cup candidate in Beau Seaton ran like a duffer in the mile race on the second. Neither look to have a Cup chance, and they will have to improve a bit before they could be seriously considered to have a winning prospect in the big race at Riccarton. The going, however, was very bad, and furnished an excuse for one or two indifferent displays of form. The meeting passed off without any unpleasantness except that the stewards censured J. Rae for his handling of Crichton on the second day. On form the Lochiel colt appeared to have a great chance of winning, but the totalisator figures marked him down as the outsider of a field of three, and the machine correctly foretold the result of the race as far as Crichton was concerned. The club introduced a two-year-old race on the programme for the first time.

The Juvenile Handicap, decided on the first day of the D.J.C. Spring Meeting, resolved itself into a duel between Afar, the sister to Vladimir, and Lady Landon, a good-looking filly by Seaton Delaval out of Robinella. The pair singled themsezves out from the others, who only got near them through the leaders swinging wide at the home turn. Afar had the outside running, and apparently was travelling a trifle better than Lady Landon. After they had run over a couple

or furlongs the leader was being higgled at by Derrett when rounding tor home, but in the last furlong he could not pace it with the bearer of the Zetland spots, who drew out in the last bit and won by a short length. Afer had the worst of the weights, but she has been in hand since about Alarch last, whilst Goodman only took possession of Air. Buckley’s horse in June last.

Rio Grande, who scored in the Burnside Welter, is a well-bred colt, who has come on nicely since he joined Rutledge’s stables. The colt was got by Stepniak out of British Queen, a daughter of St. George (brother to Chester) out of Britomarte, the sister to Euroclydon. ATadimir ran a good race in the Alosgiel Handicap. Considering the time he lias been in active commission he is still on the big side, but coming on well.

Red Gauntlet was made favourite for the Shorts Handicap on Saturday, but after showing a glimpse of his well-known pace in the first couple of furlongs he was in deep trouble before reaching the home turn.

The Trident gelding Blackpool, who is out of the Yattendon mare Eleanor, sported silk last week after being absent from the scene for about three years. He came back under the mentorship of the one-time well-known trainer, J. Cotton, and ran well during the early stages of his races, but faded away at the business end of his journey. The gelding, however, looked big and well, and may do better when he has been longer in commission.

The Stepniak—lrene colt Astrachan, who is a brother to Petrovna and Alaster Alix, started twice last week, and was finishing fast in his first race, but was always in trouble the second time he was out. The colt has had his preparation interfered with through showing intermittent lameness, and probably suffers from muscular rheumatism

Moudjik, who won the Taioma Hack last week, is a son of Stepniak and Vaultress, the dam of Pitch and Toss and Alountebank. Since De raced as a two-year-old the colt has dropped a bit in the hindquarters, and exhibits a slight tendency to drag as if he had ricked himself across the back. He acted with a good deal of dash under a light weight, but with 9.5 in the Burnside Welter he never looked very dangerous. Lady Landow, who kept Afai' fairly busy in the Juvenile Handicap, has grown into a fine cut of a filly, showing a good deal of power and quality. Notus, the upstanding son of Lord Rosslyn and Mistral, the .dam of Pampero, was much admired at AVingatui for his fine powerful appearance and general quality. An English visitor who looked him over some little time back was anxious to take the colt to England with the object of converting him into a ’chaser. Ostakhakoff, who landed a race each day of the D.J.C. Spring Aleeting, is a brother to Ostiak, and should do even better with more age, as he looked very light in condition, and did not display any great muscular development.