THE ROTORUA MEETING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 831, 8 February 1906, Page 7

THE ROTORUA MEETING.

The Rotorua Jokey Club will hold their annual race meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, February 28 and March 1. Eight events will be run each day, these being as follows: — First Hurdles of 25sovs, one mile and three-quarters; Electric Handicap of 20sovs, five furlongs; Rotorua Cup of 60sovs, one mile and a-quarter; District Hack Handicap of 15sovs, seven furlongs; Waimangu Handicap of 15sovs, seven furlongs: Mourea Hurdles of 20sovs, one mile and ahalf; Railway Handicap of 25sovs, seven furlongs; Handicap of 15sovs, four furlongs. On the second day the items will be the Second Hurdles of 25sovs, one mile and three-quarters; Stewards’ Handicap of 15sovs, six furlongs; Arawa Park Handicap of 45sovs, one mile; Bay of Plenty Hack Handicap of 15sovs, one mile; Geyser Handicap of 20sovs, five furlongs; Kia Ora Hurdles of 20sovs, one mile and a-half; Hot Lakes Handicap of 25sovs, seven furlongs; and the Farewell Handicap of 15sovs, four furlongs. Nominations for all races close with the secretary, Mr. W. T. Carr, at Rotorua, or with Mr. H. H. Hayr, High-street, Aukland, to-mor-row (Friday) evening at 9 p.m.

In the list of those who have paid second forfeit for the G.N. Oaks and Champagne Stakes appear several unnamed animals. Some owners appear to find great difficulty in hitting on a name, and when found it is often utterly unsuitable. The following names are suggested for those in the list above mentioned: —Filly by Medallion—Nereid, Sea Nymph; colt by San Francisco —Lady Moth, Golden Butterfly; filly by Phoebus Apollo— Abydos, SJappho; filly by Cyrenian Jesmond, Jasmine; colt by Phoebus Apollo—Lady Gertrude, Captain Phoebus; colt by Cyrenian—Sparkling Water, Sunray; colt by Cuirassier — St. Edith, Paladin; colt by Conqueror —Morreze, Morion; filly by Birkenhead —Balme, Chelsea.

The “ Referee” picks Pendant, Rosebloom, Elysium, Duke of Melton, and Luciana as the best treated in the Newmarket Handicap, while the likeliest in the Australian Cup are Tartan, Czarevitch, Aurate, Phaedra, Circuit and Kaffirpan.

Mr. C. F. Mark, secretary of the A.T.C., has gone to Christchurch to attend a meeting of the N.Z. Trotting Association.

No one who attends the meetings during what it is the custom to call the “ illegitimate” season can avoid the reflection that the horses which contest the various steeplechases which form part of a day’s programme are, on the whole, wonderfully well schooled (says an English writer). As a rule, if a horse comes to grief there is usually some explanation for the contretemps, and a fall is very seldom brought about through bad jumping. There is, however, one frequent cause of mishap which might easily be avoided, and this is the practice which obtains with steeplechase jockeys of steering in each other’s wake, or, as it is known in the hunting field, “ riding in the other fellow’s pocket.” One result of this is that if the horse immediately in front refuses, the animal following must inevitably come to grief; but in any case it happens that a competitor lying in the rear must have a difficulty in “ seeing his fences,” and this often, of course, leads to a blunder which may have serious consequences. Jockeys will tell you that the majority of owners will not put up a horseman wno does not stick to the inside, or, in the phraseology of the racecourse, “ come the nearest way,” the fact of the matter being that very few men running horses at the present day have any practical knowledge of the game, and do not see the advantage ' striking out a line of one’s own. They would probably be very considerably astonished if shown by a mathematician how very little difference there is between a line drawn in the centre of the course and one taken from the rails. On some courses, naturally, the inside berth is of considerable advantage, but in the majority of cases the benefit gained is infinitesimal

The ponies of Iceland have a natural weakness for animal food, and a noted authority says he has seen ponies making their way to the seashore to feed on fishheads and the like; this in the summer, when there was plenty of good pasture accessible. In some parts of Iceland at least a proportion of the horses are kept through part of the winter in stables near the farms, and those which are so protected are fed very largely at this season on dried cods’ heads, which also form the staple food of the cattle when the hay harvest has been a bad one. At some places, too, where the codfish is caught in large numbers, its body, either fresh, or more frequently dry, is given them. This peculiar diet is said to be very nourishing to milch kine, just as dried whale meat is supposed to be in the Faroes. Naturally, the milk has a peculiar taste, but those who are acustomed to it do not notice it.

Cases have been reported on colonial race tracks of riders in jumping events being fined or cautioned for continuing in races when they had no chance or right to do so. It is a very difficult matter to say when a horse has no chance in a steeplechase. According to “ Rapier,” the popular writer of the London “Dramatic News,” the question has cropped up in England over a horse named Kolian, who refused to jump a fence in a steeplechase. Accord-

ing to the London scribe, the writer sent him repeatedly at the fence, he would not have it, and the jockey waited till the other two had been round the course, and came to the jump a second time. Was he justified, or ought he to have taken the horse back when he found that he could not get it over? One opinion was to the effect that a jockey so placed ought to have gone back. His chance was destroyed, it was urged, and he had no business to be blocking up the course. Supposing the rider ha danother go at the obstacle just as the two again approached it? Kolian would, in all likelihood, have refused again, and, bad examples being contagious, upset the others, perhaps inducing them to refuse also. But, as was argued on the other side, his chance was not absolutely destroyed. It was possible that he would get over if the others gave him a lead, and that in the mile and a-half which remained to be covered, both these might run out, fall, or refuse, so that he might catch them up as they had caught him, and then win after all? This last view seems to me sound. Races and games are continually lost because riders and players give .up too soon. A notable case in point occurred not long since. Mr. George Lambton had backed his mare, Bellona, both ways for the big hurdle race at Croydon, and was going so badly a mile from home that he felt tempted to pull up. It occurred to him, however, that he had better stick to it; something might fall, or get knocked over, and so enable him to struggle into third place; and so, persevering hard, he gradually overhauled the third, passed the second, and, the leader tiring and swerving, Bellona got up and won by a head.

Every wound or sore on a horse should be washed daily with an antiseptic solution. If this is done the wound will heal quicker than if left alone, and there will be no danger of the sore getting worse and finally causing the death of the animal. The best antiseptic solutions are made from the coal tar preparations—carbolic acid, etc. These may be mixed with water in the proportion of one to eight. If these are not handy, borax used in the water or sprinkled on the wound immediately after washing it is a good antiseptic. In case of horses, as with human beings, the advantage of possessing a competent nurse and proper accommodation for an invalid cannot be over-estimated. A man who understands the care of a sick horse, and who is possessed of a sympathetic disposition and a liking for the work, is simply an invaluable asquisition in a large stable, and should be appreciated as such. A horse being, of course, incapable of conveying an idea of what its sufferings are, except by more or less indefinite signs of pain, it is most essential that the attendant in charge should be an observant as well as a careful man, for, should complications arise from some apparently trivial source, it is obviously desirable that they should be taken in time.

TO TELL THE AGE OF A HORSE.

To tell the age of any horse Inspect the lower jaw of course. The six front teeth the tale will tell, And every doubt and fear dispel.

The middle “ nippers” you behold Before the colt is two weeks old. Before eight weeks two more will

come, Eight months the “ corners cut the gum.”

The outside grooves will disappear From middle two in just one year; In two years from the second pair; In three the “ corners” cut are bare.

At two the middle “ nippers” drop, At three the second pair can’t stop; When four years old the third pair

goes, At five a full new set shows.

The deep black spots will pass from

view, At six years from the middle two; The second pair at seven years: At eight the spot each “ corner” clears.

From middle “ nippers” upper jaw At nine the black spots will with-

draw ; The second pair at ten are white; Eleven finds the “ corners” light

As time goes on the horsemen know The oval teeth three-sided grow; They longer get, project before, Till twenty, when we know no more.