OTAGO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 881, 24 January 1907, Page 8

OTAGO.

DUNEDIN, Jan. 23. The Gore Racing. Club’s Summer Meeting, both from a financial and sporting point of view, was a record gathering, and the sum of £5O or thereabouts will probably go into the Treasury as a result. Astrachan was responsible tor some attractive work prior to going to Gore, and as a consequence he was a quiet tip for the principal event on the first day. The brother of Master Alix ran a fairly good race over a journey which was generally supposed to be out of his distance, but he could not fight it out with Scrap Iron Jack in the run home. Scrap Iron Jack scored in the Gore Cpp after a good race with Astrachan and Motus. He was lying handy to the leader until about four furlongs from home, and after that he was the most dangerous looking horse of the bunch. He ran disappointingly on the second day, and dropped out of the fray a long way from home, despite the fact that he was anything but harshly handicapped for this win. The Merrie England mare Secret scored twice at the Gore Meeting in good style. She downed Manjess and Rosebloom over seven furlongs in the Croydon Handicap, after an interesting race, and on the second day ran away with the Grandstand Hack Handicap, in which the class was considerably below those whom she? met on the first day. Secret was stripped for a second time on the concluding day, but as she is a slow beginner she never got into the danger zone when racing over four furlongs in the President’s, which was captured by Rawmore. Secret, who

is a fine cut of a mare, is. with ordinary luck, a sure winner again before the season closes. Idasa’s win on the second day came as. a mild s irprise after her display in the Gore Cup, in which she finished a moderate fourth, after never looking very dangerous. On the second day she was always disputing the lead, and won after an excellent finish with Motus. It is understood that the owner of the Seaton Delaval mare supported her to the extent bfi; a couple of pounds only, owing to the fact that he regarded another in the field as having an excellent chance of scoring. Mr. F. Wallis, who acts as honorary starter to the Gore Racing Club, despatched the fields under his control last week in excellent style. In the Gore Cup and a couple of other races he achieved a splendid send-off by allowing the horses to walk up to the barrier and get away from a moving start. Some of the soundest judges of racing have always been averse to the standing start, which they maintain, with a good deal of reason, is unnatural and a great strain on the horses, whereas the moving start is more natural and minimises the risk of a horse jumping on the wrong leg. The standing start, however, is apparently much easier to get away than a moving one, as in the latter, owing to the fact that a number of riders have little or no control over their mounts the number of breakaways which occur tend to disorgapise the field.

By the Melbourne mail just to hand it is learnt that a fair number of New Zealand-bred horses figure amongst the list of nominations for the principal handicaps to be decided at the back end of the season in Australia: —Solution Ellis (Hotchkiss — Edith Cureton), Grenadier (Soult — Hotcherina), Menschikoff, Katanga (Hotchkiss — Crescent). Highland Fling (Multiform—Marion), Cunieform, Captain Shannon and Berisina are amongst those nominated in the .Newmarket Handicap, and Apologue. Solution, Ellis and Delaware are engaged in the Australian Cup. The New Zealand Highland Fling has been entered for the V.R.C. Newmarket Handicap. On his form in this country the Multiform gelding has been most ambitiously engaged, and going by the book the correct odds against his chance would be something like a mountain of gold to a headless match. Perhaps he is going to do some of the things he was suspicioned to be capable of whilst here, but the suspicion was suspicion only, and the “gilt” he is likely to win in Australia would not dam the saltwater river very much. Most of the racing clubs which exclude persons from their racecourses who are likely to interfere with the totalisator receipts have a “call-a-spade-a-spade” sort of style in alluding to those whose presence is undesirable, and generally state that the bookmakers, spielers, guessers, etc., will not be admitted to the meeting. The Tapanui Jockey Club have commenced a gentlemanly way of referring to the rank and file of those to whom they are extending an invitation to stay away, and are requesting that bookmakers and “professional gamblers” will not be admitted to their meeting. No doubt other clubs will now attempt to outdo the Tapanui Club, and state that they will not be “at home” to bookmakers and “Les Chevaliers Dendustree” on. the date of their race meetings. The field which has been engaged in the Midsummer Handicap should shed some light on the Dunedin Cup, as eight of those engaged at Riccarton are also in the principal event at Wingatui. Manjess rail.' a couple of good races at Gore, but failed to catch the judge’s eye as a winner. When carrying a burden of 9st or over anything over a mile course appears to find him wanting, but under a light weight it would not be surprising to find him acting well over a longer distance. The Gore Racing Club achieved a totalisator record when £6294 was registered at its meeting last week. Satisfactory nominations have been received for the Dunedin Cup and the balance of the principal events to be decided at the meeting. During the currency of the Gore Meeting a few horses found new owners when put under the hammer. A disappointing outcast from the Yaldhurst stable in Soltykoff (Stepniak —Hermosa) sold at 32 guineas, but as he bleeds aX the nose he does not read cheap on that account. Kea, a Captaiit ’ Webb mare, went at 21 guineas, ..and the Auckland-bred Delarey at Rubrette was sold at 41gns., arid will probably find her

way to Australia, and one or two others sold at hack figures.

The proposed Tahuna Park Trotting Cup for a sweepstake of 30sovs. each and 150sovs. added money for a 4-55 class attracted two nominations only, and has been declared void by the club. In its place the club have substituted a lOOsovs. harness race for a 5.10 or better class, and. four events, on the programme for the autumn meeting will carry prize-money of lOOsovs. each. Nominations close on the 30th inst. at Invercargill Tomateria (Birkenhead — Merganser) was passed under the hammer at llOgns., and the following also failed to find buyers, and were passed at the

prices mentioned: —Stormont 48gns., and Silver Boy 40gns. We have a splendid type of the English thoroughbred in the South Island in the shape of Pilgrims Progress, the imported son of Isonomy and Pilgrimage, out it is doubtful if he is appreciated at a quarter his worth by New Zealand breeders, although he proved himself a successful sire in Australia. Isonomy horses were doing well in England last year, where Gallinule sired winners of £16,211, Isinglass got winners of £13,621, Wild Fowler (son of Gallinulle) got winners of £9921, and Islington got winners of £5169.