OTAGO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 885, 21 February 1907, Page 8

OTAGO.

DUNEDIN, Feb. 20.

The Tuapeka County Jockey Club held their annual meeting last week, and raced for the first time on their new course, which is laid out on the private property recently acquired by them. The new track is a distinct improvement on the old course, and when time has settled it down, and one or two further improvements have been made, the meetings held there should win a fair amount of patronage from owners and public. The splendid results which attended the North Otago Jockey Club’s efforts to cater for owners of two-year-olds has naturally induced that body to retain the juvenile events on its (programme, and next spring the Stepniak Stakes of 200sovs will come up for decision for the second time. Colts will be required to carry Bst, geldings 7st 111 b, and fillies 7st 91b. The subscription is to be five sovs. each for starters. The Allandale Stock Farm intends holding a sale on the up-to-date American principle, by which horses are sent against the watch with their prospective buyers looking on at the trial.

The Stepniak—Ambush filly Beresina has proved a bargain at the price paid for her by Messrs. Price and Nettlefold, when they paid something between one and two centuries to Mr. G. G. Stead. Since she was taken across to Australia with Machine Gun she has become badly affected in the respiratory organs, but that she can go fast is evidenced by her win on Saturday last, when she pulled off the Oakleigh Plate in a field of 19. There is a yearling brother to Beresina in D. J. Price’s stables.

Some of the Christchurch trainers who are at Wingatui with teams of horses, experienced a good deal of trouble and bother in getting South. Transport accommodation was difficult to procure, and horses in the same stable had to travel by different trains; others had to be brought down some days before it was absolutely necessary. When it is remembered that several trainers have horses in active commission which are not engaged at our own meeting, the Inconvenience of a lengthy, absence is no small item. Owing to the impossibility of getting the train, it was intended to bring Cross Battery, Sea King, and Wild Cat by boat, but their trainers took advantage of a special which came from Christchurch on Saturday night and reached here early on Sunday morning. The horses were stabled in town on the day and night of their arrival, and shipped to Wingatui on Monday morning. Having to go through this does not tend to make the course popular with trainers, and in future it would be advisable for the club to endeavour to make some arrangements with the railway authorities which would facilitate the transport of horses.