OTAGO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 886, 28 February 1907, Page 8

OTAGO.

DUNEDIN, Feb. 27. The Dunedin Jockey Club held their Cup Meeting last week, and despite the fact that the weather at the opening was unfavourable the gathering was both a sporting and financial success. The totalisator figures ran out to 2291, or above last year. Stepdancer won the Dunedin Cup in decisive fashion, and recorded her second win in the race. The Club made a profit of about £640 over the meeting. Royal Shell, who paid £l9 16/ when he scored in the second day’s hurdle event, was picked in Auckland for something in the neighbourhood of £2O. At that time he was suffering from an enlarged knee, which was the result of hitting a fence; but he is now apparently as sound as a bell.

Golden Cairn was produced once only last week, when he was made a good favourite for the Publican’s Handicap, but ran disappointingly, as he was never dangerous in the run home. On his form at the Mid-Summer Meeting when he paced it with Buccleuch in the Craven Plate, and also ran well in the Middle Park Plate. Golden Cairn looked to have a good chance in the Publican’s, but his supporters had to be content with an also started, and not a heap of gold. Two winners at Wingatui last week claim close relationship to a couple of horses who have been filling the public eye lately, as Mr. J. F. Buchanan’s filly Amboise is a sister to Marguerite, and Mr. Murray Hobbs’ filly Aimee Soult is a sister to Grenadier, one of the ruling favourites for the Newmarket Handicap.

The recently-concluded Dunedin Cup Meeting was remarkable for the fact that it attracted an unusual numbei’ of visitors. Canterbury sports are generally found to be content with their own meetings, and it is to be hoped that their presence last week augurs well for the Wingatui gatherings of the future. The downfall of Glenculloch in the D.J.C. Champagne Stakes was a bit of a facer to punters, but the colt’s defeat did not come altogether as a great surprise, as it was whispered about that he had contracted a cold. He galloped with his customary dash for about four furlongs, but after crowning the hill it was noticeable that his stride was losing its length, and Bonnie Glen had him well beaten over a furlong from home. Nine stone ten is a goodly burden for a two-year-old to carry at Wingatui when the going is a bit loose and the load was not made any lighter by the fact that about 3st. of it was dead weight. The form displayed by Bonnie Glen at Riccarton and Wingatui suggests that his defeat of Glenculloch was far from being a fluke, and further that the Clanranald colt was not altogether disgraced, as it is quite possible that the Stepniak colt is a bit out of the common.

The feature of the opening day of the Tahuna Park Trotting Club’s meeting was the splendid race which was furnished by the field which went out to contest the High-Class Handicap, and it is quite possible that the falling through of the proposed sweepstakes which was struck out because it failed to fill was a blessing in disguise, as one could not wish to witness a better battle on a track than that which the different horses put up before the winning number was hoisted. The horses which furnish the best races are those who have about reached the speed limit, and there is generally very little between their records, and consequently they race in close order or should do so if all other things are equal; and these are the races which give the public good value for their money. Although by no means forcing the pace Fusee was always disputing the lead, his driver had the inside berth and exercised a good deal of generalship in order to retain it. More than once he was on the grass with one of his wheels, and Price undoubtedly had to drive a great race before getting his number on top, and the merit of his reinmanship is all the more pronounced because he had such clever manipulators of the ribbons as M. E. Albaugh, C. Kerr, M. Allan and M. Edward to keep at bay. Buccleuch was considered good goods for the Anniversary Handicap, but his chance was wrecked by the suicidal pace set in the early stages of the race. The going along the back stretch was on the heavy side, and it was an error of judgment to allow him to run with Red Gauntlet over the first three furlongs with 7.9 on his back. The first quarter was

cut in 24secs, which was an impossible pace to set out over a mile journey, and it was not astonishing to find both stopping to nothing In the run home. When stripped at the Mid-Summer Meeting Buccleuch was very big and lusty. In his Wingatui Campaign he was improving in appearance with each race, and although defeated on the last day looked a better horse than at any other time during the week. He is evidently a gross doer, and the sort that English trainers would work in light clothing and be rarely given a stripped gallop. Cross Battery carried the coin and confidence of the public each time she started at Wingatu, but her supporters had to be content with a lose each time they staked their bullion. She ran a fairly good race in the Cup, on what appears to have been a remarkably light preparation, as she arrived in Dunedin on the Sunday before the race, and was very indulgently treated in the interim. In the Cup she ran a good mare under the circumstances, but was not unduly punished when Stepdancer had the race in her keeping. Her run over 12 furlongs, however, was evidently a severe tax on her powers, as she gave an inglorious display in the Wingatui Handicap, and was never dangerous in the race. Wairakei ran some great races on very little work, but the majority of horses have to gallop on the track if they are wanted to win under silk; and before Cross Battery can be given a chance at Riccarton she will have to do something on the track calculated to justify her being supported. The judging at Wingatui last week was not an unqualified success. On the second day Gapon, who was second last in his race, was placed third, and in the Flying Handicap decided on the third day, many in a good position to see the finish were positive that Fire-iron was entitled to the winning verdict instead of Zetland. The press stand is placed on an awkward angle, but the writer was strongly inclined to agree with the racing experts who held that Fire-iron was the winner, as when a horse is running wide on the track he has to make a good win before he really looks to be first past the post. In a close thing it is practically impossible to give a fair opinion, but every one whom the writer queried, and whose names if mentioned would be a sufficient guarantee that they knew what they were talking about, were positive that Fire-iron won by anything from half a length to a length.