OTAGO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 925, 28 November 1907, Page 7

OTAGO.

The Bon. Geo. McLean—Sprinters over Bardies—Tahuna Fark Trotting Club Australian Bookmakers May Visit New Zealand—Armistice —The Imprisoned Bookmakers —Dunedin Meeting —Seized by a Bailiff—Otago Farmers’ Borse Bazaar. DUNEDIN, November 27. The Hon. Geo. McLean, who has been president of the Dunedin Jockey Club for the past 22 years, left on Sunday by the Wimmera for Melbourne en route to the Old World. During his absence the racing stable will be kept going as usual. It is to be hoped that a few good victories to the New Zealand sport will help to punctuate the pleasures of the news which Mr. McLean will receive from here during his sojourn abroad. The hurdle races to be decided at Wingatui at Christmas will probably introduce the sporting public to a brace of recruits to the leaping business. Grandstand and Regiment, whose forte has hitherto been speed across the flat, figure in the list of nominations. Both are nonstayers, and their appearance in the races named will give a further opportunity attesting the contention that sprinters on the flat can frequently pay their way over the small sticks. Royal Shell is one of the latest to lend strength to the argument. The Tahuna Park Trotting Club will commence its spring meeting on Saturday next, and it will be continued on the following Wednesday. The improvements to the track, which has been considerably widened in the straight, will give opportunities for better sport than what was previously the case, and the horses will have more room to distinguish themselves when it comes to a close finish. As a result of the legislation of bookmakers it is highly probable that our future meetings will be attended by some of the Australian fielders. As a preliminary in this direction it may be mentioned that the writer has already received a reply paid cable from some unknown person in Australia who is asking for information on the subject. Grandstand, who was recently purchased by a Southland sportsman, was left behind in Christchurch with H. Carr, who is to school the gelding over hurdles. Mr. Wm. Wallace, who has been in Australia for about a score of years, and whom many will remember as the rider and trainer of bygone cracks of the trotting track in the shape of Ranial, Ace of Clubs, Bella and Chantraleer, and many others, has returned to this country to follow his profession. In estimating the value of the weight apportioned Armistice in the Auckland Cup, it is well to remember that the mare was not at her best when running at the C.J.C. Spring Meeting. It is rumoured that several of the bookmakers who were imprisoned for trespass at Riccarton during the currency of the New Zealand Cup meeting will have a considerable portion of their sentences remitted. Record nominations have been received for the D.J.C. summer meeting, and the exce’lent dates on which the racing is to be held should result in the club experienc’ng a record gathering. Among the horses put under the hammer on Saturday, and which failed to find new owners, were three Australian bred ’un s in Hidalgo, Hemlock and Victor 11. One .of the horses booked to race at Middlemarch was seized by a bailiff a couple of days. before the meeting, and hence her absence from the field of battles. At the Otago Farmers’ Co-operative Horse Bazaar on Saturday the following bloodstock were sold on behalf of Mr. H. Goodman :—Zero (Finland —Circlet), 68gns., to Mr. J. Biggins; Little Medallist (Obligado—Lady Medallist), yogns., to Mr. C. Samson, jun. ; Santa Claus was passed when under . the hammer, but was subsequently sold at 75gns. to Mr. M. Allan; and Liza (Obligado—Miss Betty) was passed at Sggns.