OTAGO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 938, 27 February 1908, Page 6

OTAGO.

DUNEDIN, February 26. Mr J. E. Henrys and Mr R. J. Mason leave for Melbourne by this week’s boat. The former goes away for a brief holiday which will include an attendance at Flemington during the V.R.C. meeting, and the latter travels on to England in order to enjoy a lengthy rest from the labours which materially assisted on keeping Mr G. G. Stead to the fore as a most successful sportsman. The three-year-old colt, All Guns, by Pallas—Greek Maid, was purchased by

Mr “ C. Machell ” during the progress of the racing at Wingatui on Saturday. The colt’s price was with an additional £ 100 out of the first win, and he is to be trained for future engagements by W. McDonald who, for some time, acted as private trainer to the Hon. G. McLean. The thirty-fifth Dunedin Cup meeting must be marked down as one of the most, if not the most successful held in recent years by the Dunedin jockey Club. The attendance on Cup Day was probably a record, and even exceeded the number that favoured Forbury Park in the old days. The Exhibition Cup Meeting alone takes precedence over last week’s meeting ; but the exceptional circumstances under which the former was held, makes the comparison unfair. A pleasing feature of last week’s meeting was that there were present an unusually large number of visiting sportsmen from Canterbury and other parts of the South Island. A few Wel-

lington visitors also put in an appearance and they included Messrs A. E. Whyte, secretary to the Wellington Racing Club and Mr J. H. Pollock, handicapper to the Same club.

The sport throughout was of an interesting nature. Armamento, the cast-off from W. Davis’ stables, won the Cup in good style, but gave a very indifferent disp ay in the Wingatui Handcap. Speculate . won the prncipal handicap on the second day after a fine race, and on the concluding day, Sea King, the winner of the Publicans’ Handicap, developed unexpected (to the public) staying and won handsomely. The Club achieved a financial success over the meeting, and that shou d inspire them in their efforts for next season.

L. G. King has abandoned the idea of journeying to Melbourne and leaves for the North this week.

Tirole, the winner of the first day’s hurdles at the Cup Meeting, was sold on Friday last at at auction. He

was sore after both his races, and it is doubtful if he will survive another preparation.

It is understood that the WeTington R.C. have paid the value of the stake, won by Suttee, from a start effected before time, to Messrs Harris and Solomon. Old St. Denis showed some of his oldtime pace last week, but failed to last out his races. He hopped out with The Seer on the last day and was probably responsib’e for bringing about the latter’s defeat, or at least he materially contributed towards that end.

Mr W. Quinn, of Tapanui, who bred Lone Star, has a twin three-year-old halfbrother to the Stepniau gelding. They were got by Imperator, a son of Gipsy Grand out of the Medallion mare Corolla. It is understood they are not to be raced, but will be used as utility horses. Lone Star showed form last week that would make plenty of people anxious to own either him or his relations.

Sea King, by his brace of victories in the Publcans’ Handicap and Anniversary Handicap, gave Mr H. F. Nico'l a welldeserved turn of luck, as Cross Battery and the first-named horse, must have proved costly equines up to date. Sea King was both his races in good style and finished well when he won over a mile. Lapland is accused of being a whistler and is unlikely to repeat the form he showed in the last New Zealand Cup. Thunderer ran very consistently in his races last week, and his win in the Wingatui Handicap was well deserved. Judging by the manner in which he trotted round the saddling paddock prior to running in the Publicans’ Handicap, and also by the fact that he stopped badly in his races, it would appear that All Guns was a bit short of work last week. He was improving as he went along and should be a useful member of his new trainer’s team.

Luresome looked a bit light when she stripped on the last day of the Cup meeting. She is only a handful and has been kept well into the collar since she raced at the D.J.C. Xmas Meeting. The Stepniak—Hermosa gelding Ooyoi won his races on the first day of the D.J.C. Meeting in a convincing manner, and should win again if he trains on. The Obligado filly Octave has created a. very favourable impression when running- at the Tapanui Meeting, and considerably impressed those at Wingatui by the brilliancy she displayed last week. Beneform, the winner of the two-year-old event on the concluding day of the Cup Meeting, is growing into a very handsome horse. He is a bit on the leg, but his chief fault lies with his contracted feet. With the sting out of the ground, he acted with much more freedom than he did in the Champagne Stake.

Lupulite was a pricked balloon after his match with Petrovna.

Clanchattan did not run up to expectations last week. He was rumoured to be as good as Stratagem in private, but in public however he was found wanting.

Grand Stand was the hero hurdler last week and both his winning efforts were comfortably accomplished. On the first day he jumped a bit big, but he did not lose much time at fences in his subsequent races.

Husbandman cantered home in the Champagne Stakes. He had weak opposition, but he looks susceptable to a vast amount of improvement. In fact he is a raking great colt who will probably require another couple of seasons on him before he is fully finished. Hilarity ran two good races ih the Dunedin Cup and D.J.C. Handicap, but her showing on the last day was on a par with her previous form. The manner in which she stayed out ten furlongs was a bit of a surprise, and she will win over that distance when the opposition is not too strong.

Dabchick did not have anything to spare when she won the City Stakes Handicap, but she finished in the resolute manner of a stayer. She reminds one a bit of Gladsome and shows a lot of quality.

Armamento, the winner of the Dunedin Cup, cost his present owner 100 sovs. He was sold out of W. Davis’ stable, which was one of the biggest thorns in the s.p. merchants operating when “ no reply ” was a popular method of speculating. Davis evidently entertained an angel unawares —a grave error for a c'ever man.

The Lord Roslyn gelding Erskine who, in addition to winning at Wingatui, showed good pace in other races, was picked up by his present owner at a hack price. The credit of converting Speculate into a D.J.C. Handicap winner, belonged to a great extent, to W. Buddicombe, who got the gelding when he was out of form and built him into a winner. A. McDonald took charge of the horse at the conclusion of the Gore meeting, and has had him in his stab'e since then.

Apollodoris was sore last week when carrying silk, and the game little son of Brica was, consequently running under a double handicap. Jack Ashore’s race in the Dunedin Cup evidently took a good deal of the steel out of him, as his subsequent form was considerably below his first effort at the meeting. St. Joe and Leeside were brought back from Tasmania by this week’s boat and journey on to Riccarton.