OTAGO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 939, 5 March 1908, Page 7

OTAGO.

DUNEDIN, March 5

With the conclusion of the Dunedin Cup meeting and the Tahuna Trotting meeting, comes a lull in local racing. The Clutha Hack meeting, however, takes place on Friday next and no doubt wi’l attract a few sports from Dunedin.

The Wanganui Cup meeting is set down for Thursday and Saturday of this week, but no other meeting of much consequence takes place until March 19, when the Waimate Racing Club’s gathering, which promises to be unusually attractive this year, is to be held. The South Canterbury meeting takes place on March 25 and 26, and on April 8 and 9 the Southland meeting will be the only gathering of local interest to separate' us from the C.J.C. Autumn meeting. A conspicuous feature of the Tahuna Park meeting was the capable starting of

Mr L. C. Hazlett, who ranks in the writer’s estimation as the most capable starter of the light harness horse ever seen at work in this country. Mr Hazlett is also a capable man with the runners. Eight Birkenhead yearlings, purchased by Mr Cox, of Brisbane, from the Hon. J. D. Ormond, passed through to Melbourne by this week’s boat. They are out of Camelot (Sir Launcelot—Trentalto), Industry (Nautilus imp—Elizabeth Villiers) Dryad, (St. Leger—Wood Nymph, Miss Never (Dunlop—Straight Shot), Miro (Dreadnought—Spinaway), Spot .{Albany —Zelica), Aphrodite (Apremont—Watersprite) and Agony (Dreadnought—Martyr). In addition to the yearlings which are all colts, there is also a four-year-old gelding- by Birkenhead—Sabra, in the shipment.

The writer has been informed that Ouidaform, the brother to Beneform, who wag shipped to Australia several weeks back, has since been sold at 450 guineas. Ouidaform is a well-bred son of Multiform and should have been valuable as a sire as apart from a scarred back he was a good looking sort with plenty of size and quality. Scotland, the winner of the Newmarket Handicap is a son of Wallace and the Padlock—Governess mare. Key. Governess, the second dam of Scotland, also threw Jane Eyre, who was a good performer here, but has produced nothing of note at the stud.

Weight is of paramount importance in flat racing, but some trotting men think nothing of sending a horse out with two or three stone overweight. What is a stopper to the runner is also a stopper to the trotter, but some people are particularly slow in waking up to that fact. At Tahuna Park it is not an uncommon sight to see a rider up who ever fills a 281 b saddle.

Cocoanu: went the qmin 542-5500 she put up in the Telephone Handicap in good

style and appeared to be waiting on Franciscan who was her pacemaker for the first 12 furlongs. The Prince Imperial mare also showed good grit when she followed Durbar home on the first day when in receipt six seconds from a qmin 47 3-5500. winner.

Durbar, with a smaller bit of “good luck and driven with that object in view, would not have much difficulty in making a track record.

We have had few trotters in the colony like the champion Fri;z and it is a matter of regret that he was not left a stallion. His brother Franz has showed himself by getting Franciscan a sire of speed. Franz evidently promises 'to keep th’iei family name alive and on that account desires a pat on the back.” Secretaries of racing clubs should note the dates of the British football team matches as it would be advisable for them to steer clear of these fixtures.