OTAGO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 965, 3 September 1908, Page 7

OTAGO.

DUNEDIN,. September 2. Mr Harry Goodman, son of the well known owner and trainer of the same

name, was the recipient of a presentation on Monday evening from a few friends prior to his departure to Australia where be intends to sett’e. The North Otago Club are issuing particulars of the Stepniak Stakes of 200 sovs to be run at their Spring Meeting. The race is for two-year-olds (colts Bst, fillies 7st 91b, geldings 7st 111 b) over four furlongs. Entries are due on Friday next, September 4, and no money is required with the nominations. A prominent metallician, at present on a visit to Dunedin ,was accosted, the other day by a client with the salutation: “What’s favourite for the N.Z. Cup?” “Whatever you want to back,” quoth the purveyor of odds. It is reported from Australia that Notus, the upstanding son of Lord Rosslyn and Lady Gertrude was recently sold in Melbourne for 55 guineas. An English sportsman who was looking through the Hon. George McLean’s stable when Notus was a three-year-old, offered 500 guineas for the colt, whom he thought looked the beau ideal and the makings of a Liverpool ’chaser, and that offer was refused. Another 500-guinea offer was refused for Apollodoris, and in commenting on the fact to the writer, the Hon. Geo. McLean said: “He cou’d never understand why he refused the offers.” Some of the critics regard Stratagem as one of the best handicapped horses in the N.Z. Cup, and as her best displays took place at this end of the island, it may prove of interest She won the C..JC. Midsummer Handicap with 7st 111 b, in 2min 40sec, but they were not a particularly good lot behind her, as Paragon was top weight with 9st. Lapland is also down 251 b whilst Stratagem comes down 31b. She won the Suburban Handicap in excellent style and ran a mile and two furlongs in 2min 9 3-ssec wiih Bst 91b, but her display in the Great Autumn under 7st 91b was disappointing in comparison. She ran badly at Wellington, where Tangimoana gave her 121 b and beat her out of a p’ace in the Autumn Handicap. The Oamaru Cup fell to her with Bst 61b, and she wound up by winning the D.J.C. Birthday Handicap with Bst 121 b in 2min 12 4-ssec. In her winning effort at Wingatui. Stratagem was galloping on at the finish, but there is an additional six furlongs to be traversed al Riccarton and she will have to give a better d’splay than she did in the Great Autmun where she looked a winner at ten furlongs, but was well beaten at 12. Racing in this part of the island will carry an unusual interest this spring as it w 11 introduce us to the newly established Dunedin Stakes, of '250 sovs, for two-year-olds, and another valuable race for the babies is .the Stepniak States, of 200 sovs. which will be decided a week later than the Wingatui races. These races would make a nice double for a smart juvenile and open his eyes for more serious events ahead. J. Beale, one of the leading riders, who had the misfortune to lose one of his eyes as the result of a shooting accident, is again doing riding work at Wingatui. An unusual amount of interest was taken in the annual meeting and committee election of the Tahuna Park Trotting Club. Such a state of affairs is. pleasing to. note, because it indicates an increasing amount of interest in the sport and incidentally that the officials will have to be alive and progressive to hold places.