SOUTHLAND.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1573, 17 June 1920, Page 11

SOUTHLAND.

Dunedin J.C.’s Successful Winter Meeting — Southland-owned and Trained Horses Experience Great Innings—Notes on the Concluding Day’s Racing at Wingatui—Achilleus Creates Big Surprise in Hurdle R ace —Some Splendid Racing Provided—Successful Horsemen at the Fixture. INVERCARGILL, June 12. An army of Overjoyed Southland racing folk returned from Otago’s capital early during the current week delighted with their experiences at the very successful winter meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club. On the first day of the meeting there was a serious drop in the all-round receipts, owing to unfavourable weather, but the two following days of the fixture witnessed a great financial recovery, a drop of nearly £lO,OOO in totalisator figures being turned into an increase of £10,960 on the third racing. day of the week. The attendance returns also increased in proportion. Quite a number of North Island visitors were present following the fortunes of the jumpers and gallopers from their respective districts, but Master Strowan was the only representative from the North Island to win distinction. His fine effort in scoring in the valuable Otago Steeplechase, however, was the leading and most attractive feature of the gathering, and will long be remembered by southern people, who do not often have the opportunity of seeing a really high-class steeplechaser in action —although the champion cross-country horse, Lochella, hails from Wingatui, he has never been seen competing between the flags at Dunedin, his efforts as a steeplechaser having been confined to Riccarton and the North Island. It. is very satisfactory to find the Dunedin Jockey Club winning out on the ambitious programme placed before owners and the general public last week, as this will mean the retention of the meeting as a three days’ fixture, as against the expressed wish of some conservative people that a day be shorn off and restored to the Dunedin. Cup gathering in February. If it. is really desired to add an additional day to the Cup fixture the Christmas meeting could be restricted to one day without any harm resulting to racing in Otago. Southland-owned and trained horses had a great innings at Wingatui last week, winning twelve races and also securing a large sum in place money, the total .amount credited to local horses in stakes being £3851. At the same time, Otago-owned horses did better than usual, with Melee, Radial, All Ready, Don Pacifico and Silent King taking out good galloping stakes, while Crib landed two of the most valuable steeplechase stakes on the programme. The double success of Crib aroused keen enthusiasm in South Otago, as the son of Sant Ilario is owned by Mr. J. Smith, a steward of the Dunedin J.C. and a popular public-spirited resident of the Balclutha district. The writer 1 has always advocated that the Wingatui cross-country course would puzzle North Island performers and bring these more speedy animals to a common level with their southern rivals, and so it proved. Master Strowan certainly stood out by himself in the Otago Steeplechase, but the patched-up Zarkoma gave him a good run, and then it has to be remarked that Mr. F. S. Easton’s crack came to grief himself on the last day of the meeting, when he went out very solidly in favour for the Dunedin Steeplechase. The victories of Crib were established in a bold manner, the veteran fencing better than ever before in his life, and it was also interesting to remember that in June of last year he was operated upon for wind trouble by . the Christchurch veterinary surgeon Mr. H. E. Martin, M.R.C.V.S. It is safe to say that Mr. Smith’s horse will now be specially prepared for a tilt at the Grand National Steeplechase in August next. Racing on the concluding day at Wingatui opened with the Greenfield Hurdle Handicap, and backers received a rare facer when Achilleus won in good style and returned a price in the vicinity of half a century, while the third horse, the ancient Awahou, who would probably have won if he could have been induced to jump straight, was close up and would have returned an even larger price. Cut-throat tactics between Golden Prince and Strayshot proved the undoing of both, but the latter gave an impressive showing for a greenhorn, and is evidently going to turn out useful. Calma, who

acted as runner-up to the winner, ran a. good race. Achilleus is trained at Riversdale, Southland, by J. Keily, who is very fond of the jumping game and has won many races in his time with such hurdlers and steeplechasers as Comeaway, Glenthorpe, Black Sea and Chappal Moh. Black Mountain looked like winning the Taieri Handicap, when Bengeroop escaped from a pocket and galloped on resolutely to score by nearly a length from Chaeronia. The winner, a . son of. Calibre from Alumini, is a rare galloper and a powerfully-built animal prepared by P. T. Hogan. Should he stand prolonged training he is almost sure to- be heard of outside hack company next season, and should develop into a valuable jumper if put to the illegitimate game. There was only one horse in the King George Handicap when it came to the finish, and that galloper was Radial, by All Red —Aerina, by Soult —Hotcherina. He won very easily under 9.13 from Eleus (9.3), but was fortunate in a way, as the third horse, Sedd-el-Bahr, came round the home bend five lengths clear of the field,

but ran right out to the far side of the track and was then pulled over to the rails again. The connections of Sedd-el-Bahr gave him a good chance, and they were unlucky that he should have left the rails to let Radial and Eleus through in the way referred to. Radial is held under lease by the Oamaru owner-trainer R. McKay, and it is said that his option over the All Red gelding has just about run out. When Master Strowan fell in the Dunedin Steeplechase, Crib soon disposed of San Sebastian, a stablemate, and was not afterwards seriously troubled. Diavolo. who was very vigorously ridden by the southern horseman J. McChesney, got over the fences all right, but stopped to nothing in the run home, and thus the old Southland mare Black Sea was enabled to struggle into second place. Crib was cheered to the echo in company with his owner. (Mr. J. Smith) and rider (J. R. Kaan), and rightly so, as the South Canterbury mentor, S. Trilford, has developed him into a useful ’chaser. That good mare Silver Peak met with trouble during the early stages of the Empire Handicap, but came along in great style in the straight

to win cleverly by two lengths from Mortham. She is not by any means a handsome mare, but possesses the gift of galloping to an unusual degree, and has proved a veritable gold mine to Mr. W. Stone, of Invercargill, during the past few months. Carefully prepared in the springtime, the daughter of Adjudge and Oblong, by Obligado—Peak, might even prove a Stewards’ Handicap possibility. The ex-Winter Cup winner Magdala was all the rage for the Third Hack Steeplechase, but fell at the post and rails at the far turn —an obstacle that proved a stumbling-block io some of the best horses engaged at the fixture. At the time he was being ridden hard to head off the more seasoned Dunmure, who crossed the fence in great style. Luigi, on whom L. Hagerty cut off corners and gained much ground, looked all over a winner when Dunmure wore him down in the straight and beat him by a length. The winner is well bred, being a son of Gienapp and Remorse, a mare bred by the late Mr. L. Markey, of Canterbury. He was sent out to race with P. T. Hogan’s best

polish on, and recorded a deserved win for a lover of jumpers and trotters, viz., Mr. T. Kett. Hogan has been very patient with Dunmure, and it may be said that the horse at one time iooked to be a hopeless proposition as a fencer, as he displayed marked aversion to the game. Hitherto the chestnut performed somewhat indifferently in public, but his manner of doing the work on Saturday last created the impression that he is now going to act like a veteran fencer. After racing consistently in the firing line during the meeting, the Southland mare Lady Pallas, by Pallas —Kitty O’Shea, by Stepniak—lrish Girl, got her head in front of Silent King at the winning line in the Domain Handicap. She is a smart little galloper owned by Mr. W. C. Harrison, of Colac Bay, who bred her. At one time Mr. Harrison raced Eous with success. The dam of Lady Pallas, Kitty O’Shea, was useful, but put her foot into a rabbit-hole on the training track when galloping one morning, and with a double somersault her racing career closed. Both Lady Pallas and the successful Jock are trained at Riverton by W. McKay, the well-known veteran jockey A. Mc-

Kay acting as head lad. There was a good finish in the concluding. race of the meeting, when Don Pacifico, by San Francisco — Windwhistle, won the Farewell Handicap by half a length from Golden King, with All Ready a head away, third. The winner put up a fine effort in the hands of R. McLellan;and returned a remunerative price to a select party who anticipated the victory with some confidence. Golden King, despite his many breakdowns, ran two wonderful races at Wingatui last week. It is easy to understand why P. T. Hogan classes him as the best horse he has ever trained. The list of winning horsemen at the meeting was headed by the Riccarton apprentice A. E. Ellis, with three wins; then came G. Young, C. Dawson, H. Young, J. R. Kaan and W. Robinson, two each; while L. Hagerty, I. Tilson, H. Lorrigan, T. Humphries, J. Campbell, S. Wales, W. Scobie, C. Emerson, T. O’Connell, J. McChesney and R. McLellan recorded single wins respectively. The list of winning owners was headed by Mr. J. Smith with £770; then came Mr. W. Stone, £745; R. McKay, £705; Mr. F. S. Easton, £700; Messrs. T. and F. Traill, £525. LATER. A Successful Southland Owner —Jock Changes Ownership—Magdala and Blue Admiral Suffering From Injuries— Substantial Sum Won by Rorke's Drift Lodge Horses—Winton Stakes to be Increased in Value. (Telegraph—lnvercargill Correspondent) In Southland the. local tracks are practically deserted at the present time, most of the. horses still in commission being restricted to road work. P. Hogan will, probably be represented at the Grand National meeting at Riccarton, but has hardly made up his mind yet as to the identity of his candidates. The majority of the Rorke’s Drift Lodge horses raced at Wingatui and further north are being spelled in the meantime. During the current season the horses owned by Mr. W. Stone have won £4234 in stakes, the contributors being Silver Peak, Eleus, Primum, Bright Spot and Mantua. At the conclusion of the Dunedin J.C.’s winter fixture Messrs. Triall Brothers disposed of the Glenculloch —Follicle gelding Jock, the price paid being reported at 275 guineas. The Birthday Handicap winner will in future be trained by G. Reid at Wingatui. The owner of Magdala intended placing the son of Comedian with P. Hogan to prepare - for the Grand National meeting, but the horse was in a bad waj r when he returned here from Wingatui. His knees suffered badly 'when he fell at the third to last fence in the Hack Steeplechase on the final day, while he obviously is suffering from other injuries. Blue Admiral, who is also owned by Mr. J. Beck, accompanied Magdala ba'ck to Invercargill, but he, too, was showing signs of soreness. The pair will be left here for the week, and if no improvement takes place in the interim they will be returned to Mr. Beck to be liberated for a spell. Silver Peak has been eased up since the Dunedin meeting, and the daughter of Adjudge is unlikely to be called upon to race until the New Zealand Cup fixture in November, wlien she will be engaged with high-class sprinting company.' Eleus is also on theeasy list, and will not be produced again in public until well on into next season. Of Mr. Stone’s other horses, Martial Dance,' Mantua, and Primum are putting up good sound work, as they will be wanted for the early spring meetings. Martial Dance may be started in the Dunedin Guineas provided all goes well with him in the meantime. Notwithstanding the fact that the Rorke’s Drift Lodge representatives finished second in quite a number of valuable races during the current season, the stable has accounted for the substantial sum of otfer £B2OO in stakes, giving a total for the past two racing terms of over £lB,OOO. This goes to show the advancement made in regard to racing in this district during the past few years, when £2OOO would have been considered unique. The Winton Jockey .Club has practically decided to make the Winton Stakes Handicap event an open race in future to all three-year-olds, a commencement to be made on August 1, when yearlings will be nominated for the 1922 race and two-year-olds for the 1921 event, and three-year-olds entered for the contest of November next. The stakes for the 1921 and 1922 races will be raised to £250, including a trophy valued at £2O for each event.