WAIKANAE RACE MEETING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1984, 14 February 1914, Page 7

WAIKANAE RACE MEETING.

Sir,—ln reading thejettdf in Jour issue of February 9, signed "Reform," I oariridfc but take esceptioii to several of the remarks contaihed .therein, and have como to the coriclusioii thilt "Refo'rixi" must be a rather pdoi- soort and a rather bad judge of horseflesh". Probably it Would have better had the late Ministry exercised a Utile,- more care in allowing the coilritr.V meetings to be' curtailed'.. .Thfire lias been many a good horse who but for the country hack meetings woiiid nevef haVe seen a metropolitan coufS<S. Certainly tlie animals at TVaikanae may not have been Gup horses, as one could hardly expett io nave seen Emperadors aiid Bofi Toßs competing. But, at any rate, the majority were well bred, -upstanding hacks, fit to carry a niaii a day's journey or a decent'weight over cfliiiitty, if required. As. to sport) there Wer6 field J 6f twelve arid thirteen starters, carrying decent weights, arid all triers, -notwithstanding that the stake to tlie_ willilfil 1 was only a modest liver. The iilrids piit Up were iibi. bad) considering the bumpy state of the course. As iriost people aro aware, this little meeting is .looked upon as nn annual picnic (iVhich it cfirtaiiily is), wliere oiie ciin take Ilis fairiily and liavo & thorough good day's outing, enjp.ved afnidst beautiful natural surroundings, with music and a little 6port thrown in'. As to. the Starting, it .was certainly bad ftt the previous meeting. Bui at thfe last gathering tlie starter deserves ov(?fy c rod it for the manner in which he handled and diepatched" the lafgo fields. A pbnifeal 6f thfe race card will convince an.V good judge that the qu&lity <if the competing hefses was riot bad. As to a permit for tfcd totalisator. •I d 6 not think that there is at present any charge the club obtaining it. If they couli it would enable them to incteifce tll'eir stales, arid irtiprove the colifse- ahd a'peointfridntS. which are certainly priirtitwe, and then _ 6f courso evefythiiig would be "kapai."—;l afti, 6tC '' ; J. DEVONSHIRE, Otaki. ! \