TALK OF THE DAY

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 62

TALK OF THE DAY

I ,Bt Sentinel.

THE /D.J.C.. .NOMINATIONS. .- The nominations, received Kr e "th,e *Dun-" edin _Cup are slig-htly disappointing ifrom^.' qualitative _pbint of view, 'but .numerically a field of J2O jnay " ultimately, .recruit in a good 'race." lit is -not -always founH that the best horses provide the best.racing;"ln fact, . "the giants of :the .■turf 'are -seldom rfoiind ~ meeting in the_ tournament. , Their owners prefer the dodging policy; which Ibrings .more -grist to the mHI. Some •goo<J,'=useful horses figure in -the ~Cup nominations, 'but the .principal eventa.-tb he idecided -over lesser distances than She ' 'big .line item" on the programme .have" 'filled very satisfactorily. JDn the -Publican's ~Han- ' dieap a good -field .has - been ; whilst the iD. J. C. Handi= r -cap aand Anniversajy, Handicap have -at--tracted „goaS , list -.hor-ses. closing -date for-±he.sbalajsee. of the -nominations _for . the -meeting 4a fired Jof jffriday.iiiexty 'owners axe^requested to make a note of "the fact. The cevents.-to b& considered all- ,' worth lOOeovs or -over, and consist -of ■''&& < usual -welters, -two-year-old -e-ventg,- sand . -gprint. handicaps, .whilst hacks '-•are /-well -catered for in the way of -prize-money. :En'trarrce forthß Trial is not dußumtiLFriday, February U, which is also- acceptance day - fox -the jfust day's card. " ._" _ j. i > THE 3 > A : X3NG. PUBLIC. ; Most people are acquainted with -the story of -poor, Richard and his whistle ? and .to tho6e who are .not aware of the^gist of the ■ it^will suffice to^sayJthat^ie"JS.ichard . - aforesaid-paid -to"o ."muchjf or .the pleasure of owning hie more or dess musical instrument. makers who «re paying \high --fees 'for -theprivilege of .betting, arid as -ihese -fees come -frpm-th© the latter are iure to befound .feeling the pinch eooner or later. A case in joint occurs- in connection -with the .first .day of .the" Wellington. "Racing -Club's Cup .meeting, where -the .totalieator ~ registered 3817,^88 -and >the ijookmakers paid £720 for the-privilege of betting. JSTq doubt the fielders hope to win the .price at their fees from the public and in addition -entice a little bullion into their bags in or«ler ■ to -keep the wolf from the door, or at 'east keep the voracious out of the larder in the event -of the enemy -entering -the > portals. The figures mentioned above mean that .the .public "present on the 'first day oi the rWellington .meeting were taxed to -the extent .of -^something like 2500 for the , -privilege of having -a little on their >'fanoy. The :totalisator, of course, ' gets its pound of *flesh in. the way of ID per 'cent, 'but -the - fielder is "liable to 'lose in addition ,to paying & fee, the public have to step,,.perhaps unconsciously, into "the breach -and find the 'wajß and means. The- iarge number 'of bookmakers operating -would probably save -the public -on Ithe' --occasion under ~natiee, -as' those -who wished to dp business would have to bet fair, --and even very good prices in —order to catch -their clients. Where competition is qiot so keen it will generally be found that the fielders will do their best to 'equalise -matters by 'betting .'lone to one the field bar two," but if the public take -short "the 'fielders *would be foolish 'to bet over--the % odds — ' .a most unlikely proceeding. *8o doubt, mat"ters- will " level -tip -in -time," ; but although many may call, the odds, it is -possible that, : few will choose to take them, la themean*time the general public -will -ba in ndanger 7 of 'betting on. a 'cramped market, if -they - are desirous of obtaining *he-eet ■price-which' the .true punter ie" ever anxious fto -receive. -The totali&ator and bookmaker have 'been in competition- for some little time -now, and the former has up to jdate held -its own. This is probably due to the -fact that the publio'have preferred- to"take-the chance ■ of -a good price ioff the -maohine iri^pre"fterenee to the apparently short, rprices offered tie When the -straight out betting is more familiar with" our .race- - goers a better idea will be obtained as 'to what is the moat popular medium of betting. .'' ' . . "■ A PROIJFIO .MARE. -, ' Satanella, whose ihrecyear old daughter, Mon .Ami '(carrying the t»louts -worn- by '. Solution when :she .made Aereelf HEaanous), was amongst the -winners on'the*first-3ay of -.the Wellington meeting has marked as one -of the most prolific" brood- - mares- .in -our .stud ibook; vSataneUa was foaled \var 1881, -.and rthe" first oi -Aer appeared in 1886. She .was put t^-the .horse -every year from 1885 to 1905, she produced! a filly to Soult, but -was •then If memory ie-not at fault : jfihe -produced .a foal this season. -Amongst - ,the jnany other stock St. Olementesand St. JBaul-Btand out -as very successful raoehorses. - IThe former -was a champion 3tnd the .latter could both go'tast and'stay. -SI. ■Clements -has bequeathed "his '-speed, and .some of his -stock jare fairly goodwinners. .Othera of 'the Satanella tribe J -which possess merit are St.. Ursula, and - St. .Peter," and -now- -we have Mon •Ami.- She -produced a colt to »St I»eger, . which was named St.. Satan, but this .horee was :not raced, or at least the writer cannot call to .mind that' he did -so. The -youngster, -who was trainefl at Taldhurst, was iiried to be above "* the -ordinary-r-so - •run« tha atari— but .misfortune, -probably .

'brought about through the canonisation oi"" his^&rtaaio Majesty, -found him one -morninjr, with one- of his legs broken. From 1886 to ISO 7 -Satanella has produced 16 'foals, slipped -twins, and missed -three times, and fi-om 1388 to T. 898 she never failed, to brins forth a contribution to the equine world. { It speaks well for Satanella's vitality -that I she can breed winners when at an age I which finds most brood mares useless and I valueless, and -perhaps kept -"alive forsenti- ' menual -reasons only. • ' THE TUAPE&A JMEETINtt. The TiMpeka County" Jockey Club's meeting attracted a fairly large number of j Dunedinites., whilst Inverea-rgill ..and other -districts contributed a quota of wnat «ulminatcd in a fairly good attendance — at ; least as far as the farsfc day was concerned. On the -second day the crowd showed a, decided shrinkage on tho numbers present on. the previous day, still those who did brave the .elements .evidently brought some money along, as the totalizator receipts showed -an improvement despite the opposition of three bookmakers who -paid a 2Ueov3 ; fee on the firsthand a •£!£ 10s fee on the j- second day. The track iooked in fair order, and since" "it was "formed for" the !- opening of the 'bourse -last season has proUdueed -a of grass "which -was pre> -Jviously missing. It -out -up a good deal on •the, second day,_.and it is to,-be hoped the I club wiU -at -once get .to work' to restore it : to' requirements .for next season's Tacing. l - Some/ good _ racing _Tjra-s. witnesed" on both days, '^although ' the Jields ' were* The ;percentage ;df non-triers, or' at least palp-non-triers,_ waS~ v pleasingly st sina;l, 'but in "one "race a i peT'fqrmer gave -a display which "would Ihave landed' the rider -em the .'caipet ;if the ietewarSs L had .felt inquisitive ■or had witnessed of its .recent -form. Subsequent rnmiins\»wenV to prove" matters were" not\qui£e Tight, -as in. one race ihs vacer =was ifever .near -the "front, .and 'in "tho next looked -a winner at any Ttime ihe rider -oared to let- go -the jjainter. Apart from '.one or 'tiro -shortcomings In this -respeot-ihe -sport well worth witnessing, Tbut^if attention is -not drawn -to faulty part of the ,racing .the writer's experience clearly goes to .show -that 'the faults have a stronsr •tendency" to "become .predominant. The Tuapeka Handicap furnished a Tace, .-and was climaxed "by *» dead-heat between. Sonia and Speculate. Sonia" ran the . games t -race «hown up to .date, because -«he came ifTOQi behind and resisted »pecuiaxe'A caal-_ienge-as-well-as,-one could -wish. r Speeulato -was finishing r the 'faster of the^two, and would .have probably -won 'if 'itis rider -had .elected: to 'make a 'bit-more use of his mount -in -early .stagey. '■ -In "the .Shorts 'JELandi- - cap there- was trouble at >,the -post, And /St. Denis, when onoe the -field .was -.sent away, -bad 'matters made easy, -Diaappointjnent getting-left at -the poet. 2t-^ understood that Toney -chopped eoroes her, but if i-ii ,was bad luck -for DisapgoinSnent'a ' backers it was . good luck if or i the fit. JDenis .party, as the Gorton mare was the- only one in the -fie.d that 'might have kept the ' winner busy ineteac! of allowing him to .hava tsa-n.r<easy.»vietory. - Hypnotist won ithe dP\w-ilicans'->Handicap;"-wfter a.good-.Tace "-iwith■'Sir "Percival lElavour,- Jib Vtwo beinjf "^rseparated iram each. -otfiiEr^trj J iiaif-lexigiaiß -a^'thß post." Bed Morn did not ohow up rinishr, .and Oayeloa-aippesrs^to have ,rhad ntoo much -racing -ffor-fthe ijeauty ,of his -outline. ' 'Onffte second -day, although ~£he ' -track- was ;and frain 'fell almost <con'tinuo»slv- "som^. Jexeellent sport- smw wit- ' messed. -liniia diowed "a 4na37keaT' xdisnge -of form -in -winning ;the" Volley 'Handicap in very easy style, -jand "Sir" JPerci'val -was practically presented .with the Flying Handicap, in which he . got^away with » tfareeJengthe' advantage. The winner (appeared »to score with very tittle ,in "hand besides ? his winning 'margin, and_ as the Test were ■.close" together ~-it was 'evident thst_ whafc would have- been a .good 'Tace was spoilt ; by a 'bad -atari., Casque 'acted '.better in ■the mud -than he-did on,'the/,firm going existing on'the-first day, and won thejrawrence Handicap "by » neck ;f rom Xur«6ome -ia r ler a good race, In which the ataTtars "made ~a 80116; "pace, sand ran in -close order -throughout the journey. St. T>enis.had nothing to .beat m I;he tStewards, and meeting was terminated -by Zero ahcV •Hypnotist fighting out -a good finish-in the Bandictfp. ,. The stakes went "io the -former, who Tvon by a short neck -after the pair had disputed the leadership over the last 'furlong. The meeting, taken yall round, was "the best that has been wit-, nesed at Lawrence 'for some time, and ;t 'required one or tvvo" riders to 'have been .straightened up" £ --bit, together -with an improvement in* 'the starting to have ■• .silenced adverse criticism. .