TALK OF THE DAY

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 54

TALK OF THE DAY

By Sextixel. A GLIMPSE AT THE WANGANUI MEETING. That the majority of the winners at the Wanganui Cup meeting did not loiter much between the posts is gleaned from the various times put up during the gathering. In the Cup, Uhlando ran 14 furlongs in 3min 3 4-teec, and the eolid pace he maintained evidently settled the chances of the top weights. The track was reported to be a bit greasy, and this no doubt favoured the lightly-weighted Cup j winner. His time, however, compares favourably with the Tecord of the race, ; which Truce brought down to 3min 2sec in 1907, when carrying 7.L The Wanga-

nui Oup has usually been a light-weight's race, as only once in its history has 9.0 or over been carried to victory. The comparatively lig-ht burdens carried by the winners in recent years no doubt materially helped to make fast times. The Wanganui track ie evidently fairly fast, as Gold Thread is reported to have won ea&ily when she ran. lmin 14 l-ssec in the Flying Handicap, whiUt Ataahua's 3mm 15 l-seeo for " about a mile and threequarters " is distinctly good if the distance is not short of the 14 furlongs. The Mahaki gelding confirmed his form on the second day by running a mile and aquarter "across the fflayt >y in 2min 11 3-6seo, with 8.6 on his back. It is evident he has, a nice turn of speed, and will be an awkward customer to defeat in some of the batten fixtures of the future. Marguerite, who was a widespread tip for the Wanganui Cup, showed that there was some reason for the fancy by winning the Wanganui Stakes in 2min 35 2-ssec. Her form in this race reads fairly good, as she beat Master De Laval out of a place when in receipt of 31b. She was, however, meeting Uhlan do op 201b better terms than when they met in the Oup. There is not much doubt that Marguerite ie fairly good up to 12 furlongs, ac witness her meritorious second in the Great Autumn to Seal Rock, when carrying 9.0. Her development of staying powers is somewhat interesting, as her dam Huguenot was a bit of a squib as a racer — a mere sprinter — and although she went to the stud as far back as 1893, and 1 has produced a fairly large number of foals, nothing of note as raoers appeared until she threw Marguerite in 1903 and Amboise in 1904. Gravitation appears to have run a meritorious race in winning the Jackson, Stakes, but the time reads slow, principally because the report suggests that the pace was solid from end to end. Glenculloch had the assistance of Millionaire, but even wi£n the aid of a pilot he could not 6teer his way first past the pcet. His form in the race is somewhat disappointing, a« he was reported to be acting well on the track prior to journeying north.