THE CLUTHA MEETING.

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

THE CLUTHA MEETING.

If the tone of the racing whioh took place at the Clutha. Hack meeting were the keynote of our sport, then it would have but few enemies. Every race on the card appeared to me contested on the merits of the horses, and if there was a non-trier no palpable misdemeanour, suoh as obvious pulling, was in evidence. This pleasing state of things may have been due to the strong sporting instinct of the horse owners and riders rather than to the vigilance of the stewards, but whatever the cause, the proper kind of sport was there, and it was pleasing to see it. The various events were got off with a fair amount of promptitude, but several patrons had to leave before the last race came up for decision in order to catch the Dunedin express. In carrying out the programme one mistake was made which should lie guarded against at future meetings. This occurred in one of the trotting races, and had reference to the weight carried by the starters. The rules of trotting clearly state that the weight carried shall be: — Horses, lOst or over; ponies under 14.2, Sst or over ; except when not otherwise provided. In the conditions attached to the trotting events on the Clutha programme it stated that "no weight under list" should be carried. One of the starters was the pony Aquinas, and his rided weighed out at lOst lib. or 131b under weight according to the precise conditions attached to the race. If Aquinas bad won ii would have probably led to trouble and created the usual unpleasantness attached to protests. Apart from this, however, there was little fault to be found with the meeting — particularly is this the case when, it is one of the minor events on the calender. Throughout the day fairly large fields faced the starter, and. although a bit of crowding took place at the turn out of the straight, owing to the sharpness of the bend and narrowness of the track, still the risk of a horse slipping up was relieved by the sandy nature of the going, which permitted the runners to get a gocK* foothold. ' One horse did lose its rider, -but; this was due to the saddle slipping There was a large attendance, and as 14 bookmakers paid a £2 2s fde, the meeting should prove a financial success.