TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 54

TALK OF THE DAY.

By Sektinel.

THE NATIONAL MEETING. The Canterbury Jockey Club is evidently a pet of the gods that control the weather. At meeting after meeting they experience those glorious days that positively lure people out to TJicoarton to enjoy the pleasure cf being alive, -with the eun streaming its germ-dispersingj wealth of health upon them, with the band playing, with the people preening their beat plumage, wita the pains pleasures lying. ambushed in efforts to locate the winners, and all strongly tinged with the zest of 6£ort. At times it

can blow a cold blast as well as ekewhew^ but when it gets into the sails carried 1 by the risjhfc racer the chill is merely describecl as a fine bracing day. Riccarton looked wonderfully well last week .considering the time of the year. The track was firm and fast, perhaps just a shade too miich so for sport between the flags. The lawn and paddock -were turfect with the green swarcf that rests the eye, and everything was right" and ready tor what proved a good sporting week. Since the autumn meeting: the accommodation at Riiocarton has been improved by the addition of another flat on the public stand. A really fin© vievr can. be obtained of a race from the new coign of vantage, and 'the new 6tand ats once sprang uito popularity with the patrone of the paddock. The olcl totalisator house baa been demolished or transformed into a building which greatly belps to expedite the handling of investments, and the old-time congesti 031 of the crowd in front of the totalisators is relieved by having the totals displayed in a tower rising from one end of the new structure. The old-fashioned idea of chalking the dividends on a. blackboard is still adhered to, and it is a wonder the club did not have them displayed above the roof in a, similar manner to the total investments on the horses. The blackboard is badly placed, and should be altered for the New Zealand Cup meeting. The mcr eased facilities for receiving 1 investments did not prevent a good deal of money being ahut out, end on more than one occasion the aliey-ways to the windows were full of "n*ending punters who bad dallied in making their final selections. The club- did net make" use of all the receiving windows in the house, and In future it would be much wiser to> have the place fully 6taffed if they are desirous of making an attempt to cope with the final rushes of investors. This same cbeess- paring policy -was more notice^ aote during the. existence of the old totalisafor house, and must have been ihe causa of the olub losing a good deal of moneythousands of pounds — during the season. The routine of the racing left little or nothing to be desired. The horses wera paraded, sent to the post, and then kepfe waiting there until starting time. This practice allows ample tiAe for the public to <make up their minds as to what they are going to back, but it is not too good for the horses. . Still, it no doubt helps to improve the thoroughbred and teacfli them to comport tfcemeelves with oompoauro on. the eve of battle. On the first day -the eport was on the mild side, as the Winter Cup was won a long way from home, and frequent ialls "in the National Steeples damped the interest a bit whilst the contest was going on. On tie second and third days of the gathering, however, the eport showed a decided improvement, a*wt come really fine racing was provided by, several events. It* the Trial Hurdles, Auratus put the supporters of his chance in the National Hurdles on good terms with themselves, as he won nicely. Still, there wa» nothing to greatly enthuse about over tifoe victory, as Kelso* appeared to be going; just as well and jumping better than the. ultimate winner when he came down at; the hurdles near the mile post. The mishap, however, appeared to be partly the rioter's ovfn fault, as he apparently stole the inside run-ning from Auratus when, going to the fence, and when- the !at*eT raced up to talce off Kelso not too i near the rails, and,, knocking out the flag, fell ir-to the infield and give hi» rider a bad fall. Pikopo would, ac proved by his fast- finish and subsequent form in the National Hurdles, have been very dangerous if his rider had kept the San Fran gelding nearer the leaders during the early part of the raos. Pikopo is the makings of a good horse. North-East was- made a strong order for the Winter Oup, and them in order of estimation came Federal and Penates. The last-named was first to show, but "he was at; once seen to be steadied, and soon lost the leadership to Federal, who carried on the- ruiininig to the turn, where North-East joined issued, and had the Formosan gelding well beaten shortly after heads were straightened for home. It was an easy win, and in. the last furlong KingPose and Gwendolina drew out from the beaten tot to gain the other places. A series of accidents thinned out the National Steeplechase field, and Nadador's rider saved such a lot of ground by cutting off th» corners that those tactics must have pjaterially helped her to win. Te Arai tired after i going about three 1 miles, and whatever bo has beeD in the north ha was not a stayer last week. El Dorado ran well, and will be sure to see a better day, but Wangaami had a good jumper's chance, which allowed him to get fourth. Compass put up a mey. attractive gallop by winning the Jumper** Flat undei 10.4- in 2min ' 41 l-ssec. • Hi* form in the race brought him -into favour for the National Hurdles, which he won in, excellent istyle from Pikopo, whose display was much better than what he exhibited in the Trial Hurdles. Ben Jonsou ran a good race, but Tauira was beaten half a mile from home. Aunatus finished fourth, and then came Scotty, Southern' Cross, and Lionheart. Los Angelos finished fast and strong' when he got up to win the August Handicap in the last stride from Iney, whilst Bonny Glen finished a good third, and ran well for a horse who was untrainable for some time back. Penatesi finished upside, with Voiodra behind the iplaoed horses. Whistleoraift drew out at the finish, and> handsomely won th» Summer Handicap from the English mar* Wet Day, but the others in the rac* were not a eood lot. El Dorado easily measured oft Capitol at the end of £h« Beaufort Steeples, in which Eurus un,« shipped hie rid»r at the last of the Kennels double, when apparently going well, Gwendolina won the Islington Handicap with a good margin from Grenadier, but North-East failed to get into the first four, and Zetland had to be hunted out to beat the moderate lot he raced against in £h«| Woolston Plate. On the finjal day BlDorado enhanced his reputation by winning 1 th# Lincoln Steeples in good sfrle from Nadfjf dor, whom he met on about the same terms, but at a higher scale of weights than- rat the big Steeples. £urii9 wee travelling strongly when running along 1 the baefc stretch for the hat time, and looked danger* ous, but he hooked hur fences at the Keaneli double, and that took all the steel oat oC his stride, as he dropped^back to a hopelestf position. Deerslayer appeared to be going better than Glengariff in the Hunt Steeply* chase, and Bonny Glen put up a smart p«gf formance by winning the Heathcote Hand^ cap from Sweet Angelue. Norfch.-Etsfc r*tt much below the -expectations of the .public. Slaney had a life at the last fence in tba Styx Hurdfce, as be. dead, ana

lost * lot of ground through backing orer He," however, overhauled the tiring Farlev Grove in the run home, and should give a good account of himself when he has more experience at the game. Scot-ty had: a big pull in tie -weights foi the Sydenham Hurdles, but his previous displays, coupled with the rumour that be is troubled in Ihe respiratory organs, made the public stand off. Still, he was not altogether deserted, land he won handsomely enough" from Ben Jonson. Compass was close up, and Kaixnma broke a blood vossel when travelling a-eaHy well. King Post put in a good run i at the end of the Redcliffs Handicap, in | Tirhich Eaglefitone showed a good turn of foot over the first part of the journey. JELingdove (gave a poor display, and! .is evidently niot up to weight. She is still dis Inclined to face the barrier, but can gallop ■Kihen the steirtinjg gate gets out of the ■way. "Ltoa Angeuos put up the best flat performance of ihe meeting (par North- i 3Baat' 8 Winter Gap bolt) by carrying 11.5 and running out six furlongs in the Selwyn Handicap in lanin 15 2-seec. Longner finished second, and Prim jar a good race 'close up third. Then came Sea King and Inchbonny, but the soft-hearted Federal -was not amongst the dangerous lot- at the finish. A leal ding-dong finish between Tytrannoc and Blytheboy concluded a really jenjoyable meeting — particularly to those urto Jucklly located iibe winners.