TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 54

TALK OF THE DAY.

By Sentinel.

ALTERATIONS AT WINGATUI.

Quito a transformation of scenes has been effected at Wingatui duringf the past fewweeks, and when next the patrons of *ho club muster on the coursa they will ireadilj grant that a great improvement bas been made at our racing headquarter*. The old irange of boxes has been- demolished, and the north-east boundary of the enlarged saddling paddock formed by the eneotoon of 40 stalls and two sand-roll boxes. The increased area of the paddock makes that portion of the enclosure xeally look like i-a metropolitan racecourse, and when the i ground has settled and embellished by * few trees and flower beds the popularity, of the course is sure to grow. la d»« .course it » intended 'to erect a, parade ring; but ia the meantime that » to- fea fcekl over until die .giourad has settled down to a desirable solidity. A few minor improvements have also been, effected, and aae «uart ■ of appreciation by the visitors to cw meetings, and next year, all going ißiefl, it ia intended to improve the stewards' stana, and thereby give increased adcomnKMiatioao ,to tihe officials and thek guests, whilst trainers and jockeys will afeo have their wants more liberally catered lor. At present accommodation matters are very cramped in that department. After viewing i the improvements a visit was paid to the tracks, and they were found to be on the eoft side and somewhat sticky in the going as a result of the great amount of rail which has recently been in evidence. "Whatever fast work ie deemed necessary has to> be put up on the inside gncas* gallop, and 6low work on the middle :srase. TEe plough, gallop has not yet been put in order, bat is to receive attention as soon «s ihe weather geta the ground into a favourable condition. The Wingatui tracks do not absorb much of a rainfall. "Ehe atiff clay formation prevents tihe absorption of water, and most of the liquid ia carried on 'the surface until evaporated by wind and sum. If the prosperity of the club would permit the formation, of a sand track it would make a. good gallop for the- winter, as it drains and dries up much quicker than a grass gallop. As it is, several of the horses at Wingatui loci backward in condition, and they wilL have to come on a good deal if they are to hold, their own with the visiting horses, trained on .better winter tracks than we, possess. Many people may scout the idea of a sand track being useful in. winter, but at Wingatud, where an adamantine subsoil exist*, such a ©allop would in all probability be a boon to our trainees. The rain cannot sink into the ground, and as water will dry off sand quicker than anythingelse, such a track would be available for fast work when a grass one under equal rainfall would drag a horse to pieces. Th» great drawback is, however, the cost of the sand, and that, no doubt, would debar any experiment in the direction indicated. THE NORTH OTAGO J.C. MEETING. The North Otago Jockey Club are advertising the programme of their spring meeting, when several vreK-endowed evente will come up for decis on. The North Otag<^' Cup, of 12&SOV-S, one mile and a-quarter, the Rodcastle Welter, of lOOeovs, th* Flying Handicap, of 10Cso\s, five furlongs, and the Belfield Hurdles, of lOOsovs, one onila and a-half, are the principal handicaps to be decided on the first day, and in addition thcire is the Stepniak Stakes, of 20050v9, for which entries have closed. on, the second day the principal events are the President's Handicap, of Uteovs, one mile ; the Clifton Welter, of lOOeovs, seven furlongs; the Waitaki Handicap, of 100eovs t five furlongs; and the Keninvie Hurdles, of lOOsovs, one mile and three-quarters'. The minor events on the programme consist of the Spring Handicap, of 50sovb, four furlong 3 (open to borees that have irot won a race oOsovs in value at the time of race) ; the Windsor Handicap, of 80sovs (hack eon1 ditions), six furlcmg»; the I/andon Handil cap, of 50sovs, five furlongs (for horses that ! hove not won a race exceeding' 50sovs at time of entry) ; the Maiden Plate., of 80sova, four furlongs (for two-yeaT-okis and upw*rd£ ' that have not won a .flat trace at tune of starting) ; Newborough Handicap, of 80sov» (hack conditions), six furlanßßj Te Puke Handicap, of 50sovs, five furloniga (for horses that have not won a flat (race «r* oeeding 50sovs at time of starting); and the Aidersyde Handicap, of 80sov» (hack conditions), six furlonga. Nominations ax* due oa 3e£tember 23, handicaps for 0»

first day cm Friday, .October 15, and acceptances on Monday October 18 at 1 p.m. This latter intimation is one of which owners should make a special note. HA3STDICAPS AND HANDICAPPERS. During the past few months we hare heard a good deal on tbe> subject of handicapping. In glancing over the pages of the Encyclopaedia of Sport the following. hearing on handicaps and- hawdioappers, l.^a-wg-ht -my «ye, and it will, I think, be admitted thai the write* hits oft the situation surrounding that much-discussed question both forcibly and neatly : " From one point of view the handicap is an altogether absurd institution, for tire result is simply and solely to show *iow far wrong th-3 bandicapper is in his estimate of she ability of Hie. horses -he weights. The winner comes in two lengths ahead of (his field, and thereby demonstrates either that the adjuster of the weights regarded him as a 71b or 101b worse animal titan he is, or else that he 'accepted the second as 71b or 101b \ better. A horse wins by a neck; the i handicapped is shown to be only a couple of pounds or bo wrong; but that is all the ! Taoe has proved. Handicaps, however, are - practically indispensable, for the^reason that ' it takes more than the general scale of penalties and allowances to give the moderate animal a ohan.ee, and »f racing were* confined to -'the xunparaiively few good tosses tern sport would be enormously circumscribed. ' That a handioapper should give general satisfaction is, of course, not for a moment to be' expected, as there are many owners who do not really want a handicap 1 with which no fault can ba found, but a compilation of weights which gives their horses an advantage. Very palpable i blunders are, however, not rare. They sometimes arise from carelessness in trusting to recollection, instead of looking up form ; sometimes they axe due to baste, a handioappsr undertaking work which, he cannot possibly do in the short time he can give to it, and not seldom they are a consequence of too close an adherence t< book form, with no special knowledge behind it. Thus a hosee may win by a neck and hove 31b in hand or 39fc, and unless the handicapper sees the race, and is a judge jf riding, be is likely to go far astray." THE D.J.C SPRING MEETING. Attention has been previously drawn to th-3 Dane din Jockey Club's spring programme, and owners a*r reminded that rominat : ons for a'l events (except the Trial Plate) to be decided at the (meeting close on "Friday of this week.