RACING.

Otago Witness, Issue 4030, 9 June 1931, Page 49

RACING.

FIXTURES. June 10.—South Canterbury. June 13, 15.—Waikato. June 19, 20.—Hawke's Bay. June 23. —Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club. June 26, 27. —Napier Parle. June 27.—Ashburton. July 4.—Oamaru. July 14, 16, 18. —Wellington. July IS.—Waimate District Hunt Club. July 23, 25.—Gisborne. July 25.—South Canterbury Hunt Club. TALK OF THE DAY.

By

Sentinel.

THE DUNEDIN MEETING. Owners made a splendid response with nominations and followed on by accepting and running their horses, with the very pleasing result that the club had a meeting which was both a sporting and financial success even in the face of by no means favourable weather. The club was very fortunate in the fact that the steeplechases filled with some very fine jumpers and that they gave a splendid exhibition over the Wingatui fences. Falls were very few, and it appeared to be only bad luck that brought down Snowfall, West Dome, and Radiac at the post and rails when running in the Dunedin Steeplechase. Thus the star attraction of the meeting was supplied by proved performers over Riccarton, Riverton, Invercargill, and Wingatui fences. The fact that such good jumpers were engaged to appear at the meeting helped to draw the crowd, and it must be said that the timber toppers seen out during the three days provided some very fine and spectacular sport. The riders also deserve a large measure of praise for then- bold and dashing horsemanship. They held an unenviable mission on the second and third day when riding in silk in bitterly ■ cold weather. It is pleasing to note that they survived the ordeal with credit. There is not so much reason to enthuse about the hack steeplechasers, but some of them may develop into good winners. The hurdlers seen out were mostly of the promising novice type, and the best was Camisader, who made a very creditable debut over hurdles. The Hunting Song gelding Aladdin seems sure to win in better company, as he is a young and well-bred gelding with great possibilities. The flat racers seen out at the meeting provided some interesting racing and close finishes, and, regarded from a spectator’s point of view, the gathering was very enjoyable indeed. It is understood that the meeting will yield a fairly substantial profit, and the fact may prove the turning point towards a return of prosperity to the Wingatui fixtures.

THE DERBY WINNER. Opponents of inbreeding received another setback by the wins of Cameronian in the Two Thousand Guineas and Derby. He showed speed in the short race which, according to the latest English papers to hand, was won in most convincing style. Cameronian also won the Derby in good style. He is strongly inbred to St. Simon and Hampton, and although the former line is not very prominent in tail male in England, there is no doubt it still weilds strong influence in a pedigree. In fact, some few years ago the writer examined the pedigrees of all the principal winners in England during the season, and found that about 80 per cent, of them were inbred to St. Simon or to his sire Galopin. The line did not fade in tail male through lack of merit, but because many of the best representatives were sold to go out of the country. Cameronian is a member of the No 1 family,, and his grandsire and the sire of the dam of his sire are also members of the taproot which Bruce Lowe marked as the most successful producing line in the Stud Book.

Cameronian was.got by Pharos from Cameron, by Gainsborough from Cherimoya, by Cherry Tree from Svelte, by St. Simon—Fine Lady, by Isonomy from Sousie Queen. Pharos, who is now at the stud'in France, was got by Phalaris from Scapa Flow, by Chaucer (son of St. Simon) from Anehora. by Love Wisely —Eryholme, by Hazlehatch. New Zealand comes into the pedigree through Gainsborough, sire of Cameronian's dam. He was got by Bayardo from Rosedrop, by St. Frusquin (son of St. Simon) from Rosaline, by the New Zealand-bred Trenton, -who was a great racehorse and good sire both in Australia and Eng'and. Cameronian has four strains of St. Simon in his pedigree, two on each side of the horse. There is also a Galopin strain in the pedigree. Una Cameron is inbred to Hampton, and Cameronian picks another infusion of the same strains through his sire. The inbreeding has resulted in producing a real racehorse, and it remains to be seen whether such a doubling up of blood will make a successful sire. The first ttage of success has been produced, and the main object of every owner—to own a Derby winner —achieved. To make a success at the stud Cameronian may require an outcross in his consorts, but no doubt in due course he will get plenty of patronage and be bred to mares even if they do carry more or less St. Simon and Hampton strains in their pedigree. THE WINGATUI SEASON. The racing season which came to an end last week has marked a somewhat lean period in the affairs of the Dunedin Jockey Club, but the success achieved at the winter meeting will, it is hoped, mean the turn of the tide with a flow of prosperity. It is true that the financial success achieved last week was principally made by a drastic cut in stakes, and it stands to the credit of owners, partieularly those who had to pay travelling expenses for their horses, that they so generously supported the meeting. The club has experienced not a little bad luek during the season. The spring meeting was held on a heavy track, which incidentally cramps business on the totalisator, as bad going frequently means more than a handicap. Good fields were seen out on both days of the meeting, and the programme received plenty of support from owners. Over a dozen youngsters .were saddled up in the M'Lean Stakes, but only five went out for the Dunedin Guineas. There has been a cut made in both these stakes, and it is a matter of regret that it became necessary, because there is no doubt that the classics built up the interest in the spring'meeting. Good fields were again in evidence at the summer meeting, despite the fact that the stakes were a bit overshadowed by meetings that were to follow at Wyndham, Waikouaiti, and Invercargill. Wingatui never seems too popular at Christinas time, but would, ’no doubt, become far more so if it could be made the dominating programme of the holiday fixtures taking place in Otago and Southland. There is, unfortunately, too much lost ground to make up before thajt can be accomplished, but it is not beyond the bounds of possibility. The Dunedin Cup meeting has 'always been regarded as the principal meeting at Wingatui, although the winter fixture now makes a very wide appeal. Unfortunately the meeting held this season took place in bad weather, which greatly handicapped the success and enjoyment of the fixture. Owners liberally patronised the programme, and a field of twelve saddled up for the Dunedin Cup, which for onee in a way was run in heavy going. Only four turned out for the Champagne Stakes, and there was only one more in the Hopeful Handicap. The rest of the fields were quite satisfactory, except in the hurdle events. On looking hack through the fields which have appeared at Wingatui during the season, it is quite evident the local fixtures are popular enough with owners. The scarcity of money considerably reduced the revenue from the totalisator, and naturally did not help to build up the size of the attendances so very necessary to keep the ball rolling. The club is faced with a hurdle in planning out the attractions for the next season at Wingatui, but perhaps some will disperse the gloom and have things showing a brighter hue in a few montlis’ time.

SHOES AND SHOEING. How many owners of racehorses, hunting people, or polo players take the trouble to go and see their horses shod? And how many realise that a horse will eventually go lame if its feet are not even all the way round? If they are even, then the coronet cushions fulfil their purpose, and are springy and soft when felt. More cases of lameness arise from bad shoeing, uneven feet, heavy shoes, than from any other cause, although the lameness may be diagnosd as arising from another part—the tendons, the shoulder, or the fetlocks.

There is, for example (says a writer in the London Field), considerable harm done in washing out a horse’s feet, as is done in many stables. If there is wet mud in the feet, let it remain till it cakes and becomes hard, when it will drop out of its own accord. But a wet foot, that is not thoroughly dried, will become an

absorbent, and so pulpy and soft. Nor should the outside of the’ hoof be oiled, even though it “finishes off” a horse, and gives it a nice appearance. The oil clogs the thousands of minute pipes ana ducts that run from the top of the coronet to the sensitive centre of the hoof itself. Then the hoof walls become brittle, and either break or become worn on one side. Shoe with a heavy piece of iron, and the result is lameness, which may be attributed to quite another cause. Perhaps one of the very first things that should be attended to in care of the feet is getting the hoof hard. After that, matters become very much easier, for, like Whyte-Melville, that .great authority Mr Lynwood Palmer likes to find a hoof round, open, and well-developed, as blue, and to all appearances as hard as a flint.” During his younger days Mr Palmer spent a good deal of time in Canadian ranches (where very many horses were kept for the American market), where horses are not shod at all, but very rarely suffer from lameness. And why? Because their feet are always resting on hard ground, with their frogs acting as cushions. If a horse was lame the ranchman stood him on hard ground till his hoof, was very nearly as hard as the rock itself, for no work of any sort, kind, or description, will wear out the hoof. The frog, if properly treated, will always save it from concussion.

In Mr Palmer’s opinion, English horses are shod far too high in the heels, with heavy, unsuitable shoes, their frogs being off the ground, instead of acting as a cushion and support. The result is that all the weight of the horse’s body is brought on to the toe, the coronet cushions are strained, and the foot’ becomes lopsided That was the case of the famous Swynford, whom Mr Palmer treated, and here is a little piece of racing history from “ behind the scenes.” Mr Palmer was staying with the Hon. George Lambton, and a few aays before the Eclipse Stakes of 1911, Swynford was so lame that he could not do any work at a’l. It was decided to scratch him, but Mr Palmer prevailed upon Mr Lambton to allow him to treat the horse.

He did so, and Swynford was galloping in four days. This rapid cure was effected by. Mr Palmer cutting away the walls of the hoofs of the forefeet till they were level, so that the coronet cushions could work and the frog come into play. And how Swynford won the Eclipse Stakes is a matter of turf history. And _so is Cantilever’s victory in the Cambridgeshire. This horse, owned by the late Lord Harewood, had bad feet, and some time before the race was very lame. Mr Palmer treated him on more or less the same lines, although nearly all the frog had vanished. With his feet even, and with no shoes, Cantilever some time after beat the great Tracery at Newmarket.

Another horse that Mr Palmer treated successfully was Master Robert, the Grand National victor of 1924. This horse’s feet were in a sad condition. He had running thrush and other ailments, but when these were cured. Mr Palmer gave him plenty of work in harness. He did regular work on the road every day, and soon became absolutely sound. And it is not generally known that Rubio, who won the Grand National in 1908, was trained in a bus before his victory. And then Mr Palmer was asked by Lord Astor to treat Buchan, who was suffering from sand-crack. His treatment was “plenty of road work and salt water.” Buchan’s feet soon became hard, and the salt water dried up the sand crack. In this I can bear Mr Palmer out, for when t i? vas steeplechasers, whenever I had a horse that was wrong in his feet, I sent him down to the seaside, and that horse s work consisted of walking about five hours per diem through the waves. The feet soon became better, the legs fined down, and I am quite certain in my own mind that the horses appreciated it. And which for the feet is the best litter? Shall it be straw or peat moss? Neither are very good for the feet, but sawdust certainly is, and, in Air Palmer’s opinion, it is the best and most healthy. In this I agree with him. My horses were always bedded on sawdust, and to save it being trampled about, a little straw was placed on the top. A very neat, workmanlike appearance was the result. And the horses did very much better and were much healthier.