Jockeyship by Dogs at Tin Hares

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 194, 5 November 1927, Page 6

Jockeyship by Dogs at Tin Hares

STAYERS USE BRAINS THEIR TAILS 100 Greyhounds are not particularly brainy. Their small skulls hold a correspondingly small brain, but the champions of the “tin-hare” tracks use every bit of theirs. Especially in the half-mile races does the canine cunning- or intelligence become evident. Champion stayers in Sydney like Jewel Stand, High Comedian and Friendly Feeling, run their races as if a jockey was on their backs. JeweL Stand’s race tactics are particularly “well thought out.” While the others are jostling and fighting for the lead in the early part of the half-mile, Jewel Stand drops back until he secures a position on the rails and jqgs along in comparative comfort. He lets less intelligent dogs speed away with the lead for the first round of the track, but on the last lap gradually makes up his ground. Almost invariably when the leader is a couple of hundred yards from home Jewel Stand makes his run. At every turn he has stuck to the rails, covering much less ground than most of the runners, who, allowing their enthusiasm to overcome their intelligence, are feeling the effect of their attempt to sprint all the way. Through goes Jewel Stand on the inside, and the race is over—or, at least, it has been over every time except the night than Brenda B. caught him out of condition. In the run down the straight the last time Jewel Stand doesn’t worry about the rails —they have served their purpose. He races along in direct pursuit of the hare, which moves along the centre of the track, and usually passes the judge at anything between 10 and 20 j lengths clear of liis nearest opponent. ENGLAND'S CRACK In England, a greyhound named Westcroftex*, who is boomed as the most intelligent, pursues different tuc.ties. lie escapes from his box and makes his way to the outside of the field, and his tactics are used by many of Epping’s sprinters. Going at high speed a dog must shoot off at an tangent on the turns if lie atempts to stick to the rails. This, of course, means that he runs his race in bursts of speed, slackening up on the turns. The wisdom of the sprinting dog who goes to the outside is, therefore, apparent. The long tail of the greyhound is really a balancing organ which centuries of breeding have equipped him with to facilitate quick twists and turns in pursuit of the live hare. From his position on the outside the i sprinter can negotiate the turns without losing much speed, and, with a | twist of his tail, is always ready to i dash through on the inside if the other : dogs run off the course. THE DIRTY DOG In Manchester there is a “dirty dog,” Charlie Cranston. Charlie has been known to carry an opponent wide along the straight stretch, and, then, nearing the turn, to cut across to the rails, leaving the other dog hopelessly floundering. Epping dogs haven’t learnt that trick yet. Better Than Before Panther is much improved in appearance and is galloping attractively at Trentham. He sprints well in private but seems to need a bit of ground to cover when in a race and might do ' better over a middle distance than in j the sprint races he has been placed iin in the past. Billion was a wellI backed failure at Masterton. He is an L Australian importation, and is by ffXB&MW yj* _