There was an occasion about seven years ago when the whole of the New Year Meeting at Kiangwan was run off under even worse conditions than prevailed for Champions Day, on Wednesday, but that fortunately was an exception and no one could possibly wish ever to go racing again on such a day as yesterday. Despite the earlier rain and snow, the course had not been' so bad for the first two days, but it snowed and rained all Tuesday night, so that the cut up track became a quagmire and the continuance of a drizzling rain practically all day made things as unpleasant for the spectators as for the jockeys and ponies. Some idea of the state of the course may be gained when it is stated that the Stewards had to allow 3 Ib. off jockeys weighing in on account of the mud they gathered.
However, some good came even from the mud. Shenkoland was third in the 1919 Champions and won it in 1920, since when the pony has been notoriously unlucky, leading almost anything easily at a mile and not being able to get the extra quarter. Its experienced owner-trainer and his clever jockey son seized upon their opportunity yesterday, for it was obvious that no pony could set a sharp pace on such a course and so a sprinter would have a chance for the run in. Darting could not get off the mark and Old Bill endeavoured to set the pace, but was immediately displaced by Shenkoland, who set his own time for the rest of the journey and could not be approached in the straight, winning com-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.