THE RINGTAIL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 158, 10 August 1914, Page 3

THE RINGTAIL.

CRAFT OF'THE RACE SHARP. Hanging on the outer fringe of the greater West Australian industries is the craft known as ringstracy (writes the Sydney "Suu's" special representative in Perth). Ringstracy also clings to the extreme edge of morality, for it embraces the cult of the ringster, and is concerned with that queer specimen of the quadruped kuown as the ringtail. Be it known that a ringtail is a horse entered for a race under a false name; a ringster is a man behind the swindle, and ringstracy embraces horse, man, jockey, tools of trade, and all the other evils thereunto appertaining. Ringstracy hath many guises. Sometimes it does not stop at the mere entry of a horse under a false name, but is .concerned with -tic hierher wiles of the unscrupulous racing "man. THE TRICK OF POLAYINNING. Witness the memorable happenings at Polayinuing. This town commenced to peck its way out of the shell during the first agricultural boom in West Australia. It first owned a wheatfield after a Minister of the Crown bjoughi land in its vicinity, and a sympathetic Government handed out a railway line. Once the first shanties of the settlers were erected it was only natural that a racecourse should be fashioned—that is the first germination of Australian settlement. Soon the first races were organised, and down on Polayinuing there pounced horses, jockeys, bookmakers, and the ringsters. Polayinuing did its share by providing the mugs and the money. So great was the rush of the cognoscenti to that raw bucolic spot that the racecourse crowd consisted of more ringsters than legitimate public. It was then a case of dog eat dog, and the coterie with the biggest bite was one that belonged to Perth. This coterie was interested in two horses in the principal race, one horse running under red and blue colours, and the other under a quiet grey. The course was so peculiarly shaped that when the horses commenced to gallop around one of the bends, a clump of trees hid them from view, in the grandstand for several seconds. On this constructional weakness the scheming gang of ringsters built their idea. WORKING OUT THE PLOT. Previous to the big race they saddled up a horse similar to the one bearing the grey colours, and dressed the jockey up in the same—colours. This horse and jockey took up a position on the course just behind the clump of trees which hid that part of the course from the grandstand view. Then the Perth schemers commenced to place their money on the horse wearing the red and blue colours. Subsequent events can be related iu a series of short chapters. Chapter I.—Race started, and soon the red and blue horse established a comfortable lead, with the first greycoloured horse well iu the pack. Chapter 2. —Horses ~ disappeared round the obscured bend with Red-and-Blue still in the lead. Grey horse No. 2 starts in the race ahead of the others. Chapter 3. —Horses emerge into sight again with Grey Horse No. 2 lengths ahead. Grey Horse No. 1 still well in the pack. Chapter 4.—Great excitement. Perth ringsters lay any odds on Grey Horse No. 2. Money given to them with both hands. Chapter 5. —Grey Horse No. 2 disappears when the field reach the obscuring clump of trees again. Grey No. 1 still well in the pack, and people think it is the horse that took the great lead. Immense astonishment and chagrin. Chapter (3. —Red and Blue wins easily. Departure of Perth ringsters with much cash. It only remains to say that a heavy gloom fell over PolayJuniug when this clever trick was discovered, but in the cud it proved a blessed advertisement for the town. People who once did verbally consign their acquaintances to various lunatic asylums, instead grew into the habit of saying: "Oh, go to Polayiuning! " So that Polayhining became famous and inhabited. The trfck of the ringstracy put the town on the map. Now it owns a church, and five hotels. The racecourse is still there, but the clump of trees has long since been burned on the hearths of the Polayinningites. Races are run periodically, but the committee sternly refuses to accept the nomination of any horse sporting red and blue or grey colours. THE HORSE THAT WAITED.

Another clover example of ringsl.moy was skowu some years ago in a little