THE TURF.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 28, 14 November 1935, Page 2

THE TURF.

CANTERBURY JOGKEY CLUB. ‘ OTAIO PLATE TO (PADISHAH. ‘ w i ‘ (Special to the “Gnardian.”) . § CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The Canterbury Jockey Club was indeed unfortunate in having an exceptionally wet day for the third day’s programme- of the lVew Zealand Cup meeting yesterday. main fell practi-V cahy continuously throughout the day, and the track was in a sudden state, seldom known at iticcai'ton. [ln spite of the unlnvlting outlook during the forenoon, tue attendance was very .satisract-ory, and was certainly larger than might have been anticipated in tne Circumstances. There was a slight improvement in the weather during the middle stages of the programme, but a few minutes before the last race was ready testart there was a heavy and thick downpour, which practically spoilt the contest from a. spectator’s point of View. ‘ The sum of £22,670 (win £ll,BOl 10s, place £10,868 10s) was handled, against £20,764 (win £8782 108, place £11,981 10s) on the third day of last year’s meeting, an increase of £1906. The total for the three completed days is £92,918, compared with £79,537 last year, an‘ increase of £13,381. , . The following is a comparative table showing the investments on 'Cup Day, Derby Day and Oaks Day for seven years : ‘ '

Canterbury Cup, of 400 sovs ; weight-for-age; one mile and a half—l Kinnoull 7 .10% (L. J. Ellis) 1, 2 Cuddle 9.0 ‘2, 3 Heritage 7.9 3. Won by three lengths; five lengths between second and third. Time, 2.43 3-5. Ashley Handicap, of 200 sovs; six ‘furlongs—l6 (15) Dollar Bill 8.8 (H. Goldfinch) 1, 3 (2) Top Coat 8.9 2, 4 (4) Tooley Street 8.1 3. Won by half a length; three lengths between second and. third. Time, 1.16 3-5. Avon Handicap, of 250 sovs; seven furlongs—lG 1(6) Courtyard 7.9 (H. Hlbberd) 1,2 (2) Grey Honour 8.6 2, 3 (3) Tunneller 8.7 3. Won by three lengths; a head between second and ithird‘. Time, 1.31 2-5. 1 Otaio} Plate, of 300 sovs; one mile Tand a quarter—2 (3) IPadishah 9.3 (B. H. Morris) 1, 1 (1) Chidden 9.4 '2, 12 (9) Jolly Beggar 8.9 3. Won by a .neck; a. length and a. half between ‘second and third. Time, 2.16 2-5. ‘ OUTSIPOKEN JOGKEY. , —— i An appeal for the revision of the present system of punishment adopted by the English Jockey Club is made by a well-known racing writer in a book. 5 Mr J. Fairfax-Blakeborough, the author of “Paddock Personalities,” explains that no one who comes under the ban of the all-powerful racing authority is told the length of his sentence. It may be a year, it may be three, or it may even be suspension‘ for life. "‘Those who have incurred displeasure,” Mr Fairfax-Blakeborough writes, “do not know whether to go‘on hoping or whether to endeavour 'to take up some other walk in life—not an easy matter for those who have never known anything but horses and racing.” ' Among the author’s stories of jockeysis one of “Speedy” Payne, a rider of the old school who was once called before some very distinguished stewards to explain his riding. “Speedy,” who was as honest as the day, felt hurt at having been brought up on three or four successive occasions. He addressed the stewards thus: “My lords, dukes, admirals and ‘gentlemen, if I rides and loses, they says I pulls 5 if I rides and wins, they says I Bumps, bores, or rides foul! I’ve got some money in the bank, a good wife at home, and it’s like this—l doesn’t care a damn what you does with me.’ ’ “Speedy,” adds M-r Fairfax-Blake-borough, left the stewa-rds’ (room without a reprimand or a stain on his character. . Jockeys have many difficulties during their “wasting” periods. The late Jim Fagan, when a jockey, once put on a pound at York, after .eating a small pear to quench his ‘thirst; and another famous jockey who ‘had been “wasting” hard to his minimum weight, felt weak after weighing out, had a coffee and liqueur brandy, and returned to scale 51b over-weight. According to Mr Fairfax—Blake—borough, the tales of jockeys’ presents are often exaggerated, although it is true that, after winning classic races, some jockeys have received cheques for as much as £IOOO, and a; few even more. “To-day,”. Mr Fairfax-Blakeborough writes, “it is not unusual for a jockey to be told that the owner of a fancied animal is putting him a. ‘pony’ on with the stable commission at starting price, while many small owners give apprentices £5 and a fully licensed ijockey £2O, in addition to their fee, for riding winners in little races. “In a. considerable number of cases, however, jockeys receive nothing hes-1 yond their fees; indeed, I could men-‘ tion several instances,- in which theyl have not even had an expression of Ehimks when they have been success--11 . “Another jockey, now a trainer, told me of an owner for whom he rode a bad juniper giving him a packetof cigarettes to commemorate his success and mark his gratitude. The horse tell and broke his jockey’s nose, but knowing the animal had been backed, the injured rider remounted and won.”

Cup Day. Derby Day Oangay. £ £ 1929 63,776 46,038 44,859 1930 48,674 33,727 33,300 1931 34,417 22,137 22,207 1932 28,635 16,592 16,492 1933 35,940 13,485 22,414 1934 36,322 22,451 20,764 1935 41,341 28,907 22,670