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Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 259, 9 November 1901, Page 3

UNKNOWN

November 6, 9, 13—Auckland R.C. Spring November 9. 11--\Yintnn ' <\ .\nnvit! Kovembcr i>, il—Turatahi-Carterton Annual jjoveinber 10, 15—South Canterbury J.C. Spring November 20, i!2—Wellington T.C. November il-Waitura .I.C Hack Meet-

ing Koven.bvii ':\. 22— Wellington R.O. Spring November 23, 27—Otahuhr. Trotting Club

Spring Meeting November -j, 30—Dunedin J.C. Summer November 1!9, 30—Feilding J.C. Spring jjovembur SO, December 4 — Takapuna jockey Club December 26. 27—Tnranaki J.C. Hack December 26, 27, January 1 — Northern

Walroa R.C. December 20, 28, January 1, 2—Auckland

December 81, January I—Greymouth J.C,

Midsummer January' 9, 10—Lake County J.C. Annual January 20, 22, 24—Wellington R.C. Summer

Sir Hector Macdonald was present Bt the Auckland Kacing Club's Spring Meeting to-day as the guest of the Stewards.

Mr F. D. Luclcie, secretary to the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club, is on a Tisit to Auckland, and was present at the opening of the Auckland Eacing Club's Spring Meeting-. Mr J. Harding1, owner of Tauhei, is also a visitor from Gisborne.

The Canterbury Jockey Club started off with a big totalisator turnover on the opening day of theiu Spring Carnival, but on the second day, owing partly to there being only Bix races on which the public could speculate, there was a big- slump in the business, only about half the amount invested on the Cup da, going through. It is hardly likely that business to-day will bring the three da3 rs' takings of the club up to what it was last year. There is too much racing and trotting at one time in Canterbury, and in the interests of sport and the people themselves iii should be curtailed. The trotting clubs will not have such big receipts from the totalisator as they had last year, judging from the reports already to hand.

While working on the plough gallop at Ellerslie the other morning Merry Kate, owned by Mr J. G. Ealph, fell and br,oke her leg. A few mornings previously, while galloping with Tau hei, Evert fell at the same turn, and Gladys Rose came down there about ; week previously, and several trainers have informed me that a number of horses on the morning of Merry Kate's mishap were all but over. It appears that the wet lodges at this epot and makes the track slippery, hence the cause of so many horses being at fault there. Mr Ralph's mare, Merry Kate, was a well bred one, and it is a pity the daughter of Blairgowrie and Fishgirl could not be saved for breeding purposes.

A recent telegram informed us that the Wellington Eacing Club had Massed a resolution on the subject of handicapping untried horses, which in effect is a direction to their weight | adjusters that in handicapping untried horses of equal age and sex they shall not make any distinction. This in view of the fact that when handi- j capping two-year-olds of late Mr. Henrys and Mr. Evett have each given us work which has been puzzling alike to owners and the public who give any study to the subject. It has been said that handicapping is something j more than a science, and less than an j art, but it is impossible to divine ! which has been in the minds of some j of our weight adjusters to have i caused them to treat untried horses on such terms as they have frequently done. It is not wise to tie the hands of handicappers, but the conditions ( the Wellington Eacing Club seek to | impose upon their weight adjusters ' do not seem altogether unreasonable. The strict compliance with such restrictions may not always work out well, but the knowledge that such a ' course would be followed out would be full notice to owners of what they might expect, and there could then be no feeling of unfair treatment. The untried two.-year-olds owned by Mr. Stead have been treated to more weight almost invariably than those of other owners. At the Hawke's Bay meeting, in treating the untried two-year-olds of a number of owners, Mr. Henrys handicapped them on a sliding scale, the Porirua stable coming in for the greatest attention with a colt called Hamua. Again, at Christchurch Mr. Stead was the owner whose untried gelding King Stork was placed above colts, and asked to give more than the usual allowance to fillies of the same age. Mr. Evett's handicap for the Musket Stakes, being run to-day, showed that four two-year-olds, two colts and two fillies, all untried, had been treated on terms that do not suggest themselves as right. La Valette and Sensation were given 8.5 each, and, being colts, this was all right, but one filly, Cygnet, received 71bs from these colts, and another also, a non-performer, got in TVith 7.7, or 121bs less than the colts. Why? Now, if Mr. Evett had been handicapping this lot for the Wellington Racing Club he would have been kept to conditions which would have prevented a lot of complaining.

Bather longer than twenty years ago, just when the automaton form of betting was being introduced on New Zealand racecourses, a contributor to the "Field" newspaper ■wrote a pamphlet, entitled "The Kuin of the Turf," in which he sought to show that the totalisator would in time bring about the downfall of racing in Dunedin and on other racecourses in the colony where

it was being tried. The contention of the writer was that betting was essential to the success of racing in other parts of the world, and that the totalisator would not prove a good substitute for the bookmaker in New Zealand, as the co-operative principle would not satisfy the owners of horses. Dunedin at the time that pamphlet was written was a strong-hold of the penclllers, and indeed heavier books were made on I:.e Dunedin Cup and other races than in any of the leading centres in the colony. I may be wrong, but I have always thought that the strenuous opposition shown to the bookmakers by the Dunediu Jockey Club, who must have spent hundreds of pounds in carrying on a crusade against the layers of the odds, was bad policy. However that may be the fact remains that Dunedin racing from one cause or another gradually declined, and though probably in a fairly healthy condition again may be a long time before it recovers anything like the high position it once enjoyed. By those who first introduced the totalisator it was never dreamed that an army of betting- men would spring np and lay the same odds as the machine, but that is what has been done for many years past, and the army has assumed great proportions. Every village has its layer of totalisator odds, and the 'towns and cities have scores all doing business on races throughout the colony. It would be impossible to say what amount of money is betted in this way during the year, but the sum must be enormous. That it is profitable must be supposed, otherwise so many would not be engaged In the business. So far from ruining the turf it is claimed by those who believe in the system that the totalisator has done a very great deal to imjjrove the condition of racing and give it a healthy tone. Gambling on racing may be more respectable, and in some respects more defensible, but it is certainly very expensive, and under the new conditions which have been welcomed by most of the clubs, namely, that of paying out dividends on first and second horses,*'lt does not require much consideration to arrive at the conclusion that the effect will be ruinous to those who are the backbone of racing; in short, the public are being asked to contribute too much, and there is a prospect of the minor clubs throughout the colony being heavy losers instead of gainers by such changes as are certain to result. Such clubs as can command the presence of large crowds and visitors and horses from different parts of the colony may follow the plan and please their patrons, and at the same time largely increase their revenue, but it is extremely doubtful that the smaller clubs will be able to run 'their totalisatora on such lines for any length of time. Where horses running in different interests are well handicapped—and handicapping enters largely into the success or otherwise of this system, as when horses are more equally backed —the plan will work better than when one or two horses stand out from all the rest and carry ithe great bulk of the investments. To have split dividends when fields are not large and favourites keep winning will not please the public, who like to get as much for their money as they can. The whole question resolves itself into what the public can and will stand after all, for they have to find the sinews of war. The 'totalisator can be run in such a way that it may do a great deal of harm to the sport which it has done so much in the past to assist. I predict a short life for the 1-2 business.

TAKAPUNA JOCKEY CLUB'S SPRING

MEETING.

The following nominations have been received for the above meeting, which takes place on November 80 and December 4:—

FIHST DAT,

Trial Handicap.—Golden Rose, Cavalry, Balbirnie, Highlander. Capford, Khama, Chancellor 11., Lance Corporal, The Frenchman.

Cambria Handicap.—Seatonla. Sensation Idas, Swagman, Mary Beaton, Cygnet, Rondolatia, Irish. Cuirassier — Dolosa colt.

St. Andrew's Handicap.— Belfast; Scotty. Formula, Val Rosa, St. Ursula. St. Olga, Solo, Sparkling Water, Mosella, Tauhei, Materoa, Coronet.

Maiden Hurdles.—Firefly, Royal Conqueror, Ballinger. Rocket, Klatere. Tiki, Puffing Billy. Lady Dash, Traverser, Puriri. Peter Simple, Yarra, Chancellor 11., Tuirne, Poenamu, Sudden, Te UrukeAu. First Hack Handicap. — Cyclone, aypatia, Nereid, Liquidator, Lady Soult, Frances Lovejoy, Evert, Dlngdongr, Jessamine. Rolf. Cressy, La Polish, Gold Web, Mechanic, Sea Nymph. Capford,, Up-to-Date, Amahantas. F.tona. First Pony Handicap.—My Lord. Blue Paul, Orange and Blue. Princess Pexkin, Stepaway, St. Loanda, Mamoa,, First^ Whisper, Nannie, Trooper, Glrton Girl. FiTst Handicap Hurdles.—Tan^ahoe, Firefly, Rufus, Regalia 11.. Royal Conqueror, Haydn, Pungarehu. Tim, Cannongate. Cavaliern. Nor'-west, Miss Drury, Vanquish, Votißuer IT.. Chancellor 11.. Princess of Ttiule. EHnRo. Cheltenham Handicap. — Cuirasptte, Tolstoi Delia Rose. Blaircarrlg, Snotty, .Tewellpry, Takapuno Hikipene. Himalaya Dingdong. Rosiohele. Sundiftf. Val Rosa, Orange and Blue, Sly Miss, St. rtlsya, Highlander, La Polish, Despatch, Lady Avon. Solo, Sparkling Water. Red Lancer.

SECOND DAY.

Stanley Handicap.—Lady DesboroMgh, St. Peter, Amahantas, Tolstoi, Delia Rose. Telephone, Jewellery, Scout, Crecy. Liquidator, Lady Soult, Takapuna, Hlkipene. Himalaya, Tiki, Lady Dash. Little Wonder, Ro3iphele, Orange and Blue, Highlander, La Polish, Lady Avon, Gold Web. Oamille. Hohoro, Cuirasette. Siy Miss, Despatch. Second Handicap Hurdles.— Firefly, Rufus, Regalia 11., Boyal Conqueror,, Haydn. Tim, Pungarehu. Tim, Tiki. Cannongate, Cavaliero, Nor'-west, Puriri, Miss Drury. Vanquish, Chancellor 11., Princess of Thule, flingo. Swing Handicap.—Belfast, Scotty, For3a. Sundial. Val Bos'nJ, St. o*£ Rf Ursula. Lady Avon. Solo, Sparkling Water. Rosella, Red Lancer, Tauhek Second" Hack Handicap-Gold Web. Hypatia. Rocket, Lady Soult, Evert, Dingdong. Cressy, Hlppowal La Polish H -Mechanic, Sea Nymph, Capford, Up to, Date, Amahantas. Lance Corporal. Second Pony Handicap. ~ My Lord,* Ukase, Blue Pautl. Orange and Blue. Princess Royal, Stepaway, St. Loanda,

Mamoa, First Whlßper, Nannie, Trooper, Girton Glr1.

Cautley Handicap.— Blalrcarrig, Jewellery, Scotty, Takapuna, Roslphele, St. Olga, Highlander, Lady Avon, Camiile, Sparkling Water, Rosella, Red Lancer, Tauhei, Vai Rosa. Handicap Steeplechase. — Tangahoe, Rufus, Cronje, Tarragon. Master Mahoe, Cannongatc, Nor'-west, Straybird Peter Simple, Voltlgeur 11.. Poenamu, Tulrne, Princess of Thule, Sudden, Dingo, Te Urukehu. Welter Handicap.-Blaircarrlg, Admiral Hawke, Golden Rose, Belfast, Cavalry, Hlkipehe. Blue Paul, Balblrnie, Sundial, Paul Seaton, Higlander, Solo, B-hataa, Red Lancer, Materoa, Cutrasette, The Frenchman., Vanquish.