Racing World.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 72, 24 March 1906, Page 11

Racing World.

By *W___aon_»

That good sportsman, Mr George Herring, who recently gave to the Salvation Army £100,000 in trust, to be used for home colonisation purposes, has given a further sum of 5000 gnineas towards the cost of a new shelter which the Army is to open in the course of a few days.

Trenton's stock have been gaining winning brackets o\-er obstacles iv England. According to latest files Hi Hi, a five-year-old gelding by Musket's son from Lady Sterling, won a selling handicap steeplechase at PJumpton; and Australia, by Trenton from Dame Heron, won the Maiden Hurdle Race at the same meeting.

Lord'Rosebery was the plaintiff in an action at Dublin recently against the Earl of ClonmeU seeking to recover £222 on -account of a stud service of the stallion Ladas. The civil bill officer said he had called three times at Lord Clonmell"s residence at Bishopscourt, and each time was told that the earl was on the Continent, aud the plaintiff asked for authority to serve the writ on the defendant's steward. Mr Justice Andrews said he required a further affidavit that the case was under his jurisdiction, and the matter was adjourned.

The following is from '"Truth's" sporting writer, and for that reason requires no comment:—l hear that the proposed Betting Bill will contain some very drastic provisions, and will be altogether a much more severe and comprehensive measure than the bill which was "huug up" in the House of Commons last session after it had passed the House of Lords. The bill will probably be introduced in the House of Commons, and it is to be vigorously supported by the Government, so that it is certain to pass. Addresses in favour of this legislation are to be moved the week after next at both the Southern and the Northern Convocations, and they will be delivered to the Prime Minister by the Archbishops of-Can-terbury and York. The Nonconformist authorities have been moving privately in the matter. There are 172 Nonconformist members in the new House of Commons, and they will support the proposed Betting Bill to a man.

' A great many gentlemen riders are Indeed amateurs. It is only those who have tried that can recognise the difficulty of riding well over country, and some of the aspirants to fame in the saddle would probably do better if there were no jumps. So, at least, thought one enterprising individual who wished to safely negotiate more or less dangerous obstacles. He had made money. Desirous of blossoming into a gentleman rider, he was ready to pay for the necessary instruction, believing that in time his ambition to ride his own animals would be gratified. Those entrusted with his welfare desired him not to hold on to his horse's head when going over the small fence put up for his benefit. "Let go 'is 'cad?" excitedly exclaimed the embryo Nightfngall, forgetting in his surprise the many lessons he had received respecting his aspirates. "Then what am I going to 'old on by?"

i Though undoubtedly one of the _est ' judges of racing of his day, the late Admiral Rous was difficult to convince, and very frequently hard things were said about the ! old salt by people who had been discussing some knotty point with him. "It's no use i arguing with Rous," au irate nobleman declared one day, after an unsuccessful tussle with the handicapper; "his pre- ' judices are like nails—the more yon knock ! them about the more firmly they get fixed." "Well, I don't know about the nails," remarked the grumblers companion, who had also taken part in the dispute, and, coming off second best, felt rather j spiteful towards the Admiral; "but he's ' very much like a hammer—makes an infernal row. but would be helpless without j lsomeone behind him with a handle—to his name." When this heated remark reached the gentleman referred to, as it was bound Ito do in time, he was greatly amused; for, though he frequently became extremely excited himself, nothing pleased him more j than to find he had succeeded in getting someone else out of temper.

Says ah English writer: What proportion of falls in cross country sport result in serious injury? The average is extraordinarily small, and -that there should have been two fatal accidents so early in the season is altogether exceptional. It was not at what may be called regular steeplechasing that poor young Brassey was killed, and at the principal meetings fatal accidents, or anything worse than a fracture, are rare iv the extreme. It is marvellous from what ugly-looking falls a jockey will speedily recover—doubtless in a great, measure because of his hard condition. I remember an apparently awful fall in the last race of a meeting at Hurst Park, two or three years ago. The victim was carried away to the hospital on the ambulance, and everyone feared the worst. When I reached the course next morning, I met Mr Arthur Coventry. "Is that poor fellow dead?" I asked him. "I don't'think so." he replied; "at least, he has just told mc that he's going to ride in the first race." He rode and won—had been temporarily knocked out, but was none the worse.

The "Asian" says tnat In connection with this season's racing in Calcutta the ring state that they have had decidedly the worst of it, and they assert that there has been no winner throughout the meetings that has not been heavily backed, and taken all the profit that they have scooped iv over the field. They state that the majority of the fielders have been very hard h't, and that two of the visitors from other countries who came up here expecting to find Calcutta a Tom Tiddler's ground have gone away persuaded in a very contrary direction. There has also been a great deal said by various bookmakers about the mysterious punter who is acting as the agent of someone in the know, and In one ot two cases leading members of the ring have not hesitated to assert that these, punters are in their opinion the commissioners of the little cherub who sits up aloft, yclept the jockey. They admit the difficult of, proving their suspicions, but they are, by i reason of their position, able to make a. very, shrewd guess as to what is going on. and the general opinion seems to be that the betting jockey is by no means scarce. One well-known fielder puts It that the jockey must bet to live, and that he cannot posslblv get along on his riding fees and the stray presents- of generous owners. is. apparent on the face at It,

Writing on the question of handicapping, the English writer "Vigilant" pens the following: That of late years there has been a great decline In the more important handicap races, especially those of the spring, does not admit of question. In looking for "the reason why," we found that this decline became most marked after the new rule came into force raising minimum •weight iv handicaps to 6st, without at the same time increasing the top weight. Tha result of this has been to practically shut out the great body of the three-year-olds, as it became necessary to handicap within a very few pounds of each other horses whose chances would scarcely have been equalised by the same number of stones, t Our views in this respect were confirmed In a most remarkable manner by the entry that was obtained for the E-sher Plate of 1000 soys at Sandown, for three-year-olds only. For this event no fewer than seventy eight horses are engaged, which is a con» siderably greater number than., has been secured for any other notwithstanding that they are open to horses of all ages. Why are these seventy-eighf horses, all of which are clearly available, not in the other handicaps? The reason is that here the handicapper will be able to give every one a chance, whereas in the other races he would not

Thus a writer In an exchange: I do not suppose that anyone pays serious attention to the angry gentleman who loses his temper in "Truth" every.week, and uses hi* curiously limited vocabulary with such virnlent wrath; but he seems to mc exceptionally wrong-headed In some .of his latest denunciations. He is furious at the idea that "Jockey Club" employees, and Turf hangers-on of the same description, can stay at the same houses with their de jura masters, or meet them at dinner." That, he thinks, is subversive of all discipline, and the atrocity, makes.Oiim-splutter. It chances, however, that some of the "Jockey i Club employees," starters and handicappers," happen to be gentlemen; and to man.?, people, to most, I suspect, it will seem * most excellent thing that these .offices should be, filled..by. gentlemen ,oi._ui_<ine_- ' tionable position and some private means, who augment their incomes by work whicli they thoroughly understand, and do about as well as it could be done. Are they, then, to be exiled from the houses of their families and friends because they occupy difficult offices, and by their skilful aud conscientious performance of their duties do much to keep up the reputation of racing? Mr Arthur Coventry, for lustauc-e, anyone who reads the papers' is aware, has long been accustomed to stay at KnowsW .rT 1 _. erpool meeti -s, at the present Duke of Richmond's house for Goodwood, and so on. When he became starter, were his friends to-cease their invitations to him. or was he to dec-Hue them—for fear he should meet a steward of the Jockey Club, that steward and Mr Coventry having probably been intimate friends all them lives? Are Messrs Portman-Dalton, Hugh Owen, w. F. Lee, T. F. Dawkius, A. Kevser, Hwfa Williams, Ernest Willoughbv,." and others, invariably to stay at hotels for tha rest of their lives when they go to a race meeting, instead of being the weleoma guests of private gentlemen? It would be hard on the officials, aud I fail to see howit would benefit racing.

In England, as. in America and the colonies, there is a continued outcry against racing, and prior to the recent elections at Home Mr J. Burns and others were declaiming about the evils attached to the sport. In commenting on the matter, a writer in the "Illustrated Sporting, andDramatic News" says:—Sir Burns, it appears, is still bent upon the project of ploughing np racecourses. The proceeding, in some cases, by the way, will not be par- . ticularly remunerative. Wheat grown on Epsom Downs would not fetch a high price, lor example, nor is Ascot Heath an ideal soil. As for Goodwood Park, the place happens to belong to the Duke of Richmond, bnt a trifle like that would hardly, be allowed to stand in the way of the reformers, I presume. If racing were a> sport, which appealed exclusively, or even chiefly, to the upper classes, the outcry against it on the part of Mr Burns and his friends would be comprehensible. But if anybody looks into the cheaper compartments of a race-going train, or glances at the crowd at a meeting, the idea will be forcibly conveyed to him that not everyone who goes to the course is a gentleman; and~~ the ploughing scheme, which might not please the Duke of Devonshire, Lords Rosebery, Crewe, and others, would be no more welcome to representatives of the proletariat—if the term be allowed. Racing is doubtless discussed' at Buckingham Palace; in one of the rooms there is a framed! cutting from an old journal, the paper vel--1 _ T T , witll a S e ' describing the achievements of Prince Charlie—l hope I commit no ofI fence in relating the fact—and the shoeblack round the corner has probably his Ideas about what will win the Lincolnshire l rltt C T- , tteme iS 0f *WM S Xo the highest and the lowest. What is to be said for and against racing.? I do , not imagine that Mr John Burns underI stands the practical and commercial value of thoroughbred blood in horses that have nothing to do with the turf, or that he recognises the further circumstance that training a horse and running it are the only ways In which its merit can bo proved. I have before now shown what enormous sums of money racing brings into circulation and what employment it affords. It would really be hard to name the trade that did not benefit. Farmers for forage, builders "of stands, stables, etc., saddlers for the articles they purvey, hotelkeepers for care of man and beast, opticians for race-glasses —but, indeed, the list.would fill a column and then be incomplete. Tens of thousands of men would be thrown out of employment were the sport abolished, and more tens would suffer indirectly. Shareholders in many railway companies would .feel it . but as to that, our Soclatetic lords and masters would say serve them usrht for having money to invest to shares. How m__v ftrmen augment their earnings by "rivfng v__tors to _nd from the courses? In tifey way.money Is spent, and for race£_oer? the" fresh air and pleasurable excitement' the relaxation, the indulgence in a hereditary love of sport are valuable advantages. "What is to be said racing? A few feeble-minded people bet, and so lose money they cannot afford to waste. That is regrettably true: but does Mr Burns imagine that if there were no more racing there would be no more betting? There is no horse-racing in China, at any rate among the Chihese; and they are.the-big-gest gamblers on earth. Abolish . racing, and men would bet on cricket, football, hockey, on a hundred other iorms'' '■■ot competition. The abolition, cry., is equally ab. surdj _Ush.onest t and h_4c__:<m_. ." -4*