TURF GOSSIP

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 172, 20 July 1907, Page 11

TURF GOSSIP

There are (says a writer in "The World") a large number of houses to be let for Ascot week, and the residents thereabouts begin to fear a bad season. The fact is that since motor cars came in there is not the demand for houses either in .London for the season or at Ascot for the race-week that there was wont to be in days gone by. Besides which, for every house there used to be to let for Ascot races, at least ten have sprung up within the last few years. And more people than ever prefer to "do" the meeting from town, either by rail or motor car.

Maintenon. whose retirement from the racecourse has been announced by London papers, was one of the most successful performers of late years. He was only once out of a place in 16 starts, of which he won 11 times, and his winnings in stakes totalled about £37,000. which is a nice set-off to the amount paid for him as a yearling, £025. A horse like this could only be owned by a rich man, and the gentleman who is entitled to that distinction. Mr W. K. Vande'rbilt, -whose headquarters are in France, probably valued the stakes less than he did the honour attached to Maiutenon's victories, all of which were in France.

In writing of the Derby candidates, an English writer pens the following about Spearmint: "To my thinking Spearmint was a horse and a half last Derby Day in comparison to what Galvani is; that is, going by the manner in which Spearmint went in his gallops.with Pretty Polly and Hammerkop up to the finish. The lastnamed mare could never live with last year's Derby winner in the last quarter "of a mile of their mile and a half gallops, but was always beaten off. Not so, however, Galvani. for though I may be mistaken in my views. I nevertheless still believe that HamnierkoD could have beaten him at the finish of last Wednesday s test."

In commenting on the recent alleged doping case in West Australia, a writer in. the "Australasian" says:—There is but little doubt Sporran was got at—also Little Mary on Saturday—but all the evidence to outsiders having done the. business. The connections of the horse all appear to have lost their money on the Wednesday, and so satisfied were they as to what had occurred that they advised people to back Sporran for the race he won on Saturday. The investigation pointed to no one in the ring having taken any liberties over the All-aged Stakes, and, altogether, the whole thing is a mystery, very hard to bottom. As far_ as we know the stewards have not been able to clear the matter up. Mr Bcidlev, the veterinary surgeon,, did not examine Sporran on the Wednesday, but he overhauled him after the second race. Apparently he found no evidence of the horse having been doped. Little Mary he did find to be out of sorts, and she was all right next day. What conclusion Mr Bradley came to as a result of his examination has not yet been made public.

A wonderful sporting family was represented recently at the missionary meetings in Hyde Park (England). The Re-.-. C. T. Studd is one of three brothers who in the late 'Seventies and early 'Eighties made the cricket world ring with big deeds. England lost a brilliant batsman and bowler when "C.T." went in for missionary work, but there is no doubt that he now hits as hard with words as he used to do with the bat.

" Ppople tell mc." said he. " that I'm better known as a cricketer than a missioner, I'm not sorry, because yon put down a good cricketer as a practical man. I have played cricket in America and Australia: I have worked as a mis~ sioner in China and India: and if I'm not a practical man after all that, well, then, I must be a bom for!." - - The father of the trio was the winner of the Liverpool Grand National in 1866 with Salamander, whose endeavour after his conversion were graphically described by his son.

"When father did become a Christian, it made our hair stand on end. Everyone in the house had a dog's life of it until we were all converted. I was not altogether pleased with him. He used to come into my room at night and ask if I was converted. After a time I used to sham sleep when I saw the door open, and in the day I crept round the other side of the house when I saw him coming."

It Is hardly necessary to add that "father" won. He sold up his racing stable after giving the boys the pick i* his stud, forswore betting, relinquished the uncertain joys of Tattersall's-—and robbed English cricket of one who might have head ed both sets of averages for years.

"Sporting Notions" in the London "Keferee," writes thus, under the heading of

"Thanks to the Bishop":—"Funny that it should have been brought about by a Bishop, isn't It? and sucha Bishop, too!" That is what a well-known racing official who is deeply interested in several popular meetings said to mc at Kempton when commenting on the Increased attendance this season at almost all courses. A man is apt to find out the truth about what affects His dividends, and my frleud had ascertained —at least, he was -strongly of opinion— that the Street Betting Act had chiefly had the effect of increasing the number of men who go racing; for he told mc that at the meetings - with which he is connected, and at others he knew of, the swelled receipts were almost entirely in the cheaper rings. This means that many of the humbler supporters of racing who used to bet in the streets now go and often, I suppose, with their old bookmakers, where raGing is in progress. It is not what the Bishop of Hereford meant to bring about, but it is all very much for the best if he only kdew it. Betting in the streets—or on tape "at clubs—is a demoralising business. There is no sport about it. and the one reason why some of us have endeavoured to defend it Is because we hated the interference of prigs, and thought that it was insulting j and preposterous to treat grown up men as if they were children whose money had to be taken care of for them. It is infinitely' better that the man with a taste ■ for the sport should go racing, see what horses aie. watch riding, and learn to take a more or less intelligent interest in the sport. Our well-meaning Bishop has -unintentionaUy done really excellent service to the cause of sport. I'm afraid he is very sorry for his good action, but that Is a result of being short-sighted.

The man who knows his way about ?. little is not likely to lose his money over dead "uns. He may. and most probably will, lose by backing horses that do not win, but he should seldom be led into back ing those who are not intended to run I have always found bookmakers extraordinarily straightforward. Most of u» know at any rate some whose word we can implicitly trust: they are well informed as to whom the money for different horses comes from, and will always tell those who deal with them whether horses are being genuinely supported. A book J maker does not want to have things all his own way. If we never won by any chance we should not go on betting. Out of the great majority of his clients the layer expects to make a nice profit in the long rim. If the punter wins now and then it is almost certain that he will increase' his stake. He knew the Blank colt could not be beaten last week, ani_ took 50 to 10. Why didn't he have at least five "ponies"? Fifty Is a big bet for him, but really he ought to have had five fifties! That is the usual frame of mind. If the outsider, who has no way of finding out the truth, is pleased to guess "that they are backing it." "they" being the stable, he must take the risk of discovering that he is wrong: but there are owners who do not leave their horses in races, especially when the animals are priced end are attracting attention, unless, all being well with them, they intend to start. There are other stables whose patrons are suspected of a devious policy, to put it mildly, and if a man wants to bet he will do well to make it a general rule to leave 'alone horses belonging to owners of a certain class. Opportunities of betting are so innumerable that there is no excuse for dealing with the representatives of the tricky division. It is said that antepost betting is dead. I do not think it Is quite defunct; bnt it has been desperately wounded by a few short-sighted ringmen who, lor file sake of safejy getting a,

(BI 'WHALEBONE.)

few poands out of the ignorant backer by leading him to believe that dead 'uns are being supported, have gone a long way towards destroying what wonld have been a steady source of legitimate income for them. ■

The following account of the English Derby is taken from the "Sporting Chronicle ":—Ever since the season opened every race in which this year's three-year-olds have been concerned has tended to strengthen the opinion that they are collectively as bad a lot of second-season horses ■as the present generation has known. Further confirmation of this estimate was furnished by the Derby. Never once did even the leaders reach real racing pace, as proved by the time—2min •Msec, as against 2min 36 4-ssec last year —and yet throughout the last fnrlong the throe leaders were so dead beaten that they were rolling about like drunken men, even to the point of almost falling. The start for the Derby was effected without delay, and it was an even one. but John Bull soon strode into the lead, with Slieva Gallion in close attendance, followed by Bezonian, Galvani, Orby. and Wool Winder. At the top of the hill, as the descent to Tattenham Corner began. Wool Winder was so badly crossed that to save an accident Madden had to pull him cp, and he dropped back a long way last. Half-way down the hill John Bull having faded out, Bezonian got into close touch with Slieve Gallion, only to weaken as the Corner was approached. Bezonian's place was. however, taken by Orby who. headed Slieve Gallion 'after they had got into the straight, and Mr Croker's colt made the remainder of the running. When Wool Winder turned into the straight -he was still last, except John Bull, of a strung-out lot. From this can be gauged the amount of ground he had to make up to pass Slieve Gallion and finish within I two lensths of Orby. With equal luck. - Wool Winder must have seriously troubled Orby, even if he had not beaten the Irish colt. He displayed more stamina than any of his rivals, and as the flat galloping course at Doncaster will exactly suit him, he must, if all goes well with him, .become a rvrominent candidate for the St. Leger, in which Orby, Slieve Gallion, Bezonian, and All Black can also again join issue. Paddock inspection before t£e race revealed Bezoriiah to be the besttrained of the Derby lot, he being big with muscle, and fresh and hearty. He also moved best in the canter. Galvani was clearly not at his best, for he looked slack, and be was short of muscle. Slieve Gallion was lighter than when he won the Guineas, but he was light-hearted, and .well on his toes. Orby was' cool, sedate, j and workmanlike.

Says a writer in "Bailey's Magazine":— One Is-- glad to acknowledge an improvement, belated though it be. in the state of the paddocks at the "London" meetings, t'p to within quite recent times they were infested with a pestilential mob of touts who pestered anyone with their advice. These gentry, gained admission pretext, usually that of attending a horse, every animal entering the paddock requiring many more attendants than 1» would have at home, or at any other nvßffiient than when passing through, the paddock gate. They paid nothing towards the upkeep of racing, and. in addition, disturbed visitors with their attentions. The tout has not been quite abolished, but matters are infinitely better than they were, especially at meetings where the ' "checkogram" is in use. In these things Newmarket easily takes the lead, ard keeps it. If yon find a tout within the "birdcage," be sure that he has paid to come -in: and by a very proper restriction of attendants upon horses, one is not everlastingly f aliir/g over such. In short, the N.vwmarket paddock is' reserved as a resort of genuine and desirable racing people, so far as such an object can be attained. It is there that His Majesty, an' he so pleases, can roam at will, as unconcerned as upon his own lawn: and it must be some relief to know that be cannot be snapshotted, the camera having long since been taboo in the birdcage. To those who seek to race in the way it should be done, Newmarket presents attractions which it is useless to look for elsewhere. If one had never oee_i told that Newmarket is the headquarters of English racing, the fact would be instinctively recognised after a round of the other courses. Ascot is too largely an affair of frills and chiffons, with all classes: whilst poor Good-wood is now so split up that one cannot find anybody else without great difficulty. The paddock at Newmarket seems to be precisely the right size for the company visiting it: there is neither crowding nor desolation: and in the event of the Jockey Club being favoured with attendances like that of a Jubilee Handicap Day. no donbt Mr Marriott would readily find his way to push the high fence a little further out. But I have not iieard such a step suggested. An attractive and comfortable paddock is one of the desiderata of today's racing, and in this respect South Country meetings distance tie others. The artificiality of some of the gardening troubles no one. We do not stop to inquire how- far the roots ero down. The mopt surprising transformation of all ia that effected at Chester, a portipn of the Roodee", for the rest, of the year the playground of the inhabitants, being enclosed and in a tew "hours made to assume the appearance of a matm-ed garden, though the resplendence of bloom so early in the year should give rise to suspicion. The club system has, of course, .been the prime canse of these embellishments, which, with some, are accepted as substitutes for racins.