TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 167, 15 July 1911, Page 16

TURF NOTES.

(By WHALEBONE.)

Some men on racecourses never seem to be without ladies. As far as the "regulars" are concerned they are very OnweJcome. Some people when making a small temporary loan specially stipulate that it mustn't be paid back on a racecourse. There's wisdom in this! Many a time towards the end of a day's racing, the favourite, a certain stable or a particular jockey's mount is backed, solely beca-use it is about time a favourite or a certain stable or jockey won a race, if they have not previously done so. It is the ownership of a horse as much fls the animal's form which goes to make Ibis market price iin England, and at times even the animals with the best paper "chajices, if happening to be nominated by someone unknown, invariably drift right out in price. It is proverbial, says an English writer, how truly inaccurate many of the supposed training reports are, and in one case I have seen the name of a horse given as at work, and doing well, although he has never yet been withiin 50 imiles of the locality, but is in a different, trainer's charge at another end of the «oirntry. Speaking of bookmakers" advertisements aa English, writer says: How is it possible for any firm of bookmakers to announce that they have sufficient capital to cover all liabilities when no one could say what those liabilities are until after a race? In the first place one's commissions arrive right up to the time of the race, and even afterwards, and a ihoreo might start at 10 to 1 on or 20 to iL-^agadnsfc. (The English jockey, the late Harry distance, who rode in nineteen consecuitive Dertrys, and won three, gave bis opinion of the Epsom course in the following terms: —"It is very bad, as well as dangerous. What is known as Tattpnhn.m Comer is one of the worst bends 1 ever rode round or caw. It is not only down a veTy steep incline, but on a sids ■bill, as well as a very sharp turn, and 5t is wonderful tome it is not productive cf more accidents." Just as the numbers went up for the race of the day, rain fell copiously on liot and perspiring men -who had come down in thin clothes, all unprepared for such a deluge. "Gee!" exclaimed a luckless punter, drenched to the skin, "this means a fatal dose of pneumonia for scores!" "I pray to Providence my bookmaker's one of 'cm!" rejoined a punter, nv-ho (incidentally) had had none the Ibest of the eternal tussle with Tatt.'s; and Jupiter Pluvuus turned on several iresh hydrants. At one end of a second-class carriage returning from a recent race, meeting, lour racecourse guessers—pereons who ■would be enthusiastically blackballed in Slieol—were playing cards. At the obher were two strangers, looking on amusedly. Presently one of them" saw the dealer give himself four aces from the bottom of the pack, at which he nudged the other stranger and whispered: "Diidger see that?" "See what?" "Why, see that feller give himself four aces?" _ "What about itY" rejoined the other, an a surprised tone. "Wasn't it his seal ?" Some people tell mc that Tod Sloan excelled only because he understood pace, writes the _ "Speoial Commissioner." This, surely, is arrant nonsense, for all the "poker back" riders had simply to setire after the advent of Tod Sloansome more obstinately than others, but all with certainty—and as to the time in •wlrich races are now run, why, the comparison of the present with the past is absurd. For years and years Blair Athols and Kettledrum's Derby times lield the record, as did Caller Ou's for tho iLeger, but since the days of Tod Sloan these have never been anywhere near records, and why should they be, for races in those foolish days were never truly run? How it came to be so I do not pretend to know but if the jockeys in Lord v-moens day had been reasonably alert that horse after getting badly left, could not possibly have won as he did in 3min. •msec when, as Swynford showed us last j ear, the distance can be covered in 3m.n. 4sec. K.hvarlin, who was loft in 188/ won the Leger in 3min. 26sec Which was a well-understood farce!

TirnnJ} iS <r reminisce,lc e3 the late Ronald Moncneffe had something to say concerning Lord Dudley's aleocmtioZ with the turf. Pnor to coming of a-e his Lordslnp raced M "Mr. E. Wardour," but when in due time he arrived at years of discretion he ran his horses under his own name, and frequently rode them himself. His first ap p Cara^0 in the saddle was in a Hunters' Flat Bace at Wolverhampton, in the neighbourhood of which are the Earl's collieries, and of this event Mr. Sloncrieffe wrote: The starter was a local of no mean experience!, but was absolutely flabbergasted at the sight of the Earl hiinfielf cantering to the starting post in the popular straw, violet belt and cap Having marshalled us up in line he went through the usual formula, 'A.re you ready? Are you ready?' We often did not wait for the word 'Go!' which quickly follows, and were well on our journey, when we discovered that t!ie all-important order to .start had not boon given. Turning back, we noted that his Lordship had been left at the. post. The next occasion, however, Uie flan- was dropped, and 'Go!' rang in our ears almost before wo had got our horses properly in hand to swing them round for the dispatch. The Earl, however, was by no means behind hand on this occasion, for he had jumped off with a inindred yards' lead, and won the race

1 anils down. Riding in the next race . expostulated with the official responsible at the post. 'But,' he exclaimed, 'you surely would not have mo leave the Earl of Dudley at the post.' 'I ami his uncle, and you leys me,' I answered, with a tinge of anger in my voice, though L wns « in reality, very much amused, T-nie, I know that full well.' he replied; 'but you do not uraw sixty thousand a year,' and with v wave. of his arm, 'f rom those iron works and collieries! I smole a great and bitter smile as I thought of the wisdom of his , for "Magna e st veritas, et prae-

In England competent light-weight riders are so scarce that recently a number of owners and trainers petitioned the stewards of the Jockey Club to pass a rule thnt no handicap should commence at less than lOst, and that the minimum weight should not be under 7st. While this idea may find favour is bound 'to be strongly opposed by j others, and one authority points out that good jockeys were more numerous in the days when the minimum was considerably lower than at present. 01 course, this idra is opposed by those who contend that the required standard of horsemanship was not as high then as in the present day. but none the less the fact remains that, even at 0.7, there are very few lads who can be relied on to ride a good race at anything beyond six furlongs. Some get on fairly at the latter "distance, for as the horses are hard at it from bar-rier-rise there is not the same judgment required as in a longer race. It is often a case of "slauiemrnwiiack" all the way, and younger lads will often take risks that older and more experienced riders carefully avoid.

Dealing with the investments of the well-known American millionaire on the English turf, an English sportsman writes:—"Mr Winan3 gave £IG,OO0 —so it was reported—for !57r 7.7 a run with a view of winning the English Derby .last year. As is well remembered, Sir Martin was involved in the unfortunate contretemps which occurred approaching Tattenham Corner in Minoru's Derby and fell. Subsequent events proved that Sir Martin was a really smart colt, and that had he -met with no mishap he might have realised the hopes and expectations of his owner and trainer. Mr. Winans, who is a great votary of trotting, has purchased Adam Bede with a view to winning the blue riband, but so far the colt, who iriet with a slight accident re cently, has not been seen in public. Those •who have observed him doing his work on Newmarket Heath profess to be much impressed with his appearance and style of going. The triumphs of American owners on the English turf, like those of France, have been few and far between. Mr. 1/orillard and Mr. W. C. Whitney are the only American sportsmen who have Avon the Derby, and the success of the last-named could hardly be described as an all-round Yankee victory, inasmuch as the colt that carried his colours to the fore —namely, Volodyevski—was bred in England by the late Lady Meux, from whom he was leased. It was different with Iroquois, who was bred in the United States and sent over specially to try and win the English classic races. His owner -was a great millionaire tobacco merchant. He brought with him from America his own trainer in Jacob Pineus, who, in his way, was quite a character, and became immensely popular at Newmarket. He was a profound believer in the clock, and trained on a principle which was utterly opposed to English ideas. Whatever may have been thought of his methods, their utility was proved to demonstration. Iroquois was turned out in grand fettle. No better trained horse ever ran in the Derby. His two-year-old career was not very promising, but as a three-year-old he commenced by running second to Peregrine for the Two Thousand Guineas. In the Derby the latter was favourite, 11 to 2 being laid against Iroquois, who was the mount of the redoubtable Fred. Archer, thanks to whose superb jockeyship the colt won 'by half a length. Amongst the horses which ran on that occasion was Voluptuary, who later in life was destined to win the Grand National, in which race, wonderful to relate, he made hia first public appearance over a country. The American victory of Iroquois was immensely cheered. He added to hie reputation by winning the St. Lieger. It may be mentioned that Iroquois was a lineal descendant of West Australian.

"It's a great pleasure to mc," said Mr. Joel to a representative of "The Daily Telegraph" after 'the race, "that the horse was a favourite, and that the public thoroughly understood the ex tent of my confidence. I never before felt so sure of winning a race, and I'm sure he will prove a Derby winner worthy to be ranked with the best." "Did you notice how he won?" he went on. "The further they went the wider was the gap between him and the rest. You ask mc when I knew I had got a good horse. Well, as you know, he was among the half-dozen best two-year-olds last year, and then he wintered splendidly. He grew shapely and developed power and character, and with it all he possessed beautiful action 4{nd ,a most charming temperament. \S~hen the 'time came to try him we never had much doubt what the result would be. He gave us such a high trial that we realised before the Two Thousand Guineas he wus an exceptionally highclass horse. And ever since he has shown marked superiority to other horses in the stable that have won good races."

"Yes, 1 don't know which to be more pleased about —pleased that I own Sunstar, or that I bred him. Perhaps the greatest pleasure of all is that I bred him. His dam Doris did not belong to mc, as has been said. She was a small mare, not brilliaot by any means, that was owned by ray brother, and was named after his daughter. He thought of putting her in a selling race, and getting rid of her in that way, but 1 said, "Don't do that. Give her to mc, and I'll find her a home at Childwickbury.' And he did, and enabled mc to breed Sunstar from her."

Stern, 'the jockey, when congratulated on liis share in the victory, readily shed that outward calm and apparent indifference which seem to belong to him. He was all smiles, and seemed delighted to have revenged himself on the fates \.hat hnd caused him to he second csn M. Blane"s Jardy in Cicero's year, nntl Mr. Raphael's Louviers, beaten a short head by King Edward's Miuoni two years ago.

This is how he described the race to Mr. Joel immediately he had come out of the scales: "I got ofT well and was lying about fourth or fifth. Two or thivc began 'to drop back before we came to the hill, and I was left with only Bannockburn and Phryxfts in front. I didn't want to go to the front yet, because I was told not to do so, but the others were going too slow for mc. nnd I just let my horse stride along. Coming down the hill Sunstar jarred himself. I felt him tin it. and he faltered. At the beginning of 'the straight I took up my whip, but didn't use it, shook him up. and then he readily went away and won comfortably. If he had not jarred himself he would have won with his head in li's neck. He's a really good horse." Tt may be added that Stern was immensely pleased with the kind reception given to him as well as to the horse.