TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 290, 4 December 1920, Page 18

TURF NOTES.

(By "WHALEBONE.")

The Melbourne Cup winner, Nightwatch, had not raced in India up to the time our last files left. Evidently he is taking a long lime to throw off the efTects of his voyage from Sydney, and become accustomed to the Indian climate.

B. Corslake, an Australian jockey, who has done so well in Engl md for some seasons past, lias arra. cod to spend the slack season in Victoria. He was to have left England on November 18, and, after spending a few months in Australia, will return in time for the opening of the flat racing season in March.

The "Special Commissioner" referred in a recent issue of London "Sportsman" to the victory of Salitros in the A.J.C. Derby, and, as he was responsible for sending that colt's sire and dam to Australia, he was naturally very much pleased with the result of the race mentioned. In his comments, the "Special Commissioner" says, among other things: "The winner interests mc particularly, because in 1911 I was asked by Messrs. Main Brothers, of Xew South Wales, to buy them a two-year-old colt and five or six brood mares, the colt to be likely to win races and make a stallion, and the mares to not exceed LjOOgs the lot. I think a limit of IOOOgs. was given for the colt. I bought Limelight, who had somewhat disappointed Mr. Purefoy, though he had shown some form, for 500g5., and among the mares I bought Suffer for lOOgs., the idea being, in her case, that she would "nick" with Limelight, because of the Amphiou blood on each side, as well as the Hampton, Blair Athol, and Wisdom in the centre of the pedigree."

Just before the Melbourne Cup was run dozens of men were to be seen carrying tables from one of the refreshment rooms to the rails bordering the running ground. They were standing these alongside the fence, and placing stools upon them, thus making vantage points from which to view the great race. Inquiries made afterwards elicited the information that tables could be hired from the rcfreshmentroom keeper for a small sumabout haif-a-crown each—inst for the period of the Cup race. Some people made a handsome profit. They sublet their privilege by allowing people to mount upon their tables at a shilling a tine. The afosurb part of the whole thing was thatthous'ands of people who occupied positions on the lawn bad their view of the Cup completely obscured b_v those who sat upon' tlie tables. There was a line of these extending half a furlong or more alongside the straight, and the spectators immediately behind were depriveel of the one thing they had journeyed *o Flemington to see—the finish of thn

Melbourne Cup. Could you imagine anything like this at Randwick?

Selling races continue to be tolerated in England, but a demand for reform in connection with them was started some time ago, and sporting 'writers in the Old Country are anticipating that the time is not far distant when they will be at least curtailed. Not long ago the winner of a selling race brought no le-s a sum than £21.50. another realised 1010gs., and a third IdOOgs. But "four figures" are "by no means um-ummoii with such races, and it bas at 1-ngth .been realised that, instead of selling races serving the purpose intended that of enabling persons to .-ell horses that they have no further use for—they have become what is described us scandalous gambling machines. It had long been the practice in England for some rich racing men, who plunge heavily, to enter a good horse for a small stake in a selling race, and hack it" for a sum quite out of proportion to the prize. The Indian sportsman, Mr. J. GaNtann. is one of tlie number wbo favour selling races, because they afford the opportunity for gigantic betting operatio:!'. but big speculation in this respect, though legitimate enough, has been met with a suggestion to the Jockey Club t-> reform selling races in such a wav as io limit speculation more in keeping with the class of performers and tin- standing of owners tnat selling races predesigned to serve.