TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 72, 26 March 1921, Page 18

TURF NOTES.

(By *' WHALEBONE."")

' I It is reported from West Australia [ j that the W.A.T.A. is not concerning itI self about the bookmakers' strike that i | has been in session there for some time 11 past. As a result the investments in tho i i totalisator have increased enormously. * ' Trotting form has been very reliable, I,'and the fields, contrary to the prophei > cies of the ringmen. have been patisfac- - ! tory, while owners and trainers continue Ito "nominate freely. The bookmakers > concerned will probably wake up gome i fine morning to the announcement that i the Covernment of W.A. have found the i ! totalisator of more benefit to the State than the man with the bag. the result ' ' being a necessary exodus to other parts '. of the Commonwealth where pcneillers i are permitted to ply their calling. So far as could be learned, says a Sydney writer, what is known as an "advisory committee."' or board, to assist the Minister who has charge of ' racing matters, is to he appointed ! immediately, if its personnel has not already been decided upon. According Jto what was gathered Sir Joynton ' Smith is to be chairman, and among other members of the committee whose : names have been mentioned, are Messrs. Harry Chisholm, H. Pateson. W. Farrell ' (Newcastle). J. P. Cochrane, and D. * O'Sullivan, one of the members to bs I secretary. The positions are not to b% ' honorary, but the proposal, so it i? * alleged, is for the A.-I.e. to contribute £250 and the metropolitan proprietary "horse clubc and the pony clubs £200 per annum each. The board, the consti--1 tution of which has caused much adverse ' I criticism in Sydney, is to meet once a j week. | i t There iras a strike among joe-keys at - Che'terri'iam. South Australia recently, < j and a race was nearly abandoned. C-ross- ; country riders eariy in the day waited upon the stipendiary stewards and asked » that the Brush Steeplechase, for which there .vere 21 acceptors, should He 5 divided, as on s'ii< J 'i a small and possibly dusty course such a field wa= considl ered dangerous. The stipendiary ste rarrls declined to accede to Vr.e request. t and then tiie lads withdrew and agreed » that if there were twenty or more , starters they would not ride. When 1 the time for weig'.iing came there was r | still 21 in the contest, and there was no appearance of the jockeys. Hcwevar, -'.at the very last moment another hor=e 1 was ,-cratched. leaving 20 starters, and . - the boys then iied from the dressing- . | room to fie weighing enclosure. Just . i what would have happened had this _ j last horse not oeen withdrawn must be > | left to "conjecture, but the hoys a-re cer- . J tain that they would not have ridden . ! Until the "Court of Appeal'" has d.=- , ! posed of certain cases that have been j submitted to it, bookmakers in Emrland ; and others concerned are in doubt about j the law. which has been interpreted to . mean that the amount of cheque* psid j for betting transactions is re-nerat.-le. ; Not long since the Trustee in 1* r.'trup v , in England commenced an action against; | a certain number of persons to recover 1 j moneys under the taming A.ct. It was ,! mentioned by Mr. L. D. Woolfe (Lon- . doni, appearing for the trustee in sin i application for the adjournment of a pemt--2 ing bankruptcy examination at Manchr? iter Bankruptcy Court. Mr. Woolfe s.i'.l ~ three of tho actions would he beard ar. s ;the forthcoming Manchester Assizes, and _' he asked for an adjournment of th-3 ij examination in bankruptcy ttn'.il these {leases had been heard. In rer>h tn tne ,f j registrar. Mr. Woolfe "said he understood () the cases were to hr- ultimately taken to c 1 he Court of Appeal, n j > ; _ The persistent backing of The Rover ' for the Australian Cup made ir almost 1 appear as if there was nothing else of consequence engaged in the race I says an f ' exchange i. Even when Snlitros' was -• ! favourite, and looked like winning tbe 1 St. l>eger i before the postponement I, Tlie " "" Rover was steadily backed, and from 25 ' l 'o 1 came to half those odds. When ■ Nautical won the St. Leger he was immej 1 | dintcly installed a good favourite for the •Australian Cup. hut not for long, as a fj i big parcel came for Tbe and he * was again backed for n large amount. ' ' while Nautical receded, and was eventu--1 ; afly scratched at 1 p.m. on the day of s . the race. The Hover started at a short! "price, with Accringtou half a point n lonser. but very few others were backed •"" with any spirit. The winner i.s owned "; by Mr. John Wren, who brought oIT a ■■similar coup with Murmur in the Caul- ■* : field Cup some years ago. It was tried <" • with the Rover for the Doncaster Handi- "* cap and Sydney Cup last year, but it t missed tire. It is csi'mated that the * connections of The Rover won at least <* £30.000. and the double. Blue Cross and "jThe Rover, would take out a similar r : amount, so tiie Victorian bookmakers c came in for a losing time, as speculation - was retarded greatly by the uncertainty '■ of the date of the fixture hoinc held. 1 Nearly all the Sydney hooks were losers : on both events. o] ' omruenting on the Newmarkel tlmidis cap. a Sydney wri~er : a.i ; IVtie Cross. who won the Newmarket Handicap has t always b»cii hpij :_ ],;„;. p s t : mation by -. J. "Holt. Tbat astute trailer and his a ; r"* : **o*~. Mr. ('. B. Kell.iw. are to bo eond gratulated on the soldin.tr having sue,l reeded at last. '. Even had he failed one more in 'the r Nevmi.irket. Ftlu- Cross could if' hay.; l- been written down as a iurf disappointn ment, for his previous victories included i-:two Standish Handicaps: but Holt, who "" !is an adept at trying out 'his charges. " l:new Blue C ross to be eapa.h\-. of -i;i . '■ I .-est, among sprinters of the highest n calibre. At seven years of a.gc t!'.e son o; >' I l.inacre has demonstrated tl-'it his home d 1 rials were- true. Three years ago Holt con-idi-ed thatI" :be hail n rnort.irage on tbe Nf.ntiarkrt '" j Handi"ap with Blue ( ross, ;ln d if things *'had gone tight that autumn Mr. Kello'v 'would have taken r. large sum ol mon.tv out of the ring. n . Then only fovr years o: age illu.. lp :(Yos s was weighted at only ii.l_. i H|P carried a pound more, as Dempsey could v, J not ma-ke the exact weight..' The mar. 3 . |ner in which Blue Cross disposed of n - f smart field, including Mistico. Euro-bin. >r nnd Three, in the V.A.T.C. Hawksburn , t| Handicap, justified his conne-tions in re c igardir.T rhe Fiemington sprint of im<* as ,„ j a "moral,"' but unfortunate!-, the g.-ld-idjiag destroyed his chance in turttin-' r partly round when the bnrrirr ro-e ~ Since that occasion Mr. '<.■!!.. am ,-.. d'llged in severa! expensive on IP !Bln,i Crams, and a less determined ..'wne- ,| n would never have invested so heiviiv a.----t. j Mr. Kellow did in this year's race, ('-on .pjftdencc in the judgment of J. Holt in- ,,- , spired him, and as a result. Mr. Kdlow r- had the biggest win of his career on the [turL