TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 258, 29 October 1921, Page 18

TURF NOTES.

(Bv "WllALEBOMl.")

Mr. de Mcstre. who was prominently associated with the Australian turf some years ago. stood third on the list ot \

winning English trainers curly in September last, with 21 winners, whoso stakes amounted to over £20,000. A. Taylor heads the list with 33 wins, and £37,800: li. JarvM being next with 25 wins, and £20,500.

An actual incident at a recent race meeting.

Innocent Young Thing: "Oh! IYu been told that your horse is 'dead.'"

The owner tersely replied that he was not concerned with the morality of the course.

"What an unfeeling brute of a man," she remarked later to some friends. "When 1 inquired about the poor horse, he said that he didn't care a about the mortality on the course.' 1

Strangely enoug%, nTLer Polemar'eh's Gimcrack Stakes win at York last year, Lord Londonderry remarked at tho annual banquet of the club that his life's ambition was to win a, St. Leger, and no doubt its accomplishment by Polcmarvh was as surprising as it was pleasing. Polemarch was among the well-beaten horses in Craig an Bran's Two Thou- j sand. Polemareh is a June foalequivalent to January in the -New Zealand season—and he was consequently at a disadvantage in his races earlier in the year.

From March I t to September 3, Mr. Sol Joel heads the list of English winning owners with '24 races, valued at £20.573 in/. Others with over £S00!l arc:—Lord Astor, 11 races, worth £19,074; .Air. J. 1). Joel, 15 races, £14,!l!)5; Mr. Joseph Watson, 10 races, £11,453: and I-ord Derby, 17 races, £11,814. The principal winning English horses for the same iperiod were Craig an Eran, three races, value £15,345; Bettina, one race, £8200; and Love to 'Idleness, three races, £01514. March Along and Humorist wore the only others who were over £0000. The chief winning sires were:—'Sunstar, £27,000; Polymelia, £20,000; and Swyaford, E24,(100. The progeny of Tracery, Spearmint, Radium, Lem'berg, Santoi, and Bachelor's Double each won over £11,000 in stakes.

In the cabled account or the Ccsare-witc-li Stakes special mention is made of Tisliy finishing nearly a quarter of a mile'behind the winner. An explanation cf this unusual piece of news is contained in the following paragraph, which npp-.ired in a recent English paper: "Discussion on the Ccsarewitch in England centres on the strong hand held by Dav, the trainer of Bracket, the 1920 winner. Until lust week he had live prominent ca~Liates, one of which, Flamboyant, recently won two handicaps with consummate ease. Day then fluttered the racing world by scratching Flamboyant, and immediately a serious i betting market was established, wheret upon Tisliy, in (he same stable, was so heavily supported tint, although tl'.o race is not run until October 12, ho is now a hot favourite. Tishy thus far is only a moderate performer, but is lightly weighted, and is doing wonderful track work. Day also has Bracket, Bucks, and Sailor .Son engaged."

A London sporting wilier prints an interesting little paragraph about the well known Sydney rider, it. Connell, who rode his first ra:-e in England at Derby on August. 30 last. He says:— "Who is C'onn'cll f was the general query after the rider of that name had won the Champion Breeders' Foal Stakes on Polyhistor at Derby. 'Ibis was his first mount in England, but be lias had mi'.ca experience in Au.-trsli-a, and ridden many winners. His first experience of •English race-riding was not entirely a pleasant one, as an objection for crossins was lodged by Spear, who, on Combination colt, had been beaten a short head. It was a coincidence that the unnamed colt had been defeated (by a similar margin at York, an objection then being lodged for bumping and 'boring. Both objections were overruled, but in Council's race Polyhistor undoubtedly did not maintain a straight course, finishing in an entirely different | position from that in which he had been

drawn. Craig an Eian's defeat in the St. Leger was an even greater surprise tlum that of Buchaii in tlie same eoiours two years a pro, and the London "Times"' turf eontribuior, Hotspur, after remarking that Buehnns failure had never been properly accounted for. said that Bullock, wlio rode ("ray an Eran would offer 110 explanation of (lie latter's defeat. Hotspur then continued: "What Bullock told me was that the horse never gave him (lie idea that it might win at any part of the race. '1 could not have won at half a mile, a mile, or anywhere,' lie said. '1 don't know why,' he added, 'except that he just could not go, and never gave me the reel that he was capable of racing and winning.' It mav be, of course, that races at Epsom, Ascot, and Sandown Park on lite hard ground have taken more out of him than had been supposed, but this is a post-race theory. It. was never suggested or I hinted at before the raee, and, indeed, ! the idea of defeat was scouted. What j an amazing sport this racing is. and vet | the tens of thousands went away happy | at having come through a long-antici-I paled picnic. The defeat of Craig ail Eran did not. hurt them financially. Totalisa'or helling in Franco was much heavier jn«t after the war than : prior to it, bat the "London Sportsman *■ Paris correspondent says that although tile official figures hive not yet been ; published, tile turnover in France for II the first sis months of this year is likely • lo show a decrc.r-e mm parol with the • corresponding jwrioil of 1920. I here arc - several reasons for ii'K and among the : most important i- tl)«' falling oIF in t»e 1 ranks of *Juw who had made fortune.-* 1 during the war. Many oi these p-°P c • became regular of i s racecourses aft*".* the armistice, and i- - magnitude of their operations a t constant source of surprise to the 0' I school of raeinu men. of 1 newcomers 1o the turf are now ci » „ "down and out" or are J. II sport, in a "really modified form «- t as betting is concerned. But tithe real reason of tlie deelmc m p. d mutuel transactions is to be follll d the increase "I private betting. - t regulation which permits independent i- bookmaking between owners . > become more and n»ore . an< • n no secret to regular racegoer.- »«* c certain events as ma.h money b » ,P volved between individuals a- •« ' t ])ari-mutue!. Tin re are aim >"■ • v of men puHm-ing one or two nttn. „ platers in order tl.ai l-'ey "'■» excuse tor lavurj ;•»' ' '.. i. ,e know their way about in the paddock i i .. :ii!.-Mnt a wager at 1,1 can always p.a, ; so, w opera.tior.p; ot which tin. * re Uies complain.