TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 23, 28 January 1922, Page 18

TURF NOTES.

(By "WHALEBONE.") It !- not generally known, remarks i Sydney writer, that Posinatus, winner of the' Melbourne Cup in 1013, with 7.10 in a field of -JO starters, i- now used as a hack by tlio Key. Father ( lancy, of Tenterficld. The old liorce look a, pfc. turc, anil i- well cared for hy his owner He was made n present to the rev. gen . tleman a few year* ago, and. is n O w lifcd to carry his msrtT on visiting trips., sick falls etc. A. V. Chapman, a jockey who had ridden over the jumps in France with a fair share nf hUi-ce.-?. met with an accident through an unusual cauise when he had his first ride in Kntrlacd at the Birmingham meeting on November 2!) He was on * horse named furious, who. because of his nasty behaviour at the post, was tried with a blind. When a string is pulii'd the blindfolding hood falls oil', but after jumping off Chapman forgot to "pull the string." with the result that the hor.-e f.-ll over the rails, and the jockey bail a couple of teeth knocked out. San Sebastian .Toekoy Club is promoting what may bo the richest race in the world. The advertisements show there will be a (J rand Prix de S.M. Alphonso XIII.. an international contest to be run at the summer meeting next year, and endowed with a gold cup and 40f',<lO0 pesetas to the winner. 50,000 to the eecond. and 20.000 to the third. The present rate of exchange is about •i!) peseta? to the pound, and as the race is worth altogether r>oo.ooo pesetas, this works out at £17.270. ,*; is for three-year-olds and upward-, of all countries, over 1* miles. According to an English writer. Lord Jersey had a pood deal to saj at the Gimcrack dinner about the Par'i-Mutual, and one rather gathered from his remarks that, though he hud once been in favour of it. he now held quite an opposite view. With his. remark a≤ to Government interference with racing I totally apree, he says, because it is patent no,v to everyone that whatever the Government meddles with they muddle. With the Pari-Mutuel installed en racecourses there would have to be a certain amount of control by the Government. There would also have to be another horde of officials, and a cushy billet would have to be found for someone, as, say, '"Inspector of Wormholes on the Course." Xo thank you! We don"t want, the "toto." There are quite enough diseases attached to racing as it it, without having them added to. I do not think we need fear the introduction of the Pari-Mutuel. The -Tockey Club would certainly be against it, as it would to a great extent interfere with their present control of racing and race meetings. An extraordinary situation arose at a recent meeting of the Durban Turf Club I South Africa) over an objection. The local stewards, after consideration. awarded the race to X-Ray, the horse originally first past the post. The owner jf the second horse, Vincent, appealed, but in the meantime the stewards had ordered the totalisator to pay out. and the supporters of X-Ray duly collected. The bookmakers, however, refused to pay until the case was finally decided. The higher authority reversed the decision of the local stewards, and awarded the race to Vincent. Those people who were fortunate enough to have wagered with the bookmakers were paid on Vincent, but the supporter? of that horse on the totalisator were left lamenting. A South African writer now asks pertinently: "What steps do the barkers of Vincent on the totalisator intend to take to get paid their legitimate winnings?" As more is to be heard of thi« matter in South Africa. New Zealand racegoers will be interested to hear of the result, for New Zealand dubs in some eases have paid out on the totalisator in spite of the fact that the original decisions have been reversed on appeal.

In commenting on the two-year-old form in Australia, a Sydney writer say?: There is :■. section of the (sporting community who hold the opinion that Scorak will be beaten in the autumn. They contend that Soorak has not tlio brilliancy of Salrak, Limestone. Belliimbi. or Lady Aura. In Suorafc'.- favour it may be said lliat lie i< certain to run cut the distances of the Sires" Produce Stakes and Champ*2ne Stakes. In both his race.; at Randwiek (lie colt finished under the whin, nnd lie is said by some experienced racegoers to be the only two-year-old in ihe history of the Australian turf that has won two consecutive races with tlie whip applied. Salrak. which appear- to he Snorak's most dangerous ipinuient. is brilliant beyond any doubt. Wlu-:i l:e was successful at Randwiek ho had tlip best of a stragirliiur start, nnd nrai ticnllv settled tliP imposition i" ''I* , lirst furlong, winning with a good <11';:! in hand. According to one oi,l trainer. Soorak is the paniest two-year-old Hint ever looked through a bridle. lie i- of the opinion that Poorak i> not in in- , .-ame class as ?al" rak over half n mile, hv.x ventures the opinion that from -ix furlongs upward' >oorak "ill be vietoi iouf. Jockey Albert Wood :=> in tin , fortunate position uf iiavinij the choice of >alrak or ii'Orak for mounts in tlio ;nii'.i:nn. Evidently mutters- in racing in England iindi-r National Hunt ruU-* English writer, su far a- t'lf steeplechasing season ha* jjone. there hive Iwpii plenty of incMeni-i calling fur official ri'iti,;-. but tlii- ha- In-n 1:-.-:<i11s_'- Earlier on there iveri' mvii- ili.i! a mure strift wat.-'.i «ks to l.c ),..,,; ~„ running. Bid in cni> In.-i ,-.\ \v.i-i wuriiinp nrt' has fvllowed; hat iliiriii III" pn-i werk. e--peeiallv, there «er" ihal really demanded cxpliiuatinn. One i- forced : " the ci'iicl:i-ic;n (!:;■■: -..n::,. |cm-:iI >te«ard* view the nuinu li'ini the rcfreshmeii' rorm cthi'i-w i-c the\ would he lumnfl I" take nciier of xnn.'. i the thi-.i-j- tha 1 o< cur. riul which lici--iii'- mmipni t n 1:-. Of i-i hi—i\ al tJi- cjili jmrl uf l!ie ,-a--'■II many iu:f:-e- an , ti;tai!y unlit l i,r ra'-iug, and ii i- nf:i n ;iiibii>'ly that ">u-anil Ni i ::: •in i! ,n lilank Sterplrclia-.- tci-mn-n- . a- i: i- t!iint);h> thr sralh.p in ptihlic v. M< iln him ni"i ■ srcod than hair h ilnx.-n at home." 1 in-;-an only mean llisiT ">o and m" is iv' txpected :i. win; in ie"d. he i- nut try , .:!.:: to win: and proof ~i ;i;i- i.c afforded !>;. the market. \\\\\<-\\ i-ev.aU him airjin.L'-' Ihe "in lo I others" w lirll il "c \v .T • ti; he would !■■■ fwvt 'irite. If*- |.ro!mli'y Lets |iiilf-\ia> . and i- ihfii ] ulli-il up I nsort of 11.ii...' i. ■ :v> v-ry i-.-,|iient:' . and i- ,|i-li;:.' Iv .ivain-l all llie nil— Kmt.v ln.r.-;- t!'.<! rut I- I- n\\>] "se.i -.. lie tryinir: Inn v ii"ii .ri intiniaMmi *n<-h a.s the nhm," app.'ar.s i:i the I'rti-s. I i -n tend that o.vn.r trainer should '.' a?ked to e>.;.lain \\s!y lh"v farted ill- , horse without any intention 01 t-yine to win.