TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 142, 17 June 1922, Page 18

TURF NOTES.

(By "WHALEBONE.^ Lord Queensborough's victory in the Two Thousand Guineas is another example of "beginner's luck," for he only took up racing last season. St. Loins was bought for him by Gilpin ior 2600g5. as a yearling, from Mr. J. .1. Maher's contingent at Doncaster iv 1920.

It is not often that the Royal colours arc carried to such a runaway victory as that of Joss House in the Ely Plate at Newmarket recently, says an Eng lish writer. Jones saw to it that the colt got off smartly, and he took so pronounced a lead that as far away as the Bushes it was obvious be could" not be beaten, and ihe cheering; then began and was continued till the winning post was reached. ,

An unusual incident occurred in connection with the principal handicap at the Moama (Victoria) races last week. There were only two starters. Padu* being at odds on and Footleap at even money. At the post both horse, broke through the barrier, but the riders were evidently under the impression that the start was in order. Padua deft?atcd Footleap, out his jockey was unable tn pull him up. and he covered the course again. The event was declared no race, and the stipendiary steward ordered It to be rerun. Tbe owner of Footleap withdrew his horse, and was fined £5 for late scratching. Padua thus obtained a walk-over. Some bookmakers returned the bettors' money; but many backers of Padua refused to accept the return of their stakes, demanding payment of the winning prioe. A ruling on the point will be sought.

Somewhat strange to say Mr. R. S. Sicvier seems totally opposed to the introduction of saddlecloths in England, for in an article recently he says: "If this new-fangled introduction is to become a common custom an alteration in the preparation of the cloth is neces sary. At present they are starched and glazed, and contact with a saddle which requires a grip rather than n. glossy smooth sfcrfaec, may readily cause a saddle to slip, as did Le Roi'sat Epsom. But why have them at all? Fancy one of the King's horses winning, and someone asking what number cloth it carried!" Other writers seem to take a different view, for says the "Sportsman": "A matter to which the attention of the stewards is commended is the adjustment of the number-cloth. which an some instances is not carried out with sufficient care. Horses frequently pass the stands on the way to the post with one figure obscured, and in one case it was observed the complete number was entirely hidden. The effect is to totally destroy the value of an innovation which ha 6 been generally welcomed."

Stejfcen Donoghue has won a lasting place ©rnong the records of the great jocte.'a of England by equalling the feat of "TfTvd'' Archer in riding five winners of Hit Derby. Of Donoghue it is relate* tlist when about 13 years of age he afpatEshed the late John Porter, the famcs_S Taaster of Kingsclere, in the vicinity st the stables adjoining the Chester racewurse. Donoghue has told the story of nrhat occurred and its sequel, and here it :<s in his own words: —

"I was. of course, attending school at the time, in 1899, and was possessed of a kfcec desire to see racehorses in the actual flesh. Consequently I made the journey from my home at Warrington to Chester, and during the course of my wanderings round the stables someone chanced to indicate John Porter to mc. I have never been able to comprehend the force which impelled mc, but, youngster though I was. I ventured to approached the famous trainer, and asked him if he wanted a jockey. The reply indicated what 1 probably deserved for my audacity, but before. I had gone many yards of my departure Mr. Porter recalled mc, and after replying _o several questions the interview resulted in mo travelling back from Bath to Kingsclere in the horse-box which conveyed Batt, which ran second in the Derby won by Jeddah. Ralph Moreton. the present trainer, was then head lad for John Porter. I remained at Kingsclere three months, and after performing the duties associated with the routine of a newcomer to stable life. I was eventually given a 'leg-up' on a horse which was led on to the training-ground by a man. The name of the horse was Clean Gone, and those two words aptly describe what happened to mc in the course of a fow seconds. The incident caused the famous Flying Fox and another horse named Wantage to break loose. I was not exactly popular after that, and, becoming homesick, returned to Warrington. That, however, was tlie beginning of my association with racehorses, and although in after years I was frequently in the saddle, it"was not until last year (1021) that Mr. Porter recognised nic as tho young adventurer who had dared to approach him at Chester, and who caused such an upheaval to Flying Fox when he was favourite for that year's Derby."

Tho death of Joseph Oiler, who introduced the Pari-Mutuel into France, recalls tho early days of racing in France when the s-port was Jiy no means so popular as it is to-day. One of tl)0 reasons, says an English writer, was. I think, that it was practically run by Englishmen and the smart sot, whose pro-Britis.il propensities were not acceptable to the multitude. All the trainers, jockeys, officials, and bookmakers were Knglish. and there was a strong fooling that France was being; exploited for the benefit of these aliens. That is, of course, among tho ignorant massps Those who had the welfare of horse breeding at heart, and realised the necessity of racing to that end were fully alive to the need for employing tho best men available, and they were far seeing enough tn know that the time was not far distant when horsemen of native birth would assert themselves. It is always put forward by supporters of the betting machine that it made racing popular in France.. l,„t ] have always thought that much of its growing favour was due to the bolter undor.-taiiding 'oetween tlie two people.- and a dyinjj down of tho jealous feeling I have described above. Be that us ';. may. there is little doubt that this feeling had a wry huge share in the suppression of bookiuakinir and the official establishment of the P.M. Tlie wieluers of the pencil in tiio Id's and early SO's,. unquestionably had si "hh.li old' liii>?," and some of them perhaps- over.:..; i{ in the matter of display and iav'iMi expenditure which all went to footer liio idea that

"la porti-le Albion" was, a- usual, getting the bettor 01 poor innocent France, but the French Jockey Club and the best owners know the value of the l_nglis h ring mon. and Oiler's machine lis.d little vogue amongst them at any time.