Not A High Standard At Santa Anita

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 66, 19 March 1938, Page 20

Not A High Standard At Santa Anita

AMERICA'S BIG RACE GALA

Nothing to Beat Ajax in. Mile, Says Australian Critic.

Mr. M. Maguire, father of Miss Mary Maguire, the Australian film star, and formerly a well-known Melbourne business man, who hu lived at Hollywood (California) for the last two and a half years, and who is now on a visit to Melbourne, stated last week that some of the winners of the rich events at Santa Anita would have trouble in winning a race at a very minor meeting in Melbourne (says an Australian writer).

Mr. Maguire said that at the present time the Santa Anita Race Club, situated outside Los Angeles, is probably the most prosperous in the world. "Mftlions of dollars have been spent," he said, "and yet the course is not in the same class as Flemington or Caulfield. It is a nice course certainly, but there is a different atmosphere about the whole show.

"Every modern gadget to appeal to the public has been introduced at Santa Anita, and the racing is well run. But the horses are really of poor clause. There are a few exceptions, but in-the main the American horee does not compare ■with our horses.

"Good horses are given every chance in the United States, as the handicappera do not overload them with weight; in fact, Sea Biscuit's owner has declared that he will not run that horse in any race in which he receives more than 9.4."

Mr. Maguire has a very poor opinion of American jockeys. "The American jockey seems to have one idea firmly fixed in his mind. He evidently considers that as soon as the starter says 'Go' he has to rush his mount off its feet and use the whip. The result is that while races over a middle distance are run at a very fast pace in the early stages, the leaders 'walk' over the last furlong, of so."

A "Quiet" Rider.

"The result ie that any jockey who eits reasonably still on hie mounts for the first three-quarters of the'races invariably wine. To illustrate this point, let me tell you of the success of a jockey at Santa Anita this year. He ha« been winning race after race, and everybody has been eaying that he is a marvellous tider. The-whole fact of the matter is

"S#a Biscuit, one of, the beat horses in the United State*, would probably win » Caul field Cup with round about 9.0, but theire are not many others I would like to britig to Australia and try and win a good race with." 11111 Would Suit Ajaz. I asked ''Mr. Maguire his opinion of Ajax, and .how that colt would compare with the best claw Americanhorses. "He wouli wih any big race in America,'' he said. "No horse could possibly compete with him over a mile, and the dirt tracks-.would suit him well, as they ; are veryfMti '{ ' .''o,

thai lie cannot use the whijf, and he finds .It necesaary to hold tight early, and, afi a result, his mounts run on etrongly at the : finish." Many leading owners living in California have at different times diecueeed with Mr. Maguire the question of buying good class Australian horses, and be is confidentthat, eooner or later, Americabs will be in the market for our chorees, .'particularly 2if ruing continues to thrive on the PacifiyCoast, as it has done in the last few year*. Raee elube are springing up every where, and Stakes •ff good, while clubs are continually in-1 creasing their racing days.