"SPECTATOR'S NOTE BOOK

Press, Volume II, Issue 8704, 29 January 1894, Page 2

"SPECTATOR'S NOTE BOOK

A Greyraouth friend sends mc a West Coast paper containing comments on the success of the recent Grey mouth Jockey ,Club's Meeting. The writer seems to think that the Colonial Secretary conferred a favour on fcbe town and district by granting the Club the? privilege to use the totalisator. While complimenting -the Stewards upon the general results, and presaging a good future for. the club, the article desires it to be understood that, there are matters that can be improved. I quote from it as follows:—-" It is, of course, to be regretted that occasionally unpleasant incidents occur which do not redound to the credit of rhe Club and are calculated to be detrimental to the best interests of racing. Hence all lovers of true sport would be very anxious to see such unpleasant occurrences as the Liberator and Madonna cases rendered impossible." The article strongly urges that there should be no horse-owning and betting stewards, and that a reorganisation of officials who would make catering for the public a first study should be commenced. The concluding remarks, which let out in unmistakable language that cliqueism has dominated the Club for some time past, might be taken for the sentiments of a, disappointed man who has been blackballed, were it not a face that the Club is considered to be a most exclusive one, and tuac any one might plead justification in making such an assertion. The local editor thinks the introductiou of some new blood would do a lot of good. Let us hope that West Coast racing alfairs will be conducted, in the future, upon better lines than they have been io, the past, for even the best friends of some of the Clubs are unanimous that there is room for plenty of improvemeu t. In the way cf race cards, it has been ray lot co see perhaps a greater variety thau most colonial writers and I have little hesitation in saying that I believe I could produce a greater number of. various sorts than anyone in the «olony. There is, however, nothing to

be proud of in this, but when I add that from amongst them all, I doubc whether I could find anything so complete as that issued by secretary George Morse, of the Warrengate Jockey Club, for the Hack Meeting held On the 11th January, I shall only be bestdwlug just praise upon that officer. ~ The-card might be considered by some rather large, bat it contains a lot "of information. Upon the first page is the name.of the_club with names of officers thereof, tho scale of charges for foot passengers, vehicles, and horsemen to various partis of the course, and the time of departure of trains from the railway station. On an inner page the name of the totalisator proprietors appears, also the names of the holders of the various booths, and that o£ the holder of the right to the games. 'fUeu follows the programme, "wltn a place for the name of each rider, for the figures denoting the place in which each horse finished, aud lor the figures showing the number o£ investments upon each starter. Underneath we find the particulars of each raca, the numbers of the starters, names of tha owners, horses, their colours, age, and breeding, nud weight to he carried, totrether with the colour* of their riders. Then there is a place for the amount of tho dividend, for tho name of the trainer, for the time registered, and a blank space under the head line " Remarks." Then follow the now little noticed, rr, I should say, Jitrle used leaves with the names of the horses printed thereon for the purposes of Derby sweeps, which seemingly though are not yet quite out of date upon our racecourses. As a finish to the card a local writer's place selections for each event were given. With four winners out of seven races predicted, resulting in a clear gain of £15 Si to those who might have iuvested £1 upon each event, such a card has surely never been heard of upon a colonial racecourse, let alone sold at the .modest sum of one shilling. The compilers of the".Turf Register " and " Pentagraph," tho statistician of this journnl, would have their labours considerably lightened if Secretaries of Clubs throughout the colony were as particular iv furnishing details as Mr Morse.

In thia connection I am glad to learn from the compilers of the "Register" that returns in many cases are coming to hand promptly. Still there are some that have not so far reached them. &.<» the compilation of this season's "Register" is now in hand, the compilers would deem ifc a favour if the details asked for are forwarded as early as possible after the meetings. I have so frequently had occasion to refer to a rider whose success, considering the small number of his mounts, is phenomenal —indeed many of his rides have been of the sensational order—that if ho does not hold the record f or big and lucrative dividends for New Zealand 1 am very much mistaken. James Walls is the name of the rider in question. Talk about following the late Fred Archer's mounts. "Why, £5 a time on Walls' mounts would have given a much better return. During the past five years >he has ridden some big dividend-payers, and theForbury has been his lucky convincing ground. -In round numbers, speaking without the book, Cathedral's backers received £41, those of Secretary £29, and of Garibaldi £24. On Perkin at Culyerden £52 was the handsome return. Smuggler, St. Hellicr, , and others have paid decent sums, aud the other week ac Hororata backers of Manilla received £20 10s for each £1. Walls would have been a good man to follow, as he does not ride very often.