SPORTING ITEMS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9020, 5 February 1895, Page 3

SPORTING ITEMS.

" Weekly Press and Referee."

Ths more we sea of the new method of storting horses the more are we convinced ot the great value and benefits attached thereto; bat we are more than ever satisfied thac in the manipulation or work, ing of the machines not only is practice necessary, bub the persons entrusted with the respoceible duty must have some knowledge of how to manage horses. They matt be quick to note the temperament of the horses and be able to talk to, and be understood by, the horsemen; in short, unless competent men are entrusted with the management of the machines, thereissnre to beaorae bad work. One great advantage offered in startinE by machinery is that no one horse is given an undue pall over another unless it happens to be quicker oa its legs; another advantage is that breaking away, causing the horses to become excited, is avoided. Still another great: point in favour of the 'machine is that the chances of jockeys being fined is reduced to a minimum. Thus confidence is established in them, and the horse 9 they bestride become much more tractable and less liable to become excited at the postIf we could abolish the usj of sharp spurs and severe cutting whips aud substitute therefor milder methods of persuasion, which in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred would be quite as effective, and sometimes more so, a distinct advance would be made. That horses have not been to blame for a lot of the bad starting witnessed under the old'system there can be no question whatever. The starting machines have shown us that the riders were more often at fault, and tbe fact that the ■ fields go to the post so quietly now is the best indication of the good that must follow the system: when worked by experienced men. With such starting machines as we now have and improved ones to be introduced, and less of the. whip and spur, we should have fewer so called cure or jades amongst our racehorses and fewer horses positively spoilt by being broken up in temper, and sometimes, as a consequence, rendered of less value for stud purposes.

Therb are disadvantages in connection with the starting machine that may in a measure be overcome. One' might be avoided by the starter so arranging that horses shall be despatched at any time within a chain or two of tbe barrier when being walked up in line; by following this plan the risk of the animals, kicking each other and disabling ridere. would be reduced. The great trouble is to get high metalled horses to stand still on a mark. In our pedestrian experience we have met scores of men who positively could not keep still on their marks, and it is the same with jockeys and horses. We feel sure that it prily requires starters like Mr Piper, for instance, to adopt the method of starting horses from a walk, even under the barrieV system, Wβ believe fewer horses would be found to shy or slip and wheel round if they were started further back from the tapes, which would dispose of what seems to be the greatest'cause of objection that horse-owners entertain towards the .new system. The risk of this sort of thing can be minimised by owners introducing starting machines on to their private tracks and by clubs providing machines for the use of trainer* ou the tracks open to all comers. Wβ commend this suggestion to the powers that be.

Aβ we indicated in a previous issue, is is amongst the' probabilities" of the future that the New Zealand Gup will be increased in value to 2000sovs before nominations are wanted for the next big two mile event. The value of bur classic events has been increased from time to time both by Southern and Northern clubs, and ffit'Be tire time? : If with increasing revenue they did not go on making their prizes more and more attractive to owners. By adopting this course it is possible that we may yet see some Australian owners having horses saddled up for our chief race?, and indeed sportsmen who race for pleasure and who are content if they can get stake* to run,' for Which will to some extent cover part of their expenditure, may bo found more fully engaged in following tbe sport. Wβ have lost some of' our racing men at times simply because they desired to play for higher game and to win suras beyond what could be obtained in the colony. We doubtless would havelost more but for the improved conditions under which they have been able' to race of late. The fact that an Australian sportsman, Mr S. Hordern, has nominated, some of his youngsters for the Great Northern Derby of 1896-97 is in Itself of some significance, and it is to be hoped that other good stakes and valuable handicap , ) may induce owners beyond the colony to look this way occasionally.