THE RACING WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 57, 1 December 1923, Page 19

THE RACING WORLD.

(By

“The Watcher.”)

The latest development in connection with the apprentice allowance in the Ruakura Stakes, at the Hamilton meeting, is the statement by Mr. It. Hannon. It is to the effect that he did not apply'for allowances on the first day as lie was of opinion that he was not entitled to any. On the second day, he had not claimed an allowance for Ouinette, which horse he saw weighed out. When Touhey, the apprentice rider of Abbev Bell, wont to the sea e, he inquired of the clerk of the scales if he was entitled to an allowance. The latter said that he would inquire of the stipendiary steward, and came back with the information that he cSIiM claim it, which Touhey did the boy intimated the position to Mr. Hannon, who also made inquiries of the stipendiary steward, was advised that he was entitled to an allowance, as the event was a handicap. It was then that Ouinette was brought back and Holland got 2Jlb. It was on the advice hs had received that he acted, though he was of the opinion, as his previous actions showed, that he was not entitled to it.

The Rules of Racing have been altered so much recently that it is not surprising to find people ignorant on many points, but if anvone should bo acquainted with them it is a stipendiary steward, whose particular duty it is to see that thev are carried out. According to Mr. Hannon’s statement he was misled by the incorrect ruling of the stipendiary steward in attendance. and the matter calls for inquiry by tho conference. At the same time, tiie Rules of Racing distinctly state that owners shall bo rqspons’hle for tho accuracy of the weights to b« carried hr their horses, and c’ause 12 of part XVIII goes on to sav;—“But any owner may, not less than two hours before the time appointed for the stnrt. submit to tho stewards any doubtful question, accompanied by a statement of the facts, and require them to decide what weiyht is to be carried bv his horse in anv particular race, and unless the statement of facts be in Horn? material respect inaccurate, the weight decided upon by the stewards shall lie the weight to be carried bv the horse in the race.” As the rules specifically exclude two-vear-old races from the operation of the apprentice allowance. Mr. Hannon had really no “doubtful point” to place before the stewards, and he is at fault in not sticking to his opinion concerning the allowance, in spite of what the stipendiary steward ruled. At the same time it is a moot unsatisfactory business to lose races in this fashion, and to have a paid official of the conference giving a wrong decision.

Another very unsatisfactory incident occurred at the South Canterbury meeting on Saturday last. Miss Minerva won the Claremont Handicap very easily by four lengths Some time" later the connections of the second horse, Balasor, lodged a protest on the grounds that the winner had not weighed in with the breastplate. It appears that the protest was not lodged within the time prescribed by the rules, but as it was discovered 'that the winner had not so weighed in, the stewards had no option but to disqualify Miss Minerva. The rulo reads: —“Any muzzle, martingale, breastplate, or clothing (other than boots or bandages) in which a horse runs, shall bo put into the scales, and included ill the jockey s weight: otherwise tho horse shall be disqualified for the race.” In. the above ca.se the jockey not only did not include ths' breastplate on weighing in, but ho also weighed out without it prior to the race. Consequently there was not the slightest, suspicion of any fraudulent practice with respect to the weight, and Miss Minerva won as truly as ever a horse won. carrying, in fact, more weight than she was entitled to. But under the.rules the disqualification by the stewards was compulsory, and it would certainly seem as if the rule requires alteration in tho direction, of giving the stewards the option of fining the owner in such a case. Fortunately, and tho word is used advisedly, the matter was taken up too late to stop the payment of the dividend to the public. ’ It is an extremely harsh rule which not only robs an owner of a stake gemiinelv won, but which also takes away, under a technicality, the right of a section of the public to receive its dividend. The alteration to the rule would appear just plain common sense.

Judging has been the subject of comment recently, and on this question there was tho interesting cable item from America regarding the kmematograph picture of the finish between Zev and In Memonam, in which it was made to appear that the human eye had been at fault. An illustration of the system in vogue on the Continent was given in a recent issue of “Tho Illustrated London News,” accompanied by' photographs of a very close finish between four horses, of which the firet three were separated by noses. The photographs were taken from the top of the judge s box, and from tho site opposite the judge’s box. Looking at them as the judge saw them it is difficult to place them. If anything the horse nearest the judge may have it. It is such a close thing, however, and they are finishing on the rail on tho opposite side of the track, that it almost appears a dead heat between the two nearest horses. This is .where the camera on tho opposite side of the course, close to the horses, scored. It clearly indicated a victory by a fractional margin. Both photographs have a black vertical line in the centre marking the projection of a thread stretched before the plate, in line with the winning post, and the winner’s nose is touching the line. The system is the invention of M. Sipe, and has been in use by all racing societies, in Belgium since 1910. It has been improved upon by a Frenchman, M. Branger, and is in operation at Mais-ons-Lafitte, one of the leading French courses, while its operations are being extended to all Parisian racecourses. Across the track, at a height of nearly 4ft., corresponding to that of a horse’s breast, is stretched a cotton thread of the colour of grass, capable of supporting a progressive tension of about 121 b., but breaking at the least shock. Twisted round a small wheel placed on one side of the track, the thread ends,' on the other side, m an electric contact formed of two flexible plates separated by less than a millimetre. 1 The moment it is touched by the breast of the horse, it suffers, before breaking, an excess of tension, causing contact, and producing an electric current which, through medium of an electric magnet, releases thp shutter of a photographic apparatus. The thread is placed at 1| metros (about 4ft. 10in.), in front of the finishing line (this being the distance adopted after many experiments at MaisonsLafitte), so that the photograph registers the exact moment when the horsp’s nose appears in line with the winning post. M. Branger has added many notable improvements to this method. He places two photographic posts at a height of from 23 to 26ft., one on top of the judge’s box, the other on the opposite side, at the winning post. Each photographic post contains, a group of three convergent cameras, so disposed that a thread stretched vertically a little in front of the focal centre of the glass scieen, and consequently of the sensitive plates, is in line with the judge’s view and the winning post. These iwo lines therefore define precisely, on thepltte, tho positions of the two groups ' of cameras, which mutually control one another. One of the cameras in each group is worked by hand, as will be indicated later on. The other two cameras, which aro released automatically, are interdependent; and the two lenses of each pair have a different focus: on© gives absolute clearness from about 5J to. 32 yards and partial clearness for some distance beyond, the other, inversely, partial clearance from 5i to 32 yards and absolute clearance beyond that distance. The track generally measures from about 43 to 65 yards in width; therefore, at whatever distance from the thread a horse passes, it will be photographed by one of the cameras. The four shutters aro simultaneously released by the electric current, and. operate at 1-8000th of a second. Four photographs are thus taken of the winning horse, which it-, self operates the cameras, and is shown on each side of the track at , two slightly different downward angles. The position of tho horse whose nose first cuts the arrival linp is therefore registered, and the comparison of the four photographs seems to render impossible any false conclusion, either as to the winner or the placed horses. The third camera, placed above each automatic group, is

independent. It is released by hand, simultaneously with, its fellow on the opposite side, by an operator on top of the judge’s box. This camera is intended to photograph a group of horses containing one or more placed horses, when this group is separated from the winning horse by a certain distance. If it offers less guarantee of accuracy than the automatic cameras, it seems, nevertheless, to be more reliable than tho mere vision of tho judge. Two minutes after the breaking of the thread the four photographs of tho automatic cameras are developed, and a few moments later the photographs taken by the hand cameras can be seen, if they have been used. Finally, after six minutes, enlargements of the three positives are available. The judge is thus provided with all means of decision, without any possibility of error. When the result seems to him doubtful, a notice is put up bearing the word “Photograph,” nnd tho public waits for the result to bo announced after the photographs have been examined. The system seem? thus to offer the maximum of guarantees. If its adoption lessens a little the judge’s prestige it will, on the other hand, have the advantage of preventing protests. Royal Howard winner of the Queensland Cun. was looked upon as a joke when he first appeared on the track at Brisbane. His owner, Mr. McCormack, of Merino Downs, had used him for rounding up stock, and when it was discovered that he had some of tho pace of his sire Lord Howard, an imnorted horse, he was started 1 in grassfed races at country meetings. When Roval Howard first galloped on the Brisbane track he was greeted as the ioke of the season, and Pressmen asked McCormack where he had tho cab. “Don’t worry,” said his owner; “this is a Cup horse.” . Davis, who rode him. was only reinstated from suspension on the course. In a recent English exchange, the well-known Turf writer, “Blackthorn,” gives his views of Irish racing as follows:—“Racing had been overdone, and it has been apparent to most people that attendances have been falling off, that the standard of sport is nothing like so good as it was. and that race companies have experienced a big drop in their profits. The racing boom originating in the war years, when money was circulating in vast sums, is over, and to me it seems inevitable that there must be a reduction in the value of stakes and of official charges—both to the race executives and the public. Our farmers are the mainstay of racing. and they have had a very lean vear conseauent on smaller prices for their produce and cattle. They are a very shrewd bodv. and but their cloth according to their measure—so much so indeed, that at several recent meetings I have heard the remark, “If it were not for the Dublin crowd there would bo no one here.”

A smart pony racing on Sydney metropolitan courses always carries ii chain locked to its neck, except when it races. Several who have seen the horse galloping on the training track, being led or ridden on the roads, or in the stalls at tho races, are puzzled whv it carries the chain and lock. The ponv is held on lease by its trainer.. A clause in this lease states that if the horse is trained for anyone except the lessee the lease will become null and void. Some time ago, the lessee took ill. and being unable to take the pony to the track, he gave instructions to another trainer to look after it. The owner of the horse was informed, and, contending that the action was a breach of the lease, endeavoured to secure the animal. His plan, however, was forestalled by the lessee, who put the chain and lock around the pony’s neck, intimating that if the owner took tho pony he would also have to take the chain and lock, which was tho lessee’s property, thus constituting an act of theft.

According to an English paper, the Aga Khan has arranged that his wonderful grey filly Mumtaz Mahal, shall have the French horse. Epinard as her first mate when her time comes to go to the stud. Ab Epinard is regarded as the best horse seen in France for a number of years, and Mumtaz Mahal is acknowledged as the best filly seen out for years in England, tho result of the union should be a wonderful galloper. Great gallopers amongst mares, however, seldom leave anything approaching racing standard. Wakeful never left her equal, and so far neither Warstep nor Desert Gold has given the New Zealand Turf a racehorse able to emulate their own deeds.

It is reported that at the Oxford University freshmen’s sports, G. 0. Bayley, a .New Zealander, won the lunning broad jump, covering 22ft 6in., and also won his heat in the 100 yards in 10 4-ssec., and m the J *2O yards hurdles in 18 3-ssec.