THE RACING WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 214, 4 June 1924, Page 7

THE RACING WORLD.

(By “The Watcher.”)

Indications point to the Wellington Racing Club being called upon, to defend its position regarding the special permit for a race meeting during the visit of the Special Service Squadron, when the delegates to the annual meeting of the Racing Conference meet hero next month. The South Canterbury Jockey Club has already framed a resolution not to allow a club to race 'except with the consent of the Racing or Trotting Conference, and it is aimed, of course, to prevent similar complimentary meetings in the future, 'lhe Wellington Racing Club, however, is being placed in an entirely wrong light in connection with the Fleet meeting, as the following by a southern writer denotes:—“There was evidence that the Racing Conference did not look with a kindly eye on the meeting held at Trentham. The object of these special meetings, the entertainment of the sailors and their officers, was generally commended, but the Trentham meeting was really held in defiance of the law, a position apparently winked nt by the Government. This is not the first time the Wellington Racing Club has committed a similar breach, and it is not a matter for surprise that there should bo a certain amount of feeling in various parts of the Dumb ion against the repeated flouting of authority.” The Wellington Racing Club made no move at all to get either the meeting or the permit. It was due entirely to the action of the Entertainment Committee, and when the date was offered the club naturally accepted it on the terms. To refuse would have been churlish and impolite to our visitors. Would any other club under similar circumstances have refused? Apart altogether from the rights or the wrongs of this particular incident Wellington is badly treated in the matter of its racing ’days and racing dates. Mo better illustration of this would have been given than the figures for the four chief centres quoted last week at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club. Mr. Greenwood asked how the 28 days’ racing in Christchurch ■was arrived at, and the comparison with other centres. The chairman, Mr. John Grigg, explained, that in and about Auckland there were 31 permits each year (20 racing and 11 trotting), in Wellington 10 (9 racing and 1 trotting), in Christchurch 28 (10 racing, 1 hunt club, and 17 trotting), and in Dunedin 16 (9 racing, 1 hunt club, and 6 trotting). Any unbiased person in possession of these facts would conserve his criticism of the Wellington Racing Club and urge a rearrangement m the distribution of the permits. The sentences imposed by the Court on the delinquents in the recent trotting “ringing in” cases have been very favourably commented upon in 'Australian papers generally. It is remarked that gaol is a greater deterrent to wrong-doing than a dozen “life” sentences from tho racing tribunals, and New Zealand has been complimented upon the "manner 'in which accused were brought to book. Unfortunately (says the “Australasian”) judges, juries, and magistrates in Australia have either been. hard to convince or .have been amazingly lenient, on the rare occasions when cases of “ringing in” have been brought before them. Not so many years ago there was a notorious case in Melbourne, in which probably evefv racing man in the State was convinced that a pony had been “rung in.” The stewards had no hesitation in meting out severe punishment; but when the parties concerned were prosecuted, they managed to wriggle out of a very tight place. Only a few months ago a well-known racehorse was taken out of a paddock in New South Wales without the owner’s knowledge, raced under a false name in a race at a countrv meeting, which he won. and was then returned to th© uaddock. Tho perpetrator of the swindle was discovered, x brought before the local bench, and fined a ridiculously small amount for illegally using a horse I Had he been charged at a metropolitan court with having made a wager for a couple of shillings in a public place, he would have been luckv to escape with a fine of less than £25. Truly, “the law is an aes,” as Mr. Bumble remarked, when such anomalies can exist. As far as we are aware there have been no “ringing in” cases in Melbourne for some years. In the metropolitan area there are. so many safeguard's that nowadays it would Be no enrv matter to work a swindle of this kind. But it'has been done, and probably will be again attempted,

if tho vigilance. of >the authorities relaxes in the slightest. It is wfell known that 10 or 12 years ago a fairly good performer was “rung in” a trial handicap or puiise at one of the Melbourne “down-the-line” courses. Heavily backed at the last moment this counterfeit was hurried away from the course after winning the race very easily. The conspirators collected their bets, which were all for cash, but did not bother to call at the club’s office for the stake. . being perfectly well aware that suspicion had been aroused. There is reason, to believe this fraud was repeated some time later in Tasmania. The most audacious case of a “ringer” in Turf annals occurred in connection with the English Derby, which one would expect to be the last race in the world in which fraud would be attempted. Nevertheless, a “ringer” named Running Rein won the Blue Ribbon in 1844. In the autumn of 1843 a horse originally called Maccabeus, then Zanoni, won a two-year-old race at Newmarket as Running Rein, by Saddler—Mab. There was a suspicion that he was not the horse, nor of the age, he was represented to be, and the Duke of Rutland, oiraer of the second, entered an objection. This was dismissed, and the manipulators of Running Rein collected the stakes and a large amount in bets. Emboldened by this success, the trainer, Goodman, in the following season won the Derby, as stated, with Running Rein, Col. Peel, owner of the second horse, Orlando, promptly lodged a protest on the. grounds that the winner was not identical with the colt by Saddler —Mab, bough t from Dr. Cobb; and, secondly, that he was four years old. Then followed sensational inquiries and court cases, which set all the world agog. Ratan, the heavily-backed favourite for the race, was also the subject of an ugly scandal, and the numerous “qui tan” actions afforded something more than amusement to the large number of noblemen and gentlemen who were served with writs. Altogether it was a stormy time. Mt. Weatherby paid the stakes into the Court of Exchequer, and Baron Aiderson and a special jury tried the case of Wood (the reported owner of Running Rein) against Colonel Peel for the possession of the stakes. The case for the colonel was that Running Rein was a four-year-oi.d by Gladiator, and the movements of tho horse wei;e traced up to the time he was delivered toi Goodman. The judge’s order to produce ’ Running Rein for veterinary examination —apparently the stewards had 'in those days no power to do this—was not complied with, the plaintiff alleging that the horse had been removed without his consent, and could not bo found. The jury, of course, returned a verdict in favour of Colonel Peel, the effect of which was to give the stake to Orlando, and to entitle his backers to receive, while those who had backed Running Rein had to pay. At a meeting of the Jockey Club it was resolved: “That the thanks of the Jockey Club are eminently due and are hereby offered to Lord George Bentinck, for the energy, perseverance, and skill he has displayed in detecting,!, exposing, and defeating the atrocious frauds which have been brought to light during the recent trial respecting the Derby Stakes.” ... What promises to be a variation from the usual method of training racehorses, with a view to keeping them fit and fresh, and thus enabling them to give more races a year, is proposed in a scheme being undertaken by Mr. T. M. Burke, a wellknown racehorse 1 owner (says a Melbourne writer). Mr. ,Burke is of the opinion that horses become tired of the usual practice of returning tq their stables after a race, being brought up on the tracks for exercise, and then stabled] again every . morning, until they again take part in-another race. His scheme is not original, as Mr. Burke says that some' English trainers had tried the experiment of giving a horse a brief respite by allowing him. loose in a paddock to roam at his will. Mr. Burke thinks that if a hiorse races on Saturday, then he should be given his freedom in. a paddock to live the life of an ordinary working horse at rest on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday. On Thursday he could again be brought on the tracks for an exercise gallop, and, would be aR the better for his 'short holiday, and in fit condition to race again on the fol-

( lowing Saturday. With a view to putting his theory into practice, Mr. Burko recently purchased from Mr. H. Peck, of Pascpe Vale, a large estate, and has reserved about 20 acres for his 16 horses. Early in tho next session of Parliament a big' deputation of racing and trotting clubs is to wait upon Ministers of tho .Crown, one of the main items to be discussed being racing taxation. Some figures were quoted at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club last week which should be of great interest to members of tho proposed deputation. Further, a suggestion was made by the treasurer of the C.J.C., which appears a very reasonable method of giving relief to overburdened clubs, and one which might well be placed before the Government as the definite proposal of all the racing and trotting clubs in New Zealand. As showing the remarkable revenue derived by the Government, Mr. J. Grigg quoted the following figures showing the amount paid in taxation during the 1922-23 season by racing clubs only:—

■ - For five years this is equal to about £2,440,355, without trotting meetings. Over and above this huge sum of money collected and handed to the New Zealand Government free of cost, the racing clubs of New Zealand during the war voluntarily subscribed over £lOO,OOO in donations to the war funds, also took up subscriptions to war loans amounting to £50,000. In addition, the cost of railway transport was described as beyond all reason.

The suggestion of the treasurer, Mr. G. Gould, is that the Government should surrender the 2} per cent, totalisator tax, retaining the dividend, amusement and stakes tax. At th» present time many meetings are being held at a loss, hut the Government gets its cut just the same, and at Wanganui last month the taxes paid to the Treasury exceeded the amount paid in stakes. It is time to remind the Government of the fable of the goose and the golden eggs. ■Unless something quite exceptional happens in the ways of deaths among nominators, Diophon, Donzelon, To] Pinch—or whatever is destined to win to-day English Derby will credit its owner with the. largest winning stake in connection with .what Disraeli designated the “Olympian prize.” Of tho original entries 25 sovs. forfeit has been declared for 169, and 5 sovs for 66. This leaves in 98, and at 50 sovs. the fees work out at 4900 sovs. Then there is the forfeit money, totalling 4555 sovs., while the added money is 3000 sovs. Deducting the share that goes to tho second and third, and the winner’s entrance fee, there is left 11,900 sovs. for the lucky owner of the successful horse. Last year’s total—a record itself—amounted to 11,325 sovs.

No English owner has secured so many classic racing successes as the Earl of Rosebery, whose filly Plack wen the One Thousand Guineas at Newmarket. As far back as 1897 Lord Rosebery won the One Thousand with Chelandry. who is tho great-dam of Australia’s great colt Heroic, and great great-dam of Affectation, Gold Light and Razzle Dazzle. Lord Rosebery also captured the One Thousand with Vaucluse- He has won the English Derby on three occasions, with Ladai', iiir Visto. and Cicero. When Ladas was successful Lord Rosebery was Prime Minister of Great Britain. He won the Two Thousand Guineas with Ladas and Neil Gow, and the Oaks with Binnie Jean (in 1883). In the nineties Lord Rosebery won £70,000 in stakes in four seasons. He is now 77 years of age. Richard Cecil Dawson, who trained the Aga Khan’s colt Diophon for his victory in the Two Thousand Guineas, is one of the best known English trainers. Now 58 years old, hi has owned and trained horses for 42 year* Last season horses from Dawson’s stable won 36 races and £48,239 in stakes. In 1922 his representatives appropriated £36,043. As far back as 1898 he trained Mr. C. G. Adam’s gelding Drogheda for his celebrated victory in the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase. He won the Derby and Oaks in 1916 with Mr. E. li'.ilton’s filly Fifinella, and also won the Oaks in 1923 with Brcwnhylda. Dawson trains a team of 51 horses ' at Whatcombe. His patrons include His Highness the Aga Khan, Vicomte G. de Tontarce, Lord Carnarvon and Lord Furness. Dawson trains Mumtaz Mahal. '

£ s. d. 24 p.c. totalisator tax... 146,214 17 1 5 p.c. dividend tax ... 262,333 17 2 10 p.c. stakes tax 45,952 2 6 2} p.c. receipts tax ... 4,892 5 5 Amusement tax ....... 16,644 2,551 9,581 12 11 Land tax 18 9 Income tax .... 11 5 Total .488,171 2 3