FRENZIED RACING

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 80, 1 October 1924, Page 14

FRENZIED RACING

A SUNDAY AT PANAMA

MAORI MEETINGS OUTDONE.

Ludicrous effects marked the conduct of a race meeting at Panama which was attended recently by a number of New Zealanders who were passing through the Canal, and the experiencea of one of these visitors make very good reading. The New Zealand vessel was fortunate enough to be lying at Panama during a Sunday afternoon, when these meetings take place, and practically all of the passengers set out for the race course, driving through magnificent avenues of flowering tropical trees and shrubs over perfect roads. The course, however, to use the narrator's description, was one that no respectable racing club in New Zealand would dream of using, being absolutely devoid of grass, even on the "lawn." The programme comprised nine races, five for locally bled and four for imported horses. The imported horses were well up to the standard of those seen on New Zealand tracks, but the local horses were a very mixed lot, both in colour and shape. Probably auch a conglomeration of horseflesh never before came together, and it looked as if the' aun had , bleached most of their hides.

The pan-mutuel, as the totalisator was called, was manipulated by two or three officials, who recorded the betting on a blackboard with chalk. The lowest amount accepted was two dollars, and the investor could back a horse either to win or for a place. A good idea was to hava a separate window for each horse, or two windows for. a favourite, whole two or three outsiders were sometimes allotted to one window.

The course -was about six inches deep in what looked-like red brickdust, and the only horse visible was the one in the lead, the remainder being lost in" the dust. Consequently there was no such thing as riding with judgment, and the object of the "niggers" who rode the horses seemed to be to get to the front and stay there at any cost until their pace gave out. This.was' not such;an impossible thing as it might appear, as most of the races were from four to five furlongs. The jockeys, however, had a very strenuous time, and after each race looked like Red Indians.

# .The starting was a feature of the meeting. The starter lined the horses up about 50yds behind the post, and walked along with them until the post was reached, when the horses all .broke away. If the starter thought it was a good start the race continued, but if not he communicated with a nigger, who ran out in front of the horses, about 150 yards down the course frantically waving a flag carrying the word "Stop" m red letters. .This occurred on the average about six times in each race, and the crowd meanwhile, both whites and blacks,:were on their feet yelling in a state of tremendous excitement The niggers jumped up and yelled themselves hoarse over each race. A common sight on the course was groups of boys, averaging seven or eight years, gathered in front of the stSid busily throwing dice, while larger groups of men played pitch and toss between the races. The only refreshments to be had were lager -beer, ice creams, and peanuts. As a small glass of lager cost half, a dollar, equalling 2s 8d at the present rate of exchange, a thirst was a costly business. The crowd was most picturesque, the white women beingbeautifully dressed, but the black women were arrayed in all kinds of costumes, and the most ludicrous thing was to see these women with faco and breast well powdered with white powder.