A QUESTION OF SULKIES

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 109, 10 May 1934, Page 8

A QUESTION OF SULKIES

.-.' Outside of America the world "■ has not found' two horses capable .of producing a greater flight-of .speed' than; Walla Walla and Harold London, writes "Sentinel"-in the "Otago Daily Times!" They have both produced; speed of roundva 58sec clip for half a mile ;on a; six-furlong track, and; as -long stretches are .obviously,. essential to*.'the- gathering, and holding p£ all extreme flight-, of speed, then; they must' be granted a. racing prowess-on-a ;par "with the best America ha's ever'.sh'owh on a mile circuit. ''"'"'■,■■ ' ;'';■■ -■'/•'-'^\:--'' ".'■'• '.. . - Walla-Walla and Harold Xiogan, even on a i'mall.track, might-achiev&.'a'two-m^nuto gait over a .-mile' if., thejr-'were -hitched and balanced-to a. short-shaft sulky instead'of a ;d'ead:diag long-ehafter. "The bicycle sulky is probably.seven.'or ciMit seconds to the mile-faster than' the oldtime high-wheeler; 'and short-hitch sulky must be two or three seconds faster than the long-s'hafter. .-■;...' ;. i-.■. .;. ."In the short-hitch sulky the' driver's weight is behind the centre of gravity, and that fact assists propelling power /whereas the other is a dead.pull and miist obviously hinder speed. The . long-shafter came into use for the purpose of assisting the drivers'to watch-a horse's gait and action, and then small and.' narrow tracks brought them' into general uWfor racing because they take up less room. ;•' As far as the writer knows, thei short-hitch' siilkv is still .in general use^on the big tracks in America. ;*-'■': ■ . . r: ■ ; v / If such a difference .exists between the two types of-sulkies then; Walla Walla Auburn Lad, and Harold: Logan arereallv two-minute horses, but are debarred from proving the fact through being hitched to a speed-anchoring cart. A horse becomes accustomed to the "feel" of the sulky ani driver's weight, and a sudden change may upset him a bit, but all things'considered it would be interesting, to have soma lof our best horses trained to the- shortI shafter and then sent against the watch.

rOATIRA.")

THE COMMERCIAL SIDE

WHAT IT COSTS TO RACE

One of the most potent arguments for the. consolidation of racing from the viewpoint of the owner is the fact that it would entail less travelling. Thus1 is an item that is the bugbear of the men who have to pay. Conceutiation of racing oil cential courses would also have the effect of strengthening the suiviving clubs, who would then be able to affoid woitli-while stakes (comments a southern cutio). Under, present conditions, au owner has I to be moie than oidinanly succeostul to i have a chance of making his spoit pay I for itself. The position is best .demon-1 stratcd by the supposititious case ot' au , owner who-buys a young horse for £100,! which is cheap, has it trained for, say, six. months before it is ready to race, , and .then has to- make a trip to a two-^ay meeting some distance away to see how the,horse performs. His outlay would .be something like this:—Cost of horse" at stable, £100; training at. £3 week, £75; saddle, rugs, etc.; £18 10s; noms. and accepts., £4; transport for horee, :.£lO 10s; fares, self, tiainer, and boy, £G 10s; stabling and plating, £2; carrier, 10s; board, three persons, £5 10s; joefcevs' fees £3; total, £227 10s. It is assumed that 'the meeting is at Wingatui, and that the.■■ horse wins:' a; maiden race, its value to the winner being £70. From this is deducted : tile stakes tax, leaving £06 106, exclusive o£ any betting. The owner, therefore, to clear himself immediately, would have, to invest sufficient to take £160 off the machine, as net profit. ]f he were lucky enough to pet a £6 dividend, his outlay -would be £31 in this respect. Other incidentals, which* it may be assumed cost a winning owner not less than £5, are not taken into consideration. This RACING FIXTURES. Hay 11, 12—Southland R.C. I May 19—Eansltikcl R.C. May 19—Ashburton C.R.C. May 19. 21—Te Kulti'R.C. | May 26—South Canterbury R.C. June 2, 4—Otakl Maori R.C. i June 2, 4, s—Dunedin J.C. I Juno 8, 4; 6—^ncklaDd R.C. June 9—Fojton K.C. June 14, 10—Hnn'he's Bay J.C. | June 21, 23—Napier Park R.C. July 10: 12. 14—Wellington K.C. June 16—South Canterbury J.C. Junp- 23—Ashburton County R.C. Juiie 30—Onmaru J.C. . July 4—Danneurke Hunt. I July 21—Hawke's Bay Hunt. July 20—Walmate District ■ Hunt. ■ .■ ■ ! July 25, 28—Poverty Bay T.C. | July 28—South Canterbury Hunt. ' July..SS-^Manawatu R.C. - | Trottlni. ' ■M*y 12—Qamaru T.C. May 12, 14—Walkato T.C. ' May 19—Wellington T.C. . ,

is merely a matter for' his conscience. If lie is a non-better, with stakes as they ;uc, lie diminishes his risk, but also greatly diminishes bis chances!' of making a profit. If the horse were' backed twice, and beaten, he would have to add ; £62 to liis. original "outlay and. return lionie still about £290 on the debit side.' ...Truly, a man is bold who goes into .racing nowadays. , "; There-appears to.be one'tiling that the writer of the above article Seems"to have quite overlooked, and that is the vital one of sportsmanship. Racing is highly commerei.ilised these days, but it is surely something moic than- £ k; d^, that hds kept" so nianj; ownera-jn the game/,'l'