RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 20993, 6 January 1932, Page 8

RACING NOTES

RACING. January 7, 9.—Thames Jockey Club. January 8, 9.—Reefton Jockey Club. January 9, 11.—Vincent Jockey Club. January 13, 14.—Foxton Racing Club. January 16.—Bay of Islands Racing Club. January 19, 21.—Wairoa Racing Club. January 20, 22, 23.—Wellington Racing Club. January 22.—Ashhurst Racing Club. January 23.—Wairio Jo’-ey Club. January 23.—Waiuapa Kauri Racing Club. Januail 27, 28—Pahiatua Racing Club. January 29, 30.—Takapuna Jockey Club. February 3.—Tapanui Racing Club. February 3, 4.—Bgmont Racing Club. February 4, 6.—Gisborne Racing Club.

TOTALISATOR RETURNS

During the holidays twenty-two racing and trotting clubs held meetings in the dominion, and many students of the money market look to the totalisator figures as a very reliable guide to the buoyancy of our financial position. The turnover at a race meeting i* often affected by the weather conditions or a series of outsiders winning. In the latter case the dividends go into fewer pockets, and the money is not kept in circulation, but in a period of these seasons the recognised law of averages balances this. The holiday season or 1929-30 was a normal one so far as these sporting bodies were concerned, and at the meetings held during the Christmas >and New Year holidays the huge sum of £1,218,679 was handled. A year ago this dropped to £923,345 10s, and this year’s returns show a further drop to £652,668 10s, a drop of nearly 50 per cent, on the figures of two years ago. The drop of £566,011 in two seasons means a direct loss to the clubs of about £45,000 in commission on the turnover, and it is from this source that stakes are paid. This means a still further reduction in the stakes in the future. The decrease on last year’s turnover is equal to about 28 per cent., slightly under that rate on the trotting meetings, and slightly over on the racing figures. The following are the individual figures for the last two seasons

Totals ... £659,082* £471,618

TROTTING.

COLONIAL-BRED SIRES

That colonial-bred sires do not receive anything like the patronage bestowed on imported horses is a well-re-cognised fact, and at times the matter has been pointedly commented _ upon, both in New South Wales and Victoria. “ Musket,” writing in the Sydney ‘ Mail,’ says: “ The reason why breeders generally do not paronise the Australian or New Zealand-bred stallion is because as a rule they fail to produce their like at the stud in most instances. 'Although the Musket line produced many sires of the highest order, the breed deteriorated with each succeeding generation. Wallace, a son of Carbine, had a stud record which for classic winners transcended that of any other horse in turf history the world over, but none of his sons rose to great heights, i although Mountain King was an admitted success. One of the best three-year-old colts of the last thirty years was Poseidon, and when he retired to the stud his owner, Sir Hugh Denison, purchased English mares in order to give his great horse a chance to make good, but Poseidon was a stud failure. Perhaps the most concrete instance of the superiority of the imported stallion over the Australian and New Zealand-bred horse is given in the results at Kingsfield Stud, Aberdeen. When the equine nursery was established Messrs J. E. and the late C. H. Brien purchased English mares to mate with those high-class Australian racehorses, Beragoon and Malt King, each of whom would have cost in the neighbourhood of £30,000 had they been English horses with similar records. Although they sired winners of the “ useful ” description, not one of their progeny was in the same class as their sires. Then Rossendale was imported, a horse whose turf deeds in England were nothing compared with those of Beragoon and Malt King, yet Rossendale became one of Australia’s outstanding sires, his progeny from the mares which the other two horses had served when in their prime 'as stud matrons winning most of the important races at Randwick, Caulfield, and Flemington.”-

JOTTINGS. Vincent acceptance® (first day) close nt 7 o’clock to-morrow evening. Nominations for the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s Summer Meeting, to be held on January 28 and 30, close next Tuesday. Trek was doing so well at the home turn in her race on Monday that she looked all over a winner, then stopped very badly, and on returning to the enclosure it was found she had been badly galloped on. Reports from Omakau are to the clfect that the recent rains have had a most beneficial effect on the course, and that it promises to be in better order for next Saturday and Monday’s meeting than it has ever been. There is an excellent sole of grass, and there should he no dust to give trouble this year. Pilosol ran one good race on the southern circuit—in the Wyndham Cup. At Invercargill on the first day lie was always well placed, but had no dash at the finish. On the second day be jumped out well enough, but quickly drifted back, and at no stage of the race threatened dapggc.

[By St. Cl Am.]

February B.—Matamata Racing Club. February 11, 13.—Dunedin Jockey Club. February 11, 13.—Taranaki Jockey Club. February 11, 13. —Poverty Bay Turf Club.

TROTTING. January 19. —Wellington Trotting Club. January 33.—Timam Trotting CInW. January 23, 30. —Forbury Park Trotting Club. February 6.—New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club. February 20.—Kaikoura Trotting Club. February 20, 22. —Auckland Trotting Club. February 27.—New Brighton Trotting Club. March 4, 5. —Invercargill Trotting Club.

At least one Wingatui trainer would have taken a team to the Wairio Meeting had that fixture not clashed with the yearling sales at Trentham, where his owners require his attendance to advise them should they he purchasers. The rider of Princess Argosy took no chances of his mount stopping over the final stages of the Rosedale Handicap as though eight lengths clear of the field he was still riding her out when the post was reached. In her race on the first day of the meeting she got into a lot of trouble, but finished sixth with 9st on her back. In her winning effort she only carried 7st 61b. ... There were some very bad exhibitions of horsemanship at the Invercargill Meeting, and quite a number of our apprentices do not appear to show any improvement in their race-riding. Unless some of them show more intelligence soon, the stipendiary steward will be quite justified if he recommends them to stand down for a period on the grounds of incompetence. Members of the Ellis family played a prominent part in the Invercargill Cup on Saturday. The winner, Red Sea, and the thid horse, King Balboa, were from the stable of ,F. W. Ellis, while A. S. Ellis trained The Smuggler, who filled second place. Another brother, the successful light-weight rider, piloted Red Sea, while The Smuggler was ridden by W. Austin, an apprentice of F. W. Ellis. The soil on which the _ Invercargill course has been laid out is of a stiff clay nature, and it has taken many years of draining and top-dressing with both soil, lime, and manures, to bring it to its present state of perfection. The course provided for the recent meeting was the best in the whole of the Otago and Southland circuit, and when it is stated that the club’s caretaker has been working single-handed during the whole of this season, it will be realised that he has been a busy man. Prior to taking charge of the course, about twenty years ago, Mr Tom Marshall was employed' on the Edendale estate, which has been brought to its present high productive state chiefly by the liberal application of lime, and the experience he gained there has certainly been turned to most excellent results on the Invercargill track. The 5s totalisator is certainly popular with the betting public, whatever may be the opinions of racing clubs. At the New Plymouth Meeting on the first day, nearly 25 per cent, of the investments were made at the 5s windows. The £1 and £5 windows handled a total of £3,999, the 10s windows handled 7,743 tickets of the value of £3,871 10s, and the 5s windows 9,839 tickets of the total value of £2,459 15s. The total amount put through the machine during the day was £10,330 10s. For the meeting the total was £23,272 10s, of which £5,685—22,740 tickets was invested at the 5s windows, £9,198 10s in 18,387 tickets at the 10s windows, and the balance, £8,397, at the £l, £5, and commission windows.

When Ruling Light ran in the New Zealand Oaks Stakes last November she was out in the front for over a mile, and her efforts were largely responsible for the good pace at which the race was run. "At Invercargill on Monday seven furlongs suited her much better, and she waited on her field until well into the straight. Though her winning margin was only a neck, her final run was well timed, and she appeared to have a good deal in reserve. Like all Simper’s progeny, which include such good ones as Affectation, Gold Light, Razzle Dazzle, Beacon Light, and company, this filly has an abundance of speed, and she will only have to continue well to be a good winner before this season closes. So far this season Mr W. T. Hazlett has not had a strong team nor much success with them, but in Ruling Light in form there appears to be a change of luck coming to him. Black Duke has not been right since he raced at Riccarton last November, but his form at Invercargill shows that ho is returning to his best. On Monday he looked like a winner in the Southland Handicap at the turn into the straight, and he finished on well, but 171 b and a three lengths start over the final furlong was just beyond him. Less than an hour apd a-lialf afterwards he was produced again in the Final Handicap, run over a mile. The trouble he gave at the start was, according to an owner connected with the stable, a protest against a strange jockey being on his back, .but as A. E. Didham had Filosol in the race the latter was not eligible to ride him. Black Duke ran another good race, but again youth and another 171 b was just too much, and he had to be content with another second place. When Phar Lap and- W. Elliot go into action in company in Mexico, both will be on their trial in that country, Turf followers there will be curious to see how the Australian performs in the saddle. Few horsemen of note from “ down under ” have been seen in America, though they have proved their ability time and again in England, France, Germany, India, and other places abroad. Like the great majority of other Australian riders, Elliot conforms with the fashion of the day by using short stirrup leathers, an idea that originated in the United States, but he probably will find that Australians have adopted only a modified example of what is known as the “ forward seat” as practised by Tod Sloan and his countrymen. Still, this should not place the Victorian at a disadvantage. It is not likely that Phar Lap would go any faster if the rider “ flattened out ” on his neck.

RACING, 1930-31. 1931-32. Auckland R.O. ... £282,558 £197,983* Manawatu R.C. 80,345 51,746* Wairarapa R.C. , 39,852 29,972 Stratford R.C, ... 36,632* 29,382 Taranaki J.C. ... 30,489 23,272* Dondein J.C. 33,315 22,991 Southland R.C. ... 29,274 20,824* Hawke’s Bay J.C. 23,316 19,732* Waikouaiti R.C. 18,896* 15,031 Marton J.C. 27,340 14,592* Greymouth J.C. 17,802* 13,439* Westland R.C. ... 13,110* 9,998* Wyndham R.C. 13,170* 8,500 Oamaru J.C. ... — 7,788 Waipukurau J.C. 12,981 6,364

1930-31. 1931-32. Auckland T.C. .. £129,875 £85,471* Canterbury P. T.C. 51,940 42,090* Ashburton T.C. 20,385 17,198* Westport T.C. .. 19,477* 12,683* Gore T.C .. 13,309 11,345 Winton T.C. .. 10,027* 8,267* Reetton T.C. 6,445* 3,994 Totals . £251,459* £181,050* Grand totals £910,542 £652,668*