RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21078, 15 April 1932, Page 7

RACING NOTES

[By St. Clair.]

RACING. April 16. —Karamea Racing Club. April 20, 21.—Manawatu Racing Club. April 22, 23.—Nelson Jockey Club. April 23. —South Canterbury Jockey Club. April 30.—Marton Jockey Club. April 28, 30. —Marlborough Racing Club. April 30.—Amberley Racing Club. May 4, s.—Egmont Racing Club. May 12, 14.—Wanganui Jockey Club. May 13, 14.—Southland Racing Club. May 14. —Waipa Racing Club. May 21.—Ashburton County Racing Club. May 21. —Waikato Racing Club. April 16.—Masterton Racing Club.

DANGEROUSLY HEAVY. lleproscntiitions have been made to the Government urging some abatement of the taxation on racing. The position is serious (says the Wellington ‘ Post,’ in an editorial). Last year the aggregate losses of racing and trotting clubs exceeded the profits made by the more fortunate by over £70,000. Yet the Government collected from racing a tax revenue of almost £375,000. Obviously this cannot go on. Some clubs will be compelled to suspend operations unless there is relief. We are well aware how the superficial thinker may judge the issue. When it is necessary (he will say) to tax heavily even necessary commodities and services, and the wages or income that are spent on necessaries, such a source of revenue as racing cannot expect to obtain relief. But the Government, in its own interests, must not take this superficial view. The tax now is possibly the heaviest imposed by the Government, because it is a tax not on annual profit or income, but on turnover. The Government takes Is 10)d from each £1 by way of totalisator and dividend taxes every time the pound is invested. With seven or eight opportunities for investment on each race day, and many race days in the year, the Government very quickly secures the whole pound. This was accepted in prosperous times, though not without protest. If it is enforced now' it is easy to_ see that the taxation will seriously diminish the return. The Government should take the sensible view and not insist on so much that the sport is killed. If it is killed or badly crippled, the revenue will fall. With mocfifieation of the demand it may still furnish an acceptable and easily collected revenue. STAKE REDUCTIONS. The Wanganui Jockey Club’s Cup and Winter Meetings each held about the same time of the year as the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Cup and Winter Meetings, have for many years catered for the same classes of horses, and until last season the northern club has received the better support from owners north of Riccarton, and on one or two occasions Otago owners have favoured the northern fixture in preference to their own. In 1929 the stakes given by both clubs were almost on a level for the principal jumping events, and nearly 25 per cent, better in the south for the principal flat races. Since then the reduction in the northern centre has been more drastic than at Wingatui, and the stakes to be given at Wanganui next month are only slightly under 38 per cent, of the 1929 total, while at Wanganui the amount to be distributed next Juno is just under 49 per cent. If stakes are going to be the only consideration with owners in making up their minds where their horses will race, the Dunedin Jockey Club’s programme, as drawn up this week, should be well patronised. The following is a comparison of the stakes _ given by the Wanganui and Dunedin Jockey Clubs at their Winter Meetings in 1929, and offered for this :r, ason’s similar fixtures;— WANGANUI.

JOTTINGS. There are twenty-one acceptors for the Improvers’ Handicap, IJ-m, at Ashburton to-morrow, all of them being on the limit. Acceptances for the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s Meeting, to be held on April 23, close next Monday. Among the acceptors for the Ashburton Meeting is Bankhead, the brother to Cardinal Logan. He has not raced since the 1928-29 season, and his last win was recorded a year before that. The Century Hurdles and Wanganui Steeplechase to be run next month are endowed with £125 and £l5O respectively. A few years ago this was an important jumping double, the first each season in the North Island, arid the two races carried £4OO and £SOO in stakes. Booster, by Solferino—Pretty Face, who did most of his early racing from the stables of J. A. White and 1). P. Wilson, broke down badly at the recent meeting at Reefton, and is not likely to be seen on a course again. He was bred by the late Mr A. B. Armour jn 1921. The ‘ Southland News ’ reports that Red Sea, who has been spelling since her unsuccessful trip to Riccarton, has rejoined F. W. Ellis’s active string, and she has picked up well in condition. Tea Party and the maiden horse Adorn have been turned out, and they will not

May 28.—South Canterbury Racing Club, June 1,3, 4. —Dunedin Jockey Club.

TROTTING. April 16. —Ashburton Trotting Club. April 16.—Thames Trottiug Club. April 21. —Nelson Trotting Club. April 23.—Te Arolia Trotting Club. April 29. —Marlborough Trottiug Club. April 30.—Auckland Trotting Club. May 5, 7.—Forbury Park Trotting Club. May 7. —Cambridge Trotting Club. May 14.—Oamaru Trotting Club. June 3, 4.—Canterbury Park Trotting Club.

race again this season. Ellis has still six horses in work—viz., Red Sea, Cough, Jack a Dandy, Night Rose, Clatter, and King Balboa. The Irish hospital sweeps have given permanent or casual employment to a tremendous number of women and girls in Dublin. A month prior to the Liverpool Grand National the rush for tickets was so great that a staff of 3,550 women was employed dealing with it. In Ireland the benefit of the sweepstakes has not been limited only to the hospitals. It has absorbed many clerks. Raider, who is an acceptor in the slow class mile and a-half event at Ashburton on Saturday, created a favourable impression by the manner in which he raced at Cheviot last week. He is a five-year-old by Man o’ War from a mare by Quincey, and he is in J. S. Shaw’s stable. In the Mina Handicap he was second to Ayr Lass, and went 2min 17 2-sscc for the mile, finishing on well. The 1 Age,' commenting upon the win of Lady Pam in the Albury Cup last week, concludes: “After the race the gold cup, valued at lOOgs, the gift of the Mayor of Albury, Alderman A. Waugh, was presented by Mr Dowling, chairman of the Albury Racing Club, to J. Truskett, on behalf of the owner, Mr W. R. Kemball. Mr Dowling said he was pleased, as president of the club, to present the cup, which resembled the Ascot Gold Cup in England. The value was not in keeping with the cup stake, but the club hoped to raise the prize to £4OO next year. For at least one horse in England last Friday was to have been a day of some importance, for it was to have marked the entry of Orwell, leading two-year-old of last season, into a racing term that many believe will end with classic honours thick upon him. The race was the Greenhara Plate, at the Newbury Meeting, the result of which was not cabled. Orwell is also expected to contest the Column Produce Stakes at Newmarket this week. These races lead up to the Two Thousand Guineas, which will be run on April 27. Little increase in the popularity of the totalisator in Ireland has to be chronicled by the Irish Board of Control in a report of its working which has just been issued. The turnover for the year, £85,757, is less than that for 1930, and there was a loss on the year of £1,338. This was less than for the previous twelve months, but the amount due to the bank had increased from £26,429 to £27,768. The Control Board’s share of the 10 per cent, deducted in the booth has been increased from 5 to 7) per cent, since August 1. The board claims that if the increased percentage had existed for the whole year a small profit would have been made on The twelve months’ working. The racecourse executive’s share of the percentage for the year was £2,143, Joss than in the previous year. Ammon Ra’s complete failure in the All Aged Stakes at Randwick last month must have greatly surprised his trainer, J. T. Jamieson, who regarded the New Zealander as having a mortgage on the race (says a Sydney paper). No doubt the Limond gelding was feeling the effects of his hard racing, and this is not surprising in view or the strenuous campaign the New Zealand three-year-old has gone through this autumn. Jamieson returned to Auckland by the Niagara, but he will bo back in Sydney in a month, bringing with him ten horses, the majority of whom are rising two-year-olds. The New Zealand trainer intends to make Sydney his permanent residence, and it is understood in future he will train for several well-known Australian owners. He will also continue to have charge of Ammon Ra. Another New Zealand trainer who will return home temporarily is A, D. Webster. Since last spring the Otaki mentor has enjoyed a great innings, winning fourteen races. Webster will leave Bayacre and Parkland in Sydney under the care of T. Williams at Canterbury, but he intends to return at tho end of July. Like other dominion racing men, Webster has been impressed by the opportunities the Australian turf offers, and may soon make Sydney his permanent residence. His son, Turoa Webster, will not return to New Zealand. He has made good in Sydney, and intends to remain there. There was a sensation in the A.J.C. Plate when the odds-on favourite Nightmarch was beaten out of a place (says a Sydney writer). For the greater part of the journey Nightmarch was sandwiched between Second Wind (on tho outside) and Veilmond (on the rails). The three wore racing directly behind the pacemaker, Shadow King, but Reed’s strategy often prevented Nightmarch from being completely pocketed. Six furlongs from home Nightmarch made a forward move, but Second Wind, on tho outside went on with him. Veilmond stayed behind, waiting for the last run. Turning for home, Pike brought Veilmond out from the fence, and, finishing with surprising dash, went on to a throe lengths’ victory from Shadow King, who beat Second Wind by a length and a half. Nightmarch was last. In previous weiglit-for-age races Veilmond had run so poorly when expected to do well that racing folk arrived at the conclusion that he was not a weight-for-age horse. His splendid win, however, proved that his early form in these races was not correct. Ho was given an ovation, while there were occasional cat calls hurled at Nightmarch and his rider, Roy Reed. Nightmarch’s inferior display is hard to account for. He stripped a better horse than at his previous starts in Sydney this autumn, and no excuses can he made over his condition. He was not good enough on the day.

1932. 1929, Rata Hack Hurdles ... £75 £175 Century Hurdles 125 400 Balgownie Hack 75 175 Grand Stand Steeples 125 300 Empire Handicap 125 275 Borough Hack 76 250 Winter Oats 100 250 May Hurdles 100 300 Belmont Hack 75 175 Gonville Hack 75 175 Wanganui Steeples ... 150 500 Connolly Handicap ... 125 300 Purua Hack 75 200 Farewell Handicap ... 100 250 £1,400 DUNEDIN. £3,725 Hack and Hunters’ ■ Steeples £90 £190 Brighton Hack 90 200 Provincial Handicap ... 175 325 Otago Steeplechase ... Tradesmen’s Handicap 200 500 125 250 •lime Hurdles 130 200 St. Clair Hack 85 175 Winter Handicap 110 210 Forburv Hack Steeples 90 210 Silverstream Hack ... 90 175 Birthday Handicap ... 200 375 Otago Hurdles 175 375 Wairongoa Handicap 130 235 Wingatui Steeples 160 340 •ianefield Hack 90 175 Invermay Handicap ... Tahuna H. and H. 110 200 Steeples 90 200 Aldworth Hack 100 230 King George Handicap 150 300 Greenfield Hurdles 130 300 Empire Handicap 125 235 Dunedin Steeples 150 340 Domain Hack 85 175 Farewell Handicap ... no 210 £2,990 £6,125