RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21308, 12 January 1933, Page 5

RACING NOTES

RACING. January 14.—Thames Jockey Club. January 14, 16.—Vincent Jockey Club. January 19, 21, 23.—Wellington Racing Club. January 21.—Bay of Islands Racing Club. January 21.—Wairio Jockey Club. January 23. —Ashhurst-Pohangina Racing Club. January 25, 26. —Paliiatua Racing Club. January 27.—Opotiki Jockey Club. January 28.—Napier Park Racing Club. January 28, 30.—Takapuna Jockey Club. February I.—Tapanui Racing Club. February 1, 2.—Bgmont Racing Club. February 2, 4.—Gisborne Racing Club.

[By St. Clair.]

WIN AND PLACE TOTALISATORS. The introduction of the win and place totalisators at several of the North Island meetings having been so successful, it would appear as if it will become general on New Zealand courses before long. “ Rangatira,” in the Wellington ‘ Post,’ describes the new system thus: To the public of New Zealand win and place betting is a novelty, but this is only because of the accident that the authorities in the late ’seventies saw fit at that time to apply the system under which New Zealanders have done all their totalisator betting during the last fifty years or more. In England, America, and Australia win and place betting is the general and now practically exclusive mode, and the dominion is now beginning to follow the precedent so firmly established in those countries.

Under this system the backer who has decided to back a horse “ A ” invests his £1 (say) either, for a win or for a place, or he may invest (say) 10s each way—that is, both for a win and for a place. The essence of the system is that there are two wholly separate pools—one for Avin betting and the other for place betting. The money in the first pool, less deductions, is divided among those Avho have backed the winner straight out, and the money in the other pool, less deductions, is divided among those who have backed the horses finishing in the places. There is little difficulty in understanding the win betting. A backer on the win machine collects only if his horse “ A ’* wins.

The betting and dividend distribution on the place machine, hoAvever, offers rather more difficulty in understanding, because it is necessary to grasp that on this machine the dividend on the horse “ A ” is the same whether he finishes first, second, or third (Avhen there are eight or over runners), or whether he finishes first or second (Avhen there arc five, sis, or seven runners). There is no place pool when there are less than five starters, all the betting then being for Avin only. Where there are five, six, or seven such starters the amount of the place pool aA’ailable for dividends will be divided into two equal parts, to be divided respectively among investors on the first horse and the second horse.

Where there are eight or more such starters the amounts of the place pool available for dividends will he divided into three equal parts, to be divided respectively! among investors on the find, second, and third horses. The difference from the present system is that the place pool is divided into halves or thirds (according to the number of starters), and the equal portions are distributed separately among the backers of the first two (or first three) placed horses; whereas the present distribution is not of equal parts, but of 75 per cent, to first and 25 per cent, to second, or of 70, 20, and 10 per cent, to first, second, and' third respectively where three dividends arc paid. If a backer is very confident he will back his horse straight out, and he will probably collect an excellent dividend if the horse wins. If he is not so sure he will back it for a place, and he will then collect his dividend if the horse finishes in a place (the dividend will be the same whether the horse finishes first or in a minor place). Backers of winners on the place machine will naturally express regret afterwards that they did not back straight out.

February 2, 4.—Wairoa Racing Club. February 4. —Matamata Racing Club. February 9, 11. —Dunedin Jockey Club. TROTTING. January 14, Wellington Trotting Club. January 26, 28. —Forbury Park Trotting Club. . , February 4, 6.—Nelson Trotting Club. February 4.—New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club. February 9.—Marlborough Trotting Club. February 18. —Kaikoura Trotting Club. February 18, 22.—Auckland Trotting Club. . m February 25. —New Brighton Trotting Club.

Backers for straight-out wins can cover their investments to an extent by also backing the horse on the place machine, lest the horse be just beaten. As there are separate pools it is possible sometimes for the place dividends to be nearly as big as the win dividend, or even greater. This may occur when a horse is a very hot favourite and everyone is so sure that he backs straight out, , thus “ killing ” the straight-out price. ENGLISH HORSES IN FRANCE. Last season French-bred animals racing in England set up a record by winning eighty races and stakes valued at £38,954, says London ‘ Sporting Life. Among this season’s winners are Kandy (One Thousand Guineas), Brulette (Goodwood Cup), Goyescas (Hardwicke Stakes), Roi de Paris (Newbury Autumn Cup), Sigiri (Prince of Males s Stakes, Ascot), and Gold Bridge. Some of them belong to M. E. De St. Alary and M. M. Boussac, whose racing colours have been familiar in this country for many years. It is not easy to make a fair comparison with the successes in France of English and Irish-bred animals. I'irst of all, there are comparatively few of them. On the other hand, many mares in foal to stallions standing in England or Ireland have gone to France, and in that country their produce has raced this year. During the past flat-racing season, which ended at Saint Cloud on November 12, there were in France fifty-six winners of flat races which were either bred in England, or were the result of matings in this country or Ireland. These animals accounted for ninetyseven races. The amount of stakes credited to their owners was about 1.936.000 francs. _ If we take 125 francs to the £, which is the rate of exchange governing racing penalties between the two countries, we find that this gives a total of about £15,500. ST. BATHANS RACES. Delightful weather was experienced for the annual meeting of the St. Bathans District Racing Club, and there was a good attendance of the public, who enjoyed a fine day’s sport (says the ‘Dunstan Times’). Results : • Dunstan Handicap, lOsov. 6f. —Captivate 1, La Pompadour 2. St. Bathans Trotting Cup, 24sovs. 2m.—Captain Bingen 1, Plain Girl 2. St. Bathas Cup, 24sovs. 11m. —Rose Start 1, Bitractor 2. Trot, 13sovs. l}m—Captain Bingen 1, Erin’s Own 2. Cambrian Handicap, 14sovs. 6f.— La Pompadour 1, Bitractor 2. Dunstan Trot, lOsovs. Im.—Electric Bell 1, Bonny Vue 2. JOTTINGS. Both Traylavah and Bold Brigand are in work again at Wingatui. F. J. M'Kay, in charge of Ruling Light ahd a two-year-old, passed through Dunedin, en route for Trentham, yesterday. Salmo Salar has been taken up again by J. Ruttledge after a lengthy sped, and looks to be in more robust condition than he has hitherto shown. It is reported that Adelphi broke down badly while contesting the final event at Reefton on Tuesday. M. Kirwan finished up a most successful tour of the West Coast meetings by riding a winner at the Reefton fixture, making his record fifteen wins out of twenty-nine mounts. A chestnut mare by Riggio from Sea Princess named Ravenna won the principal handicap at the Tasmanian Turf Club’s Meeting on Boxing Day, carrying 9st 81b. The Trontham track appears to be one of extremes. It gets very deep in wet weather, but recently it has been so dry that it has been treated with 70.000 gallons of water daily. Irish Lancer was out on the track at Wingatui yesterday morning. His work was restricted to trotting and cantering, and the imported colt shows no illeffects from the gruelling he got in the Invercargill Cup. The Tasmanian Derby, run on Boxing Day, and won by Highbroney (High Art —Labinch) was only worth £IOO, plus a sweepstake of £lO for starters, to the winner. It only attracted three starters, and the winner was a hot odds-on chance. The acceptances received for the opening day of the Vincent Jockey Club’s meeting are quite satisfactory, and the prospects for this holiday fixture being a success are bright. As usual Wingatui trainers have responded well, the bulk of the horses m the galloping events being from there.

At one stage of the flat racing season just closed in England Gordon Richards rode forty-five consecutive losers. 'This horseman had 946 mounts during the season, and had an investment of £1 been made on each of his mounts tlie backers would have been over £SO poorer at the end of the season.

Buoyant, who won the Maruia Handicap at the Reefton Meeting on Monday, was bred in 1920 by the late Mr A. B. Armour, and is by Solfcrino from Thistledown by Clanranald from the Trenton mare Elusive. Buoyant did his early racing at Wingatui, and was smart over courses up to a mile. When at Wingatui he was trained by I). P. Wilson.

The owner with the largest amount to his credit in Ireland during the recently concluded season was the Aga Khan, whose solitary winner, Dastur, returned £3,557 10s for his success in the Irish Derby. J. T. Rogers, with twenty-three, had most wins, but the stakes totalled only £2.080. J. Munro did well during his stay in Germany, and last year another visiting jockey, E. Haynes (an American) headed the list in that country with sixty-one wins. A remarkable feature in connection with his record was that nine of his races were dead heats. It was Haynes who rode the French horse Epinard in France, England, and America a few years ago.

Staghorn, who won the Two-year-old Handicap at the Epsom Turf Club’s Meeting on Saturday, is owned by Mr W. R. Kemball, of Wellington, and is trained by G. Jones. He is a hay colt by Hunting Song from Frosty Morn, and has shown good form in his last few starts. At Caulfield on December 13 he won the Juvenile Handicap, of £201), and he was also third in the Juvenile

Handicap on the same course on Boxing Day. The distance of the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase is four miles and 856yds. The start takes place just beyond the turn out of the straight past the stands, and the horses make practically two circuits of the course. The water jump, which is the sixteenth jump, is immediately in front of the grandstand. Valentine’s Brook and the canal jump are separate obstacles. The distance from the last fence to the winning post is approximately a furlong. Figures collected covering totalisator investments at the holiday meetings show a gross reduction of 9.6 per cent, at racing club fixtures, and of 8.6 at trots. These results are not so depressing as those of a year ago, when the shrinkages were 30 per cent, and 23 per cent, respectively, or of those of the previous year, when declines of 24.4 per cent, and 21 per cent, were recorded.

When the Racing Commission issued its report in 1911 it recommended the abolition of seventeen racing clubs in the dominion, and all except one of these lost their permits (some were given back their permits in 1914). A time has come again, it would seem, when another step must be taken toward the further centralisation of racing in the dominion, for the sport is at present being weighted down by decaying branches that need lopping off. There have been many reforms, and the day may come, perhaps in our time, when the critics will not blame the jockey, the trainer, or the course, but the horse,” said “ Freddie ” Fox, one of England’s best jockeys, when referring to critics recently. “If a jockey is beaten he has either come too late or come too soon, he can’t ride a finish, ho went to sleep at the start, or was caught napping on the post. But if he wins it matters not whether he rode like a sack of potatoes, he is a great fellow.” Twenty-one horses ran in the Railway Stakes at Perth, and Jolly Fair was made a better favourite than Alienist. Jolly Fair led from start to finish, winning easily from Keenedgo and Alienist, and his time for the mile—--I.39—is a record for the race. He is the fourth of the progeny of Jolly Beggar to win the Railway Stakes, and his dam, imported Fair Intervener, also won it. Jolly Fair showed that his recent defeat of Olympian was no fluke. He has won six of the eleven races he has started in this season. Next day Alienist, with 7st 31b, won the Perth Cup, two miles, in 3min 26isec. He was got in New Zealand, being by Psychology from Orofino by Finland from the All Black mare d’Oro. When Acron made his record of 2.3 3- it was in a Free-for-AlI race from a flying start. Realm was second in 2.3 4- and Logan Chief third, going 2.4 2-5. Native Chief went 2.4 1-5 in a match with Great Bingen, and Happy Voyage registered similar figiires, but he ivas doing a trial against time with a pacemaker. Harold Logan has done 2.4 2-5 at Forbury (five furlong track) and 2.5 at Greymouth (half-mile track) and undoubtedly would break Acron’s time at Addington, where Roi I’Or also would go better than 2.3 3-5._ It is interesting to note that Native Chief, who, by the way, has become very unreliable at the post, has been engaged in a 3min 45sec class race at Wairio next week, and has been called on to concede the other sixteen horses in the race 300yds. He has thus been handicapped on a 3min 20sec mark, equal to about 2min 13sec to the mile. Although it is a matter of how he fares on the trip across to America, and his subsequent preparation, E. Pope’s opinion of Tea Trader’s prospects is a very high one. This mentor expresses himself of the opinion that Tea Trader wull make history, and doubts the possibility of any horses in America possessing more brilliance over short courses. “He is the most brilliant colt I have ever had the pleasure of preparing, and, naturally, I am sorry to lose him,’’ says Pope, who concluded that American sprinters would need to be very high class to defeat him, particularly on left-handed courses. Tea Trader is now in C. Morse’s stable, and joins Pillow Fight on his American trip. Tea Trader has won nearly £2,000 for Mr Reid, his former owner, and has been a very consistent performer. A New Zealand-bred mare racing in Australia who is paying her way nicely is Miss Nottava, a four-year-old full sister to Gesture, the dominion’s crack two-year-old three seasons back. In the Summer Cup, one mile and five furlongs, at Randwick on December 27, Miss Nottava carried 7.3 and ran a dead-heat for first with Pretzel, 8.12, and on January 2 she won Tattersall’s Gold Cup, one mile and a-half, carrying 7.7, and defeating a field of sixteen in the fast time of 2min 31sec. Miss Nottava displayed pace at two years old, and she was credited with running five furlongs and a-half in the Havilah Handicap in Imin Gisec, w r hen she beat a numerous field for that race. She represents a bargain of the sale ring, for, when a foal at foot, she was bought along with her dam. Nottava, for 200 gs by Mr G. N. Magill, in whose colours she races.

With Harvest Child to make the pace for him and Gold Country accompanying him for a mile and a-quarter on Tuesday morning, Roi I’Or registered one of the most brilliant performances seen in training work at Addington for a long time. The pacemaker did not make things easy for Roi I’Or, as he ran the first mile in 2min lOsec, having started about 36yds in front of his companion, but by the time the mile and a-quarter had been reached Roi I’Or was handy to Harvest Child, having registered 2min 41sec. In the run to the post ho proved too good for his mate, and recorded 3min 12 3-ssec. Just in behind these horses was Auto Machine, another Gold Cup candidate. He started 4sec behind Harvest Child, and was almost on terms at the finish, but he was not separately timed. However, his effort must have compared very favourably with that of Roi I’Or. The question of whether jockeys should be allowed to bet has been agitating English racing circles. Some people contend they should bo allowed that privilege by the Jockey Club, while others say they are the luckiest people associated with racing, because they are debarred from betting. One writer says the chief argument against jockeys being allowed to bet is that those who have done so have never had any money. One very prominent English rider, who has had marked success in big races, has found the battle with the books very unprofitable during his career. “ A great rider, but shocking judge,” is the summing-up of his friends. In Australia (says “ Pilot,” in the 1 Referee ’) we have jockeys who bet, though they are not supposed to. I have not heard that there are many specially good judges among them, but there are many who are not. After a race they occasionally make statements so absolutely opposed to what has been apparent to any spectator that you cannot help wondering what is the measure of their intelligence, even though they have achieved prominence as jockeys. The merit of the performances of Roi I’Or and Harold Logan in the Free-for-all at Addington, where Roi I’Or broke and Harold Logan equalled the existing record for Australia and New Zealand, have not been generally recognised. The time made by a pacer starting off scratch is better than the same figures credited to him off a mark

behind scratch. Official times from behind scratch always make the figures read more attractive' than they are. Twelve yards are allowed to a second in all classes, but that is based on a flat rate of about 2.25 to the mile. (A horse which cannot that time is not worth training.) Going at 2.10 to the mile, a horse averages 134yds per second. Thus a backmarker which wins a 4.26 race off 4.20 in 4.23 gross is credited with 4.17, but gets the benefit of 14yds for each second behind scratch to compensate for having to carry bis speed for 60yds more than two miles. It is only when a horse wins off scratch that his time is strictly accurate. In the Free-for-all Roi I’Or 2.38 1-5 and Harold Logan 2.38 2-5 travelled at approximately 13|yds per second, and these times were nearly 9vds better than if they had done them off 60yds behind in a handicap. Officially Harold Logan only tied his own record in the Free-for-all, but actually ho wont 2-5 or 3-5 faster than lie had done before. Roi I’Or and Harold Logan have been matched to-meet over a mile and a-quarter at Timaru next week.