RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21436, 13 June 1933, Page 8

RACING NOTES

RACING. J««» 15, 17.—Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club. June 17.—South Canterbury Jockey Club, June 22, 24.—Napier Park Racing Club. June 23.—Bgmont-Wanganm Hunt Club. June 24—Ashburton County Racing Club. June 28.—Mauawatu Hunt Club. July I.—Oamaru Jockey Club. July B.—Waimate District Hunt Club. July 11, 13. 15.—Wellington Racing Club, July 22.—Hawke’s Bay Hunt Club.

STIPENDIARY STEWARDS IN VICTORIA. During the season the stipendiary stewards of the Victorian Racing Club have disqualified live jockeys, five trainers an owner-trainer, an owner, and a bookmaker, whose sentences have varied from six months to “ life.” In addition ten jockeys, an apprentice, and six bookmakers were refused licenses at the beginning of the present racing season, and are still debarred from following their calling. Numerous riders have also been suspended from month to month for interference. There are four of these stipendiary stewards, and they have absolute control of all Melbourne race meetings from 8' a.m. on the day of the race. If they are dissatisfied about anything they not only call for an inquiry, but are the judges. .An honorary steward sits with them, but has no vote. _ The only appeal from their decision is to the committee of the Victorian Racing Club, which seldom interferes with their decisions. The personnel may be interesting. It comprises the chairman, _Mr Wilfrid Johnston, who has a casting vote in deliberations. He is an orchardist at Sunbury, twenty miles from Melbourne, has had long association with racing, is a member of the Melbourne Club, one of the most exclusive in Australia, and a personal friend of Mr L. K. S. Mackinnon, chairman of the V.R.C. and the outstanding figure in Australian racing control. Next is Mr John ' Green, formerly sporting editor of the Melbourne ‘ Age.’ “ Jack ” Green probably knows everybody connected with racing in Victoria, and quite a few others. Third is Dr G. G. Heslop, V.S., formerly lecturer in veterinary science at the Melbourne University. Fourth is Mr Alan Bell. He is a son of Mr E. B. Bell, a New Zealander by birth, who saw Carbine here as a foal, but has been in Melbourne for-forty years as a trainer and newspaper track correspondent. Alan Bell rode in races before he grew too big, and his young brother Reg. was killed in a race accident, It is a pretty strong team. ■ A HUMANE REMIT. Rule 291 of the Rules of Racing provides: “ (1) Every horse shall be in the birdcage not later than the time fixed by the stewards (whether in the regulations for the race meeting or otherwise), and the person responsible for any horse not being in the birdcage by that time may be fined a sum not exceeding £5 by the stewards or a stipendiary steward and “ (2) No horso sail be ordered to the starting post more than twenty minutes before the appointed starting time, and every horse shall he at the post ready to start at the appointed time.” At the recent winter meeting the clerk of the course really put up a- wonderful performance in getting the fields out to the post sharply, but on the Wednesday and Thursday both riders and horses must have suffered very severely from the cold wind and rain. The idea of sending horses out to tho starter so long before the advertised time of starting is particularly liard on young and highly-strung horses, but was brought into vogue to assist the betting, it being maintained that the public will not . start to bet until the horses have done their preliminaries. The public has really been educated to delay. In other countries, where the totalisator is also in operation, the horses leave the enclosure to do their preliminaries, after which they go straight to the starter, and without any further delay are lined into the barrier and despatched. At the forthcoming conference the Manawatu Racing Club will submit the following remit for consideration^ — “ That the conference be asked to circularise all racing clubs requesting them to attend to and enforce the spirit of Rule 291 (2), in order to prevent the horses being out too long before the actual time of starting.” JOTTINGS. Nominations for the Oamaru Jockey Club’s Winter Meeting, to be held on duly 1, close to-morrow at 8 p.xn. ' Up to the end of last season, Gainsborough, sire of this year’s Derby winner, since 1922 had sired the winners of 293 races, worth £232,154. He headed the English winning sires’ list ■ last year with £34,789. Ten applications for extra days of racing have been made to the New Zealand Racing Conference for next season, and it is- worthy of note that all are from North Island clubs. Ranelagh, who has top weight, 9st 31b, in the Prince Edward Handicap at Timarn next Saturday, beat Ramo over a mile at Eiccarton on Saturday morning in Imin 44sec. Ramo has Bst 91b in the same races. At the present time representatives of district clubs are elected to the conference each year. In the remits _to be considered at the annual meeting next month it is proposed to alter the rule so as to make their term of office two years. The following are the Wmgatui- ■ trained horses that have been paid up for at the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s Meeting to be held on Saturday:—Morena, Antrim Boy, Polling Day Diamond Jack, Trek, Palantua, Master Anomaly, and Kakara. Dorian has been purchased by a local owner from Sir Chas. Clifford, and will go into D. O’Connor’s stable at Riccarton to be trained. Dorian is a three-year-old full-brother to Zeebrugge, and so far has done very little racing. Concentrate has been sent to the Nelson district, where his retirement will be spent. Concentrate cost his owner 800 gs as a yearling, and has won more than 10,000sovs in stakes. An interesting entry at the Hawke s Bay Meetings is Phar Lap’s brother, All Clear, who is being trained by J. H. Jefferd, for his Ceylon owner. Jefferd will also produce Cylinder' and his relative, Cyclonic, at tho meetings. > '' m . . ~ When Great Minto won tho Tmwald Handicap at Ashburton on Saturday he went 3min 23 2-ssec. He has been rehandicappcd fo the 12yds mark in the Winchester '.Trot, class 3min 38sec, to he run on Saturday at Washdyke, and likelv to start a warm favourite. . Polydora, who is reported to have lightened up after her two severe races ' at Wingatui, beat Rational 11. over six furlongs at Riccarton on Saturday morning. She has 9st 111 bin the Terauka Hack Handicap on Saturday and a mile and 35yds may, bo just a , - iittte Jar for '

[By St. Clair.]

July 22.—South Canterbury Hunt Club. July 26.—Rangitiki Hunt Club. July 27, 29. —Gisborne Racing Club. July 29.—Christchurch Hunt Club.

TROTTING. June 16, 17.—Nelson Trotting Club. June 23, 24.—Auckland Trotting Club July I.—Waikato Trotting Club.

Royal Sceptre struck himself in a gallop at Riccarton on Saturday morning, but as he has been accepted for at Timaru on Saturday the extent of his injury cannot be very serious. It is intended to give Royal Sceptre a let up after Saturday’s engagement. Derby -or Darby, how should the name of the most important classic race in the world be pronounced? This question was put to Lord Derby, and his answer was that as tho race was named after his “ House,” he presumed it should be Darby. Minerval, who injured a leg while spelling in a paddock after the New Zealand Cup, is thought to be quite all right again. He may not take long to hit his real form, as F. Holmes, who is now in charge of him, has been exercising the Arrow,smith gelding for some time on a trotting track. A remit by the Dunedin District Clubs to be considered at next month’s meeting of the Racing Conference will, if adopted, give clubs the power to post to the unpaid forfeit list owners whose horses have been allowed to start in any race without having paid .the fees in, connection with such race, and are still owing. There is a feeling (says the Wellington correspondent of the ‘Sun’) that if possible, someone residing in or near Wellington should be chosen to fill the position of president of the New Zealand Racing Conference. This may be the feeling in Wellington, but that centre surely does not expect other racing districts to approve the principle of a perpetual presidency in the capital city, for that is what the suggestion means. Tho idea is bound up with the proposal, sponsored by the Executive Committee, that ■ district committees should bo disbanded in favour of a central committee. Whatever merits the latter proposal has, it does not follow that its members and the president must reside in Wellington. According* to tho ‘ Literary Digest five more States in the U.S.A. have legalised betting at the races. Ohio, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and New Hampshire are the latest States to establish legalised race-track betting as a new source of revenue. This makes twelve altogether in which betting is legal, the others being Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, Illinois, and Montana. Legislation favouririg racing or betting, or both, is pending in eleven other States. In connection with tho official inquiry into the running of Palm at Otaki on Saturday, it may be as well to point out that the acting-stipendiary steward, Mr B. Burgin, was not satisfied with his display on Friday. He did not call the judicial stewards together, but from inquiries he made it transpired that Pahu hit tho first fence very hard, which caused him to drop a long way back. Tho official inquiry on Saturday gave the connections of the horse a chance for their explanation, which satisfied the stewards. Billy Boy’s third in the Great Northern Steeplechase was full of merit, even at its paper value, but certain circumstances have come to light which enhance his performance. To begin with, Burgess had to put up 3st 41b of deadweight to make up tho 12.7, and then with a round to go he got hit in the eye by a piece of flying dirt. This caused him to let Billy Boy go to the front, and over the concluding stages he had no chance with Callamart and High Billy Boy fully upheld his reputation as a steeplechaser, and jumped perfectly. Since his return from the Dunedin Meeting Hounslow has been in a bad way, suffering from tho effects of a severe cut in tho coronet, caused by a twisted plate on one of his hind feet (says the ‘Press’). The trouble happened in his race on the concluding day of the meeting, and the gelding was very lame when he arrived home. The injury is fairly deep, • and he is still unable to bear any weight on the affected limb. This will mean Hounslow’s absence from activities for some time, and will seriously affect his winter programme. He has been a very unlucky horse for tho last two seasons, and it is unfortunate for his owner and trainer that just as ho looked like securing high honours in the hurdling arena he should suffer such a severe setback.

The Princess do Faiieigny-Lucinge did not see her colt Rodosto win the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket on April 26. Her trainer, H. Count, in, explanation, said that she had intended to, and added: “ She got as far as Calais, but had to return to Paris, as she was,taken ill. She may have been a little nervous as to the outcome of the race, and may have been upset by all the excitement. She is a French lady and a grand spprtswonlan. Also she is dainty and petite, and is one of tho best-dressed women in Paris.” The Princess is a daughter of M. Marchiel Ephrussi, one 'of two brothers well known as visitors in English racing before the war. She races on a fairly extensive scale in France, and previously had her colours carried to victory in England in 1930 through the agency of Lion d’Angers at ManchcsTiie remit of the Stipendiary Stewards’ Committee, to be considered at the annual meeting of the N.Z. Trotting Conference next month, reads as follows‘ ‘ Rule 455 (d). The Stipendiary Stewards’ Committee shall have power to select and appoint one or more persons to act as handicapper or handicappers for races, on such terms, with such powers, and subject to such conditions as the comm it too may prescribe. . In the event of ho handicapper being available to handicap for any races a substitute handicapper may be appointed by the committee or its chairman to act for such races. The committee shall determine tho remuneration to be paid to the handicappers for their services, and the amount required for this purpose in order to carry this rule in effect shall ho provided by the totalisator clubs by payment to the conference of a levy not exceeding oneeighth per cent, on tho gross amounts received by them respectively by way of investments on the totalisator during the preceding year, with regard, as far as the committee may find expedient, to any change in the number of days on which the totalisator is used by any club in the current year; but in no case shall the levy to he paid by any club be less than seven guineas for each day’s racing held by the club.”