RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22637, 1 May 1937, Page 27

RACING NOTES

RACING. Uar B.—Ambeiley R.C. May 8, 12.—Hawke’s Bay J.C. May 12, 13.—Egmont R.C. May 12.—Ashburton R.C. May 12.—Southland R.C I May 12.—Bay of Islands R.C. May 12, 15.—Otaki-Maori B.C. May 15. —Birchwood Hunt Club. May 15.—Waipa R.C. May 20, 22.—South Canterbury R.C. May 22.—Carterton R.C. May 22, 24.—Waikato R.C. May 29.— Otautau R.C. (at Invercargill)

SUPPRESSION OF S.P. BETTING Remarkable results have followed the introduction on January 1 ot the Queensland Racing Act, which aimed at the suppression of starting-price batting (says the Sydney ‘ Morning Herald ), Brisbane racing clubs report large increases in attendances and revenue —ranging as- high as: almost -00 per cent. Twice as many : tramway cars are needed to take people to the courses than before the Act was introduced. The Act provides drastic penalties for persons convicted of starting-price betting. Imprisonment has been substituted for fines. The Act punishes the principals and not only the agents of a betting business. Tijpsters are rigorously suppressed. Hotelkeepers are liable to fines of £IOO ,if starting-price bookmakers, are. caught on their premises. On the positive side the Act assisted racing by lowering the Is betting tax to 3d and the 3d tax to Id.. The general purpose of the Act was .to make betting the preserve of racecourse patrons. . Although starting-price continues in Brisbane, its operators’ road has been made much harder. The flagrantly open methods in force before the Act have been'stopped, and now the chief means of carrying on is by means of furtive canvassing of a known clientele. The most noticeable effect of the Act was to clear starting-price bookmakers and bettors out of hotels on race meeting afternoons, licensees fearing the drastic penalties and probable loss of their livelihood. Some of the striking effects of the Act on racecourse attendances are contained in a telegram received last night from the ‘ Herald’s ’ Brisbane correspondent. The totalisator turnover on the Brisbane courses for the first three months of this year aggregated £163,962, against £96,886 for the corresponding three months of last year. The average turnover a meeting was £6,070, against £4,036. If such figures are maintained the turnover for 1937 will be nearly £250,000 more than last year’s. The Brisbane Amateur Turf Club estimates the increased attendances at Albion Park meetings at 50 per cent, since the operation of the Racing Act. Figures showing the actual attendances at the principal meetings of the Queensland Turf Club at. Ascot show the following percentage increases over the same meetings of last year:—Christmas and New Year meetings, 61.1; Australia Day, 108.3; St. Patrick’s Day, 197.4; Easter meeting, 40.5. Another sign that the Act is assisting race clubs is the large influx of newctsep*to||e ranks of racecourse bookmakers. LEADING SIRES , The leading sires in New Zealand for the season (not including last week-end racing), as compiled by the ‘New Zealand Referee,’ are as follows : Hunting Song £11,383 Chief Ruler 11,300 Acre 10,384 Paper Money 10,183 Lord Quex 5,223 Balboa 5,015 Lackham ... ... ... 4,943 Musketoon 4,711 Colossus 4,643 Racefui 4,457 Limond 4,312 Siegfried ... 4,289 JOTTINGS It has now been decided that the Otautau Racing Club’s Meeting, to be held on May 29, will bo run on the Southland Racing Chib’s course. Tunneller, who has been operated on for wind trouble, is back in work again. D. O’Connor’s northern purchase, Spearmarch, has also gone in the wind and is to be operated on. Silver Streak, who has been enjoyng a good spell on his owner’s farm near Georgetown, is to bo taken in hand again by T. Hobbs. The Waikato Hunt made a profit of £1.394 11s 9d on its mesting last Labour Day. The assets of the hunt are £6.838 4s 4d. Though only completed throe or four years ago, the stewards’ stand at Oamani is to be altered and made more convenient. Mr H. Mandeno has been instructed to prepare plans and carry out the work.

Concertpltch continues to get through useful work at Riccarton, and he has done well since ho raced successfully at Riccarton at Easter. His next race will probably be at the Ashburton meeting on 3lay 12.

F. D. Jones is awaiting the arrival of a new horse from Marlborough. Ho is a three-year-old by Rabbi from the Acre mare, Tapestry, by Birkenhead from Arras, by Birkenhead from Epilogue.

The team of the Randwick trainer, J. King, has won £8,849 in stakes this season.

[By St. Clair.]

May 29.—Foxton R.C. June 5, 9 12.—Auckland R.C. Juno 9, 10, 12.—Dunedin J.C. TROTTING. May .B.—'Waikato Trotting Club. May B.—Oamaru Trotting Club. May 12, 15.—Forbury Park Trotting Club. May 29.—Canterbury Park Trotting Club June 9.—Ashburton Trotting Club. June 19, 23.—Auckland Trotting Club.

J. Crouch, who will_ ride for His Majesty George VJ. this season, won the Madras jockeys’ premiership this season. He scored 25 wins, 12 seconds, 11 thirds, and 10 fourths out of 98 mounts.

The Riverton meeting last Raster resuited in a profit of well over £3,000, but all of that and a good deal more will be required to cover the cost of a' new grand stand to bo built before next meeting. This stand will be erected on the south side of the stewards’ stand. • .

An interesting entrant for the Coronation Steeplechase at Pukekohe is the hurdler, High Quality, who is only a five-year-old, and: therefore young as jumpers go. The performances of High Quality over hurdles’ indicate that he is likely to make a very capable steeplechaser, and his first attempt over country will be awaited with interest.

Black Marlin’s displays in his schooling efforts over country during the past week have deepened the impression that he is likely to make .a useful steeplechaser when ho gains some experience. It is,probable that he may have his •first outing over the big fences in the Coronation Steeplechase at Pukekohe on May 15.

The three-year-old Quadroon, who has been off the scene since running third in the Great Northern Derby at Ellerslie, figures among the entrants for the Bay of Islands Racing Club’s meeting at Pukekohe on May 15. Quadroon is a capable galloper who stays solidly, and he may prove very useful over middle distances if he trains on the right way. During a gallop on the Oamaru course ou Wednesday morning Mr H. D. Greenwood’s fine filly Cyrillian struck himself and burst the suspensory ligaments of one of her forelegs. It was at first fearedi that the filly would have to be destroyed. Mr K. Austin, manager of the Elderslie Stud, dressed the injury and has every hope of saving Cyrillian, at least for stud duties.

H. R. Davies has been at the track at Riccarton this week with- Mr G. Murray Aynslcy’s three yearlings, which have attracted favourable notice. They aro all by Robespierre. - A . filly from Orange Blossom is a half-sister to Silver Ring, and a filly from Contempt is a half-sister to Silver Scorn. The third, a gelding, is the first foal- of Muff, a daughter of Contempt.

Doping must be dying out in America. In Tpxas there were 1,226 ranges nfitf at the "three major tracks, Arlington’ Downs, Epsom Downs, and Alamo Downs, in 1936, and, though 486 saliva tests were taken, only one test showed trace of a stimulating drug. The offender was given six months’ suspension by the Texas Racing Commission.

Early School, unbeaten in his throe starts as a two-year-old, and winter favourite for the Derby, has been withdrawn from both the Derby and Two Thousand Guineas on account of soreness in his front legs. Night and day he was looked after by a relay of stable lads, but the colt failed to respond satisfactorily, and his withdrawal from the Derby vvas a windfall for many bookmakers. Substantial sums were invested on him at 8 to 1 towards the close of the last flat-racing season.

To stimulate steeplechasing at major race tracks in the New York area. 36 millionaire turf enthusiasts pooled £IB,OOO for the importation of 36 French jumpers. On the arrival of the horses their names were tossed into a hat and each subscriber became the owner of the horse he drew. Only three tracks in the New York area — namely, Belmont, Saratoga, and Aqueduct—stage jumping races. The number of top-flight performers had become so small that hurdle fields usually pared down to four or five mounts.

Tke handicapping for the second day of the Nelson Jockey Club’s Meeting and both days of the Marlborough llacing Club’s Meeting was done by Mr A. V. O’Brien, deputising for Mr J. E. Henrys. Mr O’Brien, who is one of the best-known turf writers in the Dominion, and who was earlier a parliamentary reporter on the ‘ New Zealand Times,’ had the satisfaction of seeing most of his fields staging close finishes. He is also handicapper to the Westport Jockey Club, and is judge for a number of North Hand clubs.

Baffles, by Blandford from Waffles, by Buckwheat, who arrived at Auckland last week and is to take up stud duties at Mrs G. Carrington’s stud, cost 6,000 gs as a yearling, and represents some of the mot fashionable blood in England. Blandford sired Bahrain, winner of the triple crown; Trigo and Windsor Lad, Derby and St. Leger; Blenheim, Derby; Udaipur, Oaks; and Campanula, One Thousand Guineas. Blenheim, who was sold last year to an American syndicate for £45,000, is the sire of Mahmoud, another Derby colt. Waffles is the dam of Manna and Sandwich, both St. Leger winners. Manna also won the Two Thousand Guineas, while he sired Colombo, another Two Thousand Guineas winner.

The Oamaru Trotting Club’s Winter Meeting will bo held at the Oamaru racecourse next Saturday, for which there are good prospects for excellent fields, and good racing is assured. The Eorhury system of working the totalisator will be in operation. For this meeting a special passenger train will leave Dunedin at 7.45. arriving .in ample time for the first race, which will commence at 12.15. The return train will leave Oamaru at 5.49, arriving back in Dunedin at 8.54. There will bo the usual charge for admission. South cars will park in the southern parking area, and north cars in the northern area. Members’ cars will enter at the gate at the north, end of the racecourse.

A former racecourse trainer in Auckland, Mr Peter Chaafe, died at Hamilton on Sautrday last, aged Go years. Mr Chaafe followed the calling of his father, the late Mr John Chaafe, for many years a trainer in Auckland and later associated with the late Hon. J. I>. Ormond’s stud at Karamu. Mr Chaafe attained success as the ownertrainer of due Jacket, winner of the

Auckland Cup in 1899 and 1900, and also scored several times with Nor’West. Mr Chaafo lived in retirement from active training for a few years before his death. He leaves his wife, a son, and two daughters. After declaration of second forfeit for the English Derby (to be run on June 1) at the end of March 78 remained in. Each of these is now liable for £SO forfeit, and the value of the race greatly depends upon forfeits and sweepstakes, the added money being only £3,000. Last year the value of the race to Mahmoud’s owner was £9,934, while 10 per cent, of the whole stakes went to second, and 5 per cent, to third. The Aga Khan still has five left in, and Lord Derby four. There were 22 runners for last season’s Derby, and the record for the race is the 34 that ran when Caractacus won in 1862. There were 233 nominations on that occasion. During the recent season in Calcutta backers freely patronised the double and treble tote. There were two treble tote dividends on the sensational side. In one the return for 7s 6d—computing the rupee at Is 6d—was about £925, and in the other a little oyer £B9O. The largest straight-out dividend was slightly more than £lOl for 15s. Backers were not particularly successful, only 37 of the 187 races being won by favourites. One win in five was not profitable for backers who followed favourites at a fixed stake. During the hearing of a court case in Sydney last week a jockey deposed that his earnings for the year ended June 30, 1936, averaged £sl 14s a week, but last year, for the six months which ended on December 31, be averaged only about £4O a week. During the hearing of the case the question of how far that jockey’s education went cropped up. but when jockeys can average over £SO a week why should parents bother about the education of their children? Make them jockeys if they are small enough. There are a fair number of legal and medical luminaries in Sydney who would be highly .pleased if they could average £4O a week. — Sydney ‘ Deforce.’

.Miss Dorothy Paget, who paid the record yearling price of 15.000 guineas for the Fairway—Golden Hair colt last year, knows by past experience that a lage outlay does not ensure a champion.galloper! As an illustration, she gave 3.700 guineas for Celibate (Felstead—-Celiba) as a yearling in 1933, but it was not until last month at Hurst Park that Celibate won his first race—the Camberley Handicap Hurdle, worth £122. It is to be Imped, however, that the Golden Hair colt does infinitely more to justify his purchase price, and, in commenting on the youngster’s prospects, latest English files to hand mentioned that lie was a really good mover in his slow paces. At the time, ho had not gone through any sort of test. Since the National Stud was established 21 years ago, as the result of the gift of the late Lord Wavertree,. the Government had, up to the end of 1935, made a net trading profit of £73,578 . (says 1 The Sporting Chronicle’). In 1935 the net profit on the year’s working was £3,413, which was the outcome of the hotter prices prevailing at the bloodstock sales. It was the first good year since 1929, a loss having been shown each year from 1930 to 1934. The 15 horses sold in 1935 averaged £1,324. compared with averages of £954 for 15 horses in 1934 and £406 for 17 horses in 1933. Altogether the sale of bloodstock in 1935 realised £19,866, ' against £14,309 in the preceding year and £6,898 in 1933. The amount of stakes won was, however, only £157, compared with £1,676 and £1,913 in two preceding years. At a dinner given by racing pressmen to the Miami Jockey Club president, Mr. J. E. Widener, at Hialeah Park, the latter expressed hjmself as follows concerning the Australian starting machine;—“l hope the day will come when the Australian harrier is appreciated. Every race in the whoje world with the exception of this country, is started from the Australian barrier instead of the ‘ dog box,’ such as we use. Can it he that everyone else in the world is wrong? England. for example, is a . very conservative country and it would not have adopted

the barrier unless certain of its benefits,- .And., don’t forget, they raced in England long before we did. I’m not being stubborn in trying: to encourage the use of the Australian barrier system of starting in this country. I’m just sponsoring something that I believe will better our sport in America by preserving pur , young horses for a longer racing career. Everywhere else we are ridiculed for starting in this country with ‘ dog boxes.’ as they term the stall gate. And then, there are_ the tongs, twitches, and other devices which go hand in hand with tho use of the stalls. If horsemen can endorse such things as these. I don’t know what sportsmanship is.” An interesting position was created at the Auckland trotting meeting on Saturday, when the ex-Canterbury dual-gaited gelding. Imposter, won the VVhitford Handicap, limit 4.52, at the trotting gait, and was later started as a pacer in the Henderson Handicap, which he also won, without receiving a penalty for his first success. Clause 6 of the handicapping system shows that certain allowances are made for horses with pacing records being converted to trotters, and makes provision for their reconversion to pacing, such allowances being based on their two miles marks. Imposter, being assessed at 4.44 as a pacer, received a conversion of seven seconds at the trotting gait, making his line 4.51. As the penalty attached to this class did not. bring Imposter to a tighter two miles pacing line, it was decided that his original 3.30 mark for a mile and a-, half could not be disturbed in the Henderson Handicap., - Peter Manning' 'still stands out as the fastest of all trotters, says the ‘ American..?-Horseman,’ but Lee Axworthy,. linin 58isec, seems'destined to lead the stallion roster, for another few years at least, and while Nedda still holds the record for mares at Imin 58isec, that marvellous filly of the last season, Margaret Castleton, Imin 59isec, is. given better than: an oven chance to land this honour in 1937 for her owners, Walnut Hall Farm, in

heading the group. Following are the leading trotting representatives in their various groups:—Trotters: Peter Manning linin 56|sec, Greyhound Imin 574scc, Uhlan Imin 58sec, Lee Axworthy Imin 58Jsec, .Nedda. linin 584 sec, Lou Dillon Imin 584 sec- Guy M‘Kinney Imin 58Jsec. Trotting stallions: Lee Axworthy Imin SSJsec, Guy M‘Kinney Imin 53|sec. Fastest trotting mares: Nedda Imin 58isec, Lou Dillon Imin 384 sec, Tilly Brooke Imin 59sec. Fastest trotting geldings;Peter Manning Imin 56|sec, Greyhound Imin 57isec, Uhlan Iniia SSsee. ~i During discussions on rival betting, systems there ' have been suggestions that win-and-place clubs should beboycotted hy trotting owners and. trainers. The good entries received' by the Oamarn Trotting Club, which uses the “ Forbury system, is sufficient indication that the majority of' trainers have sufficient sense to realise; that if a reversion to tho single pool; is to come it will have to be effected by moral persuasion (says the Timaru ‘Herald’). A boycott would put those participating in the position of. strikers without any pay to:, lean on. In the South Island the clubs which use win and place include: the Metropolitan, Canterbury Park, New Brighton,. Oamaru, Ashburton,; Methven, Forbury, Greymouth, Invercargill. Gofe, Winton, and Wyndham, the only one of any importance adhering to the single pool being the Timani club. The position is much the same in the North Island, and if the. number of racing days is taken as * basis it is probable that .win and place accounts for about 90 per cent, of the' whole.