RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22892, 25 February 1938, Page 14

RACING NOTES

RACING. February 26.—Wanganui JiC. February 26. —Westland E.C. February 26. —Gore E.C. February 26.—Waiapu E.C. February 26, 28.—Te Aroha E.C. March 3, S. l —Napier Park K.C, March 5. —Franklin E.C. March s.—Banks Peninsula E.C. March 5. —Eangitikei E.C. March 11, 12.—Cromwell E.C, March 12.—Carterton E.C. March 12.—Opunake E.C. - - March 17, 19.—Ohinemuri J.C. March 17, 19.—Wellington E.C., March 23, 26. —Oamaru J.C. March 25 t 26.—Manawatu E.C.

FORGED BOOKMAKERS' TICKET Two bookmakers were tricked by altered tickets at Rosehill' races on Saturday, January 29. • Mr'A. Wolfensberger paid out £SO for a ticket the real value of which, was £5; and Mr \V. Daley lost £2O. The favourite practice of altering a number ending in four to correspond with a. ticket ending with the numeral 1 for a greater amount was employed. The trick was so prevalent some months ago (says' a Sydney exchange) that bookmakers had their tickets printed with a special type.- No. 4 carries the letters. “ four ” on the down stroke, and similarly No. 1, “ one.” That was calculated sufficient protection against the figure 4 being jnad© to represent ; figure 1 by careful erasions. Consequently no one was prepared for the new outbreak. Apparently the whole figure was removed and another figure gummed in its place. ■ One bookmaker’ has an ingenious method of preventing fraud. The last two; figures of each ticket number are printed with perforations, and it does not seem likely that these can be interfered with without detection. It seems that bookmakers will, look a second time at anyone presenting tickets whose numbers end in 1 until they- have evolved a scheme to protect them from imposition. As a result of the fraud special betting tickets, designed to make forgery more difficult,; will be issued by the New South Wales' Government Printing Office. Numerals on the new tickets (will be nearly half an inch deep. They will’be printed in black, with a red bar through the centre. _ An absorbent board will be used, which will run like blotting paper if an attempt is. made with ink to alter anything on it. Before these tickets can be printed new plant will be required from overseas. This cannot be delivered for some time, aud it will probably be six months before the new tickets are available. Authorities at the Government Print-ing-Office admit that recent forgeries are clever. “They are obviously the work of. a draughtsman and an artist,” said one. “ Not only does he alter numbers and words skilfully, but be puts in the changed background with j infinite skill, and finally adds to the

[By St. Clair.]

TROTTING. February 26.—Kaikoura T.C. February 26.—Wairarapa T.C. March s.—lnvercargill T.C. March s.—Wellington T.C. i <Mardh ;12.—Timaru T.C. March 12.—Wairarapa T.C. March 19.—Wyndham T.C. March 19.—Cheviot T.C. April 2.—Roxburgh T.C. April 2.—Wfestland T.C. April.9.—Taranaki T-C. April 9.—Ashburton T.C. April 16, 18.—Hawera T.C. April, 16, 20, 21, 23.—New Zealand Metro' politan' T.C.

pencilling of'the'bookmakers. He must go; to the racecourse armed with materials equal to those of a landscape artist. GAN IMPROVEMENT WIN AUSTRALIAN CUP ? Is the Australian Cup too classy for Improvement ? The owner-trainer of the gelding, J. T, Jamieson, thinks it is, although the final decision has not yet been made (says a Svduey writer on February 5). Keen racing judges, however, have a different idea of Improvement’s future, and, although they do not expect him . ever to be a champion, he is improving so rapidly with facing that he may win a really good race during the Sydney autumn carnivals. Improvement’s winning ,performance at Warwick Farm to-day was half a stone better than his Rosehill effort a week earlier, when he had only scrambled home, hut stable followers expected it, and bookmakers were left lamenting. Big bets made real holes in bookmakers’ holdings. And, although others were well backed, they r©ported Improvement’s win tne worst result of the day. What appeared a real- misfortune in running probably helped Improvement to victory. When Panaster,- who had been left at the post, dashed round the field at the seven furlongs post, Improvement was squeezed back towards the tail of the field. But the lost ground was more than compensated for. Bartle had to rid© him quietly, instead of trying to keep with the leaders, and when Improvement gradually worked his way to third place at the three furlongs, it was apparent he had the race won; Bartle was in no hurry in the straight. He waited until half a furlong from home, then shot past the leaders, and was going right away at the winning post.

JOTTINGS Reminders. Nest week will.be an important one for owners and trainers, as the following dubs will take nominations and acceptances:— ' _ Wyndham Trotting Club.—Nominations close on Monday at 5 p.m. Ashburton Racing Club.—Nominations for the John Gragg Stakes (two-year-olds) close on Monday at 5 p.m. Invercargill Trotting Club.—Acceptances close on Tuesday at 5 p.m. Wellington Racing Club. tions close on at 5 p.m. _ Ashburton Trotting Club.—Nominations for the New Zealand Sapling

Stakes, 1939 (two-year-olds), and New Zealand Champion Stakes, 1939 (three-;year-olds) ©lose on Thursday at 5 p.m. ■ ‘ Oamaru Jockey Club. —Nominations close.on Friday at 8 p.in. To-morrow’s Races. The Railway Department has arranged a convenient service for patrons wishing to attend the second day of the Gore meeting to-morrow. The Invercargill express leaving at 8.33 will stop at the race-course siding, and a special train for Dunedin will leave the course after the last race. Date of. Nominations Extended. The date of closing nominations for the Timaru Trotting Club’s meeting to be held on March 12 has been extended until next Tuesday • evening. Invercargill Trotting Club. The Invercargill Trotting (Hub has received big nominations for its one-day meeting to be held on Saturday of next week, and most of the horses engaged are owned and trained in Southland. Handicaps will be declared on Monday morning, and acceptances close the following evening. Another Year’s Spell. Sky Pilot, who had to be turned out following a mishap in the Wellington Steeplechase last July, is to be left out for another year as he has not fully recovered from his trouble. Retired to the Stud.

Mercenary, owned by Mr H. D. Greenwood, has been retired to the stud. She had her only success at Oamaru at New Year, but disappointed in later efforts. By Paper Money from Egotism, Mercenary is only three years old and should do well at the stud. Aftelr Three Years’ Spell. Some Shamble, who appears among the entries for the Peninsula Cup at Banks Peninsula, has been off the scene since the autumn three years ago. Then ; five years old, he showed some promising form. One of his wins that season was the Buchanan Memorial Handicap at the Banks Peninsula Spring Meeting, and he then ran in the New Zealand Cup. To Raise Funds. While discussing the finances of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Racing Owners, Breeders and Trainers’ Association recently Mr H. D. Matthews said it might be worth asking racing clubs to add Is to their entry fees, the amount to be collected on behalf of the association. Failing this, he suggested asking owners to make a special donation to the funds when their’ horses won a race. Trainers Displeased. , Trentham trainers for the main part feel that they have been treated very shabbily by the Woodville Club in abandoning its meeting, as the general opinion is that racing was quite possible last Saturday. They are all sending in expense accounts to the Woodville Club, and the majority were very pointed in. their assertion to a Wellington ‘ Post ’ representative on Tuesday morning that if they are not reimbursed they will decline in future to patronise the club. On no occasion in the last decade has there been such unanimity of disgust among the centre’s trainers against the action of any particular club.

Result of Good Organisation. Dr E. H. B. Milson, president of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Racing Owners, Breeders, and Trainers’ Association, after enumerating some of the reforms effected in the control and assistance of racing since that body was formed, stated one of the most important factors in the establishment of the Dominion association was that it received direct recognition as a powerful unit from the Hon. W. E. Parry, Minister of Internal Affairs, the New Zealand Racing Conference,

and Mr 6. H. Mackley, General Manager of Railways. This could only have been gained by the linking of all branches under one head, and making representations to the various authorities as one voice. The national executive would be meeting before the conference sat to review remits from the different branches, and those favourably dealt with would be placed before the Racing Conference. Taxation. In- referring to the taxation placed on racing a Sydney writer said: “It is doubtful if some realise that the .burden is. carried by a very small section. Attendances at Randwick on 20 or 21 days a year range from 25,000 to 60,000, but minor courses have an exceptional day if they are patronised to the extent of 12,000. It is therefore fair to assume that the big taxation revenue in the metropolitan area actually comes from less than 20,000 people. In every way racegoers are taxed even to the cost of a cup of tea or a sandwich on the racecourse. If the rest of the community paid taxes in the same proportion as patrons of racing, the dose of the financial year would invariably see the Government with a big surplus. Sunee Schools Well. An excellent bout over five of the schooling hurdles was given by Red Sun (M. Reardon) and Sunee (A. Sagar) at Trentham last Tuesday (says the ‘ Post ’). It was the first time that Sunee had had a mate. After jumping the low first fence, (Red Sun took his companion straight and fast to the next fence, and as Sunee lagged he had to put in a poorly-judged jump. After that Sunee kept up and they went over the last three fences together in the most dashing style. Sunee is beginning to thicken out noticeably with his course of schooling, just as Red Sun when first jumped. (Redi Sun may be schooled over the bigger obstacles later on for steeplechasing during tho winter.

High-priced Fillies. The statement that an offer of 1,250 guineas was refused for the filly hy Beau Pere from Phrosa at the recent sale of yearlings at Trentham has brought that youngster into prominence, and a leading Australian sporting journal gives the figures quoted as the largest sum offered for a yearling filly either in Australia or New Zealand. Thatj however, proves to he an undue distinction. New Zealand still holds the record for the highestpriced filly. At the sale of the Koatanui yearlings at Wanganui in 1921 a filly by Absurd from Eulogy was bought by Mr A. B. Williams for 1,500 guineas, and she raced under the name of Epitaph. Eight years later a filly by Limond from Homage also realised 1,500g5, Mr T. Lowry being ' the buyer, and she figures in the stud book as Courtesy. Courtcraft. Every one of a number of North ' Island racing clubs is anxious to be able to make it known that Courtcraft will be a runner at its autumn meeting. No announcement has been made, but it seems likely that the crack three-year-old will figure at the Wellington Autumn Meeting next month. Meanwhile he may compete at Te Aroha, where he is engaged in the Waihou Handicap. Courtcraft will be a valuable attraction to any meeting. According to all accounts he has done splendidly since his Auckland successes at Christmas, and is expected to do better this autumn than at any earlier period of his career. He is an improved and improving colt. Probably if Courtcraft’s Trentham form is satisfactory he will be sent on another trip to Australia, where, however, the three-year-old opposition appears to be very strong. Off to America. Mr E. Tatlow, the well-known Tasmanian breeder, has decided to go for a trip to America, and while there will

see all the Grand Circuit racing, says the ‘ Australian Record.’ Recently Mr Tatlow increased the size of the Derby Lodge stud farm by 125 acres, and in all probability some American importations >vill in the very near future enjoy Tasmanian pastures. A recent visitor to Mr Tatlow’s establishment was Mr W. Bulloch, an early owner of Logan Derby. The Victorian duly admired Van Derby (2min 8 l-ssec), the very close relative of Lawn Derby, and also had the pleasure of witnessing a couple of trotting events on a Tasmanian galloping programme. Mr Tatlow visited New Zealand a few years ago and made several purchases, including Belle Logan, the dam of Logan Derby, also Beau Desert, a recent winner in Adelaide, and Pendant and Jean Derby, who have both won races in Tasmania recently.