SPORTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 September 1920, Page 2

SPORTIN G

RACING- FIXTURES. September B—Manawatu Hunt Club. September 11—Amberley Racing ClubSeptember 23, 24 —Ashburton County Racing Club. September 23, 25—Wanganui J.C. September 25, 29—Avondale J.C.September 27, 28—Otaki-Maori R.C. September 30, October 1— Geraldine R.C. October 2 —Napier Park R.C. f’Vober 6—Hawke's Say J.C. October 7 —Kurow J.C. RACING NEWS AND NOTES. (By “Arlington:”) Sir. W. 11.--Ballinger, whose colours are carried by Rose l ink, Trentiuun Rose and. Co., recently acquired Hallucination and Pupil. ’ Both will most iiicdy comprise part of that gentleman s team for the Coast at New Year time. Right and Left will contest the classic mile race at Wanganui this mai Ji. B. Deeley left for Australia last week to iide Mr. G. H. Greenwood's horses in their engagements on the ether side. Most of the weigbt-for-age events on the spring and autumn meetings of the Victoria Racing Club have been increased in value from 1000 to 1500 so vs. Right and Left (7.2), Delight (6.13), and Gasbag (6.10) are considered the best three-year-olds in the New Zealand Cup. Arrowsmith inay be accompanied to Wanganui by Counter Attack and Kilrush. A cable has been received in Wellington announcing the safe arrival in England of Mr. Harold Brown. The committee of the Canterbury Jockey. Club have reduced the penalties to be carried in the Stewards' Handicap, so that the winner of any race or races collectively of the value of 150 sovs. carries 51b., 200 sevs. 71b., 300 sovs. 101 b., and 400 sovs. 141 b. extra.

It is a sad commentary on the class of horse at present in the Pominion Ay hen it is noted that although Mr. Ilenrys has started with a weight never before awarded a horse at the head of the handicap when he put 10.3 on Sasanof, only seven of the 55 nominated are considered equal to carrying 8.0 or over.

Taken on the weight-for-age scale, Mr, lleii’vs, in framing his weights for the New Zealand Cup, considers A myth as to l>e 2lb. better than Sasanof, for the former was assessed at I3lb, and Sasanof a V 111 b. above weight-for-age. Both were immediately withdrawn. It is also interesting to note, that Mr. Henrys does not hold a very high opinion of the three-year-olds engaged. for Eight and Left, which he considers as the best, is put in at 71b. below weight-for-age.

NEW GAMING LAW. WHAT WILL ITS EFFECT BE? At the tiin'e of its introduction by the Hon. G. J. Anderson, the Minister for Internal Affairs, the Gaming Bill gave rise to quite a lot of talk in racing circles. At the first glance some of the provisions appeared to many to be drastic, says the New Zealand * Times, and some of the extreme antiracing members of the community are said to have regarded it as a measure likely to “wipe out the bookmaker.’’ To-day opinion is much divided as to what the result of the 1920 amending Act,, will be. The bill as originally introduced in the Lower House first of all declared the business of bookmaking to be i nlawful, and then proceeded to make ('very person carrying on the business liable to a fine of £SOO or to imprisonment far two years. Next it was made an offence for anyone to bet with a bookmaker. Those who do so are liable to a fine of £IOO or to six months’ imprisonment. —Business of Bookmaker.— A new clause respecting 'evidence as to the business of a bookmaker lias provoked a good deal of argument. Some contend that under it grave injustice can be perpetrated, while others reply that this is a most unnecessary alarmist view. The clause reads: “In any prosecution for an offence against this Act the fact that a person has directly or indirectly offered to make a. bet, or has knowingly issued or been knowingly party to the issue of any card or circular indicating in any manner where or with whom a bet may be made, or stating the odds upon or against any horse or event shall be 1 sufficient evidence, until the contrary is proved, that such person is carrying 1 on the business or occupation of a i bookmaker.” This section is held by some to violate the British principle that a man is innocent until he is proved guilty, but Parliament accepted this view that there was nothing very dreadful about the elapse and agreed to it. The official explanation of the clause is that if a person offers to make bets or issues betting cards this will be suf--1 ficient evidence that he is a bookmaker until the contrary is proved. It is ' open to anyone so suspected to explain away the suspicion. , —lsolated Bets Not Offences.— The Act does not interfere with any two persons neither of whom are bookmakers who care to make a wager between themselves. Isolated acts of betting are not offences. For instance, if A and B differed as to whether it , would rain or be fine and each wanted to support his opinion with £l, they would be quite safe in making the wager within the hearing of the most industrious police officer in the city. Another new clause widens the do- * fruition of bookmaker with the object ■ of catching the persons who lay small doubles (£5 to is, £lO to 2s, and so , on) in big concerns where congregate , numeorus people willing to have a small financial interest in current events. It has already been stated that opin- * ions differ to to what will be the result i of. the new Act. So much depends on the administration of the* measure that time alone will answer 'the question. Up to the present there is no evidence pf any bookmaker having gone out of business, but this need not-ffie taken as meaning very much, because the Act is not yet in operation.