TURF

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11833, 14 January 1933, Page 6

TURF

PACING FIXTURES. Jan. 12, 1-I—Thames J.C. Jan. I‘l, TG—Vincent J. C Jan. 19, 21, 23—Wellington R.C. Jan. 21—Bay of Islands R.C. Jan. 27.—Opotiki J.C. Feb. 2, 4—Wairoa R.C. Feb 9, 11—Poverty Bay T.C. Feb. 16—Tolaga Bay J.C. RECORD SYDNEY DIVIDEND INVESTORS RECEIVE £l9B FRAUD SCHEME DEFEATED The establishment of a record at Sydney, so far as totahsator dividends are concerned, and the frustration of a scheme to defraud the tot.alisator, were incidents of the racing at Randwick on Deccmeber 24. The record ,\va.s created when Prismatic won the first division of the Novice Handicap. There were two tickets taken out on him in the ‘Saddling paddock, six in the Roger and two on the flat. Each paddock'ticket tvas worth £l9B 3s Gd and the supporters in .the Leger received £29 13 s 6d. and on the flat £36 Bs. Provioously the highest dividend for a winner at Randwick was £3S 16s an amount returned by Tangible .when that horse won in the autumn. ■ Prismatic holds the world’s record for two miles over the hurdles, and although he is. trained by that astute mentor F. McGrath, it was nor, considered possible that he could fill a place in the field on this occasion.ln fact, h's owner, Mr M. G’carin, did not wait for the meeting to see his horse run, but left on the previous dav on an ocean cruise.

A scheme to defraud the totnlisntor was frustrated by a timely discovery by a pay-out clerk. After the December Nursery Handicap was won by Wexford, who returned a straight-' out dividend of £ll los, attempts were made to collect with tickets on which the number or numbers had been altered to the winning No 4. One liiicket- was paid, but when the clerk closely examined another the backer made off. A keen scrutiny was afterwards made of all tickets.

WH AT FAMOUS JOCKEYS. PAID FOR GUTTERING PRIZES

There is'no profession in the world which demands greater sacrifices or exacts a heavier toll from those who ' follow it than does the profession of race-riding under the rale's of the Jockey Club (says a writer in the :London ”Daily Mail,” in discussing ’ t he relief which the respite of four 'months between the flat-racing sea. 1 sons in England brings to the jockeys). The prizes to the men at the top are glittering, hot they are paid lor in advance by year s of toil, and self-denial. Auditor every one who attains the heights there are 10 who spend their lives hacking •hazardous footholds on the slippery'slopes ; and 20 who get noUearer-than, the foothills of rnedi-

oerity. . k Thev are a gallant hand, these little nieu who have made, the whims and fancies of:• that mo'st sensitive of all animgls, the thoroughbred racehorse,

] their constant- ' study front the days when they have scarcely begun to read and write, lean Borotra, the famous Frenchman, recently won a thrilling Davis Cup lawn tennis match for his country by calling on the last reserves of his-nervous energy when his body was on the. verge of collapse. But not even Borotra has. been subject to the 'constant."nerve-strain that is the almost, daily life of a fashionable jockey. . ' JOCKEYS’ RIVAT-RTES ■ It is a source of infinite wonder to those behind the scenes that so few races are “won in the objection room.” Only.now and again is the curtain slightly lifted and wo are able to visualise, the keenness of the rivalry/that'begins in March and ends in November; George Fordham, Afaidment Custanee, Tom Chaloner, Fred Webb and the great- Fred Archer were engaged f>o years or so ago in the same warfare as being waged to-day by Steve Donoghuc, Fred Fox, Joe Childs. Michael Beary, Harry Wragg, Gordon Richards, and T. We'ston. The sun of one generation ha s not set before another has risen, and you cannot draw a- dividing line clearly through the years. But between these periods the fight was carried on. with the same unyielding grimness, by. the brothers Loates, the Cannons, Otto Madden, Danny Maher Herbert Jones, Bernard Billion, Fred Riekahy. and Tod Sloan.

George Fordham, one of the greatest riders of nil time, although he won only one Derby—on Sir Bevys in IS79 —had his own methods of rousing the ire of his competitors. He was the champion leg-puller of his day in the jockeys’ room. It was of Fordham that Fred Archer once said as he returned to the paddock, “T can’t beat that kidding !” Yet-, keen as he was to do his host for his employer, Fordham always played the game by the public.

“GOON, DEAFY!” There was that notable, instance of 575 when Galopin was a raging hot Derby favourite at 2to 1 His rider was Morris, a jockey whose hearing was badly affected. He was winning so easily that he almost- pulled up, and Maidmenfi on Claremont would have brought off a 100 to 7 chance had not Fordham, from an impossible position in the race, shouted “Go on, Deafy” Fred Archer is an oft-quoted, but never, stale instance of the terrific strain on mind and body to which all the best-known jockeys have been subject through the ages. He was a man of melancholy aspect and, accord ing to Fred Webb, one of his most successful contemporaries, the gloom of hi s countenance would only have lifted if Archer could have discovered the secret of riding two winners at once. FAMOUS ARCHER, Foriy-six years ago Archer shot him'self'in his bath, a riel if urns his failure on St. Mirin in the Cambridgeshire that precipitated the end. He was looking to St Mirin’s succeeds to recoup him for heavy betting losses—the .lockej- Chib was not so strict on jockeys betting in those days—and for 24. hours before the race Iris food consisted only three pieces of thy toast and two half-bottles of champagne, so that lie could get down to tho weight. The story of the big races of the past is full of the tragedy of failure ill men who lived too long on the kniieodge of Fate.' and whose mind or body cracked at the crucial moment. Fred Archer would not have won the. Derby on Bend On in 1880 if Rossiter on Robert the Devil, had not lost his head. Rossiter looked round when he could have pushed In's mount easily first passed the post-, saw Archer coming up, had a complete nervous collapse and threw away the rare hv a head.

We have it on the authority of the groat Tod Sloan—great a s a horseman, that is—that a boy who is a bundle' of nerves makes the best jockey. It was Sloan’s theory that such a youngster is always quick and alert and finds out things for himself. >

Sloan discovered that a horse runs better when "pocketed.” Tt breathes in a space where the air does not come to it in a rush, and if the rider watches his chance he can slip through a gap with a mount that is fresher and keener than his rival's. But what a test of nerves for the jockey! SLOAN’S "CROUCH.” Sloan certainly introduced the “crouch” or "monkey” s mount to England, but he was given the idea by watching another American jockey, Harry Griffin. Sloan used to boast that many af his successes were due to the faqt that opposing jockeys watched him so closely in order o copy hi s methods that they had no time to think about the race! , Archer and Sloan were very much alike in their uncanny knowledge of horses, and in each ease genius took its toll. From Archer'it extracted his life; from Sloan payment was enforced by an erratic and foolish behaviour when not in the saddle. ,

Present-day jockeys on the whole are less temperamental and more balanced, although, in fact the great increase in the number of race meetings has added to the strain under which they live.

WELLINGTON ACCEPTANCES

fPresH Association. 1 WELLINGTON, Jan. 13. The following acceptances have been received' fbr the Wellington races Trentham Highweight Handicap, 1 mils.-—'Juggle 10.8, Salt-pot, Jayson, Beau Gallante 10.7 Niglitgunrd 10.3, Monastic Palace 10.1, Clangor 9.7, labile 9.5, Flower, Chief Line, Golden Horn, Cape Fair 9.0. Fi.tzherbert Handicap, fivo furlongs —Golden Hair 8.10, Counter Play, Porotiti 8.4, Pegged Exchange 8-3, Lady Nan 7.12, Bon Rapid© 7.7, Gay Coat, Quebec, Sweet Agne s 7.5, Catalogue, Epigram 7.3, Colossian, Dover Patrol, Hint, So fari. Snowball 7.0. • Wellington Oup, 11 miles—Antique 9.5, Concentrate 9.3, Groat Star 8.0, Gold. Trail, Seatown 7.13, Taloux, Red R'eckle 7.11, Merry Peel, Red Sim 7.6 Retract, Roal Artist. My Own, Tout lo Mond 7.5, Refresher 7.2, Fiji .7.2, Greenhorn, Juniper, Lyrical, Princess Argosy, Rocket 7.0. Annivcirsary Handicap, one mile.— Arrow Lad 9.4, Awaken 9.2, Ranolagh 9.0, Richfield 8.12, ‘Ruling Light 8.9, Martian Chief 8.7. Gay Court, Juniper, Rational IT. 8.3, La Toupee 8.3, Nightmare. Gold Pit, Tippling 8.2, Tahoma, Wise Choice B.o'.

Telegraph Handicap, six furlongs.— Antopay 9.9, Golden Wings 9.4 Cricket Bat 8.10, Souchong, Orapai 8.9, La Moderne 8.5, The Quorn 8.0, Lordly Knight 78, Pomp 7.6, The Tiger 7.5, Grecian Prince 7.5, Huirlingham, Gold Pit 7.0. Ruapehu Handicap, six • furlongs.— Hula Belle 8.13, Navnho 8.10, Might 8.7, Gold Gleam, Monastic 8.6, Hoad master 8.4, Wasteland, Solitaire IT. 8.2, Zoebrugge 7.12, Jdolise 7.1.1, Grand Review 7.9, Late Jest, Slippery 7.8, Illuminate 7.7, .’Chief Light 7.6, Nebulae, Acron 7.4, Eonator. Kamel. Pasha Mercian Prince, Pedestal. Shelter 7-0. Wellington Stakes.—lnflation, Good Hunting Lack 5.6, Midmctte, Importance 8.5, Princess Doreen 7.5, Diotomous 7.3, Guarantee, _ Connterplay 6.12, Fracas. Golden Hair 6.9. Apprentices’ Plate—Royal King 8.5 Aiguille, Azalea, Ben Hur, Beaoonsfield, Bonnie Vale, Eminent, FlowerMorepork, Niggerhcad 8.2, Aroma, Argentic, Browen Rule. C'hocksay. Farmer, G-lenvane, Glowlight, Lancet, M Huron'. Posy. Purse, Sago. Worship 7.6.

notes and news. As Gordon Richards stood so far out from all other English .joekevs during the recent, season it was only to he expected lm hal to undergo m terviewing hv representatives o nearly everv London naper of impor - fiuoo. Richards had first, second and third calls on his services during the recent, vear. hut in many races those stables with calls on. on him were not represented. Touching on this and other matters he delivered b,msolf to a representative of London “Sporting Life”: “I g<* more than one offer in many races, and h i had always been able to make t'e right selection my total would ha\c exceeded 200 wins.' As it is, I make it a general rule to take tlm first mount that is offered me, and it P a J s well. It might he thought that because I swing my whip a lot when I am riding I am rising it on my hoi sc. I am not. In fact, I rarely given even the slightest touch to my mount. ] have no favourite courses. They all come alike to me. If a boy has it in him he will emerge from the ruck. ’When he’s at the top, everything depends on him as to whether he will stay there. That’s life in my profession. A level head. That’s the only secret. If 1 had mv time ovpt again, and the choice of a career, 1 should still elect to be a jockey. I jove every minute of the lite.’

The successful stallion Lnenllus was destroyed last' week owing to advancing age. Foaled in Germany in 1908. Lucullus was a brown horse by Ard Patrick from Lucca, and up In Ihe end of last season, he had sired the winners of over £'129,000 in New Zealand. Lucullus was purchased in England at (he outbreak of (he war for 25 guineas by Mr. >l. O. Hay ward, and passed on after his arrival in New Zealand to the late Mr. \Y. Walters. At one period of his career Lucullus raced in India, hub he was a failure as a racehorse, and was eventually sent to England for sale. Lucullus achieved almost immediate success at the sriid in New Zealand, and for many years now he has occupied a prominent position o-n the winning sires' list. H's stock have proved versatile performers, particularly over hurdles and steeplechase country, and some of the best winners among bis progeny are Queen March, Pegnway, ' Glendowio and King Lu,

CRICKET TEAMS FOR TO-DAY The following teams will take part in the Poverty Bay Cr cket Association’s senior competition to-day : Turanganui v. Civil Service, Olsen, Hosier, Nicholson, Wells, Parker, Lockett, Shelton, Scholium. Reed, •Stewart, Niven, and Jennings. City v. Old Boys.— Barton, Bennett-, Bridge, E. Dow, P. Dow, EHis. Fraser, McMahon, Mahoney, Robinson, Somerville, and Stewart. Civil Service v Turanganui: Boon, Griffiths, Robertson, James, E. Hnisman, Mason, Bignall. MoR, Column, Holliday, and Turbitt,, The following will represent the •Tack Bradley Club in a week-end match against Alhambra:—T. AIoMurray, M. Rohan. T. Bradley, *T Donaldson, T. Harris, T. Hatemnn, G. McKay, S. Sheldrake, S. Henry, J. Hibbert, J. Bradley, and N. McKenzie.