TURF

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12869, 23 May 1936, Page 11

TURF

I TE RAPA MEETING. THE WAIKATO STEEPLES. thirteen horses engaged. GOOD PERFORMERS INCLUbED. Except) on filly good acceptances have been received for the Waikato Racing Club’s winter meeting,' to he held: at To Rapa to-dav and 1 Monday, Mid lino weather is all that should be •'required to ensure a successful gathering. The presence of many candidates for the Groaifc Northerns at Ellcrslio will’give-Special interest to the jumping' races- and- form in the other events will also he. followed closely. The.- betting will be conducted under the win and place system, and ;the line lields should enable it to operate very} successfully.

A STRONG BRACKET

The- Waikato Steeplechase has attracted a fine field of. 18, and an excellent contest seems--assured.. The bracketed horses, Rasonli and, Royal 1-imond, appear to have good prospects and the combination is- likely to make a. strong appeal. Having his ii st. rnecl over qquntry, Rasonli recently "'on the Egmont Steeplechase in very easy fashion, and, although ho ha 4 lllhj more weight, he should take a lot. of heating as he is- in great heart and jumps country well. Royal Limond, winner of the Great- Northern Steeplechase last year, won twice ail Riverton at Easter, proving that he. is back to form, .so flint- he has- to ho respected. He has had previous experience of Tfi R-apa emintry, .having finished second in both the Waikato Steeplechase and the Kavhai .Steeplechase last year.

Thespis won the Autumn Steeplechase at Ellerslie at Easter with 10.8 find subsequently at- Avondale finished third in thei Hdhsonvillej Hurdles with 11.4. A beautiful fencer, with more pace than the average) jumper, Thespis •is one of the best steeplechasers in the Dominion and it should oiily 1 e a matter -of him being produced fit to seriously trouble the opposition. Unfortunately, he has -attunes been, affected with soreness-, although he pulled up- sound after bus autumn races.

DIAMOND AND RO-NY

Another likely pair are Diamond and Roxy. Diamond iron over, country atk'T'i’eritlihm. last winter, and in he scored over Hurdles at Akapuni. At his l last start he wast go- / rig very well -when- he fell in, the second round of the Mangere' Steeplechase at. Ellerslie, won by Boxy. He was injured in the fall, but has made a good recovery and schooled pleasingly 'at Trcntham on Saturday. Diamond as.- a dashing young jumper, whose speed is an asset in short steeplechases, arid ho is nicely placed, as he will meet Boxy 181 b. and Forest Glow 101 b. better than at ElIcslic. Boxy has won. over hurdles in. the meantime and Forest Glow has run two seconds, hut, even so, the figures. appear to favour Diamond. Nevertheless, Roxy has improved considerably and his light weight .and staying ability* should! enable, him to make a forward showing.

Forest 'Glow is one of the most consistent jumpers • i .'icing and has r un four successive seconds, so that a win for him .should, ho well. deserved. He meets Easouli 121 b. better than at ITawofa. and that should assist him. although the chances are that Bason'] i may again prove his superior. Still, 3’lire'st Glow should: heat more t-Haa will defeat him, as he is rij reliable performer of whom the very Haul hay have yet to he seen. The top-weight; Valppcn tvais backward when he ivan at 1 fewer a recently and it. is doubtful whether ho will he ready to show form Ji'.st yet, although he may have benefited liy his rorent racing.

CHANCE FOB GOLDEN ENGLAND

Golden England was not produced at To Awrimutu on Saturday! arid N stated to have met with a. slight niishaji. Whether lie will he on. hand to keep his engagement lias not yet been 'announced, but lie is not without prospects ifl he goes "to the post. fitBilly Boy is getting iip in year's and has; lost some of His dash: "However, ft is one of the most rehrible fence l -? in‘the field and always has fi, jumper's chance. Emancipation may ’ derive benefit from his race-at Te Awamutu «it Saturday last, but a good deal ot improvement will be necessary! if* H© is to score. Spnlpiko is a. 'good fene er, hut. A rdmanning and London do Hot appeal' after the failures at To Awamutu. on Saturday. l ■ ’ The Basouli—Royal Liiriond bracket a nd F orcst Glow'.find Roxy ! are ijikelj fp he well*supported; '• <rr: ' tr :

NOT DONE IN'. ENGLAND

| .TV American dmateur . Mr- Pete | Bostwick erred at Llngfield (Erig.) 1,1 | ifwdi, when, he thought ayhorV'e° 1,,1 “' I p (>ntinno .in • a race - after • missirig >0 l jump. Air. Bostwick: node; Hi's Grand ij Rational candidate,; Castlci InColl,- ri l | "trace, and went: on after that'ho'sc run round .a-jumps at an gai J ■; Hag|?. : , •, . ■ ; ,; T; | .It was. A'ateb) by a, London P a h©i I tiat Mi-. Bostwick, being anxio.us. to % »ve Castle Dwell a geed schooling | %on, completed the course, ap^ rl the jump he missed, . The s-tew: | ' in firiirig him £2o, intimatec | %t Mr. festwiclc Had hfetter read ij bji the' nileh. ’ • •

MAURICE -McGRATH'S OPINIONS ON BETTING FAVOURS THE “BOOKS” THE LITRE OF AUSTRALIA Mr. M. It: McGrath, of Melbourne, is on a. -visit to New Zealand, accompanied! by Ills wife and da.ughter, and they ha.ve been in. Christchurch dtirng the last few days', says a Southern writer. Mr. McGrath has been, associated with racing all his life. Tie is a New Zealaiidcr, and in his young days was a .successful trainer in Mastcirton, blit) in Hill he decided to- try his fortune in Australia. Ho settled in Melbourne), where he has. resided

over since, and ho has no reason to rogreft his change of residence.. His stable at Caulfield contains only six boxes, but- he wins- his full share of races, with their -accompaniment, as he is a game, bnclcer .when he fancies any of his horses. The. New Zealand: bred Ara.un.ah, a member of the team has won since his- trainer has been in the Dominion.

The visitor was present on Saturday last- at the- Ashburton meeting. Ho went in the- company of the Riccarton triUner F. D. Jones, who won a race during the day with Cyrillian, so. it- i,s pro-bable that the trip included at least one successful visit tr> the totalisator.

Mr. McGrath is not. an admired of New Zealand betting methods. When training in Masterton s- a young man he tuned out many winners, hut. the -short prices that had to he accepted under the two dividend system did not appeal., especially after ho had had an •opportunity to study Australian conditions, with the- bookmakers, during, ai visit to Sydney with his father. It was as a result, of this brief experience that, he later decided to settle in Australia.

BOOKMAKERS-

In. discussing present conditions after -several weeks- in New Zealand, during which.' he attended a number of vaee meetings, he has formed the opinion that racing would benefit;by ilie licensing of the bookmakers. They would provide a market for -owners to- support their horses at a. reasonable. price, after which the public could be. accommodated. Like most men who have done their racing in bookmaker countries, he holds- the view that the owners are entitled to this consideration, instead of having to take the- same, price as- on the totalisator, with the general public. Apart, from the bookmaker question, excessive taxation must prevent racing from- making any progress in New Zealand. “How is- it possible,” he -said), when discussing the question, “for anyone to make money in a game with three and: sixpence taken out of every pound for taxation?” He quoted France- as a totalisator country where the- share of the deductions was given back for the- benefit o" breeders, hut the New Zealand ■Government did nothing to assist racing in any way.

As showing how racing had suffered, the visitor quoted a North Island meeting at which;, in His young days, it would , not have been hard to pick a, dozen horses capable, of winning big stakes in Australia. He had: attended a. meeting on his. present trip arid had been.amazed at the poor class of bo sos he saw racing’ there.

HOESE-BREEDING COUNTRY

There were natural advanagos which inadc New’ Zealand the equal of England or Ireland as a horse-breed-ing country, biit" though many great horses were bred here, not ninny of them were retained. Australian buyers: picked the choice lots out of the yearling sales’ each season, and) also bought, many of the host older horses after they were developed, while ot hers that were mot. solel made regular pilgrimages to Australia to race. The ntraetivoness- of Australia was not, hard to. understand. IP a, man had a good horse that could win,' lie was Hi a position there! to get a lot of money., which was not available to hint at liomc. For the; same reason a: librsb was. worth much, more motley in Australia than in New Zealand, where his earning power was riofc' so great.

THE DESTRE TO BET

The fact, that so many owners raced their horses in Australia was evidence that they desired an opportunity to bet in the open market provided by the bookmakers. If the bookmakers were licensed in New Zealander there would not bo the inducement to send horses- abroad, riiid racing hero would benefit, by tlicir presence. Owners would be able to win hi one,y 'and .their horses would have a great value at home. As ; a result New Zealanders: would be in a position to retain mffny of the best .yearlings, which now went. to Australia. .

Although he. has. had no experience iii the frutting -sport, Mr. McGrath spent 'K pleasant day; with Mr; J. B. McKenzie, whoso team, of horses prodded great interest, as did the horses V Mr? G. J. Brirtbn; at ’Addington, including tncFanapolis. When Air. McGrath goes, hack to Australia fin June 4 lie will take three jhbrshs. Eriia will go to his own ■stable, and;-so will Mr. A; S. Higgs.’ Posterity—Spotlight, fi, ]y:m. bandsoma youngster.;- The ; t m-d-, { tne Postsl’ity— G-enesta; colt,, will be.handed rivei' oii arrival, to Mr. Ernr.c Cohholly, for; whom .he.W-aisi purchased atthe Treritham sales' in January.

PHAR, LAP’S COLOURS NEW ZEA’LiAND-BRED BEARER MAORI LAD WINS IN AMERICA “Plmi* Lap’s- famous rod, green, and black -silks rode again to victory yesterday -art'. Bay Meadows,” -says, tbe San. Francisco Chronicle, of April 24. “They were carried- by Maori Lad, an ini porta lion from. New Zealand, and first of the two-year-old -invaders from the Antipodes to make good- in American racing.

“Maori Lad, owned- by Mr. David Davi-s, won the featured, juvenile sprint o f the day from The’Lake and Korena, a -first starter. It was- his fourth stait, and he- wore blinkers.

“Mnoi'i bad jumped out first from No. 1 position, but raced greenly. Tie swung- to the middle- of the track at the turn, was passed by The- Lake-, but came again and won going away.” Maori Lad was taken to America at the ago of -six months. Up is- by Night. Raid, sire of Pha.r Lap, from Eaglet t bV Chief Ruler from Dovelet, and his darn! was. a. good winner iri New Zealand, racing with success in llio colours of Mr. F. Earl, K.C. Eaglet, Phndola , Lady Grey-spear and Cynthia. N.; were purchased in the Dominion by Mr. Davis .and were mated- to American- Time before being shipped to, California.

Maori Lad was not In demand in the - wagering in the race he won and returned double-figure odds.

SIT DOWN IN FRONT

A little man watching r- v nce at Mocreefild recently suddenly found his view obscured. Though he was o.n his feet himself he bawled- “Sit down in. front,”

The. big frame ahead politely collapsed on a scat, and- the race went on.

The battle over somebody whispered down “tubby’s” car that the man he had .ordered Hitler-like- to sit down was the famous American pug list, Mjaxio R osenbloom. He slunk hastily to the hack staircase and hurried down to the betting ring, there to lose himself in the crowd.

BROKEN NECK NO BAR

Henri’s Choice, the horse that broke his neck in England last year, wait a runner foi" the £II.OOO hurdle race, the Imperial Cup, at Sa.ndown. on March 21. Hi-s mishap did not rob him of liis pace, as h-e made, the running ?br a mile and a half, but though second into the straight, d’.ed away, and finished ninth. The recovery of Henri’s Choice is regarded’ as cue of the most remarkable known in England.